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Rotta G, Puca E, Cazzamalli S, Neri D, Dakhel Plaza S. Cytokine Biopharmaceuticals with "Activity-on-Demand" for Cancer Therapy. Bioconjug Chem 2024. [PMID: 38885090 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Cytokines are small proteins that modulate the activity of the immune system. Because of their potent immunomodulatory properties, some recombinant cytokines have undergone clinical development and have gained marketing authorization for the therapy of certain forms of cancer. Recombinant cytokines are typically administered at ultralow doses, as many of them can cause substantial toxicity even at submilligram quantities. In an attempt to increase the therapeutic index, fusion proteins based on tumor-homing antibodies (also called "immunocytokines") have been considered, and some products in this class have reached late-stage clinical trials. While antibody-cytokine fusions, which preferentially localize in the neoplastic mass, can activate tumor-resident leukocytes and may be more efficacious than their nontargeted counterparts, such products typically conserve an intact cytokine activity, which may prevent escalation to curative doses. To further improve tolerability, several strategies have been conceived for the development of antibody-cytokine fusions with "activity-on-demand", acting on tumors but helping spare normal tissues from undesired toxicity. In this article, we have reviewed some of the most promising strategies, outlining their potential as well as possible limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Rotta
- Philochem AG, CH-8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland
- Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | | | | | - Dario Neri
- Philogen S.p.A, 53100 Siena, Italy
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Murtadha M, Park M, Zhu Y, Caserta E, Napolitano O, Tandoh T, Moloudizargari M, Pozhitkov A, Singer M, Dona AA, Vahed H, Gonzalez A, Ly K, Ouyang C, Sanchez JF, Nigam L, Duplan A, Chowdhury A, Ghoda L, Li L, Zhang B, Krishnan A, Marcucci G, Williams JC, Pichiorri F. A CD38-directed, single-chain T-cell engager targets leukemia stem cells through IFN-γ-induced CD38 expression. Blood 2024; 143:1599-1615. [PMID: 38394668 PMCID: PMC11103097 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023021570] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Treatment resistance of leukemia stem cells (LSCs) and suppression of the autologous immune system represent major challenges to achieve a cure in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although AML blasts generally retain high levels of surface CD38 (CD38pos), LSCs are frequently enriched in the CD34posCD38neg blast fraction. Here, we report that interferon gamma (IFN-γ) reduces LSCs clonogenic activity and induces CD38 upregulation in both CD38pos and CD38neg LSC-enriched blasts. IFN-γ-induced CD38 upregulation depends on interferon regulatory factor 1 transcriptional activation of the CD38 promoter. To leverage this observation, we created a novel compact, single-chain CD38-CD3 T-cell engager (BN-CD38) designed to promote an effective immunological synapse between CD38pos AML cells and both CD8pos and CD4pos T cells. We demonstrate that BN-CD38 engages autologous CD4pos and CD8pos T cells and CD38pos AML blasts, leading to T-cell activation and expansion and to the elimination of leukemia cells in an autologous setting. Importantly, BN-CD38 engagement induces the release of high levels of IFN-γ, driving the expression of CD38 on CD34posCD38neg LSC-enriched blasts and their subsequent elimination. Critically, although BN-CD38 showed significant in vivo efficacy across multiple disseminated AML cell lines and patient-derived xenograft models, it did not affect normal hematopoietic stem cell clonogenicity and the development of multilineage human immune cells in CD34pos humanized mice. Taken together, this study provides important insights to target and eliminate AML LSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Murtadha
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Miso Park
- Department of Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Yinghui Zhu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Enrico Caserta
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Ottavio Napolitano
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Theophilus Tandoh
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Milad Moloudizargari
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Alex Pozhitkov
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Mahmoud Singer
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Ada Alice Dona
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Hawa Vahed
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Asaul Gonzalez
- Department of Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Kevin Ly
- Department of Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Ching Ouyang
- Integrative Genomics Core, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - James F. Sanchez
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Lokesh Nigam
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Amanda Duplan
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Arnab Chowdhury
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Lucy Ghoda
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Amrita Krishnan
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Guido Marcucci
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - John C. Williams
- Department of Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Flavia Pichiorri
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
- Department of Hematologic Malignancies Translational Science, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
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3
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Riccardi F, Tangredi C, Dal Bo M, Toffoli G. Targeted therapy for multiple myeloma: an overview on CD138-based strategies. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1370854. [PMID: 38655136 PMCID: PMC11035824 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1370854] [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: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematological disease characterized by the uncontrolled growth of plasma cells primarily in the bone marrow. Although its treatment consists of the administration of combined therapy regimens mainly based on immunomodulators and proteosome inhibitors, MM remains incurable, and most patients suffer from relapsed/refractory disease with poor prognosis and survival. The robust results achieved by immunotherapy targeting MM-associated antigens CD38 and CD319 (also known as SLAMF7) have drawn attention to the development of new immune-based strategies and different innovative compounds in the treatment of MM, including new monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, recombinant proteins, synthetic peptides, and adaptive cellular therapies. In this context, Syndecan1 (CD138 or SDC1), a transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan that is upregulated in malignant plasma cells, has gained increasing attention in the panorama of MM target antigens, since its key role in MM tumorigenesis, progression and aggressiveness has been largely reported. Here, our aim is to provide an overview of the most important aspects of MM disease and to investigate the molecular functions of CD138 in physiologic and malignant cell states. In addition, we will shed light on the CD138-based therapeutic approaches currently being tested in preclinical and/or clinical phases in MM and discuss their properties, mechanisms of action and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Riccardi
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Aviano, Italy
| | - Carmela Tangredi
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Aviano, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Michele Dal Bo
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Aviano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Toffoli
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Aviano, Italy
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4
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Abdallah N, Kumar SK. New Therapies on the Horizon for Relapsed Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2024; 38:511-532. [PMID: 38216384 DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2023.12.013] [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] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Despite improved treatments, most patients with multiple myeloma (MM) will experience relapse. Several novel agents have demonstrated activity and tolerability in early phase clinical trials. Venetoclax is a B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) inhibitor with activity in patients with t(11;14) and/or Bcl-2 expression. Iberdomide and mezigdomide are cereblon E3 ligase modulators with higher potency, immunomodulatory, and antiproliferative activity compared with lenalidomide and pomalidomide. They have shown promising activity in heavily pretreated patients. Modakafusp alfa is an immunocytokine that targets interferons to CD38+ cells. It has demonstrated single agent activity in relapsed/refractory MM in the phase 1 setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Abdallah
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Shaji K Kumar
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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5
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Ji C, Kuang B, Buetow BS, Vitsky A, Xu Y, Huang TH, Chaparro-Riggers J, Kraynov E, Matsumoto D. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicity of a PD-1-targeted IL-15 in cynomolgus monkeys. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298240. [PMID: 38315680 PMCID: PMC10843171 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
PF-07209960 is a novel bispecific fusion protein composed of an anti-PD-1 antibody and engineered IL-15 cytokine mutein with reduced binding affinity to its receptors. The pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and toxicity of PF-07209960 were evaluated following once every other week subcutaneous (SC) or intravenous (IV) administration to cynomolgus monkeys in a repeat-dose PKPD (0.01-0.3 mg/kg/dose) and GLP toxicity study (0.1-3 mg/kg/dose). PF-07209960 showed dose dependent pharmacokinetics with a terminal T1/2 of 8 and 13 hours following IV administration at 0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg, respectively. The clearance is faster than a typical IgG1 antibody. Slightly faster clearance was also observed following the second dose, likely due to increased target pool and formation of anti-drug antibodies (ADA). Despite a high incidence rate of ADA (92%) observed in GLP toxicity study, PD-1 receptor occupancy, IL-15 signaling (STAT5 phosphorylation) and T cell expansion were comparable following the first and second doses. Activation and proliferation of T cells were observed with largest increase in cell numbers found in gamma delta T cells, followed by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and then NK cells. Release of cytokines IL-6, IFNγ, and IL-10 were detected, which peaked at 72 hours postdose. There was PF-07209960-related mortality at ≥1 mg/kg. At scheduled necropsy, microscopic findings were generalized mononuclear infiltration in various tissues. Both the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) and the highest non severely toxic dose (HNSTD) were determined to be 0.3 mg/kg/dose, which corresponded to mean Cmax and AUC48 values of 1.15 μg/mL and 37.9 μg*h/mL, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhua Ji
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Bing Kuang
- Biomedical Design, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Bernard S. Buetow
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Allison Vitsky
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Yuanming Xu
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Tzu-Hsuan Huang
- Cancer Immunology Discovery, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | | | - Eugenia Kraynov
- Biomedical Design, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Diane Matsumoto
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
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6
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Flietner E, Yu M, Poudel G, Veltri AJ, Zhou Y, Rajagopalan A, Feng Y, Lasho T, Wen Z, Sun Y, Patnaik MM, Callander NS, Asimakopoulos F, Wang D, Zhang J. Molecular characterization stratifies VQ myeloma cells into two clusters with distinct risk signatures and drug responses. Oncogene 2023; 42:1751-1762. [PMID: 37031341 PMCID: PMC10367583 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02684-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow and extramedullary sites. We previously characterized a VQ model for human high-risk MM. The various VQ lines display different disease phenotypes and survival rates, suggesting significant intra-model variation. Here, we use whole-exome sequencing and copy number variation (CNV) analysis coupled with RNA-Seq to stratify the VQ lines into corresponding clusters: Group A cells had monosomy chromosome (chr) 5 and overexpressed genes and pathways associated with sensitivity to bortezomib (Btz) treatment in human MM patients. By contrast, Group B VQ cells carried recurrent amplification (Amp) of chr3 and displayed high-risk MM features, including downregulation of Fam46c, upregulation of cancer growth pathways associated with functional high-risk MM, and expression of Amp1q and high-risk UAMS-70 and EMC-92 gene signatures. Consistently, in sharp contrast to Group A VQ cells that showed short-term response to Btz, Group B VQ cells were de novo resistant to Btz in vivo. Our study highlights Group B VQ lines as highly representative of the human MM subset with ultrahigh risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Flietner
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Mei Yu
- Versiti Blood Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Govinda Poudel
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | | | - Yun Zhou
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Adhithi Rajagopalan
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Yubin Feng
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Terra Lasho
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55902, USA
| | - Zhi Wen
- Center for Precision Medicine Research, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI, 54449, USA
| | - Yuqian Sun
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Mrinal M Patnaik
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55902, USA
| | - Natalie S Callander
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UW Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Fotis Asimakopoulos
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Demin Wang
- Versiti Blood Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
| | - Jing Zhang
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
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7
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Rybchenko VS, Aliev TK, Panina AA, Kirpichnikov MP, Dolgikh DA. Targeted Cytokine Delivery for Cancer Treatment: Engineering and Biological Effects. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020336. [PMID: 36839658 PMCID: PMC9960319 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020336] [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: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Anti-tumor properties of several cytokines have already been investigated in multiple experiments and clinical trials. However, those studies evidenced substantial toxicities, even at low cytokine doses, and the lack of tumor specificity. These factors significantly limit clinical applications. Due to their high specificity and affinity, tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies or their antigen-binding fragments are capable of delivering fused cytokines to tumors and, therefore, of decreasing the number and severity of side effects, as well as of enhancing the therapeutic index. The present review surveys the actual antibody-cytokine fusion protein (immunocytokine) formats, their targets, mechanisms of action, and anti-tumor and other biological effects. Special attention is paid to the formats designed to prevent the off-target cytokine-receptor interactions, potentially inducing side effects. Here, we describe preclinical and clinical data and the efficacy of the antibody-mediated cytokine delivery approach, either as a single therapy or in combination with other agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav S Rybchenko
- Bioengineering Department, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Teimur K Aliev
- Bioengineering Department, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna A Panina
- Bioengineering Department, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Kirpichnikov
- Bioengineering Department, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry A Dolgikh
- Bioengineering Department, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
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8
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Way JC, Burrill DR, Silver PA. Bioinspired Design of Artificial Signaling Systems. Biochemistry 2023; 62:178-186. [PMID: 35984429 PMCID: PMC9851155 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00368] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Natural systems use weak interactions and avidity effects to give biological systems high specificity and signal-to-noise ratios. Here we describe design principles for engineering fusion proteins that target therapeutic fusion proteins to membrane-bound signaling receptors by first binding to designer-chosen co-receptors on the same cell surface. The key design elements are separate protein modules, one that has no signaling activity and binds to a cell surface receptor with high affinity and a second that binds to a receptor with low or moderate affinity and carries out a desired signaling or inhibitory activity. These principles are inspired by natural cytokines such as CNTF, IL-2, and IL-4 that bind strongly to nonsignaling receptors and then signal through low-affinity receptors. Such designs take advantage of the fact that when a protein is anchored to a cell membrane, its local concentration is extremely high with respect to those of other membrane proteins, so a second-step, low-affinity binding event is favored. Protein engineers have used these principles to design treatments for cancer, anemia, hypoxia, and HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C. Way
- General
Biologics, Inc., 108
Fayerweather Street, Unit 2, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Devin R. Burrill
- Department
of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 210 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Pamela A. Silver
- Department
of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 210 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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9
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Abstract
Adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) therapies suffer from a number of limitations (e.g., poor control of solid tumors), and while combining ACT with cytokine therapy can enhance effectiveness, this also results in significant side effects. Here, we describe a nanotechnology approach to improve the efficacy of ACT therapies by metabolically labeling T cells with unnatural sugar nanoparticles, allowing direct conjugation of antitumor cytokines onto the T cell surface during the manufacturing process. This allows local, concentrated activity of otherwise toxic cytokines. This approach increases T cell infiltration into solid tumors, activates the host immune system toward a Type 1 response, encourages antigen spreading, and improves control of aggressive solid tumors and achieves complete blood cancer regression with otherwise noncurative doses of CAR-T cells. Overall, this method provides an effective and easily integrated approach to the current ACT manufacturing process to increase efficacy in various settings.
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10
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Emerging principles of cytokine pharmacology and therapeutics. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:21-37. [PMID: 36131080 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00557-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cytokines are secreted signalling proteins that play essential roles in the initiation, maintenance and resolution of immune responses. Although the unique ability of cytokines to control immune function has garnered clinical interest in the context of cancer, autoimmunity and infectious disease, the use of cytokine-based therapeutics has been limited. This is due, in part, to the ability of cytokines to act on many cell types and impact diverse biological functions, resulting in dose-limiting toxicity or lack of efficacy. Recent studies combining structural biology, protein engineering and receptor pharmacology have unlocked new insights into the mechanisms of cytokine receptor activation, demonstrating that many aspects of cytokine function are highly tunable. Here, we discuss the pharmacological principles underlying these efforts to overcome cytokine pleiotropy and enhance the therapeutic potential of this important class of signalling molecules.
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11
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Beyond the cell: novel noncellular immunotherapy approaches to multiple myeloma. HEMATOLOGY. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY. EDUCATION PROGRAM 2022; 2022:173-179. [PMID: 36485098 PMCID: PMC9820703 DOI: 10.1182/hematology.2022000335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The development of novel cellular therapies and bispecific T-cell-engaging antibodies is occurring at breakneck speed in multiple myeloma (MM). While groundbreaking, these agents have their unique logistical and toxicity issues and currently do not represent a curative approach. In this context, there continues to be an urgent need to develop novel, off-the-shelf immunotherapy approaches to add to the armamentarium. This article explores novel agents being investigated in combination with standard immunomodulatory drugs as well as next-generation cereblon E3 ligase modulators. These novel agents include drugs being repurposed from their use in other diseases as well as novel monoclonal antibodies. In addition, agents under development such as immunocytokines, immunotoxins, and natural killer-cell activators/engagers are reviewed. These novel therapeutic strategies hold the promise of countermanding the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, leading to enhanced anti-MM activity.
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12
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He Z, Liu X, Zhou Y. Research progress in the role of CD38 in clinical tumor treatment. ZHONG NAN DA XUE XUE BAO. YI XUE BAN = JOURNAL OF CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY. MEDICAL SCIENCES 2022; 47:952-959. [PMID: 36039593 PMCID: PMC10930288 DOI: 10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2022.210351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tumor is one of the ten leading causes of death in the world. Traditional tumor treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. With the development of immune checkpoint blockade therapy targeting the programmed death 1/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) axis, the number of cancers in solid tumors has increased. Changes in the immunometabolic microenvironment have been shown to be important regulators of innate suppression of immune cell function and acquired resistance to immunotherapy. As a new target, CD38 is an enzyme that produces immunosuppressive metabolites (such as adenosine), which can be used in combination with immunotherapy to improve the clinical efficacy of tumor therapy, and can also be used as an indicator for understanding tumor immunotherapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengxi He
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008. hezhengxi@ csu.edu.cn
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha 410078. hezhengxi@ csu.edu.cn
| | - Xing Liu
- Functional Experimental Center of School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Yanhong Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008.
- Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha 410078.
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13
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Wittrup KD, Kaufman HL, Schmidt MM, Irvine DJ. Intratumorally anchored cytokine therapy. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2022; 19:725-732. [PMID: 35638290 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2022.2084070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION On-target, off-tumor toxicity severely limits systemic dosing of cytokines and agonist antibodies for cancer. Intratumoral administration is increasingly being explored to mitigate this problem. Full exploitation of this mode of administration must include a mechanism for sustained retention of the drug; otherwise, rapid diffusion out of the tumor eliminates any advantage. AREAS COVERED We focus here on strategies for anchoring immune agonists in accessible formats. Such anchoring may utilize extracellular matrix components, cell surface receptor targets, or exogenously administered particulate materials. Promising alternative strategies not reviewed here include slow release from the interior of a material depot, expression following local transfection, and conditional proteolytic activation of masked molecules. EXPERT OPINION An effective mechanism for tissue retention is a critical component of intratumorally anchored cytokine therapy, as leakage leads to decreased tumor drug exposure and increased systemic toxicity. Matching variable drug release kinetics with receptor-mediated cellular uptake is an intrinsic requirement for the alternative strategies mentioned above. Bioavailability of an anchored form of the administered drug is key to obviating this balancing act.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Dane Wittrup
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Darrell J Irvine
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, MD, USA
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14
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Strategies for targeting cell surface proteins using multivalent conjugates and chemical biology. Methods Cell Biol 2021. [PMID: 34752333 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Proper function of receptors on the cell surface is essential for homeostasis. Compounds that target cell surface receptors to address dysregulation have proven exceptionally successful as therapeutic agents; however, the development of compounds with the desired specificity for receptors, cells, and tissues of choice has proven difficult in some cases. The use of compounds that can engage more than one binding site at the cell surface offers a path toward improving biological specificity or pharmacological properties. In this chapter we summarize historical context for the development of such bivalent compounds. We focus on developments in chemical methods and biological engineering to provide bivalent compounds in which the high affinity and specificity of antibodies are leveraged to create multifunctional conjugates with new and useful properties. The development of methods to meld biological macromolecules with synthetic compounds will facilitate modulation of receptor biology in ways not previously possible.
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15
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Jadoon Y, Siddiqui MA. Immunotherapy in multiple myeloma. Cancer Treat Res Commun 2021; 29:100468. [PMID: 34653747 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2021.100468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite available therapies, Multiple Myeloma (MM) remains an incurable hematologic malignancy. Over the past three decades, there have been tremendous developments in therapeutic options for MM. In regards to immunotherapy, Daratumumab was the first monoclonal antibody to receive FDA approval for multiple myeloma. Since then, other monoclonal antibodies such as elotuzumab and isatuximab have received FDA approval. Many clinical trials are underway investigating the efficacy of newer immunotherapies. This review summarizes recently presented and/or published data regarding this growing field, specifically regarding monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies, and trispecific antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamna Jadoon
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, United States of America
| | - Mustaqeem A Siddiqui
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, United States of America; Division of Oncology and Hematology, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
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16
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Dakhel S, Lizak C, Matasci M, Mock J, Villa A, Neri D, Cazzamalli S. An Attenuated Targeted-TNF Localizes to Tumors In Vivo and Regains Activity at the Site of Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10020. [PMID: 34576184 PMCID: PMC8469155 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibody-cytokine fusion proteins (immunocytokines) are gaining importance for cancer therapy, but those products are often limited by systemic toxicity related to the activity of the cytokine payload in circulation and in secondary lymphoid organs. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is used as a pro-inflammatory payload to trigger haemorrhagic necrosis and boost anti-cancer immunity at the tumor site. Here we describe a depotentiated version of TNF (carrying the single point mutation I97A), which displayed reduced binding affinity to its cognate receptor tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR-1) and lower biocidal activity. The fusion of the TNF(I97A) mutant to the L19 antibody promoted restoration of anti-tumor activity upon accumulation on the cognate antigen, the alternatively spliced EDB domain of fibronectin. In vivo administration of high doses (375 μg/Kg) of the fusion protein showed a potent anti-tumor effect without apparent toxicity compared with the wild type protein. L19-TNFI97A holds promise for the targeted delivery of TNF activity to neoplastic lesions, helping spare normal tissues.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/metabolism
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/genetics
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/metabolism
- Cricetulus
- Cytokines/genetics
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Female
- Fibronectins/genetics
- Fibronectins/metabolism
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique
- Immunotherapy
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mutation
- Protein Structure, Secondary
- Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor/genetics
- Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor/metabolism
- Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I/genetics
- Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I/metabolism
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Dakhel
- Philochem AG, CH-8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland; (S.D.); (C.L.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (A.V.); (D.N.)
| | - Christian Lizak
- Philochem AG, CH-8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland; (S.D.); (C.L.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (A.V.); (D.N.)
| | - Mattia Matasci
- Philochem AG, CH-8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland; (S.D.); (C.L.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (A.V.); (D.N.)
| | - Jacqueline Mock
- Philochem AG, CH-8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland; (S.D.); (C.L.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (A.V.); (D.N.)
| | - Alessandra Villa
- Philochem AG, CH-8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland; (S.D.); (C.L.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (A.V.); (D.N.)
| | - Dario Neri
- Philochem AG, CH-8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland; (S.D.); (C.L.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (A.V.); (D.N.)
- Philogen S.p.A., Piazza La Lizza, 7, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Samuele Cazzamalli
- Philochem AG, CH-8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland; (S.D.); (C.L.); (M.M.); (J.M.); (A.V.); (D.N.)
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17
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Xu Y, Campos Carrascosa L, Yeung YA, Chu MLH, Yang W, Djuretic I, Pappas DC, Zeytounian J, Ge Z, de Ruiter V, Starbeck-Miller GR, Patterson J, Rigas D, Chen SH, Kraynov E, Boor PP, Noordam L, Doukas M, Tsao D, Ijzermans JN, Guo J, Grünhagen DJ, Erdmann J, Verheij J, van Royen ME, Doornebosch PG, Feldman R, Park T, Mahmoudi S, Dorywalska M, Ni I, Chin SM, Mistry T, Mosyak L, Lin L, Ching KA, Lindquist KC, Ji C, Londono LM, Kuang B, Rickert R, Kwekkeboom J, Sprengers D, Huang TH, Chaparro-Riggers J. An Engineered IL15 Cytokine Mutein Fused to an Anti-PD-1 Improves Intratumoral T-Cell Function and Antitumor Immunity. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 9:1141-1157. [PMID: 34376502 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-21-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The use of cytokines for immunotherapy shows clinical efficacy but is frequently accompanied by severe adverse events caused by excessive and systemic immune activation. Here, we set out to address these challenges by engineering a fusion protein of a single, potency-reduced, IL15 mutein and a PD-1-specific antibody (anti-PD1-IL15m). This immunocytokine was designed to deliver PD-1-mediated, avidity-driven IL2/15 receptor stimulation to PD-1+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) while minimally affecting circulating peripheral natural killer (NK) cells and T cells. Treatment of tumor-bearing mice with a mouse cross-reactive fusion, anti-mPD1-IL15m demonstrated potent antitumor efficacy without exacerbating body weight loss in B16 and MC38 syngeneic tumor models. Moreover, anti-mPD1-IL15m was more efficacious than an IL15 superagonist, an anti-mPD-1, or the combination thereof in the B16 melanoma model. Mechanistically, anti-PD1-IL15m preferentially targeted CD8+ TILs and scRNA-seq analyses revealed that anti-mPD1-IL15m treatment induced the expansion of an exhausted CD8+ TILs cluster with high proliferative capacity and effector-like signatures. Antitumor efficacy of anti-mPD1-IL15m was dependent on CD8+ T cells, as depletion of CD8+ cells resulted in the loss of antitumor activity, whereas depletion of NK cells had little impact on efficacy. The impact of anti-hPD1-IL15m on primary human TILs from cancer patients was also evaluated. Anti-hPD1-IL15m robustly enhanced the proliferation, activation, and cytotoxicity of CD8+ and CD4+ TILs from human primary cancers in vitro, whereas tumor-derived regulatory T cells were largely unaffected. Taken together, we showed that anti-PD1-IL15m exhibits a high translational promise with improved efficacy and safety of IL15 for cancer immunotherapy via targeting PD-1+ TILs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Irene Ni
- Oncology Research Unit, Pfizer (United States)
| | | | | | | | | | - Keith A Ching
- Computational Biology/Oncology Research Unit, Pfizer Global R & D
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18
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Xue D, Hsu E, Fu YX, Peng H. Next-generation cytokines for cancer immunotherapy. Antib Ther 2021; 4:123-133. [PMID: 34263141 PMCID: PMC8271143 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbab014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Most studies focus on the first and second signals of T cell activation. However, the roles of cytokines in immunotherapy are not fully understood, and cytokines have not been widely used in patient care. Clinical application of cytokines is limited due to their short half-life in vivo, severe toxicity at therapeutic doses, and overall lack of efficacy. Several modifications have been engineered to extend their half-life and increase tumor targeting, including polyethylene glycol conjugation, fusion to tumor-targeting antibodies, and alteration of cytokine/cell receptor-binding affinity. These modifications demonstrate an improvement in either increased antitumor efficacy or reduced toxicity. However, these cytokine engineering strategies may still be improved further, as each strategy poses advantages and disadvantages in the delicate balance of targeting tumor cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and peripheral immune cells. This review focuses on selected cytokines, including interferon-α, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-15, IL-21, and IL-12, in both preclinical studies and clinical applications. We review next-generation designs of these cytokines that improve half-life, tumor targeting, and antitumor efficacy. We also present our perspectives on the development of new strategies to potentiate cytokine-based immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diyuan Xue
- Key laboratory of Infection and Immunity Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Da Tun Rd, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Eric Hsu
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - Yang-Xin Fu
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - Hua Peng
- Key laboratory of Infection and Immunity Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Da Tun Rd, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
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19
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Yin J, Li X, Li F, Lu Y, Zeng S, Zhu F. Identification of the key target profiles underlying the drugs of narrow therapeutic index for treating cancer and cardiovascular disease. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2318-2328. [PMID: 33995923 PMCID: PMC8105181 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An appropriate therapeutic index is crucial for drug discovery and development since narrow therapeutic index (NTI) drugs with slight dosage variation may induce severe adverse drug reactions or potential treatment failure. To date, the shared characteristics underlying the targets of NTI drugs have been explored by several studies, which have been applied to identify potential drug targets. However, the association between the drug therapeutic index and the related disease has not been dissected, which is important for revealing the NTI drug mechanism and optimizing drug design. Therefore, in this study, two classes of disease (cancers and cardiovascular disorders) with the largest number of NTI drugs were selected, and the target property of the corresponding NTI drugs was analyzed. By calculating the biological system profiles and human protein–protein interaction (PPI) network properties of drug targets and adopting an AI-based algorithm, differentiated features between two diseases were discovered to reveal the distinct underlying mechanisms of NTI drugs in different diseases. Consequently, ten shared features and four unique features were identified for both diseases to distinguish NTI from NNTI drug targets. These computational discoveries, as well as the newly found features, suggest that in the clinical study of avoiding narrow therapeutic index in those diseases, the ability of target to be a hub and the efficiency of target signaling in the human PPI network should be considered, and it could thus provide novel guidance in the drug discovery and clinical research process and help to estimate the drug safety of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Yin
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaoxu Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Fengcheng Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yinjing Lu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Su Zeng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.,Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.,Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310018, China.,Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare, Hangzhou 330110, China
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20
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Lernoux M, Schnekenburger M, Dicato M, Diederich M. Susceptibility of multiple myeloma to B-cell lymphoma 2 family inhibitors. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 188:114526. [PMID: 33741332 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a biologically complex hematological disorder defined by the clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells producing excessive monoclonal immunoglobulin that interacts with components of the bone marrow microenvironment, resulting in the major clinical features of MM. Despite the development of numerous protocols to treat MM patients, this cancer remains currently incurable; due in part to the emergence of resistant clones, highlighting the unmet need for innovative therapeutic approaches. Accumulating evidence suggests that the survival of MM molecular subgroups depends on the expression profiles of specific subsets of anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma (BCL)-2 family members. This review summarizes the mechanisms underlying the anti-myeloma activities of the potent BCL-2 family protein inhibitors, individually or in combination with conventional therapeutic options, and provides an overview of the strong rationale to clinically investigate such interventions for MM therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Lernoux
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg 9, rue Edward Steichen, L-2540 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Michael Schnekenburger
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg 9, rue Edward Steichen, L-2540 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Mario Dicato
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg 9, rue Edward Steichen, L-2540 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Marc Diederich
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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21
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Runbeck E, Crescioli S, Karagiannis SN, Papa S. Utilizing Immunocytokines for Cancer Therapy. Antibodies (Basel) 2021; 10:antib10010010. [PMID: 33803078 PMCID: PMC8006145 DOI: 10.3390/antib10010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytokine therapy for cancer has indicated efficacy in certain diseases but is generally accompanied by severe toxicity. The field of antibody-cytokine fusion proteins (immunocytokines) arose to target these effector molecules to the tumor environment in order to expand the therapeutic window of cytokine therapy. Pre-clinical evidence has shown the increased efficacy and decreased toxicity of various immunocytokines when compared to their cognate unconjugated cytokine. These anti-tumor properties are markedly enhanced when combined with other treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and checkpoint inhibitor antibodies. Clinical trials that have continued to explore the potential of these biologics for cancer therapy have been conducted. This review covers the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical evidence for the application of immunocytokines in immuno-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Runbeck
- ImmunoEngineering Group, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King’s College London, London SE19RT, UK;
| | - Silvia Crescioli
- St. John’s Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; (S.C.); (S.N.K.)
| | - Sophia N. Karagiannis
- St. John’s Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; (S.C.); (S.N.K.)
| | - Sophie Papa
- ImmunoEngineering Group, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Studies, King’s College London, London SE19RT, UK;
- Correspondence:
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22
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Immunotherapy with Antibodies in Multiple Myeloma: Monoclonals, Bispecifics, and Immunoconjugates. HEMATO 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/hemato2010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In the 2010s, immunotherapy revolutionized the treatment landscape of multiple myeloma. CD38-targeting antibodies were initially applied as monotherapy in end-stage patients, but are now also approved by EMA/FDA in combination with standards-of-care in newly diagnosed disease or in patients with early relapse. The approved SLAMF7-targeting antibody can also be successfully combined with lenalidomide or pomalidomide in relapsed/refractory myeloma. Although this has resulted in improved clinical outcomes, there remains a high unmet need in patients who become refractory to immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors and CD38-targeting antibodies. Several new antibody formats, such as antibody–drug conjugates (e.g., belantamab mafodotin, which was approved in 2020 and targets BCMA) and T cell redirecting bispecific antibodies (e.g., teclistamab, talquetamab, cevostamab, AMG-420, and CC-93269) are active in these triple-class refractory patients. Based on their promising efficacy, it is expected that these new antibody formats will also be combined with other agents in earlier disease settings.
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23
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Gouyou B, Ongaro T, Cazzamalli S, De Luca R, Kerschenmeyer A, Valet P, Villa A, Neri D, Matasci M. Antibody-based delivery of interleukin-9 to neovascular structures: Therapeutic evaluation in cancer and arthritis. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2021; 246:940-951. [PMID: 33475433 DOI: 10.1177/1535370220981578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-9 is a cytokine with multiple functions, including the ability to activate group 2 innate lymphoid cells, which has been postulated to be therapeutically active in mouse models of arthritis. Similarly, interleukin-9 has been suggested to play an important role in tumor immunity. Here, we describe the cloning, expression, and characterization of three fusion proteins based on murine interleukin-9 and the F8 antibody, specific to the alternatively spliced EDA domain of fibronectin. EDA is strongly expressed in cancer and in various arthritic conditions, while being undetectable in the majority of healthy organs. Interleukin-9-based fusion proteins with an irrelevant antibody specific to hen egg lysozyme served as negative control in our study. The fusion proteins were characterized by quantitative biodistribution analysis in tumor-bearing mice using radioiodinated protein preparations. The highest tumor uptake and best tumor:organ ratios were observed for a format, in which the interleukin-9 moiety was flanked by two units of the F8 antibody in single-chain Fv format. Biological activity of interleukin-9 was retained when the payload was fused to antibodies. However, the targeted delivery of interleukin-9 to the disease site resulted in a modest anti-tumor activity in three different murine models of cancer (K1735M2, CT26, and F9), while no therapeutic benefit was observed in a collagen induced model of arthritis. Collectively, these results confirm the possibility to deliver interleukin-9 to the site of disease but cast doubts about the alleged therapeutic activity of this cytokine in cancer and arthritis, which has been postulated in previous publications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tiziano Ongaro
- Philochem AG, Libernstrasse 3, Otelfingen 8112, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Philippe Valet
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, UPS, Cedex 4, Toulouse 31432, France
| | | | - Dario Neri
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Mattia Matasci
- Philochem AG, Libernstrasse 3, Otelfingen 8112, Switzerland
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24
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Lee CG, Kim T, Hong S, Chu J, Kang JE, Park HG, Choi JY, Song K, Rha SY, Lee S, Choi JS, Kim SM, Jeong HM, Shin YK. Antibody-Based Targeting of Interferon-Beta-1a Mutein in HER2-Positive Cancer Enhances Antitumor Effects Through Immune Responses and Direct Cell Killing. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:608774. [PMID: 33505314 PMCID: PMC7832035 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.608774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Type I interferon (IFN) has been approved as an anticancer agent to treat some malignancies. However, IFNs have a short in vivo half-life, systemic toxicity, and poor biophysical properties, which prevent it from being widely used for cancer therapy. This study aimed to construct recombinant IFN-β-1a mutein immunocytokines that comprise a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeting antibody and IFN-β muteins with an additional glycosylation, which can overcome the limitation of the cytokine itself. Hence, the molecular design aims to 1) enhance productivity and biophysical properties by adding secondary glycosylation in IFN-β, 2) increase the therapeutic index of IFN-β therapy by preferential retention at the tumor by possessing high affinity for HER2-expressing cancer cells, and 3) improve the pharmacokinetics and, thus, the convenience of IFN-β administration. The yield of trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein was higher than that of trastuzumab-wild-type IFN-β in the mammalian cell culture system. Trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein showed similar IFN activity and HER2-targeting ability equivalent to that of IFN-β mutein and trastuzumab, respectively. Trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein directly inhibited the growth of HER2-positive gastric cancer cell lines and was more effective than trastuzumab or IFN-β mutein alone. Trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein and IFN-β mutein displayed enhanced immune cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Collectively, trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein may have indirect immune cell-mediated antitumor effects and direct cell growth inhibitory effects. Tumor-targeting effect of trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein was analyzed using in vivo fluorescence imaging. The accumulation of trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein was observed in HER2-positive tumors rather than other tissues except the liver. To evaluate the both direct tumor growth inhibition effect and indirect immune cell-mediated antitumor effect, we tested the effect of trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein in HER2-positive cancer xenograft models using nude mice or humanized mice. Trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein could significantly enhance tumor regression when compared with trastuzumab or IFN-β mutein. In addition, an increase in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was observed in the trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein-treated group, implying that the tumor-targeting IFN-β may have an enhanced antitumor effect through increased immune response. Therefore, targeting IFN-β with an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody makes the immunocytokine more potent than either agent alone. These novel findings suggest that trastuzumab-IFN-β mutein merits clinical evaluation as a new candidate of anticancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Gyu Lee
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Genopharm Inc., Seoul, South Korea
| | - TaeEun Kim
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sungyoul Hong
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jongwan Chu
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Hee Geon Park
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Kyoung Song
- College of Pharmacy, Duksung Women's University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sun Young Rha
- Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Soohyeon Lee
- Division of Oncology-Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Joon-Seok Choi
- College of Pharmacy, Daegu Catholic University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Sun Min Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, and Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Young Kee Shin
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Bio-MAX/N-Bio, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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25
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Mock J, Stringhini M, Villa A, Weller M, Weiss T, Neri D. An engineered 4-1BBL fusion protein with "activity on demand". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31780-31788. [PMID: 33239441 PMCID: PMC7749310 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013615117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered cytokines are gaining importance in cancer therapy, but these products are often limited by toxicity, especially at early time points after intravenous administration. 4-1BB is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, which has been considered as a target for therapeutic strategies with agonistic antibodies or using its cognate cytokine ligand, 4-1BBL. Here we describe the engineering of an antibody fusion protein, termed F8-4-1BBL, that does not exhibit cytokine activity in solution but regains biological activity on antigen binding. F8-4-1BBL bound specifically to its cognate antigen, the alternatively spliced EDA domain of fibronectin, and selectively localized to tumors in vivo, as evidenced by quantitative biodistribution experiments. The product promoted a potent antitumor activity in various mouse models of cancer without apparent toxicity at the doses used. F8-4-1BBL represents a prototype for antibody-cytokine fusion proteins, which conditionally display "activity on demand" properties at the site of disease on antigen binding and reduce toxicity to normal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Mock
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Stringhini
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Villa
- Antibody Research, Philochem AG, CH-8112 Otelfingen, Switzerland
| | - Michael Weller
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Weiss
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Dario Neri
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland;
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26
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Bertamini L, Bonello F, Boccadoro M, Bringhen S. New drugs in early development for treating multiple myeloma: all that glitters is not gold. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2020; 29:989-1004. [PMID: 32434394 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2020.1772753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The last twenty years have introduced new therapeutic agents for multiple myeloma (MM); these include proteasome inhibitors (PIs), immunomodulatory drugs (IMDs) and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, MM remains incurable, hence there is an unmet need for new agents for the treatment of advanced refractory disease. New agents could also be used in early lines to achieve improved, more sustained remission. AREAS COVERED We review the most promising agents investigated in early-phase trials for the treatment of MM and provide an emphasis on new agents directed against well-known targets (new PIs, IMDs and anti-CD38 mAbs). Drugs that work through distinct and numerous mechanisms of action (e.g. pro-apoptotic agents and tyrosine kinase inhibitors) and innovative immunotherapeutic approaches are also described. The paper culminates with our perspective on therapeutic approaches on the horizon for this disease. EXPERT OPINION IMD iberdomide and the export protein inhibitor selinexor demonstrated efficacy in heavily pretreated patients who had no other therapeutic options. We expect that immunotherapy with anti-BCMA BTEs and ADCs will revolutionize the approach to treating the early stages of the disease. Data on venetoclax in t(11;14)-positive patients may pave the way for personalized therapy. Not all new agents under early clinical evaluation will be investigated in regulatory phase III trials; one of the most important challenges is to identify those that could make a difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bertamini
- Myeloma Unit, Division of Hematology, University of Torino, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino , Torino, Italy
| | - Francesca Bonello
- Myeloma Unit, Division of Hematology, University of Torino, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino , Torino, Italy
| | - Mario Boccadoro
- Myeloma Unit, Division of Hematology, University of Torino, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino , Torino, Italy
| | - Sara Bringhen
- Myeloma Unit, Division of Hematology, University of Torino, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino , Torino, Italy
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Bruins WSC, Zweegman S, Mutis T, van de Donk NWCJ. Targeted Therapy With Immunoconjugates for Multiple Myeloma. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1155. [PMID: 32636838 PMCID: PMC7316960 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of proteasome inhibitors (PI) and immunomodulatory drugs (IMiD) has markedly increased the survival of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Also, the unconjugated monoclonal antibodies (mAb) daratumumab (anti-CD38) and elotuzumab (anti-SLAMF7) have revolutionized MM treatment given their clinical efficacy and safety, illustrating the potential of targeted immunotherapy as a powerful treatment strategy for MM. Nonetheless, most patients eventually develop PI-, IMiD-, and mAb-refractory disease because of the selection of resistant MM clones, which associates with a poor prognosis. Accordingly, these patients remain in urgent need of new therapies with novel mechanisms of action. In this respect, mAbs or mAb fragments can also be utilized as carriers of potent effector moieties to specifically target surface antigens on cells of interest. Such immunoconjugates have the potential to exert anti-MM activity in heavily pretreated patients due to their distinct and pleiotropic mechanisms of action. In addition, the fusion of highly cytotoxic compounds to mAbs decreases the off-target toxicity, thereby improving the therapeutic window. According to the effector moiety, immunoconjugates are classified into antibody-drug conjugates, immunotoxins, immunocytokines, or radioimmunoconjugates. This review will focus on the mechanisms of action, safety and efficacy of several promising immunoconjugates that are under investigation in preclinical and/or clinical MM studies. We will also include a discussion on combination therapy with immunoconjugates, resistance mechanisms, and future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wassilis S C Bruins
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sonja Zweegman
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tuna Mutis
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Niels W C J van de Donk
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Neri D. Antibody-Cytokine Fusions: Versatile Products for the Modulation of Anticancer Immunity. Cancer Immunol Res 2020; 7:348-354. [PMID: 30824549 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-18-0622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable clinical success of immune-checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of a growing number of cancer types has sparked interest in the discovery of novel forms of immunotherapy, which may be used alone or in combination. In this context, cytokine-based therapeutics are well poised to play a role in modern cancer therapy. This article focuses on antibody-cytokine fusion proteins (also called "immunocytokines") as one class of biopharmaceuticals that can substantially improve the therapeutic index and, thus, the applicability of cytokine products. In many preclinical settings, antibodies can be used to preferentially deliver many (but not all) types of cytokines to primary and metastatic tumor lesions. The antibody-based delivery of certain proinflammatory payloads (such as IL2, IL12, and TNF) to the tumor microenvironment can lead to a dramatic potentiation of their anticancer activity. However, although some fusion proteins have advanced to late-stage clinical trials, much work remains to be done in order to fully characterize the mechanism of action and the pharmaceutical potential of immunocytokines in the clinical setting. Various factors contribute to in vivo performance, including the target antigen, the antibody properties, the nature of the payload, the format of the fusion protein, the dose, and schedule, as well as their use in combination with other therapeutic modalities. Protein engineering opportunities and insights in cancer immunology are contributing to the development of next-generation immunocytokine products and of novel therapeutic concepts, with the goal to increase antitumor activity and reduce systemic toxicity (a common problem for cytokine-based biopharmaceuticals).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Neri
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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29
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Cheloha RW, Fischer FA, Woodham AW, Daley E, Suminski N, Gardella TJ, Ploegh HL. Improved GPCR ligands from nanobody tethering. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2087. [PMID: 32350260 PMCID: PMC7190724 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15884-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies conjugated to bioactive compounds allow targeted delivery of therapeutics to cell types of choice based on that antibody's specificity. Here we develop a new type of conjugate that consists of a nanobody and a peptidic ligand for a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), fused via their C-termini. We address activation of parathyroid hormone receptor-1 (PTHR1) and improve the signaling activity and specificity of otherwise poorly active N-terminal peptide fragments of PTH by conjugating them to nanobodies (VHHs) that recognize PTHR1. These C-to-C conjugates show biological activity superior to that of the parent fragment peptide in vitro. In an exploratory experiment in mice, a VHH-PTH peptide conjugate showed biological activity, whereas the corresponding free peptide did not. The lead conjugate also possesses selectivity for PTHR1 superior to that of PTH(1-34). This design approach, dubbed "conjugation of ligands and antibodies for membrane proteins" (CLAMP), can yield ligands with high potency and specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross W Cheloha
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 1 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Fabian A Fischer
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 1 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Andrew W Woodham
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 1 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Eileen Daley
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Blossom Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Naomi Suminski
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 1 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Thomas J Gardella
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Blossom Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 1 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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30
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Panina AA, Rybchenko VS, Solopova ON, Balabashin DS, Yakimov SA, Aliev TK, Dolgikh DA, Sveshnikov PG, Kirpichnikov MP. Recombinant Bispecific Antibodies to the Human ErbB2 Receptor and Interferon-Beta. Acta Naturae 2020; 12:95-104. [PMID: 32742732 PMCID: PMC7385087 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.10903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of and research into new therapies that can selectively and
effectively destroy tumor cells that overexpress the ErbB2 receptor is a
pressing task. Recently, research into the use of type I interferons in the
treatment of cancer has intensified. Cytokine therapy is aimed at activating
the cells of the immune system to fight tumors, but it has drawbacks that limit
its use because of a number of side effects the severity of which varies
depending on the dosage and type of used cytokine. At the moment, a number of
studies are being conducted regarding the use of IFNβ in oncology. The
studies are aimed at mitigating the systemic action of this cytokine. The
immunocytokine complex made of a bispecific antibody against the ErbB2 receptor
and recombinant IFNβ developed in this study underlies the mechanism meant
to avoid the systemic action of this cytokine. Part of this study focuses on
the development of full-length antibodies that bind to the ErbB2 receptor on
the one hand, and bind and neutralize IFNβ, on the other hand, which
allows us to consider the antibodies as a means of cytokine delivery to tumor
cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. A. Panina
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - V. S. Rybchenko
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - O. N. Solopova
- Russian Research Center for Molecular Diagnostics and Therapy, Moscow, 117149 Russia
- Federal State Budgetary Institution «N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology» of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow,115478 Russia
| | - D. S. Balabashin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - S. A. Yakimov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - T. K. Aliev
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, chemical faculty, Moscow, 119991 Russia
| | - D. A. Dolgikh
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - P. G. Sveshnikov
- Russian Research Center for Molecular Diagnostics and Therapy, Moscow, 117149 Russia
| | - M. P. Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997 Russia
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, biological faculty, Moscow, 119991 Russia
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31
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Mock J, Pellegrino C, Neri D. A universal reporter cell line for bioactivity evaluation of engineered cytokine products. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3234. [PMID: 32094407 PMCID: PMC7040017 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60182-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered cytokine products represent a growing class of therapeutic proteins which need to be tested for biological activity at various stages of pharmaceutical development. In most cases, dedicated biological assays are established for different products, in a process that can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Here we describe the development and implementation of a universal cell-based reporter system for various classes of immunomodulatory proteins. The novel system capitalizes on the fact that the signaling of various types of pro-inflammatory agents (e.g., cytokines, chemokines, Toll-like receptor agonists) may involve transcriptional activation by NF-κB. Using viral transduction, we generated stably-transformed cell lines of B or T lymphocyte origin and compared the new reporter cell lines with conventional bioassays. The experimental findings with various interleukins and with members of the TNF superfamily revealed that the newly-developed “universal” bioassay method yielded bioactivity data which were comparable to the ones obtained with dedicated conventional methods. The engineered cell lines with reporters for NF-κB were tested with several antibody-cytokine fusions and may be generally useful for the characterization of novel immunomodulatory products. The newly developed methodology also revealed a mechanism for cytokine potentiation, based on the antibody-mediated clustering of TNF superfamily members on tumor-associated extracellular matrix components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Mock
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Pellegrino
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Dario Neri
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
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Comparative evaluation of bolus and fractionated administration modalities for two antibody-cytokine fusions in immunocompetent tumor-bearing mice. J Control Release 2020; 317:282-290. [PMID: 31790729 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-cytokine fusion proteins are being considered as biopharmaceuticals for cancer immunotherapy. Tumor-homing cytokine fusions typically display an improved therapeutic activity compared to the corresponding unmodified cytokine products, but toxicity profiles at equivalent doses are similar, since side effects are mainly driven by the cytokine concentration in blood. In order to explore avenues to harness the therapeutic potential of antibody-cytokine fusions while decreasing potential toxicity, we compared bolus and fractionated administration modalities for two tumor-targeting antibody-cytokine fusion proteins based on human interleukin-2 (IL2) and murine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (i.e., L19-hIL2 and L19-mTNF) in two murine immunocompetent mouse models of cancer (F9 and C51). A comparative quantitative biodistribution analysis with radio-labeled protein preparations revealed that a fractionated administration of L19-hIL2 could deliver comparable product doses to the tumor with decreased product concentration in blood and normal organs, compared to bolus injection. By contrast, L19-mTNF (a product that causes a selective vascular shutdown in the tumor) accumulated most efficiently after bolus injection. Fractionated schedules allowed the safe administration of a cumulative dose of L19-mTNF, which was 2.5-times higher than the lethal dose for bolus injection. Dose fractionation led to a prolonged tumor growth inhibition for F9 teratocarcinomas, but not for C51 colorectal tumors, which responded best to bolus injection. Thus, dose fractionation may have different outcomes for the same antibody-cytokine product in different biological contexts.
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The Good, the Bad and the Unknown of CD38 in the Metabolic Microenvironment and Immune Cell Functionality of Solid Tumors. Cells 2019; 9:cells9010052. [PMID: 31878283 PMCID: PMC7016859 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulation of the immune microenvironment within solid tumors has received increasing attention with the development and clinical success of immune checkpoint blockade therapies, such as those that target the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. The metabolic microenvironment within solid tumors has proven to be an important regulator of both the natural suppression of immune cell functionality and the de novo or acquired resistance to immunotherapy. Enzymatic proteins that generate immunosuppressive metabolites like adenosine are thus attractive targets to couple with immunotherapies to improve clinical efficacy. CD38 is one such enzyme. While the role of CD38 in hematological malignancies has been extensively studied, the impact of CD38 expression within solid tumors is largely unknown, though most current data indicate an immunosuppressive role for CD38. However, CD38 is far from a simple enzyme, and there are several remaining questions that require further study. To effectively treat solid tumors, we must learn as much about this multifaceted protein as possible—i.e., which infiltrating immune cell types express CD38 for functional activities, the most effective CD38 inhibitor(s) to employ, and the influence of other similarly functioning enzymes that may also contribute towards an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Gathering knowledge such as this will allow for intelligent targeting of CD38, the reinvigoration of immune functionality and, ultimately, tumor elimination.
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Abstract
Over the past decade, preclinical and clinical research have confirmed the essential role of interferons for effective host immunological responses to malignant cells. Type I interferons (IFNα and IFNβ) directly regulate transcription of >100 downstream genes, which results in a myriad of direct (on cancer cells) and indirect (through immune effector cells and vasculature) effects on the tumour. New insights into endogenous and exogenous activation of type I interferons in the tumour and its microenvironment have given impetus to drug discovery and patient evaluation of interferon-directed strategies. When combined with prior observations or with other effective modalities for cancer treatment, modulation of the interferon system could contribute to further reductions in cancer morbidity and mortality. This Review discusses new interferon-directed therapeutic opportunities, ranging from cyclic dinucleotides to genome methylation inhibitors, angiogenesis inhibitors, chemoradiation, complexes with neoantigen-targeted monoclonal antibodies, combinations with other emerging therapeutic interventions and associations of interferon-stimulated gene expression with patient prognosis - all of which are strategies that have or will soon enter translational clinical evaluation.
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Ziffels B, Stringhini M, Probst P, Fugmann T, Sturm T, Neri D. Antibody-Based Delivery of Cytokine Payloads to Carbonic Anhydrase IX Leads to Cancer Cures in Immunocompetent Tumor-Bearing Mice. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:1544-1554. [PMID: 31213507 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-18-1301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Antibody-cytokine fusion proteins can have the potential to increase the density and activity of subsets of leukocytes within the tumor mass. Here, we describe the design, production, and characterization of four novel antibody-cytokine fusion proteins directed against human carbonic anhydrase IX, a highly validated marker of hypoxia that is overexpressed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and other malignancies. As immunomodulatory payloads we used TNF, IL2, IFNα2 (corresponding to products that are in clinical use), and IL12 (as this cytokine potently activates T cells and NK cells). Therapy experiments were performed in BALB/c mice, bearing CT26 tumors transfected with human carbonic anhydrase IX, in order to assess the performance of the fusion proteins in an immunocompetent setting. The biopharmaceuticals featuring TNF, IL2, or IL12 as payloads cured all mice in their therapy groups, whereas only a subset of mice was cured by the antibody-based delivery of IFNα2. Although the antibody fusion with TNF mediated a rapid hemorrhagic necrosis of the tumor mass, a slower regression of the neoplastic lesions (which continued after the last injection) was observed with the other fusion proteins, and treated mice acquired protective anticancer immunity. A high proportion of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells was specific to the retroviral antigen AH1; however, the LGPGREYRAL peptide derived from human carbonic anhydrase IX was also present on tumor cells. The results described herein provide a rationale for the clinical use of fully human antibody-cytokine fusions specific to carbonic anhydrase IX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Ziffels
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences (D-CHAB), Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (IPW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Stringhini
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences (D-CHAB), Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (IPW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Probst
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences (D-CHAB), Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (IPW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Dario Neri
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences (D-CHAB), Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (IPW), ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Green DS, Husain SR, Johnson CL, Sato Y, Han J, Joshi B, Hewitt SM, Puri RK, Zoon KC. Combination immunotherapy with IL-4 Pseudomonas exotoxin and IFN-α and IFN-γ mediate antitumor effects in vitro and in a mouse model of human ovarian cancer. Immunotherapy 2019; 11:483-496. [PMID: 30860437 PMCID: PMC6439502 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2018-0158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM We have shown that IL-4 fused to Pseudomonas exotoxin (IL-4-PE) is cytotoxic to ovarian cancer cell lines. The antineoplastic properties of IFN-α, IFN-γ and IL-4-PE have been studied and showed some promise in the clinical trials. Here, we investigated whether the combination of IL-4-PE, IFN-α and IFN-γ will result in increased ovarian cancer cell death in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS & METHODS Ovarian cancer cells were tested in vitro to analyze the cytotoxic effects of IL-4-PE, IFN-α and IFN-γ, and the combination of all three. Tumor-bearing xenograft mice were treated with the combination of IL-4-PE, IFN-α and IFN-γ to monitor their overall survival. The JAK/STAT phosphorylation signaling pathways were studied to delineate the mechanism of synergistic antitumor activity. RESULTS The combination of IL-4-PE with IFN-α and IFN-γ resulted in increased ovarian cancer cell death in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the synergistic antitumor effect was dependent on interferon signaling, but not IL-4-PE signaling as determined by signaling specific chemical inhibitors. The combination therapy induced the activation of critical mediators of apoptosis. CONCLUSION The combination of IL-4-PE with interferons increased overall survival of mice with human ovarian cancer xenograft. These data suggest that this novel combination could provide a unique approach to treating ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Green
- Cytokine Biology Section, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Translational Genomics Section, Women’s Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Syed R Husain
- Tumor Vaccines & Biotechnology Branch, Division of Cellular & Gene Therapies, Food & Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Chase L Johnson
- Cytokine Biology Section, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Yuki Sato
- Tumor Vaccines & Biotechnology Branch, Division of Cellular & Gene Therapies, Food & Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Jing Han
- Tumor Vaccines & Biotechnology Branch, Division of Cellular & Gene Therapies, Food & Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Bharat Joshi
- Tumor Vaccines & Biotechnology Branch, Division of Cellular & Gene Therapies, Food & Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Stephen M Hewitt
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Raj K Puri
- Tumor Vaccines & Biotechnology Branch, Division of Cellular & Gene Therapies, Food & Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Kathryn C Zoon
- Cytokine Biology Section, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
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IMiDs prime myeloma cells for daratumumab-mediated cytotoxicity through loss of Ikaros and Aiolos. Blood 2018; 132:2166-2178. [PMID: 30228232 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2018-05-850727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that the immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) lead to the degradation of the transcription factors Ikaros and Aiolos. However, why their loss subsequently leads to multiple myeloma (MM) cell death remains unclear. Using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, we have deleted IKZF1/Ikaros and IKZF3/Aiolos in human MM cell lines to gain further insight into their downstream gene regulatory networks. Inactivation of either factor alone recapitulates the cell intrinsic action of the IMiDs, resulting in cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, evaluation of the transcriptional changes resulting from their loss demonstrates striking overlap with lenalidomide treatment. This was not dependent on reduction of the IRF4-MYC "axis," as neither protein was consistently downregulated, despite cell death occurring, and overexpression of either factor failed to rescue for Ikaros loss. Importantly, Ikaros and Aiolos repress the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), including CD38, and their loss led to the activation of an interferon-like response, contributing to MM cell death. Ikaros/Aiolos repressed CD38 expression through interaction with the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase complex in MM. IMiD-induced loss of Ikaros or treatment with interferon resulted in an upregulation of CD38 surface expression on MM cells, priming for daratumumab-induced NK cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. These results give further insight into the mechanism of action of the IMiDs and provide mechanistic rationale for combination with anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies.
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Cauwels A, Van Lint S, Garcin G, Bultinck J, Paul F, Gerlo S, Van der Heyden J, Bordat Y, Catteeuw D, De Cauwer L, Rogge E, Verhee A, Uzé G, Tavernier J. A safe and highly efficient tumor-targeted type I interferon immunotherapy depends on the tumor microenvironment. Oncoimmunology 2017; 7:e1398876. [PMID: 29399401 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1398876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite approval for the treatment of various malignancies, clinical application of cytokines such as type I interferon (IFN) is severely impeded by their systemic toxicity. AcTakines (Activity-on-Target cytokines) are optimized immunocytokines that, when injected in mice, only reveal their activity upon cell-specific impact. We here show that type I IFN-derived AcTaferon targeted to the tumor displays strong antitumor activity without any associated toxicity, in contrast with wild type IFN. Treatment with CD20-targeted AcTaferon of CD20+ lymphoma tumors or melanoma tumors engineered to be CD20+, drastically reduced tumor growth. This antitumor effect was completely lost in IFNAR- or Batf3-deficient mice, and depended on IFN signaling in conventional dendritic cells. Also the presence of, but not the IFN signaling in, CD8+ T lymphocytes was critical for proficient antitumor effects. When combined with immunogenic chemotherapy, low-dose TNF, or immune checkpoint blockade strategies such as anti-PDL1, anti-CTLA4 or anti-LAG3, complete tumor regressions and subsequent immunity (memory) were observed, still without any concomitant morbidity, again in sharp contrast with wild type IFN. Interestingly, the combination therapy of tumor-targeted AcTaferon with checkpoint inhibiting antibodies indicated its ability to convert nonresponding tumors into responders. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that AcTaferon targeted to tumor-specific surface markers may provide a safe and generic addition to cancer (immuno)therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anje Cauwels
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sandra Van Lint
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geneviève Garcin
- University Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier, France
| | - Jennyfer Bultinck
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Present address: Oxyrane, Zwijnaarde-Gent, Belgium
| | - Franciane Paul
- University Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier, France
| | - Sarah Gerlo
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - José Van der Heyden
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yann Bordat
- University Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier, France
| | - Dominiek Catteeuw
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lode De Cauwer
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Present address: Argenx BVBA, Zwijnaarde-Gent, Belgium
| | - Elke Rogge
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annick Verhee
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gilles Uzé
- University Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier, France
| | - Jan Tavernier
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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De Luca R, Soltermann A, Pretto F, Pemberton-Ross C, Pellegrini G, Wulhfard S, Neri D. Potency-matched Dual Cytokine-Antibody Fusion Proteins for Cancer Therapy. Mol Cancer Ther 2017; 16:2442-2451. [PMID: 28716814 PMCID: PMC5844457 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-17-0211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
A novel biopharmaceutical, consisting of the F8 mAb (specific to a splice isoform of fibronectin) simultaneously fused to both TNF and IL2, was found to react with the majority of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies in mouse and man, but not with healthy adult tissues. The product selectively localized to neoplastic lesions in vivo, as evidenced by quantitative biodistribution studies using radioiodinated protein preparations. When the potency of the cytokine payloads was matched by a single-point mutation, the resulting fusion protein (IL2-F8-TNFmut) eradicated soft-tissue sarcomas in immunocompetent mice, which did not respond to individual antibody-cytokine fusion proteins or by standard doxorubicin treatment. Durable complete responses were also observed in mice bearing CT26, C1498, and F9 tumors. The simultaneous delivery of multiple proinflammatory payloads to the cancer site conferred protective immunity against subsequent tumor challenges. A fully human homolog of IL2-F8-TNFmut, which retained selectivity similar to its murine counterpart when tested on human material, may open new clinical applications for the immunotherapy of cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(11); 2442-51. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto De Luca
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alex Soltermann
- Institut für Klinische Pathologie, Universitätspital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Giovanni Pellegrini
- Laboratory for Animal Model Pathology, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Dario Neri
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Zürich, Switzerland.
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Zhang L, Tai YT, Ho MZG, Qiu L, Anderson KC. Interferon-alpha-based immunotherapies in the treatment of B cell-derived hematologic neoplasms in today's treat-to-target era. Exp Hematol Oncol 2017; 6:20. [PMID: 28725493 PMCID: PMC5512936 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-017-0081-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
B cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma (MM) are the most common hematological malignancies which benefit from therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)-based immunotherapies. Despite significant improvement on patient outcome following the use of novel therapies for the past decades, curative treatment is unavailable for the majority of patients. For example, the 5-year survival of MM is currently less than 50%. In the 1980s, interferon-α was used as monotherapy in newly diagnosed or previously treated MM with an overall response rate of 15-20%. Noticeably, a small subset of patients who responded to long-term interferon-α further achieved sustained complete remission. Since 1990, interferon-α-containing regimens have been used as a central maintenance strategy for patients with MM. However, the systemic administration of interferon-α was ultimately limited by its pronounced toxicity. To address this, the selective mAb-mediated delivery of interferon-α has been developed to enhance specific killing of MM and B-cell malignant cells. As such, targeted interferon-α therapy may improve therapeutic window and sustain responses, while further overcoming suppressive microenvironment. This review aims to reinforce the role of interferon-α by consolidating our current understanding of targeting interferon-α with tumor-specific mAbs for B cell lymphoma and myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and Jerome Lipper Center for Multiple Myeloma Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
- Department of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan China
| | - Yu-Tzu Tai
- LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and Jerome Lipper Center for Multiple Myeloma Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Matthew Zhi Guang Ho
- LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and Jerome Lipper Center for Multiple Myeloma Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
- UCD School of Medicine, College of Health and Agricultural Science, Belfield, Dublin Ireland
- UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, UCD, Belfield, Dublin Ireland
| | - Lugui Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Kenneth C. Anderson
- LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and Jerome Lipper Center for Multiple Myeloma Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
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