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Xiong M, Dahlén A, Roshanbin S, Wik E, Aguilar X, Eriksson J, Sehlin D, Syvänen S. Antibody engagement with amyloid-beta does not inhibit [ 11C]PiB binding for PET imaging. J Neurochem 2024; 168:2601-2610. [PMID: 38721627 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
The elimination of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques in Alzheimer's disease patients after treatment with anti-Aβ antibodies such as lecanemab and aducanumab is supported by a substantially decreased signal in amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. However, this decreased PET signal has not been matched by a similar substantial effect on cognitive function. There may be several reasons for this, including short treatment duration and advanced disease stages among the patients. However, one aspect that has not been investigated, and the subject of this study, is whether antibody engagement with amyloid plaques inhibits the binding of amyloid-PET ligands, leading to a false impression of Aβ removal from the brain. In the present study, tg-ArcSwe mice received three injections of RmAb158, the murine version of lecanemab or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) before the administration of the amyloid-PET radioligand [11C]PiB, followed by isolation of brain tissue. Autoradiography showed that RmAb158- and PBS-treated mice displayed similar [11C]PiB binding. Moreover, the total Aβ1-40 levels, representing the major Aβ species of plaques in the tg-ArcSwe model, as well as soluble triggering receptor on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2) levels, were similar in both groups. Interestingly, the concentration of soluble Aβ aggregates was decreased in the RmAb158-treated group, along with a small but significant decrease in the total Aβ1-42 levels. In conclusion, this study indicates that the binding of [11C]PiB to Aβ accurately mirrors the load of Aβ plaques in the brain, aligning with how amyloid-PET is interpreted in clinical studies of anti-Aβ antibodies. However, early treatment effects on soluble Aβ aggregates and Aβ1-42 levels were not detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengfei Xiong
- Molecular Geriatrics, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amelia Dahlén
- Molecular Geriatrics, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sahar Roshanbin
- Molecular Geriatrics, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elin Wik
- Molecular Geriatrics, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ximena Aguilar
- Molecular Geriatrics, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Eriksson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- PET Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Molecular Geriatrics, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Molecular Geriatrics, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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2
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Braun A, Rowntree LC, Huang Z, Pandey K, Thuesen N, Li C, Petersen J, Littler DR, Raji S, Nguyen THO, Jappe Lange E, Persson G, Schantz Klausen M, Kringelum J, Chung S, Croft NP, Faridi P, Ayala R, Rossjohn J, Illing PT, Scull KE, Ramarathinam S, Mifsud NA, Kedzierska K, Sørensen AB, Purcell AW. Mapping the immunopeptidome of seven SARS-CoV-2 antigens across common HLA haplotypes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7547. [PMID: 39214998 PMCID: PMC11364864 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51959-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Most COVID-19 vaccines elicit immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. However, Spike protein mutations in emerging strains and immune evasion by the SARS-CoV-2 virus demonstrates the need to develop more broadly targeting vaccines. To facilitate this, we use mass spectrometry to identify immunopeptides derived from seven relatively conserved structural and non-structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins (N, E, Nsp1/4/5/8/9). We use two different B-lymphoblastoid cell lines to map Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class I and class II immunopeptidomes covering some of the prevalent HLA types across the global human population. We employ DNA plasmid transfection and direct antigen delivery approaches to sample different antigens and find 248 unique HLA class I and HLA class II bound peptides with 71 derived from N, 12 from E, 28 from Nsp1, 19 from Nsp4, 73 from Nsp8 and 45 peptides derived from Nsp9. Over half of the viral peptides are unpublished. T cell reactivity tested against 56 of the detected peptides shows CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses against several peptides from the N, E, and Nsp9 proteins. Results from this study will aid the development of next-generation COVID vaccines targeting epitopes from across a number of SARS-CoV-2 proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asolina Braun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Louise C Rowntree
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ziyi Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Kirti Pandey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Chen Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jan Petersen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Dene R Littler
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Shabana Raji
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Thi H O Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Shanzou Chung
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Nathan P Croft
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Pouya Faridi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Rochelle Ayala
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jamie Rossjohn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University, School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Patricia T Illing
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Katherine E Scull
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Sri Ramarathinam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Nicole A Mifsud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Katherine Kedzierska
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Anthony W Purcell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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Petersen I, Godec A, Ranjbarian F, Hofer A, Mirabello C, Hultqvist G. A charged tail on anti-α-Synuclein antibodies does not enhance their affinity to α-Synuclein fibrils. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0308521. [PMID: 39208301 PMCID: PMC11361660 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The aggregation of α-Synuclein (αSyn) is strongly linked to neuronal death in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. The spreading of aggregated αSyn between neurons is at least partly dependent on electrostatic interactions between positively charged stretches on αSyn fibrils and the negatively charged heparan sulphate proteoglycans on the cell surface. To date there is still no therapeutic option available that could halt the progression of Parkinson's disease and one of the major limitations is likely the relatively low proportion of αSyn aggregates accessible to drugs in the extracellular space. Here, we investigated whether a negatively charged peptide tail fused to the αSyn aggregate-specific antibodies SynO2 and 9E4 could enhance the antibodies' avidity to αSyn aggregates in order to improve their potential therapeutic effect through inhibiting cell-to-cell spreading and enhancing the clearance of extracellular aggregates. We performed ELISAs to test the avidity to αSyn aggregates of both monovalent and bivalent antibody formats with and without the peptide tail. Our results show that the addition of the negatively charged peptide tail decreased the binding strength of both antibodies to αSyn aggregates at physiological salt conditions, which can likely be explained by intermolecular repulsions between the tail and the negatively charged C-terminus of αSyn. Additionally, the tail might interact with the paratopes of the SynO2 antibody abolishing its binding to αSyn aggregates. Conclusively, our peptide tail did not fulfil the required characteristics to improve the antibodies' binding to αSyn aggregates. Fine-tuning the design of the peptide tail to avoid its interaction with the antibodies' CDR and to better mimic relevant characteristics of heparan sulphates for αSyn aggregate binding may help overcome the limitations observed in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Petersen
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ana Godec
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Farahnaz Ranjbarian
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Hofer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Claudio Mirabello
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Gustavsson T, Herth MM, Sehlin D, Syvänen S. Indium-111 radiolabelling of a brain-penetrant Aβ antibody for SPECT imaging. Ups J Med Sci 2024; 129:10585. [PMID: 38863725 PMCID: PMC11165248 DOI: 10.48101/ujms.v129.10585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The development of bispecific antibodies that can traverse the blood-brain barrier has paved the way for brain-directed immunotherapy and when radiolabelled, immunoPET imaging. The objective of this study was to investigate how indium-111 (111In) radiolabelling with compatible chelators affects the brain delivery and peripheral biodistribution of the bispecific antibody RmAb158-scFv8D3, which binds to amyloid-beta (Aβ) and the transferrin receptor (TfR), in Aβ pathology-expressing tg-ArcSwe mice and aged-matched wild-type control mice. Methods Bispecific RmAb158-scFv8D3 (biAb) was radiolabelled with 111In using CHX-A"-DTPA, DOTA, or DOTA-tetrazine (DOTA-Tz). Affinity toward TfR and Aβ, as well as stability, was investigated in vitro. Mice were then intravenously administered with the three different radiolabelled biAb variants, and blood samples were collected for monitoring pharmacokinetics. Brain concentration was quantified after 2 and 72 h, and organ-specific retention was measured at 72 h by gamma counting. A subset of mice also underwent whole-body Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scanning at 72 h after injection. Following post-mortem isolation, the brains of tg-ArcSwe and WT mice were sectioned, and the spatial distribution of biAb was further investigated with autoradiography. Results All three [111In]biAb variants displayed similar blood pharmacokinetics and brain uptake at 2 h after administration. Radiolabelling did not compromise affinity, and all variants showed good stability, especially the DOTA-Tz variant. Whole-body SPECT scanning indicated high liver, spleen, and bone accumulation of all [111In]biAb variants. Subsequent ex vivo measurement of organ retention confirmed SPECT data, with retention in the spleen, liver, and bone - with very high bone marrow retention. Ex vivo gamma measurement of brain tissue, isolated at 72 h post-injection, and ex vivo autoradiography showed that WT mice, despite the absence of Aβ, exhibited comparable brain concentrations of [111In]biAb as those found in the tg-ArcSwe brain. Conclusions The successful 111In-labelling of biAb with retained binding to TfR and Aβ, and retained ability to enter the brain, demonstrated that 111In can be used to generate radioligands for brain imaging. A high degree of [111In]biAb in bone marrow and intracellular accumulation in brain tissue indicated some off-target interactions or potential interaction with intrabrain TfR resulting in a relatively high non-specific background signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Gustavsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matthias M. Herth
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Kuravsky M, Gibbons GF, Joyce C, Scott-Tucker A, Macpherson A, Lawson ADG. Modular design of bi- and multi-specific knob domain fusions. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1384467. [PMID: 38605965 PMCID: PMC11008599 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1384467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The therapeutic potential of bispecific antibodies is becoming widely recognised, with over a hundred formats already described. For many applications, enhanced tissue penetration is sought, so bispecifics with low molecular weight may offer a route to enhanced potency. Here we report the design of bi- and tri-specific antibody-based constructs with molecular weights as low as 14.5 and 22 kDa respectively. Methods Autonomous bovine ultra-long CDR H3 (knob domain peptide) modules have been engineered with artificial coiled-coil stalks derived from Sin Nombre orthohantavirus nucleocapsid protein and human Beclin-1, and joined in series to produce bi- and tri-specific antibody-based constructs with exceptionally low molecular weights. Results Knob domain peptides with coiled-coil stalks retain high, independent antigen binding affinity, exhibit exceptional levels of thermal stability, and can be readily joined head-to-tail yielding the smallest described multi-specific antibody format. The resulting constructs are able to bind simultaneously to all their targets with no interference. Discussion Compared to existing bispecific formats, the reduced molecular weight of the knob domain fusions may enable enhanced tissue penetration and facilitate binding to cryptic epitopes that are inaccessible to conventional antibodies. Furthermore, they can be easily produced at high yield as recombinant products and are free from the heavy-light chain mispairing issue. Taken together, our approach offers an efficient route to modular construction of minimalistic bi- and multi-specifics, thereby further broadening the therapeutic scope for knob domain peptides.
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6
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Fallahee I, Hawiger D. Episomal Vectors for Stable Production of Recombinant Proteins and Engineered Antibodies. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:18. [PMID: 38534208 PMCID: PMC10967652 DOI: 10.3390/antib13010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
There is tremendous interest in the production of recombinant proteins, particularly bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates for research and therapeutic use. Here, we demonstrate a highly versatile plasmid system that allows the rapid generation of stable Expi293 cell pools by episomal retention of transfected DNA. By linking protein expression to puromycin resistance through an attenuated internal ribosome entry site, we achieve stable cell pools producing proteins of interest. In addition, split intein-split puromycin-mediated selection of two separate protein expression cassettes allows the stable production of bispecific antibody-like molecules or antibodies with distinct C-terminal heavy chain modifications, such as an antigen on one chain and a sortase tag on the other chain. We also use this novel expression system to generate stable Expi293 cell pools that secrete sortase A Δ59 variant Srt4M. Using these reagents, we prepared a site-specific drug-to-antibody ratio of 1 antibody-siRNA conjugate. We anticipate the simple, robust, and rapid stable protein expression systems described here being useful for a wide variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Hawiger
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
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7
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Paul R, Kasahara K, Sasaki J, Pérez JF, Matsunaga R, Hashiguchi T, Kuroda D, Tsumoto K. Unveiling the affinity-stability relationship in anti-measles virus antibodies: a computational approach for hotspots prediction. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 10:1302737. [PMID: 38495738 PMCID: PMC10941800 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1302737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen an uptick in the use of computational applications in antibody engineering. These tools have enhanced our ability to predict interactions with antigens and immunogenicity, facilitate humanization, and serve other critical functions. However, several studies highlight the concern of potential trade-offs between antibody affinity and stability in antibody engineering. In this study, we analyzed anti-measles virus antibodies as a case study, to examine the relationship between binding affinity and stability, upon identifying the binding hotspots. We leverage in silico tools like Rosetta and FoldX, along with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional in vitro mutagenesis. We introduced a pattern in identifying key residues in pairs, shedding light on hotspots identification. Experimental physicochemical analysis validated the predicted key residues by confirming significant decrease in binding affinity for the high-affinity antibodies to measles virus hemagglutinin. Through the nature of the identified pairs, which represented the relative hydropathy of amino acid side chain, a connection was proposed between affinity and stability. The findings of the study enhance our understanding of the interactions between antibody and measles virus hemagglutinin. Moreover, the implications of the observed correlation between binding affinity and stability extend beyond the field of anti-measles virus antibodies, thereby opening doors for advancements in antibody research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimpa Paul
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center of Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kasahara
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jiei Sasaki
- Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jorge Fernández Pérez
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Matsunaga
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takao Hashiguchi
- Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kuroda
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center of Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kouhei Tsumoto
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Pagnon de la Vega M, Syvänen S, Giedraitis V, Hooley M, Konstantinidis E, Meier SR, Rokka J, Eriksson J, Aguilar X, Spires-Jones TL, Lannfelt L, Nilsson LNG, Erlandsson A, Hultqvist G, Ingelsson M, Sehlin D. Altered amyloid-β structure markedly reduces gliosis in the brain of mice harboring the Uppsala APP deletion. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:22. [PMID: 38317196 PMCID: PMC10845526 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01734-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) into plaques is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Different amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutations cause early-onset AD by altering the production or aggregation properties of Aβ. We recently identified the Uppsala APP mutation (APPUpp), which causes Aβ pathology by a triple mechanism: increased β-secretase and altered α-secretase APP cleavage, leading to increased formation of a unique Aβ conformer that rapidly aggregates and deposits in the brain. The aim of this study was to further explore the effects of APPUpp in a transgenic mouse model (tg-UppSwe), expressing human APP with the APPUpp mutation together with the APPSwe mutation. Aβ pathology was studied in tg-UppSwe brains at different ages, using ELISA and immunohistochemistry. In vivo PET imaging with three different PET radioligands was conducted in aged tg-UppSwe mice and two other mouse models; tg-ArcSwe and tg-Swe. Finally, glial responses to Aβ pathology were studied in cell culture models and mouse brain tissue, using ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Tg-UppSwe mice displayed increased β-secretase cleavage and suppressed α-secretase cleavage, resulting in AβUpp42 dominated diffuse plaque pathology appearing from the age of 5-6 months. The γ-secretase cleavage was not affected. Contrary to tg-ArcSwe and tg-Swe mice, tg-UppSwe mice were [11C]PiB-PET negative. Antibody-based PET with the 3D6 ligand visualized Aβ pathology in all models, whereas the Aβ protofibril selective mAb158 ligand did not give any signals in tg-UppSwe mice. Moreover, unlike the other two models, tg-UppSwe mice displayed a very faint glial response to the Aβ pathology. The tg-UppSwe mouse model thus recapitulates several pathological features of the Uppsala APP mutation carriers. The presumed unique structural features of AβUpp42 aggregates were found to affect their interaction with anti-Aβ antibodies and profoundly modify the Aβ-mediated glial response, which may be important aspects to consider for further development of AD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Pagnon de la Vega
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vilmantas Giedraitis
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Monique Hooley
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Evangelos Konstantinidis
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Silvio R Meier
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johanna Rokka
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Eriksson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Division of Organic Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- PET Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ximena Aguilar
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lars Lannfelt
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- BioArctic AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars N G Nilsson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna Erlandsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Departments of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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9
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de Almeida Magalhaes T, Liu J, Chan C, Borges KS, Zhang J, Kane AJ, Wierbowski BM, Ge Y, Liu Z, Mannam P, Zeve D, Weiss R, Breault DT, Huang P, Salic A. Extracellular carriers control lipid-dependent secretion, delivery, and activity of WNT morphogens. Dev Cell 2024; 59:244-261.e6. [PMID: 38154460 PMCID: PMC10872876 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
WNT morphogens trigger signaling pathways fundamental for embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer. WNTs are modified with palmitoleate, which is critical for binding Frizzled (FZD) receptors and activating signaling. However, it is unknown how WNTs are released and spread from cells, given their strong lipid-dependent membrane attachment. We demonstrate that secreted FZD-related proteins and WNT inhibitory factor 1 are WNT carriers, potently releasing lipidated WNTs and forming active soluble complexes. WNT release occurs by direct handoff from the membrane protein WNTLESS to the carriers. In turn, carriers donate WNTs to glypicans and FZDs involved in WNT reception and to the NOTUM hydrolase, which antagonizes WNTs by lipid moiety removal. WNT transfer from carriers to FZDs is greatly facilitated by glypicans that serve as essential co-receptors in Wnt signaling. Thus, an extracellular network of carriers dynamically controls secretion, posttranslational regulation, and delivery of WNT morphogens, with important practical implications for regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Charlene Chan
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kleiton Silva Borges
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jiuchun Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Andrew J Kane
- Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Bradley M Wierbowski
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yunhui Ge
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhiwen Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Prabhath Mannam
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Daniel Zeve
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ron Weiss
- Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David T Breault
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Pengxiang Huang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Adrian Salic
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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10
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Fallahee I, Hawiger D. EPISOMAL VECTORS FOR STABLE PRODUCTION OF RECOMBINANT PROTEINS AND ENGINEERED ANTIBODIES. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.03.574076. [PMID: 38260603 PMCID: PMC10802304 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.03.574076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
There is tremendous interest in the production of recombinant proteins, particularly bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates for research and therapeutic use. Here, we demonstrate a highly versatile plasmid system that allows rapid generation of stable Expi293 cell pools by episomal retention of transfected DNA. By linking protein expression to puromycin resistance though an attenuated internal ribosome entry site, we achieve stable cell pools producing proteins of interest. In addition, split intein-split puromycin-mediated selection of two separate protein expression cassettes allows the stable production of bispecific antibody-like molecules or antibodies with distinct C-terminal heavy chain modifications, such as an antigen on one chain and a sortase tag on the other chain. We also use this novel expression system to generate stable Expi293 cell pools that secrete sortase A Δ59 variant Srt4M. Using these reagents, we prepared a site-specific drug-to-antibody ratio of 1 antibody-siRNA conjugate. We anticipate the simple, robust, and rapid stable protein expression systems described here being useful for a wide variety of applications.
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11
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Dey D, Hasan SS. Strategies for rapid production of crystallization quality coatomer WD40 domains. Protein Expr Purif 2023; 212:106358. [PMID: 37625737 PMCID: PMC10529451 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2023.106358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
The vesicular secretion of soluble cargo proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is accompanied by the export of ER-resident membrane proteins that are co-packaged in secretory vesicles. The cytosolic coatomer protein complex I (COPI) utilizes the N-terminal WD40 domains of α-COPI and β'-COPI subunits to bind these membrane protein "clients" for ER retrieval. These "αWD40" and "β'WD40" domains are structural homologs that demonstrate distinct selectivity for client proteins. However, elucidation of the atomic-level principles of coatomer-client interactions has been challenging due to the tendency of αWD40 domain to undergo aggregation during expression and purification. Here we describe a rapid recombinant production strategy from E. coli, which substantially enhances the quality of the purified αWD40 domain. The αWD40 purification and crystallization are completed within one day, which minimizes aggregation losses and yields a 1.9 Å resolution crystal structure. We demonstrate the versatility of this strategy by applying it to purify the β'WD40 domain, which yields crystal structures in the 1.2-1.3 Å resolution range. As an alternate recombinant production system, we develop a cost-effective strategy for αWD40 production in human Expi293 cells. Finally, we suggest a roadmap to simplify these protocols further, which is of significance for the production of WD40 mutants prone to rapid aggregation. The WD40 production strategies presented here are likely to have broad applications because the WD40 domain represents one of the largest families of biomolecular interaction modules in the eukaryotic proteome and is critical for trafficking of host as well as viral proteins such as the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debajit Dey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - S Saif Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA; University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA; Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA.
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12
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Lao T, Farnos O, Bueno A, Alvarez A, Rodríguez E, Palacios J, de la Luz KR, Kamen A, Carpio Y, Estrada MP. Transient Expression in HEK-293 Cells in Suspension Culture as a Rapid and Powerful Tool: SARS-CoV-2 N and Chimeric SARS-CoV-2N-CD154 Proteins as a Case Study. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3050. [PMID: 38002050 PMCID: PMC10669214 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11113050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous work, we proposed a vaccine chimeric antigen based on the fusion of the SARS-CoV-2 N protein to the extracellular domain of the human CD40 ligand (CD154). This vaccine antigen was named N-CD protein and its expression was carried out in HEK-293 stably transfected cells, grown in adherent conditions and serum-supplemented medium. The chimeric protein obtained in these conditions presented a consistent pattern of degradation. The immunization of mice and monkeys with this chimeric protein was able to induce a high N-specific IgG response with only two doses in pre-clinical experiments. In order to explore ways to diminish protein degradation, in the present work, the N and N-CD proteins were produced in suspension cultures and serum-free media following transient transfection of the HEK-293 clone 3F6, at different scales, including stirred-tank controlled bioreactors. The results showed negligible or no degradation of the target proteins. Further, clones stably expressing N-CD were obtained and adapted to suspension culture, obtaining similar results to those observed in the transient expression experiments in HEK-293-3F6. The evidence supports transient protein expression in suspension cultures and serum-free media as a powerful tool to produce in a short period of time high levels of complex proteins susceptible to degradation, such as the SARS-CoV-2 N protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thailin Lao
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
| | - Omar Farnos
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0E9, Canada; (O.F.); (A.K.)
| | - Alexi Bueno
- Process Development Department, Center of Molecular Immunology, Havana 11600, Cuba (J.P.); (K.R.d.l.L.)
| | - Anays Alvarez
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
| | - Elsa Rodríguez
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
| | - Julio Palacios
- Process Development Department, Center of Molecular Immunology, Havana 11600, Cuba (J.P.); (K.R.d.l.L.)
| | - Kathya Rashida de la Luz
- Process Development Department, Center of Molecular Immunology, Havana 11600, Cuba (J.P.); (K.R.d.l.L.)
| | - Amine Kamen
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0E9, Canada; (O.F.); (A.K.)
| | - Yamila Carpio
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
| | - Mario Pablo Estrada
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
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13
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Deo S, Desai K, Patare A, Wadapurkar R, Rade S, Mahudkar S, Sathe M, Srivastava S, Prasanna P, Singh A. Evaluation of self-amplifying mRNA platform for protein expression and genetic stability: Implication for mRNA therapies. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 680:108-118. [PMID: 37738900 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The consecutive launch of mRNA vaccines like mRNA-1273, BNT 162b2, and GEMCOVAC®-19 against COVID-19 has triggered the debate of long-term expression, safety, and genomic integration of the mRNA vaccine platforms. In the present study, we examined the longevity of antigenic protein expression of mRNA-614 and mRNA-S1LC based on self-amplifying mRNA (SAM) in Expi-293F™, HEK-293 T, and ARPE-19 cells. The protein expression was checked by sandwich-ELISA, FACS, luciferase activity assay, and Western blot. The transcribed antigenic mRNA was sequenced and found to be un-mutated. Additionally, no genomic integration of the reverse transcribed mRNA was observed even up to 7 days post-transfection as verified by PCR. Furthermore, we have generated high-quality 3D structures of non-structural proteins (nsPs) in silico and the genes encoding for the nsPs were cloned and expressed using the T7 system. Findings from the current study have strengthened the fact that the alphavirus-based SAM platform has the potential to become a modality in the upcoming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swarda Deo
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India
| | - Kaushik Desai
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India
| | - Aishwarya Patare
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India
| | - Rucha Wadapurkar
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India
| | - Saniya Rade
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India
| | - Siddhi Mahudkar
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India
| | - Madhura Sathe
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India
| | - Shalini Srivastava
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India
| | - Pragya Prasanna
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India
| | - Ajay Singh
- Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. ITBT Park, Hinjawadi Phase 2 Road, Hinjawadi Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411057, India.
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14
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Misorin AK, Chernyshova DO, Karbyshev MS. State-of-the-Art Approaches to Heterologous Expression of Bispecific Antibodies Targeting Solid Tumors. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:1215-1231. [PMID: 37770390 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923090031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) are some of the most promising biotherapeutics due to the versatility provided by their structure and functional features. bsAbs simultaneously bind two antigens or two epitopes on the same antigen. Moreover, they are capable of directing immune effector cells to cancer cells and delivering various compounds (radionuclides, toxins, and immunologic agents) to the target cells, thus offering a broad spectrum of clinical applications. Current review is focused on the technologies used in bsAb engineering, current progress and prospects of these antibodies, and selection of various heterologous expression systems for bsAb production. We also discuss the platforms development of bsAbs for the therapy of solid tumors.
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15
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Meskova K, Martonova K, Hrasnova P, Sinska K, Skrabanova M, Fialova L, Njemoga S, Cehlar O, Parmar O, Kolenko P, Pevala V, Skrabana R. Cost-Effective Protein Production in CHO Cells Following Polyethylenimine-Mediated Gene Delivery Showcased by the Production and Crystallization of Antibody Fabs. Antibodies (Basel) 2023; 12:51. [PMID: 37606435 PMCID: PMC10443350 DOI: 10.3390/antib12030051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Laboratory production of recombinant mammalian proteins, particularly antibodies, requires an expression pipeline assuring sufficient yield and correct folding with appropriate posttranslational modifications. Transient gene expression (TGE) in the suspension-adapted Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines has become the method of choice for this task. The antibodies can be secreted into the media, which facilitates subsequent purification, and can be glycosylated. However, in general, protein production in CHO cells is expensive and may provide variable outcomes, namely in laboratories without previous experience. While achievable yields may be influenced by the nucleotide sequence, there are other aspects of the process which offer space for optimization, like gene delivery method, cultivation process or expression plasmid design. Polyethylenimine (PEI)-mediated gene delivery is frequently employed as a low-cost alternative to liposome-based methods. In this work, we are proposing a TGE platform for universal medium-scale production of antibodies and other proteins in CHO cells, with a novel expression vector allowing fast and flexible cloning of new genes and secretion of translated proteins. The production cost has been further reduced using recyclable labware. Nine days after transfection, we routinely obtain milligrams of antibody Fabs or human lactoferrin in a 25 mL culture volume. Potential of the platform is established based on the production and crystallization of antibody Fabs and their complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Meskova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarina Martonova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Patricia Hrasnova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Kristina Sinska
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michaela Skrabanova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lubica Fialova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Stefana Njemoga
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ondrej Cehlar
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Olga Parmar
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Petr Kolenko
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, 115 19 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Pevala
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Rostislav Skrabana
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
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16
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Bryce S, Stolzer M, Crosby D, Yang R, Durand D, Lee TH. Human atlastin-3 is a constitutive ER membrane fusion catalyst. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:e202211021. [PMID: 37102997 PMCID: PMC10140384 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202211021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Homotypic membrane fusion catalyzed by the atlastin (ATL) GTPase sustains the branched endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network in metazoans. Our recent discovery that two of the three human ATL paralogs (ATL1/2) are C-terminally autoinhibited implied that relief of autoinhibition would be integral to the ATL fusion mechanism. An alternative hypothesis is that the third paralog ATL3 promotes constitutive ER fusion with relief of ATL1/2 autoinhibition used conditionally. However, published studies suggest ATL3 is a weak fusogen at best. Contrary to expectations, we demonstrate here that purified human ATL3 catalyzes efficient membrane fusion in vitro and is sufficient to sustain the ER network in triple knockout cells. Strikingly, ATL3 lacks any detectable C-terminal autoinhibition, like the invertebrate Drosophila ATL ortholog. Phylogenetic analysis of ATL C-termini indicates that C-terminal autoinhibition is a recent evolutionary innovation. We suggest that ATL3 is a constitutive ER fusion catalyst and that ATL1/2 autoinhibition likely evolved in vertebrates as a means of upregulating ER fusion activity on demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Bryce
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Maureen Stolzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniel Crosby
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ruijin Yang
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dannie Durand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tina H. Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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17
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Palmer WH, Leaton LA, Codo AC, Crute B, Roest J, Zhu S, Petersen J, Tobin RP, Hume PS, Stone M, van Bokhoven A, Gerich ME, McCarter MD, Zhu Y, Janssen WJ, Vivian JP, Trowsdale J, Getahun A, Rossjohn J, Cambier J, Loh L, Norman PJ. Polymorphic KIR3DL3 expression modulates tissue-resident and innate-like T cells. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eade5343. [PMID: 37390222 PMCID: PMC10360443 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.ade5343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Most human killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are expressed by natural killer (NK) cells and recognize HLA class I molecules as ligands. KIR3DL3 is a conserved but polymorphic inhibitory KIR recognizing a B7 family ligand, HHLA2, and is implicated for immune checkpoint targeting. The expression profile and biological function of KIR3DL3 have been somewhat elusive, so we searched extensively for KIR3DL3 transcripts, revealing highly enriched expression in γδ and CD8+ T cells rather than NK cells. These KIR3DL3-expressing cells are rare in the blood and thymus but more common in the lungs and digestive tract. High-resolution flow cytometry and single-cell transcriptomics showed that peripheral blood KIR3DL3+ T cells have an activated transitional memory phenotype and are hypofunctional. The T cell receptor (TCR) usage is biased toward genes from early rearranged TCR-α variable segments or Vδ1 chains. In addition, we show that TCR-mediated stimulation can be inhibited through KIR3DL3 ligation. Whereas we detected no impact of KIR3DL3 polymorphism on ligand binding, variants in the proximal promoter and at residue 86 can reduce expression. Together, we demonstrate that KIR3DL3 is up-regulated alongside unconventional T cell stimulation and that individuals may vary in their ability to express KIR3DL3. These results have implications for the personalized targeting of KIR3DL3/HHLA2 checkpoint inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H. Palmer
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Laura Ann Leaton
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Ana Campos Codo
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Bergren Crute
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - James Roest
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash
University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shiying Zhu
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash
University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jan Petersen
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash
University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richard P. Tobin
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology,
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Patrick S. Hume
- Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO,
USA
| | - Matthew Stone
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology,
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Adrie van Bokhoven
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado School of
Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Mark E. Gerich
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Martin D. McCarter
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology,
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Yuwen Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology,
University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Julian P. Vivian
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash
University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Andrew Getahun
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jamie Rossjohn
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash
University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University,
School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - John Cambier
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Liyen Loh
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of
Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville,
Australia
| | - Paul J. Norman
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of
Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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18
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Siddiqui AA, Peter S, Ngoh EZX, Wang CI, Ng S, Dangerfield JA, Gunzburg WH, Dröge P, Makhija H. A versatile genomic transgenesis platform with enhanced λ integrase for human Expi293F cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1198465. [PMID: 37425360 PMCID: PMC10325659 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1198465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Reliable cell-based platforms to test and/or produce biologics in a sustainable manner are important for the biotech industry. Utilizing enhanced λ integrase, a sequence-specific DNA recombinase, we developed a novel transgenesis platform involving a fully characterized single genomic locus as an artificial landing pad for transgene insertion in human Expi293F cells. Importantly, transgene instability and variation in expression were not observed in the absence of selection pressure, thus enabling reliable long-term biotherapeutics testing or production. The artificial landing pad for λ integrase can be targeted with multi-transgene constructs and offers future modularity involving additional genome manipulation tools to generate sequential or nearly seamless insertions. We demonstrated broad utility with expression constructs for anti PD-1 monoclonal antibodies and showed that the orientation of heavy and light chain transcription units profoundly affected antibody expression levels. In addition, we demonstrated encapsulation of our PD-1 platform cells into bio-compatible mini-bioreactors and the continued secretion of antibodies, thus providing a basis for future cell-based applications for more effective and affordable therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asim Azhar Siddiqui
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sabrina Peter
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eve Zi Xian Ngoh
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Cheng-I. Wang
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shirelle Ng
- Austrianova Singapore Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Walter H. Gunzburg
- Austrianova Singapore Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Dröge
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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19
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Ribeiro J, Crossan GP. GCNA is a histone binding protein required for spermatogonial stem cell maintenance. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:4791-4813. [PMID: 36919611 PMCID: PMC10250205 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Recycling and de-novo deposition of histones during DNA replication is a critical challenge faced by eukaryotic cells and is coordinated by histone chaperones. Spermatogenesis is highly regulated sophisticated process necessitating not only histone modification but loading of testis specific histone variants. Here, we show that Germ Cell Nuclear Acidic protein (GCNA), a germ cell specific protein in adult mice, can bind histones and purified GCNA exhibits histone chaperone activity. GCNA associates with the DNA replication machinery and supports progression through S-phase in murine undifferentiated spermatogonia (USGs). Whilst GCNA is dispensable for embryonic germ cell development, it is required for the maintenance of the USG pool and for long-term production of sperm. Our work describes the role of a germ cell specific histone chaperone in USGs maintenance in mice. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for the male infertility observed in patients carrying GCNA mutations.
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20
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Gambles MT, Yang J, Kopeček J. Multi-targeted immunotherapeutics to treat B cell malignancies. J Control Release 2023; 358:232-258. [PMID: 37121515 PMCID: PMC10330463 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The concept of multi-targeted immunotherapeutic systems has propelled the field of cancer immunotherapy into an exciting new era. Multi-effector molecules can be designed to engage with, and alter, the patient's immune system in a plethora of ways. The outcomes can vary from effector cell recruitment and activation upon recognition of a cancer cell, to a multipronged immune checkpoint blockade strategy disallowing evasion of the cancer cells by immune cells, or to direct cancer cell death upon engaging multiple cell surface receptors simultaneously. Here, we review the field of multi-specific immunotherapeutics implemented to treat B cell malignancies. The mechanistically diverse strategies are outlined and discussed; common B cell receptor antigen targeting strategies are outlined and summarized; and the challenges of the field are presented along with optimistic insights for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tommy Gambles
- Center for Controlled Chemical Delivery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Jiyuan Yang
- Center for Controlled Chemical Delivery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Jindřich Kopeček
- Center for Controlled Chemical Delivery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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21
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Srinivasan Rajsri K, McRae MP, Christodoulides NJ, Dapkins I, Simmons GW, Matz H, Dooley H, Fenyö D, McDevitt JT. Simultaneous Quantitative SARS-CoV-2 Antigen and Host Antibody Detection and Pre-Screening Strategy at the Point of Care. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:670. [PMID: 37370601 PMCID: PMC10295356 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10060670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As COVID-19 pandemic public health measures are easing globally, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 strains continue to present high risk for vulnerable populations. The antibody-mediated protection acquired from vaccination and/or infection is seen to wane over time and the immunocompromised populations can no longer expect benefit from monoclonal antibody prophylaxis. Hence, there is a need to monitor new variants and its effect on vaccine performance. In this context, surveillance of new SARS-CoV-2 infections and serology testing are gaining consensus for use as screening methods, especially for at-risk groups. Here, we described an improved COVID-19 screening strategy, comprising predictive algorithms and concurrent, rapid, accurate, and quantitative SARS-CoV-2 antigen and host antibody testing strategy, at point of care (POC). We conducted a retrospective analysis of 2553 pre- and asymptomatic patients who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. The pre-screening model had an AUC (CI) of 0.76 (0.73-0.78). Despite being the default method for screening, body temperature had lower AUC (0.52 [0.49-0.55]) compared to case incidence rate (0.65 [0.62-0.68]). POC assays for SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP) and spike (S) receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG antibody showed promising preliminary results, demonstrating a convenient, rapid (<20 min), quantitative, and sensitive (ng/mL) antigen/antibody assay. This integrated pre-screening model and simultaneous antigen/antibody approach may significantly improve accuracy of COVID-19 infection and host immunity screening, helping address unmet needs for monitoring vaccine effectiveness and severe disease surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Srinivasan Rajsri
- Division of Biomaterials, Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University School of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA; (K.S.R.); (M.P.M.); (N.J.C.); (G.W.S.)
- Department of Pathology, Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Michael P. McRae
- Division of Biomaterials, Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University School of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA; (K.S.R.); (M.P.M.); (N.J.C.); (G.W.S.)
| | - Nicolaos J. Christodoulides
- Division of Biomaterials, Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University School of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA; (K.S.R.); (M.P.M.); (N.J.C.); (G.W.S.)
| | - Isaac Dapkins
- Departments of Population Health and Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA;
| | - Glennon W. Simmons
- Division of Biomaterials, Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University School of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA; (K.S.R.); (M.P.M.); (N.J.C.); (G.W.S.)
| | - Hanover Matz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (H.M.); (H.D.)
| | - Helen Dooley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (H.M.); (H.D.)
| | - David Fenyö
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA;
| | - John T. McDevitt
- Division of Biomaterials, Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University School of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA; (K.S.R.); (M.P.M.); (N.J.C.); (G.W.S.)
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Faresjö R, Sehlin D, Syvänen S. Age, dose, and binding to TfR on blood cells influence brain delivery of a TfR-transported antibody. Fluids Barriers CNS 2023; 20:34. [PMID: 37170266 PMCID: PMC10173660 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-023-00435-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) mediated brain delivery of antibodies could become important for increasing the efficacy of emerging immunotherapies in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, age, dose, binding to TfR1 on blood cells, and pathology could influence the TfR1-mediated transcytosis of TfR1-binders across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The aim of the study was, therefore, to investigate the impact of these factors on the brain delivery of a bispecific TfR1-transported Aβ-antibody, mAb3D6-scFv8D3, in comparison with the conventional antibody mAb3D6. METHODS Young (3-5 months) and aged (17-20 months) WT and tg-ArcSwe mice (AD model) were injected with 125I-labeled mAb3D6-scFv8D3 or mAb3D6. Three different doses were used in the study, 0.05 mg/kg (low dose), 1 mg/kg (high dose), and 10 mg/kg (therapeutic dose), with equimolar doses for mAb3D6. The dose-corrected antibody concentrations in whole blood, blood cells, plasma, spleen, and brain were evaluated at 2 h post-administration. Furthermore, isolated brains were studied by autoradiography, nuclear track emulsion, and capillary depletion to investigate the intrabrain distribution of the antibodies, while binding to blood cells was studied in vitro using blood isolated from young and aged mice. RESULTS The aged WT and tg-ArcSwe mice showed significantly lower brain concentrations of TfR-binding [125I]mAb3D6-scFv8D3 and higher concentrations in the blood cell fraction compared to young mice. For [125I]mAb3D6, no significant differences in blood or brain delivery were observed between young and aged mice or between genotypes. A low dose of [125I]mAb3D6-scFv8D3 was associated with increased relative parenchymal delivery, as well as increased blood cell distribution. Brain concentrations and relative parenchymal distribution of [125I]mAb3D6-scFv8D6 did not differ between tg-ArcSwe and WT mice at this early time point but were considerably increased compared to those observed for [125I]mAb3D6. CONCLUSION Age-dependent differences in blood and brain concentrations were observed for the bispecific antibody mAb3D6-scFv8D3 but not for the conventional Aβ antibody mAb3D6, indicating an age-related effect on TfR1-mediated brain delivery. The lowest dose of [125I]mAb3D6-scFv8D3 was associated with higher relative BBB penetration but, at the same time, a higher distribution to blood cells. Overall, Aβ-pathology did not influence the early brain distribution of the bispecific antibody. In summary, age and bispecific antibody dose were important factors determining brain delivery, while genotype was not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Faresjö
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Banka V, Kelleher A, Sehlin D, Hultqvist G, Sigurdsson EM, Syvänen S, Ding YS. Development of brain-penetrable antibody radioligands for in vivo PET imaging of amyloid-β and tau. FRONTIERS IN NUCLEAR MEDICINE (LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 3:1173693. [PMID: 37680310 PMCID: PMC10483511 DOI: 10.3389/fnume.2023.1173693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the misfolding and aggregation of two major proteins: amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau. Antibody-based PET radioligands are desirable due to their high specificity and affinity; however, antibody uptake in the brain is limited by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Previously, we demonstrated that antibody transport across the BBB can be facilitated through interaction with the transferrin receptor (TfR), and the bispecific antibody-based PET ligands were capable of detecting Aβ aggregates via ex vivo imaging. Since tau accumulation in the brain is more closely correlated with neuronal death and cognition, we report here our strategies to prepare four F-18-labeled specifically engineered bispecific antibody probes for the selective detection of tau and Aβ aggregates to evaluate their feasibility and specificity, particularly for in vivo PET imaging. Methods We first created and evaluated (via both in vitro and ex vivo studies) four specifically engineered bispecific antibodies, by fusion of single-chain variable fragments (scFv) of a TfR antibody with either a full-size IgG antibody of Aβ or tau or with their respective scFv. Using [18F]SFB as the prosthetic group, all four 18F-labeled bispecific antibody probes were then prepared by conjugation of antibody and [18F]SFB in acetonitrile/0.1 M borate buffer solution (final pH ~ 8.5) with an incubation of 20 min at room temperature, followed by purification on a PD MiniTrap G-25 size exclusion gravity column. Results Based on both in vitro and ex vivo evaluation, the bispecific antibodies displayed much higher brain concentrations than the unmodified antibody, supporting our subsequent F18-radiolabeling. [18F]SFB was produced in high yields in 60 min (decay-corrected radiochemical yield (RCY) 46.7 ± 5.4) with radiochemical purities of >95%, confirmed by analytical high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and radio-TLC. Conjugation of [18F]SFB and bispecific antibodies showed a 65%-83% conversion efficiency with radiochemical purities of 95%-99% by radio-TLC. Conclusions We successfully labeled four novel and specifically engineered bispecific antibodies with [18F]SFB under mild conditions with a high RCY and purities. This study provides strategies to create brain-penetrable F-18 radiolabeled antibody probes for the selective detection of tau and Aβ aggregates in the brain of transgenic AD mice via in vivo PET imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Banka
- Department of Radiology, New York University School of
Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Andrew Kelleher
- Department of Radiology, New York University School of
Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala
University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Einar M. Sigurdsson
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of
Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York
University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala
University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yu-Shin Ding
- Department of Radiology, New York University School of
Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of
Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Gustavsson T, Metzendorf NG, Wik E, Roshanbin S, Julku U, Chourlia A, Nilsson P, Andersson KG, Laudon H, Hultqvist G, Syvänen S, Sehlin D. Long-term effects of immunotherapy with a brain penetrating Aβ antibody in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:90. [PMID: 37131196 PMCID: PMC10152635 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01236-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain-directed immunotherapy is a promising strategy to target amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the present study, we compared the therapeutic efficacy of the Aβ protofibril targeting antibody RmAb158 with its bispecific variant RmAb158-scFv8D3, which enters the brain by transferrin receptor-mediated transcytosis. METHODS AppNL-G-F knock-in mice received RmAb158, RmAb158-scFv8D3, or PBS in three treatment regimens. First, to assess the acute therapeutic effect, a single antibody dose was given to 5 months old AppNL-G-F mice, with evaluation after 3 days. Second, to assess the antibodies' ability to halt the progression of Aβ pathology, 3 months old AppNL-G-F mice received three doses during a week, with evaluation after 2 months. Reduction of RmAb158-scFv8D3 immunogenicity was explored by introducing mutations in the antibody or by depletion of CD4+ T cells. Third, to study the effects of chronic treatment, 7-month-old AppNL-G-F mice were CD4+ T cell depleted and treated with weekly antibody injections for 8 weeks, including a final diagnostic dose of [125I]RmAb158-scFv8D3, to determine its brain uptake ex vivo. Soluble Aβ aggregates and total Aβ42 were quantified with ELISA and immunostaining. RESULTS Neither RmAb158-scFv8D3 nor RmAb158 reduced soluble Aβ protofibrils or insoluble Aβ1-42 after a single injection treatment. After three successive injections, Aβ1-42 was reduced in mice treated with RmAb158, with a similar trend in RmAb158-scFv8D3-treated mice. Bispecific antibody immunogenicity was somewhat reduced by directed mutations, but CD4+ T cell depletion was used for long-term therapy. CD4+ T cell-depleted mice, chronically treated with RmAb158-scFv8D3, showed a dose-dependent increase in blood concentration of the diagnostic [125I]RmAb158-scFv8D3, while concentration was low in plasma and brain. Chronic treatment did not affect soluble Aβ aggregates, but a reduction in total Aβ42 was seen in the cortex of mice treated with both antibodies. CONCLUSIONS Both RmAb158 and its bispecific variant RmAb158-scFv8D3 achieved positive effects of long-term treatment. Despite its ability to efficiently enter the brain, the benefit of using the bispecific antibody in chronic treatment was limited by its reduced plasma exposure, which may be a result of interactions with TfR or the immune system. Future research will focus in new antibody formats to further improve Aβ immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Gustavsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Elin Wik
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sahar Roshanbin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Julku
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Per Nilsson
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Chen CW, Saubi N, Joseph-Munné J. Chimeric Human Papillomavirus-16 Virus-like Particles Presenting HIV-1 P18I10 Peptide: Expression, Purification, Bio-Physical Properties and Immunogenicity in BALB/c Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098060. [PMID: 37175776 PMCID: PMC10179162 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines based on HPV L1 virus-like particles (VLPs) are already licensed but not accessible worldwide. About 38.0 million people were living with HIV in 2020 and there is no HIV vaccine yet. Therefore, safe, effective, and affordable vaccines against both viruses are an urgent need. In this study, the HIV-1 P18I10 CTL peptide from the V3 loop of HIV-1 gp120 glycoprotein was inserted into the HPV16 L1 protein to construct chimeric HPV:HIV (L1:P18I10) VLPs. Instead of the traditional baculovirus expression vector/insect cell (BEVS/IC) system, we established an alternative mammalian 293F cell-based expression system using cost-effective polyethylenimine-mediated transfection for L1:P18I10 protein production. Compared with conventional ultracentrifugation, we optimized a novel chromatographic purification method which could significantly increase L1:P18I10 VLP recovery (~56%). Chimeric L1:P18I10 VLPs purified from both methods were capable of self-assembling to integral particles and shared similar biophysical and morphological properties. After BALB/c mice immunization with 293F cell-derived and chromatography-purified L1:P18I10 VLPs, almost the same titer of anti-L1 IgG (p = 0.6409) was observed as Gardasil anti-HPV vaccine-immunized mice. Significant titers of anti-P18I10 binding antibodies (p < 0.01%) and P18I10-specific IFN-γ secreting splenocytes (p = 0.0002) were detected in L1:P18I10 VLP-immunized mice in comparison with licensed Gardasil-9 HPV vaccine. Furthermore, we demonstrated that insertion of HIV-1 P18I10 peptide into HPV16 L1 capsid protein did not affect the induction in anti-L1 antibodies. All in all, we expected that the mammalian cell expression system and chromatographic purification methods could be time-saving, cost-effective, scalable platforms to engineer bivalent VLP-based vaccines against HPV and HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Wei Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Narcís Saubi
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Respiratory Viruses Unit, Virology Section, Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Joseph-Munné
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
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Morrison JI, Petrovic A, Metzendorf NG, Rofo F, Yilmaz CU, Stenler S, Laudon H, Hultqvist G. Standardized Preclinical In Vitro Blood-Brain Barrier Mouse Assay Validates Endocytosis-Dependent Antibody Transcytosis Using Transferrin-Receptor-Mediated Pathways. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:1564-1576. [PMID: 36808999 PMCID: PMC9997753 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
The presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) creates a nigh-on impenetrable obstacle for large macromolecular therapeutics that need to be delivered to the brain milieu to treat neurological disorders. To overcome this, one of the strategies used is to bypass the barrier with what is referred to as a "Trojan Horse" strategy, where therapeutics are designed to use endogenous receptor-mediated pathways to piggyback their way through the BBB. Even though in vivo methodologies are commonly used to test the efficacy of BBB-penetrating biologics, comparable in vitro BBB models are in high demand, as they benefit from being an isolated cellular system devoid of physiological factors that can on occasion mask the processes behind BBB transport via transcytosis. We have developed an in vitro BBB model (In-Cell BBB-Trans assay) based on the murine cEND cells that help delineate the ability of modified large bivalent IgG antibodies conjugated to the transferrin receptor binder scFv8D3 to cross an endothelial monolayer grown on porous cell culture inserts (PCIs). Following the administration of bivalent antibodies into the endothelial monolayer, a highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is used to determine the concentration in the apical (blood) and basolateral (brain) chambers of the PCI system, allowing for the evaluation of apical recycling and basolateral transcytosis, respectively. Our results show that antibodies conjugated to scFv8D3 transcytose at considerably higher levels compared to unconjugated antibodies in the In-Cell BBB-Trans assay. Interestingly, we are able to show that these results mimic in vivo brain uptake studies using identical antibodies. In addition, we are able to transversely section PCI cultured cells, allowing for the identification of receptors and proteins that are likely involved in the transcytosis of the antibodies. Furthermore, studies using the In-Cell BBB-Trans assay revealed that transcytosis of the transferrin-receptor-targeting antibodies is dependent on endocytosis. In conclusion, we have designed a simple, reproducible In-Cell BBB-Trans assay based on murine cells that can be used to rapidly determine the BBB-penetrating capabilities of transferrin-receptor-targeting antibodies. We believe that the In-Cell BBB-Trans assay can be used as a powerful, preclinical screening platform for therapeutic neurological pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie I Morrison
- Institutionen för Farmaci, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
| | - Alex Petrovic
- Institutionen för Farmaci, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
| | | | - Fadi Rofo
- Institutionen för Farmaci, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
| | - Canan U Yilmaz
- Institutionen för Farmaci, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
| | - Sofia Stenler
- Institutionen för Farmaci, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
| | | | - Greta Hultqvist
- Institutionen för Farmaci, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala 752 37, Sweden
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27
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Petersen I, Ali MI, Petrovic A, Ytterberg AJ, Staxäng K, Hodik M, Rofo F, Bondza S, Hultqvist G. Multivalent design of the monoclonal SynO2 antibody improves binding strength to soluble α-Synuclein aggregates. MAbs 2023; 15:2256668. [PMID: 37737124 PMCID: PMC10519360 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2256668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Soluble aggregates are reported to be the most neurotoxic species of α-Synuclein (αSyn) in Parkinson's disease (PD) and hence are a promising target for diagnosis and treatment of PD. However, the predominantly intracellular location of αSyn limits its accessibility, especially for antibody-based molecules and prompts the need for exceptionally strong soluble αSyn aggregate binders to enhance their sensitivity and efficacy for targeting the extracellular αSyn pool. In this study, we have created the multivalent antibodies TetraSynO2 and HexaSynO2, derived from the αSyn oligomer-specific antibody SynO2, to increase avidity binding to soluble αSyn aggregate species through more binding sites in close proximity. The multivalency was achieved through recombinant fusion of single-chain variable fragments of SynO2 to the antibodies' original N-termini. Our ELISA results indicated a 20-fold increased binding strength of the multivalent formats to αSyn aggregates, while binding to αSyn monomers and unspecific binding to amyloid β protofibrils remained low. Kinetic analysis using LigandTracer revealed that only 80% of SynO2 bound bivalently to soluble αSyn aggregates, whereas the proportion of TetraSynO2 and HexaSynO2 binding bi- or multivalently to soluble αSyn aggregates was increased to ~ 95% and 100%, respectively. The overall improved binding strength of TetraSynO2 and HexaSynO2 implies great potential for immunotherapeutic and diagnostic applications with targets of limited accessibility, like extracellular αSyn aggregates. The ability of the multivalent antibodies to bind a wider range of αSyn aggregate species, which are not targetable by conventional bivalent antibodies, thus could allow for an earlier and more effective intervention in the progression of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Petersen
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Alex Petrovic
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Jimmy Ytterberg
- Department of Pharmacy, SciLifeLab Drug Discovery and Development, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Staxäng
- TEM Laboratory, BioVis Platform, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Monika Hodik
- TEM Laboratory, BioVis Platform, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fadi Rofo
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sina Bondza
- Ridgeview Instruments AB, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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28
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Julku U, Xiong M, Wik E, Roshanbin S, Sehlin D, Syvänen S. Brain pharmacokinetics of mono- and bispecific amyloid-β antibodies in wild-type and Alzheimer's disease mice measured by high cut-off microdialysis. Fluids Barriers CNS 2022; 19:99. [PMID: 36510227 PMCID: PMC9743601 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-022-00398-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment with amyloid-β (Aβ) targeting antibodies is a promising approach to remove Aβ brain pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and possibly even slow down or stop progression of the disease. One of the main challenges of brain immunotherapy is the restricted delivery of antibodies to the brain. However, bispecific antibodies that utilize the transferrin receptor (TfR) as a shuttle for transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can access the brain better than traditional monospecific antibodies. Previous studies have shown that bispecific Aβ targeting antibodies have higher brain distribution, and can remove Aβ pathology more efficiently than monospecific antibodies. Yet, there is only limited information available on brain pharmacokinetics, especially regarding differences between mono- and bispecific antibodies. METHODS The aim of the study was to compare brain pharmacokinetics of Aβ-targeting monospecific mAb3D6 and its bispecific version mAb3D6-scFv8D3 that also targets TfR. High cut-off microdialysis was used to measure intravenously injected radiolabelled mAb3D6 and mAb3D6-scFv8D3 antibodies in the interstitial fluid (ISF) of hippocampus in wild-type mice and the AppNL-G-F mouse model of AD. Distribution of the antibodies in the brain and the peripheral tissue was examined by ex vivo autoradiography and biodistribution studies. RESULTS Brain concentrations of the bispecific antibody were elevated compared to the monospecific antibody in the hippocampal ISF measured by microdialysis and in the brain tissue at 4-6 h after an intravenous injection. The concentration of the bispecific antibody was approximately twofold higher in the ISF dialysate compared to the concentration of monospecific antibody and eightfold higher in brain tissue 6 h post-injection. The ISF dialysate concentrations for both antibodies were similar in both wild-type and AppNL-G-F mice 24 h post-injection, although the total brain tissue concentration of the bispecific antibody was higher than that of the monospecific antibody at this time point. Some accumulation of radioactivity around the probe area was observed especially for the monospecific antibody indicating that the probe compromised the BBB to some extent at the probe insertion site. CONCLUSION The BBB-penetrating bispecific antibody displayed higher ISF concentrations than the monospecific antibody. The concentration difference between the two antibodies was even larger in the whole brain than in the ISF. Further, the bispecific antibody, but not the monospecific antibody, displayed higher total brain concentrations than ISF concentrations, indicating association to brain tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Julku
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 20, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mengfei Xiong
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 20, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elin Wik
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 20, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sahar Roshanbin
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 20, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 20, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 20, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
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de la Rosa A, Metzendorf NG, Morrison JI, Faresjö R, Rofo F, Petrovic A, O’Callaghan P, Syvänen S, Hultqvist G. Introducing or removing heparan sulfate binding sites does not alter brain uptake of the blood-brain barrier shuttle scFv8D3. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21479. [PMID: 36509864 PMCID: PMC9744743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) greatly limits the delivery of protein-based drugs into the brain and is a major obstacle for the treatment of brain disorders. Targeting the transferrin receptor (TfR) is a strategy for transporting protein-based drugs into the brain, which can be utilized by using TfR-binding BBB transporters, such as the TfR-binding antibody 8D3. In this current study, we investigated if binding to heparan sulfate (HS) contributes to the brain uptake of a single chain fragment variable of 8D3 (scFv8D3). We designed and produced a scFv8D3 mutant, engineered with additional HS binding sites, HS(+)scFv8D3, to assess whether increased HS binding would improve brain uptake. Additionally, a mutant with a reduced number of HS binding sites, HS(-)scFv8D3, was also engineered to see if reducing the HS binding sites could also affect brain uptake. Heparin column chromatography showed that only the HS(+)scFv8D3 mutant bound HS in the experimental conditions. Ex vivo results showed that the brain uptake was unaffected by the introduction or removal of HS binding sites, which indicates that scFv8D3 is not dependent on the HS binding sites for brain uptake. Conversely, introducing HS binding sites to scFv8D3 decreased its renal excretion while removing them had the opposite effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés de la Rosa
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Protein Drug Design Group, Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nicole G. Metzendorf
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Protein Drug Design Group, Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jamie I. Morrison
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Protein Drug Design Group, Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rebecca Faresjö
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fadi Rofo
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Protein Drug Design Group, Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alex Petrovic
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Protein Drug Design Group, Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Paul O’Callaghan
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Greta Hultqvist
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Protein Drug Design Group, Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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30
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Rofo F, Metzendorf NG, Saubi C, Suominen L, Godec A, Sehlin D, Syvänen S, Hultqvist G. Blood-brain barrier penetrating neprilysin degrades monomeric amyloid-beta in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2022; 14:180. [PMID: 36471433 PMCID: PMC9720954 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-022-01132-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aggregation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in the brain is one of the key pathological events in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Reducing Aβ levels in the brain by enhancing its degradation is one possible strategy to develop new therapies for AD. Neprilysin (NEP) is a membrane-bound metallopeptidase and one of the major Aβ-degrading enzymes. The secreted soluble form of NEP (sNEP) has been previously suggested as a potential protein-therapy degrading Aβ in AD. However, similar to other large molecules, peripherally administered sNEP is unable to reach the brain due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). METHODS To provide transcytosis across the BBB, we recombinantly fused the TfR binding moiety (scFv8D3) to either sNEP or a previously described variant of NEP (muNEP) suggested to have higher degradation efficiency of Aβ compared to other NEP substrates, but not per se to degrade Aβ more efficiently. To provide long blood half-life, an Fc-based antibody fragment (scFc) was added to the designs, forming sNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 and muNEP-scFc-scFv8D3. The ability of the mentioned recombinant proteins to degrade Aβ was first evaluated in vitro using synthetic Aβ peptides followed by sandwich ELISA. For the in vivo studies, a single injection of 125-iodine-labelled sNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 and muNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 was intravenously administered to a tg-ArcSwe mouse model of AD, using scFc-scFv8D3 protein that lacks NEP as a negative control. Different ELISA setups were applied to quantify Aβ concentration of different conformations, both in brain tissues and blood samples. RESULTS When tested in vitro, sNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 retained sNEP enzymatic activity in degrading Aβ and both constructs efficiently degraded arctic Aβ. When intravenously injected, sNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 demonstrated 20 times higher brain uptake compared to sNEP. Both scFv8D3-fused NEP proteins significantly reduced aggregated Aβ levels in the blood of tg-ArcSwe mice, a transgenic mouse model of AD, following a single intravenous injection. In the brain, monomeric and oligomeric Aβ were significantly reduced. Both scFv8D3-fused NEP proteins displayed a fast clearance from the brain. CONCLUSION A one-time injection of a BBB-penetrating NEP shows the potential to reduce, the likely most toxic, Aβ oligomers in the brain in addition to monomers. Also, Aβ aggregates in the blood were reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadi Rofo
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nicole G Metzendorf
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cristina Saubi
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laura Suominen
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ana Godec
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Greta Hultqvist
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Carrara SC, Harwardt J, Grzeschik J, Hock B, Kolmar H. TriTECM: A tetrafunctional T-cell engaging antibody with built-in risk mitigation of cytokine release syndrome. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1051875. [DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1051875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Harnessing the innate power of T cells for therapeutic benefit has seen many shortcomings due to cytotoxicity in the past, but still remains a very attractive mechanism of action for immune-modulating biotherapeutics. With the intent of expanding the therapeutic window for T-cell targeting biotherapeutics, we present an attenuated trispecific T-cell engager (TCE) combined with an anti- interleukin 6 receptor (IL-6R) binding moiety in order to modulate cytokine activity (TriTECM). Overshooting cytokine release, culminating in cytokine release syndrome (CRS), is one of the severest adverse effects observed with T-cell immunotherapies, where the IL-6/IL-6R axis is known to play a pivotal role. By targeting two tumour-associated antigens, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), simultaneously with a bispecific two-in-one antibody, high tumour selectivity together with checkpoint inhibition was achieved. We generated tetrafunctional molecules that contained additional CD3- and IL-6R-binding modules. Ligand competition for both PD-L1 and IL-6R as well as inhibition of both EGF- and IL-6-mediated signalling pathways was observed. Furthermore, TriTECM molecules were able to activate T cells and trigger T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity through CD3-binding in an attenuated fashion. A decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon γ (IFNγ) after T-cell activation was observed for the TriTECM molecules compared to their respective controls lacking IL-6R binding, hinting at a successful attenuation and potential modulation via IL-6R. As IL-6 is a key player in cytokine release syndrome as well as being implicated in enhancing tumour progression, such molecule designs could reduce side effects and cytotoxicity observed with previous TCEs and widen their therapeutic windows.
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Schlein E, Syvänen S, Rokka J, Gustavsson T, Rossin R, Robillard M, Eriksson J, Sehlin D. Functionalization of Radiolabeled Antibodies to Enhance Peripheral Clearance for High Contrast Brain Imaging. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:4111-4122. [PMID: 36201682 PMCID: PMC9644377 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Small molecule imaging agents such as [11C]PiB, which bind to the core of insoluble amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrils, are useful tools in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research, diagnostics, and drug development. However, the [11C]PiB PET signal saturates early in the disease progression and does not detect soluble or diffuse Aβ pathology which are believed to play important roles in the disease progression. Antibodies, modified into a bispecific format to enter the brain via receptor-mediated transcytosis, could be a suitable alternative because of their diversity and high specificity for their target. However, the circulation time of these antibodies is long, resulting in an extended exposure to radiation and low imaging contrast. Here, we explore two alternative strategies to enhance imaging contrast by increasing clearance of the antibody ligand from blood. The bispecific Aβ targeting antibody RmAb158-scFv8D3 and the monospecific RmAb158 were radiolabeled and functionalized with either α-d-mannopyranosylphenyl isothiocyanate (mannose) or with trans-cyclooctene (TCO). While mannose can directly mediate antibody clearance via the liver, TCO-modified antibody clearance was induced by injection of a tetrazine-functionalized, liver-targeting clearing agent (CA). In vivo experiments in wild type and AD transgenic mice demonstrated the ability of both strategies to drastically shorten the circulation time of RmAb158, while they had limited effect on the bispecific variant RmAb158-8D3. Furthermore, single photon emission computed tomography imaging with TCO-[125I]I-RmAb158 in AD mice showed higher contrast 1 day after injection of the tetrazine-functionalized CA. In conclusion, strategies to enhance the clearance of antibody-based imaging ligands could allow imaging at earlier time points and thereby open the possibility to combine antibodies with short-lived radionuclides such as fluorine-18.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Schlein
- Department
of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala
University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department
of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala
University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johanna Rokka
- Department
of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala
University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tobias Gustavsson
- Department
of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala
University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Raffaella Rossin
- Tagworks
Pharmaceuticals, Toernooiveld
1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marc Robillard
- Tagworks
Pharmaceuticals, Toernooiveld
1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jonas Eriksson
- PET
Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department
of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala
University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
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Meier SR, Sehlin D, Syvänen S. Passive and receptor mediated brain delivery of an anti-GFAP nanobody. Nucl Med Biol 2022; 114-115:121-127. [PMID: 35487832 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Antibody-based constructs, engineered to enter the brain using transferrin receptor (TfR) mediated transcytosis, have been successfully used as PET radioligands for imaging of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in preclinical studies. However, these radioligands have been large and associated with long circulation times, i.e. non-optimal properties for neuroPET radioligands. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo brain delivery of the radiolabeled nanobody VHH-E9 that binds to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expressed by reactive astrocytes, without and with fusion to a TfR binding moiety, as potential tools to detect neuroinflammation. METHODS Three protein constructs were recombinantly expressed: 1) The GFAP specific nanobody VHH-E9, 2) VHH-E9 fused to a single chain variable fragment of the TfR binding antibody 8D3 (scFv8D3) and 3) scFv8D3 alone. Brain delivery of the constructs was investigated at 2 h post injection. Binding to GFAP was studied with autoradiography while in vivo brain retention of [125I]VHH-E9 and [125I]VHH-E9-scFv8D3 was further investigated at 8 h, 24 h and 48 h in wild-type (WT), and at the same time points in transgenic mice (ArcSwe) that in addition to Aβ pathology also display neuroinflammation. RESULTS At 2 h after administration, [125I]VHH-E9-scFv8D3 and [125I]scFv8D3 displayed 3-fold higher brain concentrations than [125I]VHH-E9. In vitro autoradiography showed distinct binding of both [125I]VHH-E9-scFv8D3 and [125I]VHH-E9 to regions with abundant GFAP in ArcSwe mice. However, in vivo, there was no difference in brain concentrations between WT and ArcSwe at any of the studied time points. CONCLUSIONS Fused to scFv8D3, VHH-E9 displayed increased brain delivery. When radiolabeled and applied on brain sections, the bispecific construct was able to discriminate between WT and ArcSwe mice, but in vivo brain uptake and retention over time did not differ between WT and ArcSwe mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio R Meier
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Lopes van den Broek S, Shalgunov V, García Vázquez R, Beschorner N, Bidesi NSR, Nedergaard M, Knudsen GM, Sehlin D, Syvänen S, Herth MM. Pretargeted Imaging beyond the Blood-Brain Barrier-Utopia or Feasible? Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1191. [PMID: 36297303 PMCID: PMC9612205 DOI: 10.3390/ph15101191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pretargeting is a promising nuclear imaging technique that allows for the usage of antibodies (Abs) with enhanced imaging contrast and reduced patient radiation burden. It is based on bioorthogonal chemistry with the tetrazine ligation-a reaction between trans-cyclooctenes (TCOs) and tetrazines (Tzs)-currently being the most popular reaction due to its high selectivity and reactivity. As Abs can be designed to bind specifically to currently 'undruggable' targets such as protein isoforms or oligomers, which play a crucial role in neurodegenerative diseases, pretargeted imaging beyond the BBB is highly sought after, but has not been achieved yet. A challenge in this respect is that large molecules such as Abs show poor brain uptake. Uptake can be increased by receptor mediated transcytosis; however, it is largely unknown if the achieved brain concentrations are sufficient for pretargeted imaging. In this study, we investigated whether the required concentrations are feasible to reach. As a model Ab, we used the bispecific anti-amyloid beta (Aβ) anti-transferrin receptor (TfR) Ab 3D6scFv8D3 and conjugated it to a different amount of TCOs per Ab and tested different concentrations in vitro. With this model in hand, we estimated the minimum required TCO concentration to achieve a suitable contrast between the high and low binding regions. The estimation was carried out using pretargeted autoradiography on brain sections of an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Biodistribution studies in wild-type (WT) mice were used to correlate how different TCO/Ab ratios alter the brain uptake. Pretargeted autoradiography showed that increasing the number of TCOs as well as increasing the TCO-Ab concentration increased the imaging contrast. A minimum brain concentration of TCOs for pretargeting purposes was determined to be 10.7 pmol/g in vitro. Biodistribution studies in WT mice showed a brain uptake of 1.1% ID/g using TCO-3D6scFv8D3 with 6.8 TCO/Ab. According to our estimations using the optimal parameters, pretargeted imaging beyond the BBB is not a utopia. Necessary brain TCO concentrations can be reached and are in the same order of magnitude as required to achieve sufficient contrast. This work gives a first estimate that pretargeted imaging is indeed possible with antibodies. This could allow the imaging of currently 'undruggable' targets and therefore be crucial to monitor (e.g., therapies for intractable neurodegenerative diseases).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Lopes van den Broek
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vladimir Shalgunov
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rocío García Vázquez
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Natalie Beschorner
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Natasha S. R. Bidesi
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maiken Nedergaard
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gitte M. Knudsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, University of Uppsala, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 20, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, University of Uppsala, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 20, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Matthias M. Herth
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
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Rofo F, Meier SR, Metzendorf NG, Morrison JI, Petrovic A, Syvänen S, Sehlin D, Hultqvist G. A Brain-Targeting Bispecific-Multivalent Antibody Clears Soluble Amyloid-Beta Aggregates in Alzheimer's Disease Mice. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:1588-1602. [PMID: 35939261 PMCID: PMC9606191 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01283-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers and protofibrils are suggested to be the most neurotoxic Aβ species in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hence, antibodies with strong and selective binding to these soluble Aβ aggregates are of therapeutic potential. We have recently introduced HexaRmAb158, a multivalent antibody with additional Aβ-binding sites in the form of single-chain fragment variables (scFv) on the N-terminal ends of Aβ protofibril selective antibody (RmAb158). Due to the additional binding sites and the short distance between them, HexaRmAb158 displayed a slow dissociation from protofibrils and strong binding to oligomers in vitro. In the current study, we aimed at investigating the therapeutic potential of this antibody format in vivo using mouse models of AD. To enhance BBB delivery, the transferrin receptor (TfR) binding moiety (scFv8D3) was added, forming the bispecific-multivalent antibody (HexaRmAb158-scFv8D3). The new antibody displayed a weaker TfR binding compared to the previously developed RmAb158-scFv8D3 and was less efficiently transcytosed in a cell-based BBB model. HexaRmAb158 detected soluble Aβ aggregates derived from brains of tg-ArcSwe and AppNL-G-F mice more efficiently compared to RmAb158. When intravenously injected, HexaRmAb158-scFv8D3 was actively transported over the BBB into the brain in vivo. Brain uptake was marginally lower than that of RmAb158-scFv8D3, but significantly higher than observed for conventional IgG antibodies. Both antibody formats displayed similar brain retention (72 h post injection) and equal capacity in clearing soluble Aβ aggregates in tg-ArcSwe mice. In conclusion, we demonstrate a bispecific-multivalent antibody format capable of passing the BBB and targeting a wide-range of sizes of soluble Aβ aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadi Rofo
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Silvio R Meier
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Jamie I Morrison
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alex Petrovic
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Greta Hultqvist
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden.
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36
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Magari M, Nishioka M, Hari T, Ogawa S, Takahashi K, Hatano N, Kanayama N, Futami J, Tokumitsu H. The immunoreceptor SLAMF8 promotes the differentiation of follicular dendritic cell-dependent monocytic cells with B cell-activating ability. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:2659-2667. [PMID: 35953458 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) play a crucial role in generating high-affinity antibody-producing B cells during the germinal center (GC) reaction. Herein, we analyzed the altered gene expression profile of a mouse FDC line, FL-Y, following lymphotoxin β receptor stimulation, and observed increased Slam-family member 8 (Slamf8) mRNA expression. Forced Slamf8 expression and SLAMF8-Fc addition enhanced the ability of FL-Y cells to induce FDC-induced monocytic cell (FDMC) differentiation. FDMCs accelerated GC-phenotype proliferation in cultured B cells, suggesting that they are capable of promoting GC responses. Furthermore, a pulldown assay showed that SLAMF8-Fc could bind to SLAMF8-His. Overall, the homophilic interaction of SLAMF8 promotes FDMC differentiation and SLAMF8 might act as a novel regulator of GC responses by regulating FDMC differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Magari
- Applied Cell Biology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan.,Division of Medical Bioengineering, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Miku Nishioka
- Applied Cell Biology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Tomomi Hari
- Applied Cell Biology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Sayaka Ogawa
- Division of Medical Bioengineering, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Kaho Takahashi
- Applied Cell Biology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Naoya Hatano
- Applied Cell Biology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Naoki Kanayama
- Applied Cell Biology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan.,Division of Medical Bioengineering, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Junichiro Futami
- Medical Protein Engineering, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Tokumitsu
- Applied Cell Biology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan.,Division of Medical Bioengineering, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
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37
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Li D, Partin AC, Zhao L, Chen I, Michaels ML, Wang Z, Garces F, Gong D, Riley TP. Protocol for high-throughput cloning, expression, purification, and evaluation of bispecific antibodies. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101428. [PMID: 35664258 PMCID: PMC9157557 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bispecific antibodies are a powerful new class of therapeutics, but their development often requires enormous amounts of time and resources. Here, we describe a high-throughput protocol for cloning, expressing, purifying, and evaluating bispecific antibodies. This protocol enables the rapid screening of large panels of bispecific molecules to identify top candidates for further development. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Estes et al. (2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqing Li
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Alexander C Partin
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Liangjun Zhao
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Irwin Chen
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Mark L Michaels
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Zhulun Wang
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Fernando Garces
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Danyang Gong
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Timothy P Riley
- Department of Therapeutics Discovery, Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
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38
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Vorobyev PO, Kochetkov DV, Vasilenko KV, Lipatova AV. Comparative efficiency of accessible transfection methods in model cell lines for biotechnological applications. BULLETIN OF RUSSIAN STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.24075/brsmu.2022.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Transient gene expression is one of the most common methods in molecular biology, equally relevant for basic research projects and biotechnological industries. Despite the existence of commercial transfection systems, which afford high transfection efficiency and high expression levels of reporter genes, expanding such systems to industrial scales is often problematic due to high costs of the reagents. The well-described methods of cationic and calcium-phosphate transfection are accessible and ensure reproducible results at much lower costs. This study is aimed at comparative validation of calcium phosphate and cationic (polyethylenimine-based) transfection protocols along with the commercially available TurboFect reagent for mono- and cotransfections on a panel of commonly used cell lines including HEK293T, Huh7, BHK-21, CHO and MRC5. The efficiency of transfection with plasmid constructs encoding different fluorescent proteins was measured by flow cytometry. Of all the tested methods, calcium phosphate transfection afforded the highest efficiency of plasmid DNA delivery in all the cell lines except BHK21, for which the PEI method turned out to be more efficient than calcium phosphate transfection, and CHO, for which both methods showed comparable efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- PO Vorobyev
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia
| | - DV Kochetkov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia
| | - KV Vasilenko
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - AV Lipatova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russia
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39
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Transferrin Receptor Binding BBB-Shuttle Facilitates Brain Delivery of Anti-Aβ-Affibodies. Pharm Res 2022; 39:1509-1521. [PMID: 35538266 PMCID: PMC9246779 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03282-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Affibodies targeting amyloid-beta (Aβ) could potentially be used as therapeutic and diagnostic agents in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Affibodies display suitable characteristics for imaging applications such as high stability and a short biological half-life. The aim of this study was to explore brain delivery and retention of Aβ protofibril-targeted affibodies in wild-type (WT) and AD transgenic mice and to evaluate their potential as imaging agents. Two affibodies, Z5 and Z1, were fused with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle single-chain variable fragment scFv8D3. In vitro binding of 125I-labeled affibodies with and without scFv8D3 was evaluated by ELISA and autoradiography. Brain uptake and retention of the affibodies at 2 h and 24 h post injection was studied ex vivo in WT and transgenic (tg-Swe and tg-ArcSwe) mice. At 2 h post injection, [125I]I-Z5 and [125I]I-Z1 displayed brain concentrations of 0.37 ± 0.09% and 0.46 ± 0.08% ID/g brain, respectively. [125I]I-scFv8D3-Z5 and [125I]I-scFv8D3-Z1 showed increased brain concentrations of 0.53 ± 0.16% and 1.20 ± 0.35%ID/g brain. At 24 h post injection, brain retention of [125I]I-Z1 and [125I]I-Z5 was low, while [125I]I-scFv8D3-Z1 and [125I]I-scFv8D3-Z5 showed moderate brain retention, with a tendency towards higher retention of [125I]I-scFv8D3-Z5 in AD transgenic mice. Nuclear track emulsion autoradiography showed greater parenchymal distribution of [125I]I-scFv8D3-Z5 and [125I]I-scFv8D3-Z1 compared with the affibodies without scFv8D3, but could not confirm specific affibody accumulation around Aβ deposits. Affibody-scFv8D3 fusions displayed increased brain and parenchymal delivery compared with the non-fused affibodies. However, fast brain washout and a suboptimal balance between Aβ and mTfR1 affinity resulted in low intrabrain retention around Aβ deposits.
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40
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Syvänen S, Meier SR, Roshanbin S, Xiong M, Faresjö R, Gustavsson T, Bonvicini G, Schlein E, Aguilar X, Julku U, Eriksson J, Sehlin D. PET Imaging in Preclinical Anti-Aβ Drug Development. Pharm Res 2022; 39:1481-1496. [PMID: 35501533 PMCID: PMC9246809 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03277-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET), a medical imaging technique allowing for studies of the living human brain, has gained an important role in clinical trials of novel drugs against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). For example, PET data contributed to the conditional approval in 2021 of aducanumab, an antibody directed towards amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates, by showing a dose-dependent reduction in brain amyloid after treatment. In parallel to clinical studies, preclinical studies in animal models of Aβ pathology may also benefit from PET as a tool to detect target engagement and treatment effects of anti-Aβ drug candidates. PET is associated with a high level of translatability between species as similar, non-invasive protocols allow for longitudinal rather than cross-sectional studies and can be used both in a preclinical and clinical setting. This review focuses on the use of preclinical PET imaging in genetically modified animals that express human Aβ, and its present and potential future role in the development of drugs aimed at reducing brain Aβ levels as a therapeutic strategy to halt disease progression in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Silvio R Meier
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sahar Roshanbin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mengfei Xiong
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rebecca Faresjö
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tobias Gustavsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gillian Bonvicini
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden.,BioArctic AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eva Schlein
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ximena Aguilar
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Julku
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Eriksson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,PET Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
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41
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Iberg CA, Bourque J, Fallahee I, Son S, Hawiger D. TNF-α sculpts a maturation process in vivo by pruning tolerogenic dendritic cells. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110657. [PMID: 35417681 PMCID: PMC9113652 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It remains unclear how the pro-immunogenic maturation of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) abrogates their tolerogenic functions. Here, we report that the loss of tolerogenic functions depends on the rapid death of BTLAhi cDC1s, which, in the steady state, are present in systemic peripheral lymphoid organs and promote tolerance that limits subsequent immune responses. A canonical inducer of maturation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), initiates a burst of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production and the resultant acute death of BTLAhi cDC1s mediated by tumor necrosis factor receptor 1. The ablation of these individual tolerogenic cDCs is amplified by TNF-α produced by neighboring cells. This loss of tolerogenic cDCs is transient, accentuating the restoration of homeostatic conditions through biological turnover of cDCs in vivo. Therefore, our results reveal that the abrogation of tolerogenic functions during an acute immunogenic maturation depends on an ablation of the tolerogenic cDC population, resulting in a dynamic remodeling of the cDC functional landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney A Iberg
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jessica Bourque
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ian Fallahee
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sungho Son
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Daniel Hawiger
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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42
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Roshanbin S, Xiong M, Hultqvist G, Söderberg L, Zachrisson O, Meier S, Ekmark-Lewén S, Bergström J, Ingelsson M, Sehlin D, Syvänen S. In vivo imaging of alpha-synuclein with antibody-based PET. Neuropharmacology 2022; 208:108985. [PMID: 35149134 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.108985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The protein alpha-synuclein (αSYN) plays a central role in synucleinopathies such as Parkinsons's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Presently, there are no selective αSYN positron emission tomography (PET) radioligands that do not also show affinity to amyloid-beta (Aβ). We have previously shown that radiolabeled antibodies, engineered to enter the brain via the transferrin receptor (TfR), is a promising approach for PET imaging of intrabrain targets. In this study, we used this strategy to visualize αSYN in the living mouse brain. Five bispecific antibodies, binding to both the murine TfR and αSYN were generated and radiolabeled with iodine-125 or iodine-124. All bispecific antibodies bound to αSYN and mTfR before and after radiolabelling in an ELISA assay, and bound to brain sections prepared from αSYN overexpressing mice as well as human PD- and MSA subjects, but not control tissues in autoradiography. Brain concentrations of the bispecific antibodies were between 26-63 times higher than the unmodified IgG format 2 h post-injection, corresponding to about 1.5% of the injected dose per gram brain tissue. Additionally, intrastriatal αSYN fibrils were visualised with PET in an αSYN deposition mouse model with one of the bispecific antibodies, [124I]RmAbSynO2-scFv8D3. However, PET images acquired in αSYN transgenic mice with verified brain pathology injected with [124I]RmAbSynO2-scFv8D3 and [124I]RmAb48-scFv8D3 showed no increase in antibody retention compared to WT mice. Despite successful imaging of deposited extracellular αSYN using a brain-penetrating antibody-based radioligand with no cross-specificity towards Aβ, this proof-of-concept study demonstrates challenges in imaging intracellular αSYN inclusions present in synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Roshanbin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Mengfei Xiong
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Greta Hultqvist
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | | | - Silvio Meier
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara Ekmark-Lewén
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joakim Bergström
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Medicine and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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43
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Crosby D, Mikolaj MR, Nyenhuis SB, Bryce S, Hinshaw JE, Lee TH. Reconstitution of human atlastin fusion activity reveals autoinhibition by the C terminus. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:212879. [PMID: 34817557 PMCID: PMC8624677 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202107070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
ER network formation depends on membrane fusion by the atlastin (ATL) GTPase. In humans, three paralogs are differentially expressed with divergent N- and C-terminal extensions, but their respective roles remain unknown. This is partly because, unlike Drosophila ATL, the fusion activity of human ATLs has not been reconstituted. Here, we report successful reconstitution of fusion activity by the human ATLs. Unexpectedly, the major splice isoforms of ATL1 and ATL2 are each autoinhibited, albeit to differing degrees. For the more strongly inhibited ATL2, autoinhibition mapped to a C-terminal α-helix is predicted to be continuous with an amphipathic helix required for fusion. Charge reversal of residues in the inhibitory domain strongly activated its fusion activity, and overexpression of this disinhibited version caused ER collapse. Neurons express an ATL2 splice isoform whose sequence differs in the inhibitory domain, and this form showed full fusion activity. These findings reveal autoinhibition and alternate splicing as regulators of atlastin-mediated ER fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Crosby
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Melissa R Mikolaj
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Sarah B Nyenhuis
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Samantha Bryce
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Jenny E Hinshaw
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Tina H Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
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44
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Popovic G, Kirby NC, Dement TC, Peterson KM, Daub CE, Belcher HA, Guthold M, Offenbacher AR, Hudson NE. Development of Transient Recombinant Expression and Affinity Chromatography Systems for Human Fibrinogen. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031054. [PMID: 35162976 PMCID: PMC8835685 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrin forms the structural scaffold of blood clots and has great potential for biomaterial applications. Creating recombinant expression systems of fibrinogen, fibrin’s soluble precursor, would advance the ability to construct mutational libraries that would enable structure–function studies of fibrinogen and expand the utility of fibrin as a biomaterial. Despite these needs, recombinant fibrinogen expression systems, thus far, have relied on the time-consuming creation of stable cell lines. Here we present tests of a transient fibrinogen expression system that can rapidly generate yields of 8–12 mg/L using suspension HEK Expi293TM cells. We report results from two different plasmid systems encoding the fibrinogen cDNAs and two different transfection reagents. In addition, we describe a novel, affinity-based approach to purifying fibrinogen from complex media such as human plasma. We show that using a high-affinity peptide which mimics fibrin’s knob ‘A’ sequence enables the purification of 50–75% of fibrinogen present in plasma. Having robust expression and purification systems of fibrinogen will enable future studies of basic fibrin(ogen) biology, while paving the way for the ubiquitous use of fibrin as a biomaterial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grega Popovic
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; (G.P.); (N.C.K.); (C.E.D.); (A.R.O.)
| | - Nicholas C. Kirby
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; (G.P.); (N.C.K.); (C.E.D.); (A.R.O.)
| | - Taylor C. Dement
- Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; (T.C.D.); (H.A.B.)
| | - Kristine M. Peterson
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA;
| | - Caroline E. Daub
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; (G.P.); (N.C.K.); (C.E.D.); (A.R.O.)
| | - Heather A. Belcher
- Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; (T.C.D.); (H.A.B.)
| | - Martin Guthold
- Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 27109, USA;
| | - Adam R. Offenbacher
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; (G.P.); (N.C.K.); (C.E.D.); (A.R.O.)
| | - Nathan E. Hudson
- Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA; (T.C.D.); (H.A.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-252-737-5349
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45
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Heng ZSL, Yeo JY, Koh DWS, Gan SKE, Ling WL. Augmenting recombinant antibody production in HEK293E cells: Optimising transfection and culture parameters. Antib Ther 2022; 5:30-41. [PMID: 35146331 PMCID: PMC8825235 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbac003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Optimising recombinant antibody production is important for cost-effective therapeutics and diagnostics. With impact on commercialisation, higher productivity beyond laboratory scales is highly sought, where efficient production can also accelerate antibody characterisations and investigations.
Methods
Investigating HEK293E cells for mammalian antibody production, various transfection and culture parameters were systematically analysed for antibody light chain production before evaluating them for whole antibody production. Transfection parameters investigated include seeding cell density, the concentration of the transfection reagent and DNA, complexation time, temperature, and volume, as well as culture parameters such as medium replacement, serum deprivation, use of cell maintenance antibiotic, incubation temperature, medium volume, post-transfection harvest day and common nutrient supplements.
Results
Using 2 mL adherent HEK293E cell culture transfections with 25 kDa linear Polyethylenimine in the most optimised parameters, we demonstrated a ~ 2-fold production increase for light chain alone and for whole antibody production reaching 536 and 49 μg respectively in a cost-effective manner. With the addition of peptone, κ light chain increased by ~ 4-fold to 1032 μg while whole antibody increased to a lesser extent by ~ 2.5-fold to 51 μg, with benefits potentially for antibodies limited by their light chains in production.
Conclusions
Our optimised findings show promise for a more efficient and convenient antibody production method through transfection and culture optimisations that can be incorporated to scale up processes and with potential transferability to other mammalian-based recombinant protein production using HEK293E cells.
Statement of Significance
Recombinant antibody production is crucial for antibody research and development. Systematically investigating transfection and culture parameters such as PEI/DNA concentrations, complexation time, volume, and temperature, supplements, etc., we demonstrated a ~ 4-fold light chain alone production increase to 1032 μg and a 2.5-fold whole antibody production increase to 51 μg from 2 mL transfections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zealyn Shi-Lin Heng
- Antibody & Product Development Lab, EDDC-BII, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Joshua Yi Yeo
- Antibody & Product Development Lab, EDDC-BII, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Darius Wen-Shuo Koh
- Antibody & Product Development Lab, EDDC-BII, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Samuel Ken-En Gan
- Antibody & Product Development Lab, EDDC-BII, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138672, Singapore
- APD SKEG Pte Ltd., Singapore 439444, Singapore
- James Cook University, Singapore 387380, Singapore
| | - Wei-Li Ling
- Antibody & Product Development Lab, EDDC-BII, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138672, Singapore
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46
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Abstract
Transient gene expression (TGE) is an important tool for generating recombinant proteins in a short period of time. The human cell line HEK293 is widely used for this purpose since it can grow in suspension to a high cell density in serum-free media. In addition, this cell line is amenable to several transfection methods and produces recombinant proteins in satisfactory quantities for functional and structural analysis. This chapter describes the methodology for TGE using the Expi293 system, which provides higher expression levels than other HEK293-based systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haroldo Cid da Silva Junior
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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47
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Telfer JC, Hsu H, Tyner MD, Le Page L. Assessment of Scavenger Receptor Cysteine-Rich Domain Binding to Bacteria. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2421:141-150. [PMID: 34870817 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1944-5_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The scavenger receptor cysteine-rich SRCR domain is an ancient protein domain found in SR-A and SR-I scavenger receptors, which is characterized by a conserved arrangement of cysteines (Martinez et al., Pharmacol Rev 63(4):967-1000, 2011; Sarrias et al., Crit Rev Immunol 24(1):1-37, 2004; Telfer and Baldwin, Cell Immunol 296(1):76-86, 2015; PrabhuDas et al., J Immunol, 2017. 198(10):3775-3789). SRCR domains are divided into group A and group B SRCR domains by virtue of how many cysteines they contain and the resulting disulfide bonding pattern. Group B SRCR domains, found in WC1, CD163, CD5, CD6, Spα and DMBT1, are approximately 100-110 amino acids long and contain 6-8 cysteines predicted to form 3-4 disulfide bonds. The crystal structure of a CD5 group B SRCR domain predicts a fold of two beta-sheets and an alpha helix (Rodamilans et al., J Biol Chem 282(17):12669-12677, 2007; Wang et al., Mol Immunol 48:801-809, 2011). SRCR domains bind to many different types of chemical compounds found on cells, viruses, and microbes and are usually found in multiples in the extracellular domains of transmembrane proteins or in secreted proteins. Small amino acid differences between these SRCR domains lead to significant differences in binding affinity. In addition, SRCR domain genes contain allelic polymorphisms and can be extensively duplicated. Thus, single and duplicated SRCR domain protein gene loci encode a large tunable binding potential. Binding to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) combined with signaling potential predicts an important role for these molecules in the immune response. WC1 SRCR domains bind to the spirochetes Leptospira and Borrelia (Hsu et al., J Immunol 194(5):2280-2288, 2015). CD6 (Sarrias et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104(28):11724-11729, 2007), Spα (Sarrias et al., J Biol Chem 280(42):35391-35398, 2005), CD163A (Fabriek et al., Blood 113(4):887-892, 2009) and DMBT1 (Madsen et al., Eur J Immunol 33(8):2327-2336, 2003) bind to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; CD5 binds to yeast (Vera et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106(5):1506-1511, 2009). Identified ligands include lipoteichoic acid, lipopolysaccharide, poly-phosphorylated, and -sulfated compounds such as dextran sulfate sodium, leucine-rich repeat proteins, and fungal mannose (Sarrias et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104(28):11724-11729, 2007; Sarrias et al., J Biol Chem 280(42):35391-35398, 2005; Fabriek et al., Blood 113(4):887-892, 2009; Vera et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106(5):1506-1511, 2009; End et al., Eur J Immunol 39(3):833-842, 2009; Loimaranta et al., J Biol Chem 284(28):18614-18623, 2009). A conserved linear binding motif (VEVLXXXXW) in an external loop in the SRCR domain has been identified in CD163A and DMBT1 and can be used as a peptide that aggregates bacteria (Fabriek et al., Blood 113(4):887-892, 2009; Bikker et al., J Biol Chem 279(46):47699-47703, 2004; Leito et al., Biol Chem 389(9):1193-1200, 2008). In contrast, WC1 binding to bacteria is mediated by a noncontinuous motif in the native protein, and mutation of the VEVLXXXXW motif has no effect upon bacterial binding (Hsu et al., J Immunol 194(5):2280-2288, 2015). Thus, bacterial binding studies with WC1 SRCR domains must be done with native, correctly disulfide bonded, protein, ideally posttranslationally modified in mammalian cells.WC1 is found in the genomes of most mammals, reptiles, and birds and is expressed exclusively on γδ T cells in ruminants. The 13 bovine WC1 genes encode up to 11 extracellular SRCR domains, organized in the SRCR domain pattern of a1-[b2-c3-d4-e5-d6]-[b7-c8-d9-e10-d'11], where the alphabet designations indicate homology between genes and across species (Chen et al., BMC Genet 13:86, 2012; Herzig et al., BMC Evol Biol 10:181, 2010; Herzig and Baldwin, BMC Genomics 10:191, 2009). Some of the signaling co-receptor WC1 molecules are required for the γδ T cell response to Leptospira (Wang et al., Mol Immunol 48:801-809, 2011; Rogers et al., J Immunol 174(6):3386-3393, 2005; Wang et al., Eur J Immunol 39(1):254-266, 2009). The WC1 expressed on responsive γδ T cells is correlated with its direct binding to Leptospira via some of its SRCR domains (Hsu et al., J Immunol 194(5):2280-2288, 2015). Because WC1+ γδ T cells share a restriction in their γδ TCRs and WC1 has TCR co-receptor activity, we hypothesize that WC1 co-ligation with the TCR plays the determining role in the activation of WC1+ γδ T cells by pathogens. Classification of the binding of WC1 SRCR domains, their ligands, and their role in the interaction of 𝛾δ T cells with pathogens relevant to the host will allow these cells to be recruited in next-generation vaccines to pathogens that have significant negative economic and health impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice C Telfer
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | - Haoting Hsu
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Miles Dae Tyner
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Lauren Le Page
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
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Chen Y, Sun L, Ullah I, Beaudoin-Bussières G, Anand SP, Hederman AP, Tolbert WD, Sherburn R, Nguyen DN, Marchitto L, Ding S, Wu D, Luo Y, Gottumukkala S, Moran S, Kumar P, Piszczek G, Mothes W, Ackerman ME, Finzi A, Uchil PD, Gonzalez FJ, Pazgier M. Engineered ACE2-Fc counters murine lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection through direct neutralization and Fc-effector activities. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.11.24.469776. [PMID: 34845451 PMCID: PMC8629194 DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.24.469776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Soluble Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) constitutes an attractive antiviral capable of targeting a wide range of coronaviruses utilizing ACE2 as their receptor. Here, using structure-guided approaches, we developed divalent ACE2 molecules by grafting the extracellular ACE2-domain onto a human IgG1 or IgG3 (ACE2-Fc). These ACE2-Fcs harbor structurally validated mutations that enhance spike (S) binding and remove angiotensin enzymatic activity. The lead variant bound tightly to S, mediated in vitro neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) with sub-nanomolar IC 50 and was capable of robust Fc-effector functions, including antibody-dependent-cellular cytotoxicity, phagocytosis and complement deposition. When tested in a stringent K18-hACE2 mouse model, it delayed death or effectively resolved lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection in a prophylactic or therapeutic setting utilizing the combined effect of neutralization and Fc-effector functions. These data confirm the utility of ACE2-Fcs as valuable agents in preventing and eliminating SARS-CoV-2 infection and demonstrate that ACE2-Fc therapeutic activity require Fc-effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaozong Chen
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
- equal contribution
| | - Lulu Sun
- Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- equal contribution
| | - Irfan Ullah
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- equal contribution
| | - Guillaume Beaudoin-Bussières
- Centre de recherche du CHUM. Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Sai Priya Anand
- Centre de recherche du CHUM. Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill, QC, Canada
| | | | - William D. Tolbert
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
| | - Rebekah Sherburn
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
| | - Dung N. Nguyen
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
| | - Lorie Marchitto
- Centre de recherche du CHUM. Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Shilei Ding
- Centre de recherche du CHUM. Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Di Wu
- Biophysics Core Facility, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Yuhong Luo
- Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Suneetha Gottumukkala
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
| | - Sean Moran
- Biomedical Instrumentation Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Priti Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Grzegorz Piszczek
- Biophysics Core Facility, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Walther Mothes
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Andrés Finzi
- Centre de recherche du CHUM. Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill, QC, Canada
| | - Pradeep D. Uchil
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Frank J. Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Marzena Pazgier
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA
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Rofo F, Buijs J, Falk R, Honek K, Lannfelt L, Lilja AM, Metzendorf NG, Gustavsson T, Sehlin D, Söderberg L, Hultqvist G. Novel multivalent design of a monoclonal antibody improves binding strength to soluble aggregates of amyloid beta. Transl Neurodegener 2021; 10:38. [PMID: 34579778 PMCID: PMC8477473 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-021-00258-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amyloid-β (Aβ) immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic strategy in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A number of monoclonal antibodies have entered clinical trials for AD. Some of them have failed due to the lack of efficacy or side-effects, two antibodies are currently in phase 3, and one has been approved by FDA. The soluble intermediate aggregated species of Aβ, termed oligomers and protofibrils, are believed to be key pathogenic forms, responsible for synaptic and neuronal degeneration in AD. Therefore, antibodies that can strongly and selectively bind to these soluble intermediate aggregates are of great diagnostic and therapeutic interest. Methods We designed and recombinantly produced a hexavalent antibody based on mAb158, an Aβ protofibril-selective antibody. The humanized version of mAb158, lecanemab (BAN2401), is currently in phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of AD. The new designs involved recombinantly fusing single-chain fragment variables to the N-terminal ends of mAb158 antibody. Real-time interaction analysis with LigandTracer and surface plasmon resonance were used to evaluate the kinetic binding properties of the generated antibodies to Aβ protofibrils. Different ELISA setups were applied to demonstrate the binding strength of the hexavalent antibody to Aβ aggregates of different sizes. Finally, the ability of the antibodies to protect cells from Aβ-induced effects was evaluated by MTT assay. Results Using real-time interaction analysis with LigandTracer, the hexavalent design promoted a 40-times enhanced binding with avidity to protofibrils, and most of the added binding strength was attributed to the reduced rate of dissociation. Furthermore, ELISA experiments demonstrated that the hexavalent design also had strong binding to small oligomers, while retaining weak and intermediate binding to monomers and insoluble fibrils. The hexavalent antibody also reduced cell death induced by a mixture of soluble Aβ aggregates. Conclusion We provide a new antibody design with increased valency to promote binding avidity to an enhanced range of sizes of Aβ aggregates. This approach should be general and work for any aggregated protein or repetitive target. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40035-021-00258-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadi Rofo
- Protein Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jos Buijs
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden.,Ridgeview Instruments, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Ken Honek
- BioArctic AB, 11251, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Lannfelt
- BioArctic AB, 11251, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Nicole G Metzendorf
- Protein Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tobias Gustavsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Greta Hultqvist
- Protein Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden.
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50
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Li F, Kalyana Sundaram RV, Gatta AT, Coleman J, Ramakrishnan S, Krishnakumar SS, Pincet F, Rothman JE. Vesicle capture by membrane-bound Munc13-1 requires self-assembly into discrete clusters. FEBS Lett 2021; 595:2185-2196. [PMID: 34227103 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Munc13-1 is a large banana-shaped soluble protein that is involved in the regulation of synaptic vesicle docking and fusion. Recent studies suggest that multiple copies of Munc13-1 form nano-assemblies in active zones of neurons. However, it is not known whether such clustering of Munc13-1 is correlated with multivalent binding to synaptic vesicles or specific plasma membrane domains at docking sites in the active zone. The functional significance of putative Munc13-1 clustering is also unknown. Here, we report that nano-clustering is an inherent property of Munc13-1 and is indeed required for vesicle binding to bilayers containing Munc13-1. Purified Munc13-1 protein reconstituted onto supported lipid bilayers assembled into clusters containing from 2 to ˜ 20 copies as revealed by a combination of quantitative TIRF microscopy and step-wise photobleaching. Surprisingly, only clusters containing a minimum of 6 copies of Munc13-1 were capable of efficiently capturing and retaining small unilamellar vesicles. The C-terminal C2 C domain of Munc13-1 is not required for Munc13-1 clustering, but is required for efficient vesicle capture. This capture is largely due to a combination of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the C2 C domain and the vesicle membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Li
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ramalingam Venkat Kalyana Sundaram
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alberto T Gatta
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jeff Coleman
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sathish Ramakrishnan
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shyam S Krishnakumar
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Frederic Pincet
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
- Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole normale supérieure, ENS, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - James E Rothman
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale School of Medicine, West Haven, CT, USA
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