1
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De Munter S, Buhl JL, De Cock L, Van Parys A, Daneels W, Pascal E, Deseins L, Ingels J, Goetgeluk G, Jansen H, Billiet L, Pille M, Van Duyse J, Bonte S, Vandamme N, Van Dorpe J, Offner F, Leclercq G, Taghon T, Depla E, Tavernier J, Kerre T, Drost J, Vandekerckhove B. Knocking Out CD70 Rescues CD70-Specific NanoCAR T Cells from Antigen-Induced Exhaustion. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:1236-1251. [PMID: 38874582 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0677] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
CD70 is an attractive target for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for the treatment of both solid and liquid malignancies. However, the functionality of CD70-specific CAR T cells is modest. We optimized a CD70-specific VHH-based CAR (nanoCAR). We evaluated the nanoCARs in clinically relevant models in vitro, using co-cultures of CD70-specific nanoCAR T cells with malignant rhabdoid tumor organoids, and in vivo, using a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Although the nanoCAR T cells were highly efficient in organoid co-cultures, they showed only modest efficacy in the PDX model. We determined that fratricide was not causing this loss in efficacy but rather CD70 interaction in cis with the nanoCAR-induced exhaustion. Knocking out CD70 in nanoCAR T cells using CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in dramatically enhanced functionality in the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma PDX model. Through single-cell transcriptomics, we obtained evidence that CD70 knockout CD70-specific nanoCAR T cells were protected from antigen-induced exhaustion. In addition, we demonstrated that wild-type CD70-specific nanoCAR T cells already exhibited signs of exhaustion shortly after production. Their gene signature strongly overlapped with gene signatures of exhausted CAR T cells. Conversely, the gene signature of knockout CD70-specific nanoCAR T cells overlapped with the gene signature of CAR T-cell infusion products leading to complete responses in chronic lymphatic leukemia patients. Our data show that CARs targeting endogenous T-cell antigens negatively affect CAR T-cell functionality by inducing an exhausted state, which can be overcome by knocking out the specific target.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- CD27 Ligand
- Animals
- Mice
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/immunology
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/therapy
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics
- Gene Knockout Techniques
- Cell Line, Tumor
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn De Munter
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Juliane L Buhl
- Princess Máxima Center and Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Laurenz De Cock
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Willem Daneels
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Hematology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eva Pascal
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lucas Deseins
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joline Ingels
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Glenn Goetgeluk
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hanne Jansen
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lore Billiet
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Melissa Pille
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Julie Van Duyse
- VIB Flow Core, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah Bonte
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Jo Van Dorpe
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Fritz Offner
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Hematology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Georges Leclercq
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Taghon
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Tessa Kerre
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Hematology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jarno Drost
- Princess Máxima Center and Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Bart Vandekerckhove
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- GMP Unit cell Therapy, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
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2
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Lin H, Yang X, Ye S, Huang L, Mu W. Antigen escape in CAR-T cell therapy: Mechanisms and overcoming strategies. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 178:117252. [PMID: 39098176 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has shown promise in treating hematological malignancies and certain solid tumors. However, its efficacy is often hindered by negative relapses resulting from antigen escape. This review firstly elucidates the mechanisms underlying antigen escape during CAR-T cell therapy, including the enrichment of pre-existing target-negative tumor clones, antigen gene mutations or alternative splicing, deficits in antigen processing, antigen redistribution, lineage switch, epitope masking, and trogocytosis-mediated antigen loss. Furthermore, we summarize various strategies to overcome antigen escape, evaluate their advantages and limitations, and propose future research directions. Thus, we aim to provide valuable insights to enhance the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haolong Lin
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Xiuxiu Yang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Shanwei Ye
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Liang Huang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China.
| | - Wei Mu
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China; Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
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3
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Xu X, Ding Y, Dong Y, Yuan H, Xia P, Qu C, Ma J, Wang H, Zhang X, Zhao L, Li Z, Liang Z, Wang J. Nanobody-Engineered Biohybrid Bacteria Targeting Gastrointestinal Cancers Induce Robust STING-Mediated Anti-Tumor Immunity. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2401905. [PMID: 38888519 PMCID: PMC11336900 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria can be utilized for cancer therapy owing to their preferential colonization at tumor sites. However, unmodified non-pathogenic bacteria carry potential risks due to their non-specific targeting effects, and their anti-tumor activity is limited when used as monotherapy. In this study, a biohybrid-engineered bacterial system comprising non-pathogenic MG1655 bacteria modified with CDH17 nanobodies on their surface and conjugated with photosensitizer croconium (CR) molecules is developed. The resultant biohybrid bacteria can efficiently home to CDH17-positive tumors, including gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers, and significantly suppress tumor growth upon irradiation. More importantly, biohybrid bacteria-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) induced abundant macrophage infiltration in a syngeneic murine colorectal model. Further, that the STING pathway is activated in tumor macrophages by the released bacterial nucleic acid after PTT is revealed, leading to the production of type I interferons. The addition of CD47 nanobody but not PD-1 antibody to the PTT regimen can eradicate the tumors and extend survival. This results indicate that bacteria endowed with tumor-specific selectivity and coupled with photothermal payloads can serve as an innovative strategy for low-immunogenicity cancers. This strategy can potentially reprogram the tumor microenvironment by inducing macrophage infiltration and enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy targeting macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Xu
- Department of Geriatrics and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Department of UrologyShenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and TechnologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJinan University)ShenzhenGuangdong518020China
- Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research StationJinan UniversityGuangzhou510632China
| | - Youbin Ding
- Department of Geriatrics and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Department of UrologyShenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and TechnologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJinan University)ShenzhenGuangdong518020China
- Department of Medical ImagingThe Third Affiliated HospitalSouthern Medical University (Academy of Orthopedics Guangdong Province)Guangzhou510515China
| | - Yafang Dong
- Department of Geriatrics and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Department of UrologyShenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and TechnologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJinan University)ShenzhenGuangdong518020China
- Department of Medical ImagingThe Third Affiliated HospitalSouthern Medical University (Academy of Orthopedics Guangdong Province)Guangzhou510515China
| | - Haitao Yuan
- Department of Geriatrics and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Department of UrologyShenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and TechnologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJinan University)ShenzhenGuangdong518020China
| | - Peng Xia
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic SurgeryZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanHubei430071China
| | - Chengming Qu
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic SurgeryZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanHubei430071China
| | - Jingbo Ma
- Department of Geriatrics and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Department of UrologyShenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and TechnologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJinan University)ShenzhenGuangdong518020China
| | - Huifang Wang
- Department of Geriatrics and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Department of UrologyShenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and TechnologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJinan University)ShenzhenGuangdong518020China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Department of Medical ImagingThe Third Affiliated HospitalSouthern Medical University (Academy of Orthopedics Guangdong Province)Guangzhou510515China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Department of PathologyShunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde)Foshan528308China
- Department of Pathology & Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, School of Basic Medical SciencesSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhou510515China
| | - Zhijie Li
- Department of Geriatrics and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Department of UrologyShenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and TechnologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJinan University)ShenzhenGuangdong518020China
| | - Zhen Liang
- Department of Geriatrics and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Department of UrologyShenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and TechnologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJinan University)ShenzhenGuangdong518020China
| | - Jigang Wang
- Department of Geriatrics and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Department of UrologyShenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and TechnologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJinan University)ShenzhenGuangdong518020China
- Department of OncologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouSichuan646000China
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and School of Pharmaceutical SciencesSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhou510515China
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao‐di Herbs, Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia MedicaChina Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijing100700China
- State Key Laboratory of Antiviral DrugsSchool of PharmacyHenan UniversityKaifeng475004China
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4
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Van der Vreken A, Vanderkerken K, De Bruyne E, De Veirman K, Breckpot K, Menu E. Fueling CARs: metabolic strategies to enhance CAR T-cell therapy. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:66. [PMID: 38987856 PMCID: PMC11238373 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00535-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
CAR T cells are widely applied for relapsed hematological cancer patients. With six approved cell therapies, for Multiple Myeloma and other B-cell malignancies, new insights emerge. Profound evidence shows that patients who fail CAR T-cell therapy have, aside from antigen escape, a more glycolytic and weakened metabolism in their CAR T cells, accompanied by a short lifespan. Recent advances show that CAR T cells can be metabolically engineered towards oxidative phosphorylation, which increases their longevity via epigenetic and phenotypical changes. In this review we elucidate various strategies to rewire their metabolism, including the design of the CAR construct, co-stimulus choice, genetic modifications of metabolic genes, and pharmacological interventions. We discuss their potential to enhance CAR T-cell functioning and persistence through memory imprinting, thereby improving outcomes. Furthermore, we link the pharmacological treatments with their anti-cancer properties in hematological malignancies to ultimately suggest novel combination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Van der Vreken
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Karin Vanderkerken
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Elke De Bruyne
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Kim De Veirman
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Karine Breckpot
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium
| | - Eline Menu
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Team Hematology and Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, 1090, Belgium.
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5
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Verhaar ER, van Keizerswaard WJC, Knoflook A, Balligand T, Ploegh HL. Nanobody-based CAR NK cells for possible immunotherapy of MICA + tumors. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae184. [PMID: 38756234 PMCID: PMC11096969 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The glycoproteins MICA and MICB are upregulated on the surface of cells undergoing stress, for instance due to (viral) infection or malignant transformation. MICA/B are the ligands for the activating receptor NKG2D, found on cytotoxic immune cells like NK cells, CD8+ T cells, and γδ T cells. Upon engagement of NKG2D, these cells are activated to eradicate the MICA/B-positive targets, assisted by the secretion of cytokines. Nanobodies, or VHHs, are derived from the variable regions of camelid heavy-chain only immunoglobulins. Nanobodies are characterized by their small size, ease of production, stability, and specificity of recognition. We generated nanobodies that recognize membrane-bound MICA with high affinity. Here, we use these nanobodies as building blocks for a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to establish VHH-based CAR NK cells. These anti-MICA nanobody-based CAR NK cells recognize and selectively kill MICA-positive tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. We track localization of the VHH-based CAR NK cells to MICA-positive lung metastases by immuno-positron emission tomography imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisha R Verhaar
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Anouk Knoflook
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Thomas Balligand
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
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6
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Zhang T, Tai Z, Miao F, Zhang X, Li J, Zhu Q, Wei H, Chen Z. Adoptive cell therapy for solid tumors beyond CAR-T: Current challenges and emerging therapeutic advances. J Control Release 2024; 368:372-396. [PMID: 38408567 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive cellular immunotherapy using immune cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) is a highly specific anti-tumor immunotherapy that has shown promise in the treatment of hematological malignancies. However, there has been a slow progress toward the treatment of solid tumors owing to the complex tumor microenvironment that affects the localization and killing ability of the CAR cells. Solid tumors with a strong immunosuppressive microenvironment and complex vascular system are unaffected by CAR cell infiltration and attack. To improve their efficacy toward solid tumors, CAR cells have been modified and upgraded by "decorating" and "pruning". This review focuses on the structure and function of CARs, the immune cells that can be engineered by CARs and the transformation strategies to overcome solid tumors, with a view to broadening ideas for the better application of CAR cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingrui Zhang
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Medical Guarantee Center, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China; School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China
| | - Zongguang Tai
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China; Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Fengze Miao
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China
| | - Xinyue Zhang
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China
| | - Jiadong Li
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Quangang Zhu
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China
| | - Hua Wei
- Medical Guarantee Center, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China.
| | - Zhongjian Chen
- Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200443, China; School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Topical Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200443, China.
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7
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Sandeep, Shinde SH, Ahmed S, Sharma SS, Pande AH. Engineered polyspecific antibodies: A new frontier in the field of immunotherapeutics. Immunology 2024; 171:464-496. [PMID: 38140855 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13743] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The 21st-century beginning remarked with the huge success of monospecific MAbs, however, in the last couple of years, polyspecific MAbs (PsAbs) have been an interesting topic and show promise of being biobetter than monospecific MAbs. Polyspecificity, in which a single antibody serves multiple specific target binding, has been hypothesized to contribute to the development of a highly effective antibody repertoire for immune defence. This polyspecific MAb trend represents an explosion that is gripping the whole pharmaceutical industry. This review is concerned with the current development and quality enforcement of PsAbs. All provided literature on monospecific MAbs and polyspecific MAbs (PsAbs) were searched using various electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Elsevier, Springer, ACS, Google Patent and books via the keywords Antibody engineering, Polyspecific antibody, Conventional antibody, non-conventional antibody, and Single domain antibody. In the literature, there are more than 100 different formats to construct PsAb by quadroma technology, chemical conjugation and genetic engineering. Till March 2023, nine PsAb have been approved around the world, and around 330 are in advanced developmental stages, showing the dominancy of PsAb in the growing health sector. Recent advancements in protein engineering techniques and the fusion of non-conventional antibodies have made it possible to create complex PsAbs that demonstrate higher stability and enhanced potency. This marks the most significant achievement for cancer immunotherapy, in which PsAbs have immense promise. It is worth mentioning that seven out of the nine PsAbs have been approved as anti-cancer therapy. As PsAbs continue to acquire prominence, they could pave the way for the development of novel immunotherapies for multiple diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Suraj H Shinde
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Sakeel Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Shyam Sunder Sharma
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Abhay H Pande
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, Punjab, India
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8
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Verhaar ER, Knoflook A, Pishesha N, Liu X, van Keizerswaard WJC, Wucherpfennig KW, Ploegh HL. MICA-specific nanobodies for diagnosis and immunotherapy of MICA + tumors. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1368586. [PMID: 38550583 PMCID: PMC10973119 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1368586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
MICA and MICB are Class I MHC-related glycoproteins that are upregulated on the surface of cells in response to stress, for instance due to infection or malignant transformation. MICA/B are ligands for NKG2D, an activating receptor on NK cells, CD8+ T cells, and γδ T cells. Upon engagement of MICA/B with NKG2D, these cytotoxic cells eradicate MICA/B-positive targets. MICA is frequently overexpressed on the surface of cancer cells of epithelial and hematopoietic origin. Here, we created nanobodies that recognize MICA. Nanobodies, or VHHs, are the recombinantly expressed variable regions of camelid heavy chain-only immunoglobulins. They retain the capacity of antigen recognition but are characterized by their stability and ease of production. The nanobodies described here detect surface-disposed MICA on cancer cells in vitro by flow cytometry and can be used therapeutically as nanobody-drug conjugates when fused to the Maytansine derivative DM1. The nanobody-DM1 conjugate selectively kills MICA positive tumor cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisha R. Verhaar
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Anouk Knoflook
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Novalia Pishesha
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xin Liu
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Kai W. Wucherpfennig
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hidde L. Ploegh
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
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9
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Babamohamadi M, Mohammadi N, Faryadi E, Haddadi M, Merati A, Ghobadinezhad F, Amirian R, Izadi Z, Hadjati J. Anti-CTLA-4 nanobody as a promising approach in cancer immunotherapy. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:17. [PMID: 38191571 PMCID: PMC10774412 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06391-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most common diseases and causes of death worldwide. Since common treatment approaches do not yield acceptable results in many patients, developing innovative strategies for effective treatment is necessary. Immunotherapy is one of the promising approaches that has been highly regarded for preventing tumor recurrence and new metastases. Meanwhile, inhibiting immune checkpoints is one of the most attractive methods of cancer immunotherapy. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) is an essential immune molecule that plays a vital role in cell cycle modulation, regulation of T cell proliferation, and cytokine production. This molecule is classically expressed by stimulated T cells. Inhibition of overexpression of immune checkpoints such as CTLA-4 receptors has been confirmed as an effective strategy. In cancer immunotherapy, immune checkpoint-blocking drugs can be enhanced with nanobodies that target immune checkpoint molecules. Nanobodies are derived from the variable domain of heavy antibody chains. These small protein fragments have evolved entirely without a light chain and can be used as a powerful tool in imaging and treating diseases with their unique structure. They have a low molecular weight, which makes them smaller than conventional antibodies while still being able to bind to specific antigens. In addition to low molecular weight, specific binding to targets, resistance to temperature, pH, and enzymes, high ability to penetrate tumor tissues, and low toxicity make nanobodies an ideal approach to overcome the disadvantages of monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapy. In this article, while reviewing the cellular and molecular functions of CTLA-4, the structure and mechanisms of nanobodies' activity, and their delivery methods, we will explain the advantages and challenges of using nanobodies, emphasizing immunotherapy treatments based on anti-CTLA-4 nanobodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehregan Babamohamadi
- Department of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nastaran Mohammadi
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Elham Faryadi
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Maryam Haddadi
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Merati
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Farbod Ghobadinezhad
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Roshanak Amirian
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Zhila Izadi
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Jamshid Hadjati
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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10
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Wemlinger SM, Cambier JC. Therapeutic tactics for targeting B lymphocytes in autoimmunity and cancer. Eur J Immunol 2024; 54:e2249947. [PMID: 37816494 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202249947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
B lymphocytes have become a very popular therapeutic target in a number of autoimmune indications due to their newly appreciated roles, and approachability, in these diseases. Many of the therapies now applied in autoimmunity were initially developed to deplete malignant B cells. These strategies have also been found to benefit patients suffering from such autoimmune diseases as multiple sclerosis, type I diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis, to name a few. These observations have supported the expansion of research addressing the mechanistic contributions of B cells in these diseases, as well as blossoming of therapeutics that target them. This review seeks to summarize cutting-edge modalities for targeting B cells, including monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, chimeric antigen receptor-T cells, and small molecule inhibitors. Efforts to refine B-cell targeted therapy to eliminate only pathogenic autoreactive cells will be addressed as well as the potential for future B-cell-based cellular therapeutics. Finally, we also address approaches that seek to silence B-cell function without depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Wemlinger
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - John C Cambier
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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11
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Mustafa MI, Mohammed A. Nanobodies: A Game-Changer in Cell-Mediated Immunotherapy for Cancer. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2023; 28:358-364. [PMID: 37634615 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2023.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Nanobodies are small, single-domain antibodies that have emerged as a promising tool in cancer immunotherapy. These molecules can target specific antigens on cancer cells and trigger an immune response against them. In this mini-review article, we highlight the potential of nanobodies in cell-mediated immunotherapy for cancer treatment. We discuss the advantages of nanobodies over conventional antibodies, their ability to penetrate solid tumors, and their potential to enhance the efficacy of other immunotherapeutic agents. We also provide an overview of recent preclinical and clinical studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of nanobody-based immunotherapy in various types of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mujahed I Mustafa
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Applied and Industrial Sciences, University of Bahri, Khartoum, Sudan.
| | - Ahmed Mohammed
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
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12
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Najafi A, Valadan R, Asgarian-Omran H, Rafiei A, Tehrani M. Single domain antibodies specific for HER2 dimerization domain effectively disrupts HER2 dimerization. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 124:110999. [PMID: 37804659 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Dimer-dependent phosphorylation of HER2 receptor is a key event for the signal transduction of HER family of receptors which correlates with tumor invasion and metastasis. New generation of therapies based on dimerization domain inhibition using monoclonal or fragment antibodies was introduced. A potent method for manufacturing antibodies and antibody fragments is the phage display antibody library method. A recombinant phage was generated using the phage display method from synthetic dAb library. Subtractive biopanning was performed on sepharose 4b resin. Evaluation of success of subtractive biopanning was confirmed by the PCR fingerprinting after the fourth round of biopanning. The fourth round of biopanning results in the isolation of several dimerization domain reactive clones based on the polyclonal phage ELISA results. Monoclonal phage cell ELISA was used to select the positive clones with the highest affinity, and they were subsequently employed for functional tests. Cell-ELISA, MTT assay and dimerization inhibition test revealed that the reactivity and specificity of the selected monoclonal phage to dimerization domain of HER2. Further, Annexin V/PI staining and gene expression analysis showed that increased apoptosis rates. Also, in silico binding of the selected clones to conformational structure of HER2 was applied, using protein-protein docking tool of the ICM-Pro software, and showed sdAbs were specifically interacted with dimerization domain of the receptor. In conclusion, we have identified a single domain targeting HER2 dimerization, which represents a promising therapeutic and diagnostic candidate for HER2-positive cancers. Purified sdAb needs to more research to evaluate it both in vivo and in vitro via functional tests to determine if it can be applied for treatment and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Najafi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Reza Valadan
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Molecular and Cell-Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Hossein Asgarian-Omran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Molecular and Cell-Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Alireza Rafiei
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Molecular and Cell-Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Mohsen Tehrani
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Molecular and Cell-Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
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13
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Hojjatipour T, Sharifzadeh Z, Maali A, Azad M. Chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer cells: a promising sword against insidious tumor cells. Hum Cell 2023; 36:1843-1864. [PMID: 37477869 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-023-00948-w] [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: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are a critical component of innate immunity, particularly in initial cancer recognition and inhibition of additional tumor growth or metastasis propagation. NK cells recognize transformed cells without prior sensitization via stimulatory receptors and rapidly eradicate them. However, the protective tumor microenvironment facilitates tumor escaping via induction of an exhaustion state in immune cells, including NK cells. Hence, genetic manipulation of NK cells for specific identification of tumor-associated antigens or a more robust response against tumor cells is a promising strategy for NK cells' tumoricidal augmentation. Regarding the remarkable achievement of engineered CAR-T cells in treating hematologic malignancies, there is evolving interest in CAR-NK cell recruitment in cancer immunotherapy. Innate functionality of NK cells, higher safety, superior in vivo maintenance, and the off-the-shelf potential move CAR-NK-based therapy superior to CAR-T cells treatment. In this review, we have comprehensively discussed the recent genetic manipulations of CAR-NK cell manufacturing regarding different domains of CAR constructs and their following delivery systems into diverse sources of NK cells. Then highlight the preclinical and clinical investigations of CAR-NK cells and examine the current challenges and prospects as an optimistic remedy in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahereh Hojjatipour
- Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Students Research Center, School of Allied Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Amirhosein Maali
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciecnes, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Mehdi Azad
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedicine, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, 3419759811, Iran.
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14
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Smith R. Bringing cell therapy to tumors: considerations for optimal CAR binder design. Antib Ther 2023; 6:225-239. [PMID: 37846297 PMCID: PMC10576856 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbad019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have revolutionized the immunotherapy of B-cell malignancies and are poised to expand the range of their impact across a broad range of oncology and non-oncology indications. Critical to the success of a given CAR is the choice of binding domain, as this is the key driver for specificity and plays an important role (along with the rest of the CAR structure) in determining efficacy, potency and durability of the cell therapy. While antibodies have proven to be effective sources of CAR binding domains, it has become apparent that the desired attributes for a CAR binding domain do differ from those of a recombinant antibody. This review will address key factors that need to be considered in choosing the optimal binding domain for a given CAR and how binder properties influence and are influenced by the rest of the CAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Smith
- Department of Research, Kite, a Gilead Company, 5858 Horton Street, Suite 240, Emeryville, CA 94070, USA
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15
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Kunz S, Durandy M, Seguin L, Feral CC. NANOBODY ® Molecule, a Giga Medical Tool in Nanodimensions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13229. [PMID: 37686035 PMCID: PMC10487883 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although antibodies remain the most widely used tool for biomedical research, antibody technology is not flawless. Innovative alternatives, such as Nanobody® molecules, were developed to address the shortcomings of conventional antibodies. Nanobody® molecules are antigen-binding variable-domain fragments derived from the heavy-chain-only antibodies of camelids (VHH) and combine the advantageous properties of small molecules and monoclonal antibodies. Nanobody® molecules present a small size (~15 kDa, 4 nm long and 2.5 nm wide), high solubility, stability, specificity, and affinity, ease of cloning, and thermal and chemical resistance. Recombinant production in microorganisms is cost-effective, and VHH are also building blocks for multidomain constructs. These unique features led to numerous applications in fundamental research, diagnostics, and therapy. Nanobody® molecules are employed as biomarker probes and, when fused to radioisotopes or fluorophores, represent ideal non-invasive in vivo imaging agents. They can be used as neutralizing agents, receptor-ligand antagonists, or in targeted vehicle-based drug therapy. As early as 2018, the first Nanobody®, Cablivi (caplacizumab), a single-domain antibody (sdAb) drug developed by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi for the treatment of adult patients with acquired thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP), was launched. Nanobody® compounds are ideal tools for further development in clinics for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kunz
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, IRCAN, 06107 Nice, France; (S.K.); (M.D.); (L.S.)
- Department of Oncology, Sanofi Research Center, 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Manon Durandy
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, IRCAN, 06107 Nice, France; (S.K.); (M.D.); (L.S.)
| | - Laetitia Seguin
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, IRCAN, 06107 Nice, France; (S.K.); (M.D.); (L.S.)
| | - Chloe C. Feral
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, IRCAN, 06107 Nice, France; (S.K.); (M.D.); (L.S.)
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16
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Hu C, Liu M, Li Y, Zhao Y, Sharma A, Liu H, Schmidt-Wolf IGH. Recent advances and future perspectives of CAR-T cell therapy in head and neck cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1213716. [PMID: 37457699 PMCID: PMC10346844 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1213716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) ranks as the sixth most prevalent type of cancer globally and accounts for about 4% of all types of cancer. Among all HNC, most are head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with clinical therapies that include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and multimodal treatments. In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy has significantly transformed the therapeutic approaches for leukemia and lymphoma and has garnered increased attention as a potential treatment for a wide range of cancers. However, CAR-T immunotherapy in solid tumors, especially HNSCCs, lags significantly behind due to the paucity of tumor-specific antigens, high levels of tumor heterogeneity, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, the risk of treatment-related toxicities and off-target adverse events in HNSCCs. The objective of this review is to explore the advancement of CAR-T cell therapy in the treatment of HNSCCs. We aim to outline the targeted antigens in HNSCCs, highlight the challenges and potential solutions, and discuss the relevant combination therapies. Our review presents a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in CAR-T cell therapy for HNSCCs, and provides valuable insights into future research avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Hu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yutao Li
- Department of Integrated Oncology, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Yi Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Amit Sharma
- Department of Integrated Oncology, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Haotian Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ingo G. H. Schmidt-Wolf
- Department of Integrated Oncology, Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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17
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Merljak E, Malovrh B, Jerala R. Segmentation strategy of de novo designed four-helical bundles expands protein oligomerization modalities for cell regulation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1995. [PMID: 37031229 PMCID: PMC10082849 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37765-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions govern most biological processes. New protein assemblies can be introduced through the fusion of selected proteins with di/oligomerization domains, which interact specifically with their partners but not with other cellular proteins. While four-helical bundle proteins (4HB) have typically been assembled from two segments, each comprising two helices, here we show that they can be efficiently segmented in various ways, expanding the number of combinations generated from a single 4HB. We implement a segmentation strategy of 4HB to design two-, three-, or four-chain combinations for the recruitment of multiple protein components. Different segmentations provide new insight into the role of individual helices for 4HB assembly. We evaluate 4HB segmentations for potential use in mammalian cells for the reconstitution of a protein reporter, transcriptional activation, and inducible 4HB assembly. Furthermore, the implementation of trimerization is demonstrated as a modular chimeric antigen receptor for the recognition of multiple cancer antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estera Merljak
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Benjamin Malovrh
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Roman Jerala
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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18
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Yong Joon Kim J, Sang Z, Xiang Y, Shen Z, Shi Y. Nanobodies: Robust miniprotein binders in biomedicine. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 195:114726. [PMID: 36754285 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Variable domains of heavy chain-only antibodies (VHH), also known as nanobodies (Nbs), are monomeric antigen-binding domains derived from the camelid heavy chain-only antibodies. Nbs are characterized by small size, high target selectivity, and marked solubility and stability, which collectively facilitate high-quality drug development. In addition, Nbs are readily expressed from various expression systems, including E. coli and yeast cells. For these reasons, Nbs have emerged as preferred antibody fragments for protein engineering, disease diagnosis, and treatment. To date, two Nb-based therapies have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Numerous candidates spanning a wide spectrum of diseases such as cancer, immune disorders, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders are under preclinical and clinical investigation. Here, we discuss the structural features of Nbs that allow for specific, versatile, and strong target binding. We also summarize emerging technologies for identification, structural analysis, and humanization of Nbs. Our main focus is to review recent advances in using Nbs as a modular scaffold to facilitate the engineering of multivalent polymers for cutting-edge applications. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges for Nb development and envision new opportunities in Nb-based research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Yong Joon Kim
- Center of Protein Engineering and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1, Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY 10029, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Zhe Sang
- Center of Protein Engineering and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1, Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Yufei Xiang
- Center of Protein Engineering and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1, Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Zhuolun Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Shi
- Center of Protein Engineering and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1, Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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19
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Maali A, Gholizadeh M, Feghhi-Najafabadi S, Noei A, Seyed-Motahari SS, Mansoori S, Sharifzadeh Z. Nanobodies in cell-mediated immunotherapy: On the road to fight cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1012841. [PMID: 36761751 PMCID: PMC9905824 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1012841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune system is essential in recognizing and eliminating tumor cells. The unique characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), such as heterogeneity, reduced blood flow, hypoxia, and acidity, can reduce the efficacy of cell-mediated immunity. The primary goal of cancer immunotherapy is to modify the immune cells or the TME to enable the immune system to eliminate malignancies successfully. Nanobodies, known as single-domain antibodies, are light chain-free antibody fragments produced from Camelidae antibodies. The unique properties of nanobodies, including high stability, reduced immunogenicity, enhanced infiltration into the TME of solid tumors and facile genetic engineering have led to their promising application in cell-mediated immunotherapy. They can promote the cancer therapy either directly by bridging between tumor cells and immune cells and by targeting cancer cells using immune cell-bound nanobodies or indirectly by blocking the inhibitory ligands/receptors. The T-cell activation can be engaged through anti-CD3 and anti-4-1BB nanobodies in the bispecific (bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs)) and trispecific (trispecific T-cell engager (TriTEs)) manners. Also, nanobodies can be used as natural killer (NK) cell engagers (BiKEs, TriKEs, and TetraKEs) to create an immune synapse between the tumor and NK cells. Nanobodies can redirect immune cells to attack tumor cells through a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) incorporating a nanobody against the target antigen. Various cancer antigens have been targeted by nanobody-based CAR-T and CAR-NK cells for treating both hematological and solid malignancies. They can also cause the continuation of immune surveillance against tumor cells by stopping inappropriate inhibition of immune checkpoints. Other roles of nanobodies in cell-mediated cancer immunotherapy include reprogramming macrophages to reduce metastasis and angiogenesis, as well as preventing the severe side effects occurring in cell-mediated immunotherapy. Here, we highlight the critical functions of various immune cells, including T cells, NK cells, and macrophages in the TME, and discuss newly developed immunotherapy methods based on the targeted manipulation of immune cells and TME with nanobodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhosein Maali
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Monireh Gholizadeh
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Ahmad Noei
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyedeh Sheila Seyed-Motahari
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Zahra Sharifzadeh
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,*Correspondence: Zahra Sharifzadeh,
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Pitino M, Fleites LA, Shrum L, Heck M, Shatters RG. Plant production of high affinity nanobodies that block SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding with its receptor, human angiotensin converting enzyme. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1045337. [PMID: 36619377 PMCID: PMC9822723 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1045337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies® (VHH antibodies), are small peptides that represent the antigen binding domain, VHH of unique single domain antibodies (heavy chain only antibodies, HcAb) derived from camelids. Here, we demonstrate production of VHH nanobodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins in the solanaceous plant Nicotiana benthamiana through transient expression and their subsequent detection verified through western blot. We demonstrate that these nanobodies competitively inhibit binding between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain and its human receptor protein, angiotensin converting enzyme 2. There has been significant interest and a number of publications on the use of plants as biofactories and even some reports of producing nanobodies in plants. Our data demonstrate that functional nanobodies blocking a process necessary to initiate SARS-CoV-2 infection into mammalian cells can be produced in plants. This opens the alternative of using plants in a scheme to rapidly respond to therapeutic needs for emerging pathogens in human medicine and agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michelle Heck
- Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Robert G. Shatters
- U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Fort Pierce, FL, United States,*Correspondence: Robert G. Shatters Jr,
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Safarzadeh Kozani P, Naseri A, Mirarefin SMJ, Salem F, Nikbakht M, Evazi Bakhshi S, Safarzadeh Kozani P. Nanobody-based CAR-T cells for cancer immunotherapy. Biomark Res 2022; 10:24. [DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1186/s40364-022-00371-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractChimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is the result of combining genetic engineering-based cancer immunotherapy with adoptive cell therapy (ACT). CAR-T therapy has been successful in treating various types of hematological cancers. CARs are receptors made of an extracellular domain, a membrane-spanning domain, and an intracellular domain. The extracellular domain of CARs harbors an antigen-targeting domain responsible for recognizing and binding cell surface-expressed target antigens. Conventionally, the single-chain fragment variable (scFv) of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) is used as the antigen-targeting domain of CARs. However, of late, researchers have exploited nanobodies for this aim based on numerous rationales including the small size of nanobodies, their stability, specificity, and high affinity, and their easy and feasible development process. Many findings have confirmed that nanobody-based CAR-Ts can be as functional as scFv-based CAR-Ts in preclinical and clinical settings. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of scFvs and nanobodies in regards to their application as the targeting domain of CARs. Ultimately, we discuss various CAR target antigens which have been targeted using nanobody-based CAR-T cells for the treatment of different types of malignancies.
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22
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A novel CD19/CD22/CD3 trispecific antibody enhances therapeutic efficacy and overcomes immune escape against B-ALL. Blood 2022; 140:1790-1802. [PMID: 35981465 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) blinatumomab against CD19 and CD3 has emerged as the most successful bispecific antibody (bsAb) to date; however, a significant proportion of patients do not respond to the treatments or eventually experience relapse after an initial response, and the recurrence rate increases significantly due to escape or downregulation of the CD19 antigen. To enhance antitumor efficacy and overcome potential immune escape, we developed a novel approach to design a CD19/CD22/CD3 trispecific antibody (tsAb) by site-specifically fusing anti-CD19 scFv (FMC63) and anti-CD22 nanobody (Nb25) to the defined sites of the CD3 antigen-binding fragment (Fab, SP34). This strategy allows for the optimal formation of immune synapses mediated by CD19/CD22/CD3 between target cells and T cells. Optimized tsAb can be superior for inducing T-cell-specific cytotoxicity and cytokine production against CD19+ and/or CD22+ tumor cells compared to other tsAb formats, and demonstrated significantly enhanced antitumor efficacy and the ability to overcome immune escape compared with the corresponding bsAbs alone or in combination, as well as with blinatumomab. In addition, tsAb treatment can lead to the long-term elimination of primary B-ALL patient samples in the PDX model and significantly prolong survival. This novel approach provides unique insight into the structural optimization of T-cell-redirected multispecific antibodies using site-specific recombination, and may be broadly applicable to heterogeneous and resistant tumor populations as well as solid tumors.
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23
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Wang CY, Ting Cheung SP, Sugimura R. Combating challenges in CAR-T cells with engineering immunology. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:969020. [PMID: 36299480 PMCID: PMC9589253 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.969020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cells (CAR-T) mark a significant step towards producing safe and effective personal anticancer treatments. CAR-T strategies engineers the T cells from the patients to allow specific binding to a tumour-specific antigen. CAR-Ts are a second-wave offensive strategy to clear out remaining chemotherapy-resistant tumour cells. Though showing practical antitumor abilities in multiple haematological malignancies and solid tumour cancers, the issues of antigen escape, tumour infiltration/penetration, and toxicity side effects limit the usage of prolonged CAR-T therapies. However, engineering immunology has exploited human stem cell-based CAR-T therapies and the development of CAR-M (macrophage) therapies to combat the disadvantages of conventional CAR-T therapies. In this review, we will highlight the challenges of CAR-T therapies and combat them with engineering immunology for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ryohichi Sugimura
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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24
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Camels' biological fluids contained nanobodies: promising avenue in cancer therapy. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:279. [PMID: 36071488 PMCID: PMC9449263 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02696-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a major health concern and accounts for one of the main causes of death worldwide. Innovative strategies are needed to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of different types of cancers. Recently, there has been an evolving interest in utilizing nanobodies of camel origin as therapeutic tools against cancer. Nanotechnology uses nanobodies an emerging attractive field that provides promises to researchers in advancing different scientific sectors including medicine and oncology. Nanobodies are characteristically small-sized biologics featured with the ability for deep tissue penetration and dissemination and harbour high stability at high pH and temperatures. The current review highlights the potential use of nanobodies that are naturally secreted in camels’ biological fluids, both milk and urine, in the development of nanotechnology-based therapy for treating different typesQuery of cancers and other diseases. Moreover, the role of nano proteomics in the invention of novel therapeutic agents specifically used for cancer intervention is also illustrated.
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25
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Zeng Q, Liu Z, Niu T, He C, Qu Y, Qian Z. Application of nanotechnology in CAR-T-cell immunotherapy. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.107747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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26
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Gao TA, Chen YY. Engineering Next-Generation CAR-T Cells: Overcoming Tumor Hypoxia and Metabolism. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2022; 13:193-216. [PMID: 35700528 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-092120-092914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have shown remarkable success in treating B-cell malignancies, reflected by multiple US Food and Drug Administration-approved CAR-T cell products currently on the market. However, various obstacles have thus far limited the use of approved products and constrained the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy against solid tumors. Overcoming these obstacles will necessitate multidimensional CAR-T cell engineering approaches and better understanding of the intricate tumor microenvironment (TME). Key challenges include treatment-related toxicity, antigen escape and heterogeneity, and the highly immunosuppressive profile of the TME. Notably, the hypoxic and nutrient-deprived nature of the TME severely attenuates CAR-T cell fitness and efficacy, highlighting the need for more sophisticated engineering strategies. In this review, we examine recent advances in protein- and cell-engineering strategies to improve CAR-T cell safety and efficacy, with an emphasis on overcoming immunosuppression induced by tumor metabolism and hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torahito A Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; ,
| | - Yvonne Y Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; , .,Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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27
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Li B, Qin X, Mi LZ. Nanobodies: from structure to applications in non-injectable and bispecific biotherapeutic development. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:7110-7122. [PMID: 35535618 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr00306f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The increasing demand for convenient, miniaturized and multifunctional antibodies necessitates the development of novel antigen-recognition molecules for biological and medical studies. Nanobodies, the functional variable regions of camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies, as a new tool, complement the conventional antibodies and are in the stage of rapid development. The outstanding advantages of nanobodies include a stable structure, easy production, excellent water solubility, high affinity toward antigens and low immunogenicity. With promising application potential, nanobodies are now increasingly applied to various studies, including protein structure analysis, microscopic imaging, medical diagnosis, and drug development. The approval of the first nanobody drug Caplacizumab by the FDA disclosed the therapeutic potential of nanobodies. The outbreak of COVID-19 accelerated the development of nanobody drugs in non-injectable and bispecific biotherapeutic applications. Herein, we reviewed recent studies on the nanobody structure, screening and their applications in protein structure analysis and nanobody drugs, especially on non-injectable nanobody and bispecific nanobody development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxuan Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Xiaohong Qin
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Li-Zhi Mi
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, China.
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28
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Awad RM, Meeus F, Ceuppens H, Ertveldt T, Hanssens H, Lecocq Q, Mateusiak L, Zeven K, Valenta H, De Groof TWM, De Vlaeminck Y, Krasniqi A, De Veirman K, Goyvaerts C, D'Huyvetter M, Hernot S, Devoogdt N, Breckpot K. Emerging applications of nanobodies in cancer therapy. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 369:143-199. [PMID: 35777863 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is a heterogeneous disease, requiring treatment tailored to the unique phenotype of the patient's tumor. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and variants thereof have enabled targeted therapies to selectively target cancer cells. Cancer cell-specific mAbs have been used for image-guided surgery and targeted delivery of radionuclides or toxic agents, improving classical treatment strategies. Cancer cell-specific mAbs can further inhibit tumor cell growth or can stimulate immune-mediated destruction of cancer cells, a feature that has also been achieved through mAb-mediated manipulation of immune cells and pathways. Drawbacks of mAbs and their variants, together with the discovery of camelid heavy chain-only antibodies and the many advantageous features of their variable domains, referred to as VHHs, single domain antibodies or nanobodies (Nbs), resulted in the exploration of Nbs as an alternative targeting moiety. We therefore review the state-of-the-art as well as novel exploitation strategies of Nbs for targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Maximilian Awad
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fien Meeus
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hannelore Ceuppens
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Ertveldt
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Heleen Hanssens
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Quentin Lecocq
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lukasz Mateusiak
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Katty Zeven
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hana Valenta
- Lab for Nanobiology, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Timo W M De Groof
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yannick De Vlaeminck
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ahmet Krasniqi
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kim De Veirman
- Laboratory for Hematology and Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cleo Goyvaerts
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matthias D'Huyvetter
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Hernot
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nick Devoogdt
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
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29
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Safarzadeh Kozani P, Naseri A, Mirarefin SMJ, Salem F, Nikbakht M, Evazi Bakhshi S, Safarzadeh Kozani P. Nanobody-based CAR-T cells for cancer immunotherapy. Biomark Res 2022; 10:24. [PMID: 35468841 PMCID: PMC9036779 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-022-00371-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is the result of combining genetic engineering-based cancer immunotherapy with adoptive cell therapy (ACT). CAR-T therapy has been successful in treating various types of hematological cancers. CARs are receptors made of an extracellular domain, a membrane-spanning domain, and an intracellular domain. The extracellular domain of CARs harbors an antigen-targeting domain responsible for recognizing and binding cell surface-expressed target antigens. Conventionally, the single-chain fragment variable (scFv) of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) is used as the antigen-targeting domain of CARs. However, of late, researchers have exploited nanobodies for this aim based on numerous rationales including the small size of nanobodies, their stability, specificity, and high affinity, and their easy and feasible development process. Many findings have confirmed that nanobody-based CAR-Ts can be as functional as scFv-based CAR-Ts in preclinical and clinical settings. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of scFvs and nanobodies in regards to their application as the targeting domain of CARs. Ultimately, we discuss various CAR target antigens which have been targeted using nanobody-based CAR-T cells for the treatment of different types of malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pouya Safarzadeh Kozani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Paramedicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Abdolhossein Naseri
- School of Allied Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Faeze Salem
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Nikbakht
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Evazi Bakhshi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Pooria Safarzadeh Kozani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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30
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CAR-T Cells for the Treatment of Lung Cancer. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12040561. [PMID: 35455052 PMCID: PMC9028981 DOI: 10.3390/life12040561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy with genetically modified T lymphocytes that express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T) is one of the most promising advanced therapies for the treatment of cancer, with unprecedented outcomes in hematological malignancies. However, the efficacy of CAR-T cells in solid tumors is still very unsatisfactory, because of the strong immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment that hinders immune responses. The development of next-generation personalized CAR-T cells against solid tumors is a clinical necessity. The identification of therapeutic targets for new CAR-T therapies to increase the efficacy, survival, persistence, and safety in solid tumors remains a critical frontier in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we summarize basic, translational, and clinical results of CAR-T cell immunotherapies in lung cancer, from their molecular engineering and mechanistic studies to preclinical and clinical development.
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31
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Nguyen A, Johanning G, Shi Y. Emerging Novel Combined CAR-T Cell Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061403. [PMID: 35326556 PMCID: PMC8945996 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary As a result of FDA approval of CAR-T cell treatments in the last few years, this immunotherapy has provided further direction to precision medicine through its combination with other therapeutic approaches. In the past year, several review articles have been published focusing on advances in this fast-developing field, especially with respect to efforts to overcome hurdles associated with applying CAR-T cells in solid tumors. This review paper focuses on combining CAR-T cell therapy with small molecule drugs, up-to-date progress in CAR-T cell therapy research, and advances in combined CAR-T immunotherapy with other treatments targeting solid tumors. Abstract Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cells are T cells engineered to express membrane receptors with high specificity to recognize specific target antigens presented by cancer cells and are co-stimulated with intracellular signals to increase the T cell response. CAR-T cell therapy is emerging as a novel therapeutic approach to improve T cell specificity that will lead to advances in precision medicine. CAR-T cells have had impressive outcomes in hematological malignancies. However, there continue to be significant limitations of these therapeutic responses in targeting solid malignancies such as heterogeneous antigens in solid tumors, tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, risk of on-target/off-tumor, infiltrating CAR-T cells, immunosuppressive checkpoint molecules, and cytokines. This review paper summarizes recent approaches and innovations through combination therapies of CAR-T cells and other immunotherapy or small molecule drugs to counter the above disadvantages to potentiate the activity of CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Nguyen
- College of Graduate Studies, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA;
| | | | - Yihui Shi
- College of Medicine, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA
- Correspondence:
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32
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Wang J, Kang G, Yuan H, Cao X, Huang H, de Marco A. Research Progress and Applications of Multivalent, Multispecific and Modified Nanobodies for Disease Treatment. Front Immunol 2022; 12:838082. [PMID: 35116045 PMCID: PMC8804282 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.838082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant antibodies such as nanobodies are progressively demonstrating to be a valid alternative to conventional monoclonal antibodies also for clinical applications. Furthermore, they do not solely represent a substitute for monoclonal antibodies but their unique features allow expanding the applications of biotherapeutics and changes the pattern of disease treatment. Nanobodies possess the double advantage of being small and simple to engineer. This combination has promoted extremely diversified approaches to design nanobody-based constructs suitable for particular applications. Both the format geometry possibilities and the functionalization strategies have been widely explored to provide macromolecules with better efficacy with respect to single nanobodies or their combination. Nanobody multimers and nanobody-derived reagents were developed to image and contrast several cancer diseases and have shown their effectiveness in animal models. Their capacity to block more independent signaling pathways simultaneously is considered a critical advantage to avoid tumor resistance, whereas the mass of these multimeric compounds still remains significantly smaller than that of an IgG, enabling deeper penetration in solid tumors. When applied to CAR-T cell therapy, nanobodies can effectively improve the specificity by targeting multiple epitopes and consequently reduce the side effects. This represents a great potential in treating malignant lymphomas, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma and solid tumors. Apart from cancer treatment, multispecific drugs and imaging reagents built with nanobody blocks have demonstrated their value also for detecting and tackling neurodegenerative, autoimmune, metabolic, and infectious diseases and as antidotes for toxins. In particular, multi-paratopic nanobody-based constructs have been developed recently as drugs for passive immunization against SARS-CoV-2 with the goal of impairing variant survival due to resistance to antibodies targeting single epitopes. Given the enormous research activity in the field, it can be expected that more and more multimeric nanobody molecules will undergo late clinical trials in the next future. Systematic Review Registration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiewen Wang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guangbo Kang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haibin Yuan
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaocang Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - He Huang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ario de Marco
- Laboratory for Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
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33
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Yilmaz Z, Jedlitzke B, Mootz HD. Design and Preparation of Photobodies: Light-Activated Single-Domain Antibody Fragments. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2446:409-424. [PMID: 35157286 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2075-5_21] [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: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nanobodies are single-domain antibody fragments that have found widespread use in basic research, therapy, and diagnostics. Like other antibody formats, nanobodies can be developed with high affinity and specificity for desired antigens. A photobody is a light-activatable nanobody, obtained by incorporating a photo-labile caging group into the paratope region. The caging group prevents antigen binding until removed with light (365 nm), thereby rendering the binding controllable with high temporal and spatial resolution. Thus far photocaged tyrosine residues have been used for this purpose, as tyrosine is a frequent residue at critical positions of nanobody paratopes. Nanobodies without a tyrosine residue at the antigen-binding interface may require a different strategy. In this chapter, we describe methods to design and prepare photobodies by recombinant expression in Escherichia coli in combination with genetic code expansion technology to incorporate ortho-nitrobenzyl-tyrosine residues. We use the conversion of the anti-green fluorescent protein enhancer nanobody into a photobody as an example. These protocols should be applicable to many other nanobodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahide Yilmaz
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Benedikt Jedlitzke
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Henning D Mootz
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Muenster, Münster, Germany.
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34
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Laughlin TM, Horn JR. Engineering pH-Sensitive Single-Domain Antibodies. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2446:269-298. [PMID: 35157278 PMCID: PMC9924069 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2075-5_13] [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: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing interest in expanding an antibody beyond high affinity and specificity. One such feature is custom regulation of the binding event, such as pH-dependent control. Here, we provide a methodology for generating single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) that bind their antigen in a pH-dependent fashion. As each sdAb is unique, we start by providing the conceptual framework for designing a combinatorial histidine scanning library within a sdAb-antigen-binding interface. Methods are provided to create a phage display library, containing up to 1 × 1010 unique members where each permutation of histidine substitution is sampled within the confines of the specified interface region(s). Finally, we describe phage display protocols for the selection and analysis of unique pH-dependent sdAb clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tosha M. Laughlin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University
| | - James R. Horn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University,Corresponding author: James R. Horn, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115,
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35
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Hanssens H, Meeus F, De Veirman K, Breckpot K, Devoogdt N. The antigen-binding moiety in the driver's seat of CARs. Med Res Rev 2022; 42:306-342. [PMID: 34028069 PMCID: PMC9292017 DOI: 10.1002/med.21818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Immuno-oncology has been at the forefront of cancer treatment in recent decades. In particular immune checkpoint and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy have achieved spectacular results. Over the years, CAR-T cell development has followed a steady evolutionary path, focusing on increasing T cell potency and sustainability, which has given rise to different CAR generations. However, there was less focus on the mode of interaction between the CAR-T cell and the cancer cell; more specifically on the targeting moiety used in the CAR and its specific properties. Recently, the importance of optimizing this domain has been recognized and the possibilities have been exploited. Over the last 10 years-in addition to the classical scFv-based CARs-single domain CARs, natural receptor-ligand CARs, universal CARs and CARs targeting more than one antigen have emerged. In addition, the specific parameters of the targeting domain and their influence on T cell activation are being examined. In this review, we concisely present the history of CAR-T cell therapy, and then expand on various developments in the CAR ectodomain. We discuss different formats, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, as well as the developments in affinity tuning, avidity effects, epitope location, and influence of the extracellular spacer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heleen Hanssens
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging LaboratoryVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Laboratory of Hematology and ImmunologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical SciencesVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Fien Meeus
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging LaboratoryVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical SciencesVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Kim De Veirman
- Laboratory of Hematology and ImmunologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical SciencesVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Nick Devoogdt
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging LaboratoryVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
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Asaadi Y, Jouneghani FF, Janani S, Rahbarizadeh F. A comprehensive comparison between camelid nanobodies and single chain variable fragments. Biomark Res 2021; 9:87. [PMID: 34863296 PMCID: PMC8642758 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-021-00332-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
By the emergence of recombinant DNA technology, many antibody fragments have been developed devoid of undesired properties of natural immunoglobulins. Among them, camelid heavy-chain variable domains (VHHs) and single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) are the most favored ones. While scFv is used widely in various applications, camelid antibodies (VHHs) can serve as an alternative because of their superior chemical and physical properties such as higher solubility, stability, smaller size, and lower production cost. Here, these two counterparts are compared in structure and properties to identify which one is more suitable for each of their various therapeutic, diagnosis, and research applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasaman Asaadi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Fazlollahi Jouneghani
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Janani
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rahbarizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
- Research and Development Center of Biotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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De Bousser E, Callewaert N, Festjens N. T Cell Engaging Immunotherapies, Highlighting Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:6067. [PMID: 34885176 PMCID: PMC8657024 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell technology has revolutionized cancer immunotherapy. This strategy uses synthetic CARs to redirect the patient's own immune cells to recognize specific antigens expressed on the surface of tumor cells. The unprecedented success of anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy against B cell malignancies has resulted in its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. However, major scientific challenges still remain to be addressed for the broad use of CAR T cell therapy. These include severe toxicities, limited efficacy against solid tumors, and immune suppression in the hostile tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, CAR T cell therapy is a personalized medicine of which the production is time- and resource-intensive, which makes it very expensive. All these factors drive new innovations to engineer more powerful CAR T cells with improved antitumor activity, which are reviewed in this manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elien De Bousser
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)—UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium;
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nico Callewaert
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)—UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium;
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nele Festjens
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)—UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium;
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
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Chung H, Jung H, Noh JY. Emerging Approaches for Solid Tumor Treatment Using CAR-T Cell Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212126. [PMID: 34830003 PMCID: PMC8621681 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is becoming more important in the clinical setting, especially for cancers resistant to conventional chemotherapy, including targeted therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, which uses patient’s autologous T cells, combined with engineered T cell receptors, has shown remarkable results, with five US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals to date. CAR-T cells have been very effective in hematologic malignancies, such as diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and multiple myeloma (MM); however, its effectiveness in treating solid tumors has not been evaluated clearly. Therefore, many studies and clinical investigations are emerging to improve the CAR-T cell efficacy in solid tumors. The novel therapeutic approaches include modifying CARs in multiple ways or developing a combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapies. In this review, we focus on the challenges and recent advancements in CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunmin Chung
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Daejeon 34141, Korea;
- College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Haiyoung Jung
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Daejeon 34141, Korea;
- Department of Functional Genomics, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 113 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113, Korea
- Correspondence: (H.J.); (J.-Y.N.)
| | - Ji-Yoon Noh
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Daejeon 34141, Korea;
- Correspondence: (H.J.); (J.-Y.N.)
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Xiong R, Hua D, Van Hoeck J, Berdecka D, Léger L, De Munter S, Fraire JC, Raes L, Harizaj A, Sauvage F, Goetgeluk G, Pille M, Aalders J, Belza J, Van Acker T, Bolea-Fernandez E, Si T, Vanhaecke F, De Vos WH, Vandekerckhove B, van Hengel J, Raemdonck K, Huang C, De Smedt SC, Braeckmans K. Photothermal nanofibres enable safe engineering of therapeutic cells. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 16:1281-1291. [PMID: 34675410 PMCID: PMC7612007 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-021-00976-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticle-sensitized photoporation is an upcoming approach for the intracellular delivery of biologics, combining high efficiency and throughput with excellent cell viability. However, as it relies on close contact between nanoparticles and cells, its translation towards clinical applications is hampered by safety and regulatory concerns. Here we show that light-sensitive iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in biocompatible electrospun nanofibres induce membrane permeabilization by photothermal effects without direct cellular contact with the nanoparticles. The photothermal nanofibres have been successfully used to deliver effector molecules, including CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes and short interfering RNA, to adherent and suspension cells, including embryonic stem cells and hard-to-transfect T cells, without affecting cell proliferation or phenotype. In vivo experiments furthermore demonstrated successful tumour regression in mice treated with chimeric antibody receptor T cells in which the expression of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) is downregulated after nanofibre photoporation with short interfering RNA to PD1. In conclusion, cell membrane permeabilization with photothermal nanofibres is a promising concept towards the safe and more efficient production of engineered cells for therapeutic applications, including stem cell or adoptive T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranhua Xiong
- Joint Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Materials (Nanjing Forestry University-Ghent University), International Innovation for Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Dawei Hua
- Joint Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Materials (Nanjing Forestry University-Ghent University), International Innovation for Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jelter Van Hoeck
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dominika Berdecka
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Laurens Léger
- Department of Human Structure and Repair, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stijn De Munter
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences and Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Juan C Fraire
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laurens Raes
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aranit Harizaj
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Félix Sauvage
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Glenn Goetgeluk
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Melissa Pille
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jeffrey Aalders
- Department of Human Structure and Repair, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joke Belza
- Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thibaut Van Acker
- Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez
- Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ting Si
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Frank Vanhaecke
- Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Winnok H De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bart Vandekerckhove
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jolanda van Hengel
- Department of Human Structure and Repair, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Raemdonck
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chaobo Huang
- Joint Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Materials (Nanjing Forestry University-Ghent University), International Innovation for Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Stefaan C De Smedt
- Joint Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Materials (Nanjing Forestry University-Ghent University), International Innovation for Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Center for Advanced Light Microscopy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Kevin Braeckmans
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Center for Advanced Light Microscopy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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40
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Al-Baradie RS. Nanobodies as versatile tools: A focus on targeted tumor therapy, tumor imaging and diagnostics. Hum Antibodies 2021; 28:259-272. [PMID: 32831197 DOI: 10.3233/hab-200425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies and vaccines have widely been studied for the immunotherapy of cancer, though their large size appears to limit their functionality in solid tumors, in large part due to unique properties of tumor microenvironment. Smaller formats of antibodies have been developed to throw such restrictions. These small format antibodies include antigen binding fragments, single-chain variable fragments, single variable domain of camelid antibody (so-called nanobody (Nb) or VHH). Since their serendipitous discovery, nanobodies have been studies at length in the fields of research, diagnostics and therapy. These antigen binding fragments, originating from camelid heavy-chain antibodies, possess unusual hallmarks in terms of (small) size, stability, solubility and specificity, hence allowing cost-effective production and sometimes out performing monoclonal antibodies. In addition, these small camelid heavy-chain antibodies are highly adaptable tools for cancer research as they enable specific modulation of targets, enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins alike. Molecular imaging studies benefit from the rapid, homogeneous tumor accumulation of nanobodies and their fast blood clearance, permitting previously unattainable fast tumor visualization. Moreover, they are endowed with considerable therapeutic potential as inhibitors of receptor-ligand pairs and deliverers of drugs or drug-loaded nanoparticles towards tumors. In this review, we shed light on the current status of nanobodies in diagnosis and imaging of tumor and exploiting nanobodies revert immunosuppressive events, modulation of immune checkpoints, and as deliverers of drugs for targeted tumor therapy.
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Bruno B, Wäsch R, Engelhardt M, Gay F, Giaccone L, D'Agostino M, Rodríguez-Lobato LG, Danhof S, Gagelmann N, Kröger N, Popat R, Van de Donk NWCJ, Terpos E, Dimopoulos MA, Sonneveld P, Einsele H, Boccadoro M. European Myeloma Network perspective on CAR T-Cell therapies for multiple myeloma. Haematologica 2021; 106:2054-2065. [PMID: 33792221 PMCID: PMC8327729 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2020.276402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells (CAR-T) have dramatically changed the treatment landscape of B-cell malignancies, providing a potential cure for relapsed/refractory patients. Long-term responses in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non Hodgkin lymphomas have encouraged further development in myeloma. In particular, B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted CAR-T have established very promising results in heavily pre-treated patients. Moreover, CAR-T targeting other antigens (i.e., SLAMF7 and CD44v6) are currently under investigation. However, none of these current autologous therapies have been approved, and despite high overall response rates across studies, main issues such as long-term outcome, toxicities, treatment resistance, and management of complications limit as yet their widespread use. Here, we critically review the most important pre-clinical and clinical findings, recent advances in CAR-T against myeloma, as well as discoveries in the biology of a still incurable disease, that, all together, will further improve safety and efficacy in relapsed/refractory patients, urgently in need of novel treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetto Bruno
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino and Department of Oncology, Division of Hematology, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Presidio Molinette, Torino, Italy; Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY.
| | - Ralph Wäsch
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg
| | - Monika Engelhardt
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg
| | - Francesca Gay
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino and Department of Oncology, Division of Hematology, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Presidio Molinette, Torino
| | - Luisa Giaccone
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino and Department of Oncology, Division of Hematology, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Presidio Molinette, Torino
| | - Mattia D'Agostino
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino and Department of Oncology, Division of Hematology, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Presidio Molinette, Torino
| | - Luis-Gerardo Rodríguez-Lobato
- Unit of Amyloidosis and Multiple Myeloma, Department of Hematology, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Division of Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg
| | - Sophia Danhof
- Division of Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg
| | - Nico Gagelmann
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg
| | - Nicolaus Kröger
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg
| | - Rakesh Popat
- Department of Hematology, University College London Hospitals, London
| | - Niels W C J Van de Donk
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Location VUmc, Amsterdam
| | - Evangelos Terpos
- Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, Plasma Cell Dyscrasias Unit, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens
| | - Meletios A Dimopoulos
- Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, Plasma Cell Dyscrasias Unit, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens
| | | | - Hermann Einsele
- Division of Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg
| | - Mario Boccadoro
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino and Department of Oncology, Division of Hematology, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Presidio Molinette, Torino
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42
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Dai Z, Mu W, Zhao Y, Jia X, Liu J, Wei Q, Tan T, Zhou J. The rational development of CD5-targeting biepitopic CARs with fully human heavy-chain-only antigen recognition domains. Mol Ther 2021; 29:2707-2722. [PMID: 34274536 PMCID: PMC8417515 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell malignancies are a group of hematologic cancers with high recurrence and mortality rates. CD5 is highly expressed in ∼85% of T cell malignancies, although normal expression of CD5 is restricted to thymocytes, T cells, and B1 cells. However, CD5 expression on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells leads to CAR-T cell fratricide. Once this limitation is overcome, CD5-targeting CAR-T therapy could be an attractive strategy to treat T cell malignancies. Here, we report the selection of novel CD5-targeting fully human heavy-chain variable (FHVH) domains for the development of a biepitopic CAR, termed FHVH3/VH1, containing FHVH1 and FHVH3, which were validated to bind different epitopes of the CD5 antigen. To prevent fratricide in CD5 CAR-T cells, we optimized the manufacturing procedures of a CRISPR-Cas9-based CD5 knockout (CD5KO) and lentiviral transduction of anti-CD5 CAR. In vitro and in vivo functional comparisons demonstrated that biepitopic CD5KO FHVH3/VH1 CAR-T cells exhibited enhanced and longer lasting efficacy; produced moderate levels of cytokine secretion; showed similar specificity profiles as either FHVH1, FHVH3, or the clinically tested H65; and is therefore suitable for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Dai
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Wei Mu
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Ya Zhao
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, China
| | - Xiangyin Jia
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, China
| | - Jianwei Liu
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, China
| | - Qiaoe Wei
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, China
| | - Taochao Tan
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, China.
| | - Jianfeng Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
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43
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Glover M, Avraamides S, Maher J. How Can We Engineer CAR T Cells to Overcome Resistance? Biologics 2021; 15:175-198. [PMID: 34040345 PMCID: PMC8141613 DOI: 10.2147/btt.s252568] [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: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has achieved unrivalled success in the treatment of B cell and plasma cell malignancies, with five CAR T cell products now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, CAR T cell therapies for solid tumours have not been nearly as successful, owing to several additional challenges. Here, we discuss mechanisms of tumour resistance in CAR T cell therapy and the emerging strategies that are under development to engineer CAR T cells to overcome resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Glover
- Leucid Bio Ltd., Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Stephanie Avraamides
- King's College London, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - John Maher
- Leucid Bio Ltd., Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK.,King's College London, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK.,Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE5 9RS, UK.,Department of Immunology, Eastbourne Hospital, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2UD, UK
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44
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Kang W, Ding C, Zheng D, Ma X, Yi L, Tong X, Wu C, Xue C, Yu Y, Zhou Q. Nanobody Conjugates for Targeted Cancer Therapy and Imaging. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2021; 20:15330338211010117. [PMID: 33929911 PMCID: PMC8111546 DOI: 10.1177/15330338211010117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional antibody-based targeted cancer therapy is one of the most promising avenues of successful cancer treatment, with the potential to reduce toxic side effects to healthy cells surrounding tumor cells. However, the full potential of antibodies is severely limited due to their large size, low stability, slow clearance, and high immunogenicity. Alternatively, recently discovered nanobodies, which are the smallest naturally occurring antigen-binding format, have shown great potential for addressing these limitations. Bioconjugation of nanobodies to functional groups such as toxins, enzymes, radionucleotides, and fluorophores can improve the efficacy and potency of nanobodies, enhance their in vivo pharmacokinetics, and expand the range of potential applications. Herein, we review the superior characteristics of nanobodies in comparison to conventional antibodies and provide insight into recent developments in nanobody conjugates for targeted cancer therapy and imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Kang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.,Ningbo Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo, China
| | - Chuanfeng Ding
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Danni Zheng
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Lun Yi
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xinyi Tong
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Chuang Wu
- Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, China
| | - Chuang Xue
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.,Ningbo Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo, China
| | - Yongsheng Yu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Zhou
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Safarzadeh Kozani P, Safarzadeh Kozani P, Rahbarizadeh F, Khoshtinat Nikkhoi S. Strategies for Dodging the Obstacles in CAR T Cell Therapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:627549. [PMID: 33869011 PMCID: PMC8047470 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.627549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has offered cancer patients a new alternative therapeutic choice in recent years. This novel type of therapy holds tremendous promise for the treatment of various hematologic malignancies including B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and lymphoma. However, CAR T cell therapy has experienced its ups and downs in terms of toxicities and efficacy shortcomings. Adverse events such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), neurotoxicity, graft rejection, on-target off-tumor toxicities, and tumor relapse have tied the rescuing hands of CAR T cell therapies. Moreover, in the case of solid tumor treatment, CAR T cell therapies have not yielded encouraging results mainly due to challenges such as the formidable network of the tumor microenvironments (TME) that operates in a suppressive fashion resulting in CAR T cell dysfunction. In this review, we tend to shine a light on emerging strategies and solutions for addressing the mentioned barriers. These solutions might dramatically help shorten the gap between a successful clinical outcome and the hope for it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooria Safarzadeh Kozani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pouya Safarzadeh Kozani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Paramedicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rahbarizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.,Research and Development Center of Biotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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Akhoundi M, Mohammadi M, Sahraei SS, Sheykhhasan M, Fayazi N. CAR T cell therapy as a promising approach in cancer immunotherapy: challenges and opportunities. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2021; 44:495-523. [PMID: 33759063 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-021-00593-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cell therapy has shown great potential in the immunotherapy of patients with hematologic malignancies. In spite of this striking achievement, there are still major challenges to overcome in CAR T cell therapy of solid tumors, including treatment-related toxicity and specificity. Also, other obstacles may be encountered in tackling solid tumors, such as their immunosuppressive microenvironment, the heterogeneous expression of cell surface markers, and the cumbersome arrival of T cells at the tumor site. Although several strategies have been developed to overcome these challenges, aditional research aimed at enhancing its efficacy with minimum side effects, the design of precise yet simplified work flows and the possibility to scale-up production with reduced costs and related risks is still warranted. CONCLUSIONS Here, we review main strategies to establish a balance between the toxicity and activity of CAR T cells in order to enhance their specificity and surpass immunosuppression. In recent years, many clinical studies have been conducted that eventually led to approved products. To date, the FDA has approved two anti-CD19 CAR T cell products for non-Hodgkin lymphoma therapy, i.e., axicbtagene ciloleucel and tisagenlecleucel. With all the advances that have been made in the field of CAR T cell therapy for hematologic malignancies therapy, ongoing studies are focused on optimizing its efficacy and specificity, as well as reducing the side effects. Also, the efforts are poised to broaden CAR T cell therapeutics for other cancers, especially solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Akhoundi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Mohammadi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyedeh Saeideh Sahraei
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Qom Branch, Qom, Iran.,Department of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Qom Branch, Qom, Iran
| | - Mohsen Sheykhhasan
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. .,Department of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Qom Branch, Qom, Iran.
| | - Nashmin Fayazi
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
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Sun S, Ding Z, Yang X, Zhao X, Zhao M, Gao L, Chen Q, Xie S, Liu A, Yin S, Xu Z, Lu X. Nanobody: A Small Antibody with Big Implications for Tumor Therapeutic Strategy. Int J Nanomedicine 2021; 16:2337-2356. [PMID: 33790553 PMCID: PMC7997558 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s297631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of monoclonal antibody treatments for successful tumor-targeted therapies took several decades. However, the efficacy of antibody-based therapy is still confined and desperately needs further improvement. Nanobodies are the recombinant variable domains of heavy-chain-only antibodies, with many unique properties such as small size (~15kDa), excellent solubility, superior stability, ease of manufacture, quick clearance from blood, and deep tissue penetration, which gain increasing acceptance as therapeutical tools and are considered also as building blocks for chimeric antigen receptors as well as for targeted drug delivery. Thus, one of the promising novel developments that may address the deficiency of monoclonal antibody-based therapies is the utilization of nanobodies. This article provides readers the significant factors that the structural and biochemical properties of nanobodies and the research progress on nanobodies in the fields of tumor treatment, as well as their application prospect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyang Sun
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ziqiang Ding
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaomei Yang
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinyue Zhao
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Minlong Zhao
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Gao
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qu Chen
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shenxia Xie
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Aiqun Liu
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shihua Yin
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiping Xu
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Xiaoling Lu
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
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48
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Nanobody-based chimeric antigen receptor T cells designed by CRISPR/Cas9 technology for solid tumor immunotherapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:80. [PMID: 33627635 PMCID: PMC7904846 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00462-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor-based T-cell immunotherapy is a promising strategy for treatment of hematological malignant tumors; however, its efficacy towards solid cancer remains challenging. We therefore focused on developing nanobody-based CAR-T cells that treat the solid tumor. CD105 expression is upregulated on neoangiogenic endothelial and cancer cells. CD105 has been developed as a drug target. Here we show the generation of a CD105-specific nanobody, an anti-human CD105 CAR-T cells, by inserting the sequences for anti-CD105 nanobody-linked standard cassette genes into AAVS1 site using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Co-culture with CD105+ target cells led to the activation of anti-CD105 CAR-T cells that displayed the typically activated cytotoxic T-cell characters, ability to proliferate, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the specific killing efficacy against CD105+ target cells in vitro. The in vivo treatment with anti-CD105 CAR-T cells significantly inhibited the growth of implanted CD105+ tumors, reduced tumor weight, and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing NOD/SCID mice. Nanobody-based CAR-T cells can therefore function as an antitumor agent in human tumor xenograft models. Our findings determined that the strategy of nanobody-based CAR-T cells engineered by CRISPR/Cas9 system has a certain potential to treat solid tumor through targeting CD105 antigen.
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49
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The Application of Nanobody in CAR-T Therapy. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020238. [PMID: 33567640 PMCID: PMC7914546 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy represents a form of immune cellular therapy with clinical efficacy and a specific target. A typical chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) construct consists of an antigen binding domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic domain. Nanobodies have been widely applied as the antigen binding domain of CAR-T due to their small size, optimal stability, high affinity, and manufacturing feasibility. The nanobody-based CAR structure has shown a proven function in more than ten different tumor-specific targets. After being transduced in Jurkat cells, natural killer cells, or primary T cells, the resulting nanobody-based CAR-T or CAR-NK cells demonstrate anti-tumor effects both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, anti-BCMA CAR-T modulated by a single nanobody or bi-valent nanobody displays comparable clinical effects with that of single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-modulated CAR-T. The application of nanobodies in CAR-T therapy has been well demonstrated from bench to bedside and displays great potential in forming advanced CAR-T for more challenging tasks.
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50
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Verhaar ER, Woodham AW, Ploegh HL. Nanobodies in cancer. Semin Immunol 2020; 52:101425. [PMID: 33272897 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2020.101425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
For treatment and diagnosis of cancer, antibodies have proven their value and now serve as a first line of therapy for certain cancers. A unique class of antibody fragments called nanobodies, derived from camelid heavy chain-only antibodies, are gaining increasing acceptance as diagnostic tools and are considered also as building blocks for chimeric antigen receptors as well as for targeted drug delivery. The small size of nanobodies (∼15 kDa), their stability, ease of manufacture and modification for diverse formats, short circulatory half-life, and high tissue penetration, coupled with excellent specificity and affinity, account for their attractiveness. Here we review applications of nanobodies in the sphere of tumor biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisha R Verhaar
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Andrew W Woodham
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
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