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Meister SW, Parks L, Kolmar L, Borras AM, Ståhl S, Löfblom J. Engineering of TEV protease variants with redesigned substrate specificity. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2200625. [PMID: 37448316 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202200625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Due to their ability to catalytically cleave proteins and peptides, proteases present unique opportunities for the use in industrial, biotechnological, and therapeutic applications. Engineered proteases with redesigned substrate specificities have the potential to expand the scope of practical applications of this enzyme class. We here apply a combinatorial protease engineering-based screening method that links proteolytic activity to the solubility and correct folding of a fluorescent reporter protein to redesign the substrate specificity of tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease. The target substrate EKLVFQA differs at three out of seven positions from the TEV consensus substrate sequence. Flow cytometric sorting of a semi-rational TEV protease library, consisting of focused mutations of the substrate binding pockets as well as random mutations throughout the enzyme, led to the enrichment of a set of protease variants that recognize and cleave the novel target substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian W Meister
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Luke Parks
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Leonie Kolmar
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Mestre Borras
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Löfblom
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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2
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Dahlsson Leitao C, Ståhl S, Löfblom J. Bacterial Cell Display for Selection of Affibody Molecules. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2681:99-112. [PMID: 37405645 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3279-6_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
This review describes the principles for generation of affibody molecules using bacterial display on the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus carnosus, respectively. Affibody molecules are small and robust alternative scaffold proteins that have been explored for therapeutic, diagnostic, and biotechnological applications. They typically exhibit high-stability, affinity, and specificity with high modularity of functional domains. Due to the small size of the scaffold, affibody molecules are rapidly excreted through renal filtration and can efficiently extravasate from blood and penetrate tissues. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that affibody molecules are promising and safe complements to antibodies for in vivo diagnostic imaging and therapy. Sorting of affibody libraries displayed on bacteria using fluorescence-activated cell sorting is an effective and straightforward methodology and has been used successfully to generate novel affibody molecules with high affinity for a diverse range of molecular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Löfblom
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
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3
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Nazari M, Emamzadeh R, Jahanpanah M, Yazdani E, Radmanesh R. A recombinant affitoxin derived from a HER3 affibody and diphteria-toxin has potent and selective antitumor activity. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 219:1122-1134. [PMID: 36041577 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
High expression of receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-3 (HER3) has been found in several malignancies such as breast cancer. In this study, we designed, produced and evaluated a new affitoxin consisting of a truncated form of diphtheria toxin and a HER3-binding affibody domains. The new affitoxin was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography. We evaluated the suitability of affitoxin to kill HER3 positive breast cancer cells with MTT and apoptosis assays. The protein synthesis inhibition was also evaluated. The IC50 value in HER3 negative cells is about 10 times more than HER3 positive cells in new design of affitoxin. The specificity of affitoxin for binding to HER3 positive cells was also investigated with binding assay with flow cytometry. The results show that, the new affitoxin is an anti-cancer molecule with specific binding to HER3 positive cells and may open a new window for the treatment of HER3-positive cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahboobeh Nazari
- Nanobiotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran; Endocrine Research Center, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Rahman Emamzadeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Jahanpanah
- Nanobiotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elnaz Yazdani
- Nanobiotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ramin Radmanesh
- Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmaceutical Management, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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Tan X, Yang J, Jiang J, Wang W, Ren J, Li Q, Xie Z, Chen X, Zhang L, Li W. Significant Growth Inhibition by a Bispecific Affibody Targeting Oncoprotein E7 in both HPV16 and 18 Positive Cervical Cancer in vitro and in vivo. Eur J Pharm Sci 2022; 172:106156. [PMID: 35245683 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2022.106156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The infection with HPV 16 and 18 high-risk types account for more than 80 % of cervical cancer incidence, but there is still no targeted agent against HPV for cervical cancer therapy. Our previous study constructed a bispecific affibody Z16-18 targeting HPV16 and 18 early antigen 7 (E7, responsible for the infected cell malignant transformation). In the present study, we prepared Z16-18 in prokaryotic expression system and confirmed its significant growth inhibition both on SiHa (HPV16 positive) and HeLa (HPV18 positive) cervical cancer cells by arresting cell cycle at G0/G1 phase. The IC50 of Z16-18 on SiHa and HeLa were close in value. Z16-18 could specifically target E7 in both SiHa and HeLa, and exhibited prominent targeted enrichment on tumor tissues derived from SiHa or HeLa, resulting in the inhibition of tumourigenesis and tumour growth in vivo. Furthermore, Z16-18 could inhibit the interaction between E7 and pRb to block the E7-pRb carcinogenic pathway, resulting in the decreased release of E2F and the cell growth inhibition characterized by the decrease of CDK6 and Cyclin D1. This study provides a new strategy for targeted therapy based on affibody, and Z16-18 has great potential for utilisation and development as an agent targeting HPV16 and HPV18 related cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochun Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiani Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- Ningbo No.9 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenhuan Wang
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Shanghai University (Wenzhou People's Hospital), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiahuan Ren
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qijia Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zixin Xie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xinan Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lifang Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Wenshu Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Liu H, Jia D, Yuan F, Wang F, Wei D, Tang X, Tian B, Zheng S, Sun R, Shi J, Fan Q. Her3-specific affibody mediated tumor targeting delivery of ICG enhanced the photothermal therapy against Her3-positive tumors. Int J Pharm 2022; 617:121609. [PMID: 35217073 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Photothermal therapy (PTT), mediated by tumor-targeted drug delivery of indocyanine green (ICG), is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (Her3) is highly expressed in several solid tumors and is an ideal target for tumor diagnosis and therapy. This study prepared a Her3-specific dimeric affibody (ZHer3) using an Escherichia coli expression system. The affibody could bind explicitly to Her3-positive MCF7 and LS174T cells, rather than to Her3-negative SKOV-3 cells in vitro. ICG was coupled with the ZHer3 affibody (ICG-ZHer3) through an N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester reactive group for tumor-targeted delivery. As expected, Her3-positive cells were selectively and efficiently killed by ICG-ZHer3-mediated PTT in vitro. In vivo, ICG-ZHer3 preferentially accumulated in Her3-positive LS174T tumor grafts because of the tumor-targeting ability of the ZHer3 affibody. As a result of the local generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species and hyperthermia, the growth rates of LS174T tumor grafts were significantly inhibited by ICG-ZHer3-mediated PTT, and ICG-ZHer3 showed good safety performance during short-term treatment. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that ICG-ZHer3 is a promising photosensitizer for PTT against Her3-positive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, PR China
| | - Dianlong Jia
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Fengjiao Yuan
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Medicine Research, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Feifei Wang
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Danfeng Wei
- Department of Dermatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, PR China
| | - Xiaohui Tang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, PR China
| | - Baoqing Tian
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, PR China
| | - Shuhui Zheng
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Ruohan Sun
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Jing Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, PR China.
| | - Qing Fan
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, PR China.
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Siegemund M, Oak P, Hansbauer EM, Allersdorfer A, Utschick K, Winter A, Grasmüller C, Galler G, Mayer JP, Weiche B, Prassler J, Kontermann RE, Rothe C. Pharmacokinetic Engineering of OX40-Blocking Anticalin Proteins Using Monomeric Plasma Half-Life Extension Domains. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:759337. [PMID: 34759826 PMCID: PMC8573339 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.759337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Anticalin® proteins have been proven as versatile clinical stage biotherapeutics. Due to their small size (∼20 kDa), they harbor a short intrinsic plasma half-life which can be extended, e.g., by fusion with IgG or Fc. However, for antagonism of co-immunostimulatory Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily (TNFRSF) members in therapy of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, a monovalent, pharmacokinetically optimized Anticalin protein format that avoids receptor clustering and therefore potential activation is favored. We investigated the suitability of an affinity-improved streptococcal Albumin-Binding Domain (ABD) and the engineered Fab-selective Immunoglobulin-Binding Domain (IgBD) SpGC3Fab for plasma Half-Life Extension (HLE) of an OX40-specific Anticalin and bispecific Duocalin proteins, neutralizing OX40 and a second co-immunostimulatory TNFRSF member. The higher affinity of ABD fusion proteins to human serum albumin (HSA) and Mouse Serum Albumin (MSA), with a 4 to 5-order of magnitude lower KD compared with the binding affinity of IgBD fusions to human/mouse IgG, translated into longer terminal plasma half-lives (t1/2). Hence, the anti-OX40 Anticalin-ABD protein reached t1/2 values of ∼40 h in wild-type mice and 110 h in hSA/hFcRn double humanized mice, in contrast to ∼7 h observed for anti-OX40 Anticalin-IgBD in wild-type mice. The pharmacokinetics of an anti-OX40 Anticalin-Fc fusion protein was the longest in both models (t1/2 of 130 h and 146 h, respectively). Protein formats composed of two ABDs or IgBDs instead of one single HLE domain clearly showed longer presence in the circulation. Importantly, Anticalin-ABD and -IgBD fusions showed OX40 receptor binding and functional competition with OX40L-induced cellular reactivity in the presence of albumin or IgG, respectively. Our results suggest that fusion to ABD or IgBD can be a versatile platform to tune the plasma half-life of Anticalin proteins in response to therapeutic needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Siegemund
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Prajakta Oak
- Pieris Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Hallbergmoos, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Roland E Kontermann
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.,Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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Comparative Preclinical Evaluation of HER2-Targeting ABD-Fused Affibody ® Molecules 177Lu-ABY-271 and 177Lu-ABY-027: Impact of DOTA Position on ABD Domain. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13060839. [PMID: 34200197 PMCID: PMC8226825 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13060839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiolabeled Affibody-based targeting agent 177Lu-ABY-027, a fusion of an anti-HER2 Affibody molecule with albumin binding domain (ABD) site-specifically labeled at the C-terminus, has demonstrated a promising biodistribution profile in mice; binding of the construct to albumin prevents glomerular filtration and significantly reduces renal uptake. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that site-specific positioning of the chelator at helix 1 of ABD, at a maximum distance from the albumin binding site, would further increase the strength of binding to albumin and decrease the renal uptake. The new construct, ABY-271 with DOTA conjugated at the back of ABD, has been labelled with 177Lu. Targeting properties of 177Lu-ABY-271 and 177Lu-ABY-027 were compared directly. 177Lu-ABY-271 specifically accumulated in SKOV-3 xenografts in mice. The tumor uptake of 177Lu-ABY-271 exceeded uptake in any other organ 24 h and later after injection. However, the renal uptake of 177Lu-ABY-271 was two-fold higher than the uptake of 177Lu-ABY-027. Thus, the placement of chelator on helix 1 of ABD does not provide desirable reduction of renal uptake. To conclude, minimal modification of the design of Affibody molecules has a strong effect on biodistribution, which cannot be predicted a priori. This necessitates extensive structure-properties relationship studies to find an optimal design of Affibody-based targeting agents for therapy.
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Xu T, Ding H, Vorobyeva A, Oroujeni M, Orlova A, Tolmachev V, Gräslund T. Drug Conjugates Based on a Monovalent Affibody Targeting Vector Can Efficiently Eradicate HER2 Positive Human Tumors in an Experimental Mouse Model. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 13:cancers13010085. [PMID: 33396753 PMCID: PMC7794879 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Drug conjugates, consisting of a tumor targeting part coupled to a highly toxic molecule, are promising for treatment of many different types of cancer. However, for many patients it is not curative, and investigation of alternative or complimentary types of drug conjugates is motivated. Here, we have devised and studied a novel cancer cell-directed drug conjugate ZHER2:2891-ABD-E3-mcDM1. We found that it could induce efficient shrinkage and, in some cases, complete regression of human tumors implanted in mice, and thus holds promise to become a therapeutic agent for clinical use in the future. Abstract The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is frequently overexpressed in a variety of cancers and therapies targeting HER2 are routinely used in the clinic. Recently, small engineered scaffold proteins, such as affibody molecules, have shown promise as carriers of cytotoxic drugs, and these drug conjugates may become complements or alternatives to the current HER2-targeting therapies. Here, we investigated if a monovalent HER2-binding affibody molecule, ZHER2:2891, fused with a plasma half-life extending albumin binding domain (ABD), may be used as carrier of the cytotoxic maytansine derivate mcDM1. We found that the resulting drug conjugate, ZHER2:2891-ABD-E3-mcDM1, had strong affinity for its cognate molecular targets: HER2 and serum albumin. ZHER2:2891-ABD-E3-mcDM1 displayed potent cytotoxic activity towards cells with high HER2 expression, with IC50 values ranging from 0.6 to 33 nM. In vivo, an unspecific increase in uptake in the liver, imparted by the hydrophobic mcDM1, was counteracted by incorporation of hydrophilic and negatively charged glutamate residues near the site of mcDM1 conjugation. A dose-escalation experiment showed that increasing doses up to 15.1 mg/kg gave a proportional increase in uptake in xenografted HER2-overexpressing SKOV3 tumors, after which the tumors became saturated. Experimental therapy with four once-weekly injection of 10.3 or 15.1 mg/kg led to efficient regression of tumors in all animals and complete regression in some. Weight loss was detected for some animals in the group receiving the highest dose, suggesting that it was close to the maximum tolerated dose. In conclusion, the monovalent HER2-targeting affibody drug conjugate presented herein have potent anti-tumor activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Xu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (A.V.); (M.O.); (V.T.)
| | - Haozhong Ding
- Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Roslagstullsbacken 21, 114 17 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (A.V.); (M.O.); (V.T.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia;
| | - Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (A.V.); (M.O.); (V.T.)
| | - Anna Orlova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia;
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (A.V.); (M.O.); (V.T.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia;
| | - Torbjörn Gräslund
- Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Roslagstullsbacken 21, 114 17 Stockholm, Sweden;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-(0)8-790-96-27
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Wang W, Tan X, Jiang J, Cai Y, Feng F, Zhang L, Li W. Targeted biological effect of an affitoxin composed of an HPV16E7 affibody fused with granzyme B (ZHPV16E7-GrB) against cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2020; 21:CCDT-EPUB-112118. [PMID: 33292132 DOI: 10.2174/1568009620666201207145720] [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: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High risk type 16 of human papillomavirus (HPV16) is associated with 50% of cervical cancer, for which reliable targeted therapies are lacking. HPV early protein 7 (E7) is an oncoprotein responsible for cell malignant transformation. In our previous work, a highly specific affibody targeting HPV16E7 (ZHPV16E7) was developed. OBJECTIVE In order to improve the targeted therapeutic effect, the present study prepared an affitoxin consisting of ZHPV16E7 fused with granzyme B (GrB), namely, ZHPV16E7-GrB, and evaluated its targeting action in vitro and in vivo. METHODS The ZHPV16E7-GrB fusion protein was produced in a prokaryotic expression system. The targeted binding properties of the ZHPV16E7-GrB to the HPV16E7 were confirmed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) in cervical cancer cell lines, by immunohistochemical assay (IHA) in cervical cancer tissue from clinical specimens and by near-infrared imaging in tumour-bearing mice. The anti-tumour effect on both cervical cancer cells in vitro and tumour-bearing mice in vivo were further evaluated. RESULTS A 34-kDa ZHPV16E7-GrB fusion protein was produced in E. coli and displayed corresponding immunoreactivity. IFA revealed that ZHPV16E7-GrB bound specifically to HPV16-positive TC-1 and SiHa cells. IHA showed that ZHPV16E7-GrB also bound specifically to HPV16-positive clinical tissue specimens. In addition, the near-infrared imaging results showed that ZHPV16E7-GrB was enriched in tumour tissues. Moreover, both the ZHPV16E7-GrB affitoxin and ZHPV16E7 affibody (without GrB) significantly reduced the proliferation of cervical cancer cells in vitro and tumour-bearing mice in vivo, and the antiproliferative effect of ZHPV16E7-GrB was higher than that of the ZHPV16E7 affibody. CONCLUSIONS The affitoxin by coupling the affibody with GrB is a promising targeted therapeutic agent with the dual advantages of the targeted affibody and the GrB cytotoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhuan Wang
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wenzhou People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. China
| | - Xiaochun Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. China
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. China
| | - Yiqi Cai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. China
| | - Fangfang Feng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. China
| | - Lifang Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. China
| | - Wenshu Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. China
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Abstract
The concept of engineering robust protein scaffolds for novel binding functions emerged 20 years ago, one decade after the advent of recombinant antibody technology. Early examples were the Affibody, Monobody (Adnectin), and Anticalin proteins, which were derived from fragments of streptococcal protein A, from the tenth type III domain of human fibronectin, and from natural lipocalin proteins, respectively. Since then, this concept has expanded considerably, including many other protein templates. In fact, engineered protein scaffolds with useful binding specificities, mostly directed against targets of biomedical relevance, constitute an area of active research today, which has yielded versatile reagents as laboratory tools. However, despite strong interest from basic science, only a handful of those protein scaffolds have undergone biopharmaceutical development up to the clinical stage. This includes the abovementioned pioneering examples as well as designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins). Here we review the current state and clinical validation of these next-generation therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany;
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11
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Güler R, Svedmark SF, Abouzayed A, Orlova A, Löfblom J. Increasing thermal stability and improving biodistribution of VEGFR2-binding affibody molecules by a combination of in silico and directed evolution approaches. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18148. [PMID: 33097752 PMCID: PMC7585445 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74560-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The family of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) ligands and their interactions with VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) play important roles in both pathological and physiological angiogenesis. Hence, agonistic and antagonistic ligands targeting this signaling pathway have potential for both studies on fundamental biology and for development of therapies and diagnostics. Here, we engineer VEGFR2-binding affibody molecules for increased thermostability, refolding and improved biodistribution. We designed libraries based on the original monomeric binders with the intention of reducing hydrophobicity, while retaining high affinity for VEGFR2. Libraries were displayed on bacteria and binders were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). In parallel, we used an automated sequence- and structure-based in silico algorithm to identify potentially stabilizing mutations. Monomeric variants isolated from the screening and the in silico approach, respectively, were characterized by circular dichroism spectroscopy and biosensor assays. The most promising mutations were combined into new monomeric constructs which were finally fused into a dimeric construct, resulting in a 15 °C increase in melting temperature, complete refolding capability after heat-induced denaturation, retained low picomolar affinity and improved biodistribution profile in an in vivo mouse model. These VEGFR2-binding affibody molecules show promise as candidates for further in vivo studies to assess their suitability as molecular imaging and therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rezan Güler
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Siri Flemming Svedmark
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ayman Abouzayed
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - John Löfblom
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Garousi J, von Witting E, Borin J, Vorobyeva A, Altai M, Vorontsova O, Konijnenberg MW, Oroujeni M, Orlova A, Tolmachev V, Hober S. Radionuclide therapy using ABD-fused ADAPT scaffold protein: Proof of Principle. Biomaterials 2020; 266:120381. [PMID: 33120197 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Molecular recognition in targeted therapeutics is typically based on immunoglobulins. Development of engineered scaffold proteins (ESPs) has provided additional opportunities for the development of targeted therapies. ESPs offer inexpensive production in prokaryotic hosts, high stability and convenient approaches to modify their biodistribution. In this study, we demonstrated successful modification of the biodistribution of an ESP known as ADAPT (Albumin-binding domain Derived Affinity ProTein). ADAPTs are selected from a library based on the scaffold of ABD (Albumin Binding Domain) of protein G. A particular ADAPT, the ADAPT6, binds to human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) with high affinity. Preclinical and early clinical studies have demonstrated that radiolabeled ADAPT6 can image HER2-expression in tumors with high contrast. However, its rapid glomerular filtration and high renal reabsorption have prevented its use in radionuclide therapy. To modify the biodistribution, ADAPT6 was genetically fused to an ABD. The non-covalent binding to the host's albumin resulted in a 14-fold reduction of renal uptake and appreciable increase of tumor uptake for the best variant, 177Lu-DOTA-ADAPT6-ABD035. Experimental therapy in mice bearing HER2-expressing xenografts demonstrated more than two-fold increase of median survival even after a single injection of 18 MBq 177Lu-DOTA-ADAPT6-ABD035. Thus, a fusion with ABD and optimization of the molecular design provides ADAPT derivatives with attractive targeting properties for radionuclide therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Garousi
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emma von Witting
- Department of Protein Technology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jesper Borin
- Department of Protein Technology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden; Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Mohamed Altai
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Vorontsova
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mark W Konijnenberg
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Orlova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden; Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia.
| | - Sophia Hober
- Department of Protein Technology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
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13
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Abouzayed A, Tano H, Nagy Á, Rinne SS, Wadeea F, Kumar S, Westerlund K, Tolmachev V, Eriksson Karlström A, Orlova A. Preclinical Evaluation of the GRPR-Targeting Antagonist RM26 Conjugated to the Albumin-Binding Domain for GRPR-Targeting Therapy of Cancer. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E977. [PMID: 33081166 PMCID: PMC7594083 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12100977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The targeting of gastrin-releasing peptide receptors (GRPR) was recently proposed for targeted therapy, e.g., radiotherapy. Multiple and frequent injections of peptide-based therapeutic agents would be required due to rapid blood clearance. By conjugation of the GRPR antagonist RM26 (D-Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH2) to an ABD (albumin-binding domain), we aimed to extend the blood circulation of peptides. The synthesized conjugate DOTA-ABD-RM26 was labelled with indium-111 and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The labelled conjugate was stable in PBS and retained specificity and its antagonistic function against GRPR. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of natIn-DOTA-ABD-RM26 in the presence of human serum albumin was 49 ± 5 nM. [111In]In-DOTA-ABD-RM26 had a significantly longer residence time in blood and in tumors (without a significant decrease of up to 144 h pi) than the parental RM26 peptide. We conclude that the ABD-RM26 conjugate can be used for GRPR-targeted therapy and delivery of cytotoxic drugs. However, the undesirable elevated activity uptake in kidneys abolishes its use for radionuclide therapy. This proof-of-principle study justified further optimization of the molecular design of the ABD-RM26 conjugate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman Abouzayed
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden; (A.A.); (S.S.R.); (F.W.)
| | - Hanna Tano
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (H.T.); (Á.N.); (S.K.); (K.W.); (A.E.K.)
| | - Ábel Nagy
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (H.T.); (Á.N.); (S.K.); (K.W.); (A.E.K.)
| | - Sara S. Rinne
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden; (A.A.); (S.S.R.); (F.W.)
| | - Fadya Wadeea
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden; (A.A.); (S.S.R.); (F.W.)
| | - Sharmishtaa Kumar
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (H.T.); (Á.N.); (S.K.); (K.W.); (A.E.K.)
| | - Kristina Westerlund
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (H.T.); (Á.N.); (S.K.); (K.W.); (A.E.K.)
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk 634050, Russia
| | - Amelie Eriksson Karlström
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (H.T.); (Á.N.); (S.K.); (K.W.); (A.E.K.)
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden; (A.A.); (S.S.R.); (F.W.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk 634050, Russia
- Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden
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14
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Vorobyeva A, Bezverkhniaia E, Konovalova E, Schulga A, Garousi J, Vorontsova O, Abouzayed A, Orlova A, Deyev S, Tolmachev V. Radionuclide Molecular Imaging of EpCAM Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Using the Scaffold Protein DARPin Ec1. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25204719. [PMID: 33066684 PMCID: PMC7587533 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25204719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient treatment of disseminated triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains an unmet clinical need. The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is often overexpressed on the surface of TNBC cells, which makes EpCAM a potential therapeutic target. Radionuclide molecular imaging of EpCAM expression might permit selection of patients for EpCAM-targeting therapies. In this study, we evaluated a scaffold protein, designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin) Ec1, for imaging of EpCAM in TNBC. DARPin Ec1 was labeled with a non-residualizing [125I]I-para-iodobenzoate (PIB) label and a residualizing [99mTc]Tc(CO)3 label. Both imaging probes retained high binding specificity and affinity to EpCAM-expressing MDA-MB-468 TNBC cells after labeling. Internalization studies showed that Ec1 was retained on the surface of MDA-MB-468 cells to a high degree up to 24 h. Biodistribution in Balb/c nu/nu mice bearing MDA-MB-468 xenografts demonstrated specific uptake of both [125I]I-PIB-Ec1 and [99mTc]Tc(CO)3-Ec1 in TNBC tumors. [125I]I-PIB-Ec1 had appreciably lower uptake in normal organs compared with [99mTc]Tc(CO)3-Ec1, which resulted in significantly (p < 0.05) higher tumor-to-organ ratios. The biodistribution data were confirmed by micro-Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography (microSPECT/CT) imaging. In conclusion, an indirectly radioiodinated Ec1 is the preferable probe for imaging of EpCAM in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (J.G.); (O.V.); (V.T.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634 050 Tomsk, Russia; (E.B.); (A.S.); (A.O.); (S.D.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Ekaterina Bezverkhniaia
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634 050 Tomsk, Russia; (E.B.); (A.S.); (A.O.); (S.D.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Elena Konovalova
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Alexey Schulga
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634 050 Tomsk, Russia; (E.B.); (A.S.); (A.O.); (S.D.)
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Javad Garousi
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (J.G.); (O.V.); (V.T.)
| | - Olga Vorontsova
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (J.G.); (O.V.); (V.T.)
| | - Ayman Abouzayed
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Anna Orlova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634 050 Tomsk, Russia; (E.B.); (A.S.); (A.O.); (S.D.)
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sergey Deyev
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634 050 Tomsk, Russia; (E.B.); (A.S.); (A.O.); (S.D.)
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia;
- Bio-Nanophotonic Lab, Institute of Engineering Physics for Biomedicine (PhysBio), National Research Nuclear University ‘MEPhI’, 115409 Moscow, Russia
- Center of Biomedical Engineering, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (J.G.); (O.V.); (V.T.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634 050 Tomsk, Russia; (E.B.); (A.S.); (A.O.); (S.D.)
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15
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Dahlsson Leitao C, S. Rinne S, Altai M, Vorontsova O, Dunås F, Jonasson P, Tolmachev V, Löfblom J, Ståhl S, Orlova A. Evaluating the Therapeutic Efficacy of Mono- and Bivalent Affibody-Based Fusion Proteins Targeting HER3 in a Pancreatic Cancer Xenograft Model. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12060551. [PMID: 32545760 PMCID: PMC7356278 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12060551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) has been increasingly scrutinized as a potential drug target since the elucidation of its role in mediating tumor growth and acquired therapy resistance. Affibody molecules are so-called scaffold proteins with favorable biophysical properties, such as a small size for improved tissue penetration and extravasation, thermal and chemical stability, and a high tolerance to modifications. Additionally, affibody molecules are efficiently produced in prokaryotic hosts or by chemical peptide synthesis. We have previously evaluated the biodistribution profiles of five mono- and bivalent anti-HER3 affibody molecules (designated as 3) fused to an albumin-binding domain (designated as A), 3A, 33A, 3A3, A33, and A3, that inhibit ligand-dependent phosphorylation. In the present study, we examined the therapeutic efficacy of the three most promising variants, 3A, 33A, and 3A3, in a direct comparison with the HER3-targeting monoclonal antibody seribantumab (MM-121) in a preclinical BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer model. Xenografted mice were treated with either an affibody construct or MM-121 and the tumor growth was compared to a vehicle group. Receptor occupancy was estimated by positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging using a HER3-targeting affibody imaging agent [68Ga]Ga-(HE)3-Z08698-NODAGA. The affibody molecules could inhibit ligand-dependent phosphorylation and cell proliferation in vitro and demonstrated tumor growth inhibition in vivo comparable to that of MM-121. PET/CT imaging showed full receptor occupancy for all tested drug candidates. Treatment with 3A and 3A3 affibody constructs was more efficient than with 33A and similar to the anti-HER3 antibody seribantumab, showing that the molecular design of affibody-based therapeutics targeting HER3 in terms of the relative position of functional domains and valency has an impact on therapeutic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Dahlsson Leitao
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (C.D.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Sara S. Rinne
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (S.S.R.); or (M.A.)
| | - Mohamed Altai
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (S.S.R.); or (M.A.)
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (O.V.); (V.T.)
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Olga Vorontsova
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (O.V.); (V.T.)
| | - Finn Dunås
- Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden; (F.D.); (P.J.)
| | - Per Jonasson
- Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden; (F.D.); (P.J.)
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (O.V.); (V.T.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - John Löfblom
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (C.D.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (C.D.L.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (A.O.)
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (S.S.R.); or (M.A.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (A.O.)
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16
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Vorobyeva A, Konovalova E, Xu T, Schulga A, Altai M, Garousi J, Rinne SS, Orlova A, Tolmachev V, Deyev S. Feasibility of Imaging EpCAM Expression in Ovarian Cancer Using Radiolabeled DARPin Ec1. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093310. [PMID: 32392820 PMCID: PMC7246691 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is overexpressed in 55%–75% of ovarian carcinomas (OC). EpCAM might be used as a target for a treatment of disseminated OC. Designed ankyrin repeats protein (DARPin) Ec1 is a small (18 kDa) protein, which binds to EpCAM with subnanomolar affinity. We tested a hypothesis that Ec1 labeled with a non-residualizing label might serve as a companion imaging diagnostic for stratification of patients for EpCAM-targeting therapy. Ec1 was labeled with 125I using N-succinimidyl-para-iodobenzoate. Binding affinity, specificity, and cellular processing of [125I]I-PIB-Ec1 were evaluated using SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Biodistribution and tumor-targeting properties of [125I]I-PIB-Ec1 were studied in Balb/c nu/nu mice bearing SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 xenografts. EpCAM-negative Ramos lymphoma xenografts served as specificity control. Binding of [125I]I-PIB-Ec1 to ovarian carcinoma cell lines was highly specific and had affinity in picomolar range. Slow internalization of [125I]I-PIB-Ec1 by OC cells confirmed utility of non-residualizing label for in vivo imaging. [125I]I-PIB-Ec1 provided 6 h after injection tumor-to-blood ratios of 30 ± 11 and 48 ± 12 for OVCAR-3 and SKOV-3 xenografts, respectively, and high contrast to other organs. Tumor targeting was highly specific. Saturation of tumor uptake at a high dose of Ec1 in SKOV-3 model provided a rationale for dose selection in further studies using therapeutic conjugates of Ec1 for targeted therapy. In conclusion, [125I]I-PIB-Ec1 is a promising agent for visualizing EpCAM expression in OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (M.A.); (J.G.); (V.T.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; (A.S.); (A.O.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-18-471-3868
| | - Elena Konovalova
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (E.K.); (S.D.)
| | - Tianqi Xu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (M.A.); (J.G.); (V.T.)
| | - Alexey Schulga
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; (A.S.); (A.O.)
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (E.K.); (S.D.)
| | - Mohamed Altai
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (M.A.); (J.G.); (V.T.)
| | - Javad Garousi
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (M.A.); (J.G.); (V.T.)
| | - Sara S. Rinne
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Anna Orlova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; (A.S.); (A.O.)
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (M.A.); (J.G.); (V.T.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; (A.S.); (A.O.)
| | - Sergey Deyev
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; (A.S.); (A.O.)
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (E.K.); (S.D.)
- Bio-Nanophotonic Lab, Institute of Engineering Physics for Biomedicine (PhysBio), National Research Nuclear University ‘MEPhI’, 115409 Moscow, Russia
- Center of Biomedical Engineering, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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17
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Meister SW, Hjelm LC, Dannemeyer M, Tegel H, Lindberg H, Ståhl S, Löfblom J. An Affibody Molecule Is Actively Transported into the Cerebrospinal Fluid via Binding to the Transferrin Receptor. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E2999. [PMID: 32340383 PMCID: PMC7215652 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of biotherapeutics for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) is typically impeded by insufficient transport across the blood-brain barrier. Here, we investigate a strategy to potentially increase the uptake into the CNS of an affibody molecule (ZSYM73) via binding to the transferrin receptor (TfR). ZSYM73 binds monomeric amyloid beta, a peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, with subnanomolar affinity. We generated a tri-specific fusion protein by genetically linking a single-chain variable fragment of the TfR-binding antibody 8D3 and an albumin-binding domain to the affibody molecule ZSYM73. Simultaneous tri-specific target engagement was confirmed in a biosensor experiment and the affinity for murine TfR was determined to 5 nM. Blockable binding to TfR on endothelial cells was demonstrated using flow cytometry and in a preclinical study we observed increased uptake of the tri-specific fusion protein into the cerebrospinal fluid 24 h after injection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - John Löfblom
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (S.W.M.); (L.C.H.); (M.D.); (H.T.); (H.L.); (S.S.)
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Incorporation of a Hydrophilic Spacer Reduces Hepatic Uptake of HER2-Targeting Affibody-DM1 Drug Conjugates. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11081168. [PMID: 31416167 PMCID: PMC6721809 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Affibody molecules are small affinity-engineered scaffold proteins which can be engineered to bind to desired targets. The therapeutic potential of using an affibody molecule targeting HER2, fused to an albumin-binding domain (ABD) and conjugated with the cytotoxic maytansine derivate MC-DM1 (AffiDC), has been validated. Biodistribution studies in mice revealed an elevated hepatic uptake of the AffiDC, but histopathological examination of livers showed no major signs of toxicity. However, previous clinical experience with antibody drug conjugates have revealed a moderate- to high-grade hepatotoxicity in treated patients, which merits efforts to also minimize hepatic uptake of the AffiDCs. In this study, the aim was to reduce the hepatic uptake of AffiDCs and optimize their in vivo targeting properties. We have investigated if incorporation of hydrophilic glutamate-based spacers adjacent to MC-DM1 in the AffiDC, (ZHER2:2891)2-ABD-MC-DM1, would counteract the hydrophobic nature of MC-DM1 and, hence, reduce hepatic uptake. Two new AffiDCs including either a triglutamate-spacer-, (ZHER2:2891)2-ABD-E3-MC-DM1, or a hexaglutamate-spacer-, (ZHER2:2891)2-ABD-E6-MC-DM1 next to the site of MC-DM1 conjugation were designed. We radiolabeled the hydrophilized AffiDCs and compared them, both in vitro and in vivo, with the previously investigated (ZHER2:2891)2-ABD-MC-DM1 drug conjugate containing no glutamate spacer. All three AffiDCs demonstrated specific binding to HER2 and comparable in vitro cytotoxicity. A comparative biodistribution study of the three radiolabeled AffiDCs showed that the addition of glutamates reduced drug accumulation in the liver while preserving the tumor uptake. These results confirmed the relation between DM1 hydrophobicity and liver accumulation. We believe that the drug development approach described here may also be useful for other affinity protein-based drug conjugates to further improve their in vivo properties and facilitate their clinical translatability.
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Schardt JS, Noonan-Shueh M, Oubaid JM, Pottash AE, Williams SC, Hussain A, Lapidus RG, Lipkowitz S, Jay SM. HER3-Targeted Affibodies with Optimized Formats Reduce Ovarian Cancer Progression in a Mouse Xenograft Model. AAPS JOURNAL 2019; 21:48. [PMID: 30949858 DOI: 10.1208/s12248-019-0318-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase HER3 is negatively correlated with survival in ovarian cancer, and HER3 overexpression is associated with cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Thus, improvements in HER3-targeted therapy could lead to significant clinical impact for ovarian cancer patients. Previous work from our group established multivalency as a potential strategy to improve the therapeutic efficacy of HER3-targeted ligands, including affibodies. Others have established HER3 affibodies as viable and potentially superior alternatives to monoclonal antibodies for cancer therapy. Here, bivalent HER3 affibodies were engineered for optimized production, specificity, and function as evaluated in an ovarian cancer xenograft model. Enhanced inhibition of HER3-mediated signaling and increased HER3 downregulation associated with multivalency could be achieved with a simplified construct, potentially increasing translational potential. Additionally, functional effects of affibodies due to multivalency were found to be specific to HER3 targeting, suggesting a unique molecular mechanism. Further, HER3 affibodies demonstrated efficacy in ovarian cancer xenograft mouse models, both as single agents and in combination with carboplatin. Overall, these results reinforce the potential of HER3-targeted affibodies for cancer therapy and establish treatment of ovarian cancer as an application where multivalent HER3 ligands may be useful. Further, this work introduces the potential of HER3 affibodies to be utilized as part of clinically relevant combination therapies (e.g., with carboplatin).
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Schardt
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, 3116 A. James Clark Hall, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA.,Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Madeleine Noonan-Shueh
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, 3116 A. James Clark Hall, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA
| | - Jinan M Oubaid
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, 3116 A. James Clark Hall, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA
| | - Alex Eli Pottash
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, 3116 A. James Clark Hall, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA
| | - Sonya C Williams
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, 3116 A. James Clark Hall, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA
| | - Arif Hussain
- Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.,Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Rena G Lapidus
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.,Translational Laboratory Shared Service, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stanley Lipkowitz
- Women's Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Steven M Jay
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, 3116 A. James Clark Hall, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA. .,Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America. .,Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America.
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