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Boje AS, Pekar L, Koep K, Lipinski B, Rabinovich B, Evers A, Gehlert CL, Krohn S, Xiao Y, Krah S, Zaynagetdinov R, Toleikis L, Poetzsch S, Peipp M, Zielonka S, Klausz K. Impact of antibody architecture and paratope valency on effector functions of bispecific NKp30 x EGFR natural killer cell engagers. MAbs 2024; 16:2315640. [PMID: 38372053 PMCID: PMC10877975 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2024.2315640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells emerged as a promising effector population that can be harnessed for anti-tumor therapy. In this work, we constructed NK cell engagers (NKCEs) based on NKp30-targeting single domain antibodies (sdAbs) that redirect the cytotoxic potential of NK cells toward epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-expressing tumor cells. We investigated the impact of crucial parameters such as sdAb location, binding valencies, the targeted epitope on NKp30, and the overall antibody architecture on the redirection capacity. Our study exploited two NKp30-specific sdAbs, one of which binds a similar epitope on NKp30 as its natural ligand B7-H6, while the other sdAb addresses a non-competing epitope. For EGFR-positive tumor targeting, humanized antigen-binding domains of therapeutic antibody cetuximab were used. We demonstrate that NKCEs bivalently targeting EGFR and bivalently engaging NKp30 are superior to monovalent NKCEs in promoting NK cell-mediated tumor cell lysis and that the architecture of the NKCE can substantially influence killing capacities depending on the NKp30-targeting sdAb utilized. While having a pronounced impact on NK cell killing efficacy, the capabilities of triggering antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis or complement-dependent cytotoxicity were not significantly affected comparing the bivalent IgG-like NKCEs with cetuximab. However, the fusion of sdAbs can have a slight impact on the NK cell release of immunomodulatory cytokines, as well as on the pharmacokinetic profile of the NKCE due to unfavorable spatial orientation within the molecule architecture. Ultimately, our findings reveal novel insights for the engineering of potent NKCEs triggering the NKp30 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammelie Svea Boje
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein and University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lukas Pekar
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Katharina Koep
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Britta Lipinski
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Brian Rabinovich
- Department of Oncology and Immuno-Oncology, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute Inc, 45A Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA, USA
| | - Andreas Evers
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Carina Lynn Gehlert
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein and University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Steffen Krohn
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein and University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Yanping Xiao
- Department of Oncology and Immuno-Oncology, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute Inc, 45A Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA, USA
| | - Simon Krah
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Rinat Zaynagetdinov
- Department of Oncology and Immuno-Oncology, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute Inc, 45A Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA, USA
| | - Lars Toleikis
- Early Protein Supply & Characterization, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sven Poetzsch
- Strategic Innovation, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Matthias Peipp
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein and University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Katja Klausz
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein and University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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2
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Lustig M, Chan C, Jansen JHM, Bräutigam M, Kölling MA, Gehlert CL, Baumann N, Mester S, Foss S, Andersen JT, Bastian L, Sondermann P, Peipp M, Burger R, Leusen JHW, Valerius T. Disruption of the sialic acid/Siglec-9 axis improves antibody-mediated neutrophil cytotoxicity towards tumor cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1178817. [PMID: 37346044 PMCID: PMC10279866 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1178817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Upregulation of surface expressed sialoglycans on tumor cells is one of the mechanisms which promote tumor growth and progression. Specifically, the interactions of sialic acids with sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins (Siglecs) on lymphoid or myeloid cells transmit inhibitory signals and lead to suppression of anti-tumor responses. Here, we show that neutrophils express among others Siglec-9, and that EGFR and HER2 positive breast tumor cells express ligands for Siglec-9. Treatment of tumor cells with neuraminidases or a sialyl transferase inhibitor significantly reduced binding of a soluble recombinant Siglec-9-Fc fusion protein, while EGFR and HER2 expression remained unchanged. Importantly, the cytotoxic activity of neutrophils driven by therapeutic EGFR or HER2 antibodies in vitro was increased by blocking the sialic acid/Siglec interaction, either by reducing tumor cell sialylation or by a Siglec-9 blocking antibody containing an effector silenced Fc domain. In vivo a short-term xenograft mouse model confirmed the improved therapeutic efficacy of EGFR antibodies against sialic acid depleted, by a sialyltransferase inhibitor, tumor cells compared to untreated cells. Our studies demonstrate that sialic acid/Siglec interactions between tumor cells and myeloid cells can impair antibody dependent tumor cell killing, and that Siglec-9 on polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) is critically involved. Considering that PMN are often a highly abundant cell population in the tumor microenvironment, Siglec-9 constitutes a promising target for myeloid checkpoint blockade to improve antibody-based tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lustig
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Chilam Chan
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - J. H. Marco Jansen
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Max A. Kölling
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Carina Lynn Gehlert
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Niklas Baumann
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Simone Mester
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stian Foss
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan Terje Andersen
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lorenz Bastian
- Department of Medicine II, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Peipp
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Renate Burger
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jeanette H. W. Leusen
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Thomas Valerius
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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3
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Klausz K, Pekar L, Boje AS, Gehlert CL, Krohn S, Gupta T, Xiao Y, Krah S, Zaynagetdinov R, Lipinski B, Toleikis L, Poetzsch S, Rabinovich B, Peipp M, Zielonka S. Multifunctional NK Cell–Engaging Antibodies Targeting EGFR and NKp30 Elicit Efficient Tumor Cell Killing and Proinflammatory Cytokine Release. The Journal of Immunology 2022; 209:1724-1735. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
In this work, we have generated novel Fc-comprising NK cell engagers (NKCEs) that bridge human NKp30 on NK cells to human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on tumor cells. Camelid-derived VHH single-domain Abs specific for human NKp30 and a humanized Fab derived from the EGFR-specific therapeutic Ab cetuximab were used as binding arms. By combining camelid immunization with yeast surface display, we were able to isolate a diverse panel of NKp30-specific VHHs against different epitopes on NKp30. Intriguingly, NKCEs built with VHHs that compete for binding to NKp30 with B7-H6, the natural ligand of NKp30, were significantly more potent in eliciting tumor cell lysis of EGFR-positive tumor cells than NKCEs harboring VHHs that target different epitopes on NKp30 from B7-H6. We demonstrate that the NKCEs can be further improved with respect to killing capabilities by concomitant engagement of FcγRIIIa and that soluble B7-H6 does not impede cytolytic capacities of all scrutinized NKCEs at significantly higher B7-H6 concentrations than observed in cancer patients. Moreover, we show that physiological processes requiring interactions between membrane-bound B7-H6 and NKp30 on NK cells are unaffected by noncompeting NKCEs still eliciting tumor cell killing at low picomolar concentrations. Ultimately, the NKCEs generated in this study were significantly more potent in eliciting NK cell–mediated tumor cell lysis than cetuximab and elicited a robust release of proinflammatory cytokines, both features which might be beneficial for antitumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Klausz
- *Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lukas Pekar
- †Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ammelie Svea Boje
- *Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Carina Lynn Gehlert
- *Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Steffen Krohn
- *Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tushar Gupta
- ‡Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA
| | - Yanping Xiao
- §Department of Oncology and Immuno-oncology, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA
| | - Simon Krah
- †Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Rinat Zaynagetdinov
- §Department of Oncology and Immuno-oncology, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA
| | - Britta Lipinski
- †Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- ¶Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany; and
| | - Lars Toleikis
- †Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sven Poetzsch
- ‖Strategic Innovation, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Brian Rabinovich
- §Department of Oncology and Immuno-oncology, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA
| | - Matthias Peipp
- *Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- †Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- ¶Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany; and
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Gehlert CL, Rahmati P, Boje AS, Winterberg D, Krohn S, Theocharis T, Cappuzzello E, Lux A, Nimmerjahn F, Ludwig RJ, Lustig M, Rösner T, Valerius T, Schewe DM, Kellner C, Klausz K, Peipp M. Dual Fc optimization to increase the cytotoxic activity of a CD19-targeting antibody. Front Immunol 2022; 13:957874. [PMID: 36119088 PMCID: PMC9471254 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.957874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting CD19 represents a promising strategy for the therapy of B-cell malignancies. Although non-engineered CD19 antibodies are poorly effective in mediating complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) or antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), these effector functions can be enhanced by Fc-engineering. Here, we engineered a CD19 antibody with the aim to improve effector cell-mediated killing and CDC activity by exchanging selected amino acid residues in the Fc domain. Based on the clinically approved Fc-optimized antibody tafasitamab, which triggers enhanced ADCC and ADCP due to two amino acid exchanges in the Fc domain (S239D/I332E), we additionally added the E345K amino acid exchange to favor antibody hexamerization on the target cell surface resulting in improved CDC. The dual engineered CD19-DEK antibody bound CD19 and Fcγ receptors with similar characteristics as the parental CD19-DE antibody. Both antibodies were similarly efficient in mediating ADCC and ADCP but only the dual optimized antibody was able to trigger complement deposition on target cells and effective CDC. Our data provide evidence that from a technical perspective selected Fc-enhancing mutations can be combined (S239D/I332E and E345K) allowing the enhancement of ADCC, ADCP and CDC with isolated effector populations. Interestingly, under more physiological conditions when the complement system and FcR-positive effector cells are available as effector source, strong complement deposition negatively impacts FcR engagement. Both effector functions were simultaneously active only at selected antibody concentrations. Dual Fc-optimized antibodies may represent a strategy to further improve CD19-directed cancer immunotherapy. In general, our results can help in guiding optimal antibody engineering strategies to optimize antibodies’ effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Lynn Gehlert
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Pegah Rahmati
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ammelie Svea Boje
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Dorothee Winterberg
- Department of Pediatrics I, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Steffen Krohn
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Theocharis
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Elisa Cappuzzello
- Oncology and Immunology Section, Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Anja Lux
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Falk Nimmerjahn
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ralf J. Ludwig
- Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Marta Lustig
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thies Rösner
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Valerius
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Denis Martin Schewe
- Department of Pediatrics, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian Kellner
- Division of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Haemostaseology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Klausz
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Peipp
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- *Correspondence: Matthias Peipp,
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Krohn S, Boje AS, Gehlert CL, Lutz S, Darzentas N, Knecht H, Herrmann D, Brüggemann M, Scheidig AJ, Weisel K, Gramatzki M, Peipp M, Klausz K. Identification of New Antibodies Targeting Malignant Plasma Cells for Immunotherapy by Next-Generation Sequencing-Assisted Phage Display. Front Immunol 2022; 13:908093. [PMID: 35784366 PMCID: PMC9248769 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.908093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify new antibodies for the treatment of plasma cell disorders including multiple myeloma (MM), a single-chain Fragment variable (scFv) antibody library was generated by immunizing mice with patient-derived malignant plasma cells. To enrich antibodies binding myeloma antigens, phage display with cellular panning was performed. After depleting the immune library with leukocytes of healthy donors, selection of antibodies was done with L-363 plasma cell line in two consecutive panning rounds. Monitoring the antibodies’ enrichment throughout the panning by next-generation sequencing (NGS) identified several promising candidates. Initially, 41 unique scFv antibodies evolving from different B cell clones were selected. Nine of these antibodies strongly binding to myeloma cells and weakly binding to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were characterized. Using stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing individual myeloma-associated antigens revealed that two antibodies bind CD38 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), respectively, and 7 antibodies target yet unknown antigens. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of our new antibodies, in a first proof-of-concept study the CD38 binding scFv phage antibody was converted into a chimeric IgG1. Further analyses revealed that #5-CD38-IgG1 shared an overlapping epitope with daratumumab and isatuximab and had potent anti-myeloma activity comparable to the two clinically approved CD38 antibodies. These results indicate that by phage display and deep sequencing, new antibodies with therapeutic potential for MM immunotherapy can be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Krohn
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ammelie Svea Boje
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Carina Lynn Gehlert
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sebastian Lutz
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Nikos Darzentas
- Unit for Hematological Diagnostics, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Henrik Knecht
- Unit for Hematological Diagnostics, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Dietrich Herrmann
- Unit for Hematological Diagnostics, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Monika Brüggemann
- Unit for Hematological Diagnostics, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Axel J. Scheidig
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Weisel
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) with Section of Pneumology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Gramatzki
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Peipp
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Klausz
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- *Correspondence: Katja Klausz,
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Klausz K, Kellner C, Gehlert CL, Krohn S, Wilcken H, Floerkemeier I, Günther A, Bauerschlag DO, Clement B, Gramatzki M, Peipp M. The Novel Dual Topoisomerase Inhibitor P8-D6 Shows Anti-myeloma Activity In Vitro and In Vivo. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 21:70-78. [PMID: 34725192 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
P8-D6 is a novel dual inhibitor of human topoisomerase I (TOP1) and II (TOP2) with broad pro-apoptotic antitumor activity. NCI-60 screening revealed markedly improved cytotoxicity of P8-D6 against solid and leukemia cell lines compared with other single and dual topoisomerase inhibitors, for example, irinotecan, doxorubicin, or pyrazoloacridine. In this study, we investigated the capacity of P8-D6 to inhibit myeloma cell growth in vitro and in vivo Growth inhibition assays demonstrated significant anti-myeloma effects against different myeloma cell lines with IC50 values in the low nanomolar range. Freshly isolated plasma cells of patients with multiple myeloma were killed by P8-D6 with similar doses. P8-D6 activated caspase 3/7 and induced significant apoptosis of myeloma cells. Supportive effects of bone marrow stromal cells on IL6-dependent INA-6 myeloma cells were abrogated by P8-D6 and apoptosis occurred in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Of note, healthy donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells were not affected at concentrations toxic for malignant plasma cells. Treatment of myeloma xenografts in immunodeficient SCID/beige mice by intravenous and, notably, also oral application of P8-D6 markedly inhibited tumor growths, and significantly prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Klausz
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, and Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Christian Kellner
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Hemostaseology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Carina Lynn Gehlert
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, and Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Steffen Krohn
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, and Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hauke Wilcken
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, and Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Inken Floerkemeier
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Andreas Günther
- Helios Clinics Schwerin, Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplantation, Schwerin, Germany
| | - Dirk O Bauerschlag
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bernd Clement
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Martin Gramatzki
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, and Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Peipp
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, and Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
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7
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Pekar L, Klausz K, Busch M, Valldorf B, Kolmar H, Wesch D, Oberg HH, Krohn S, Boje AS, Gehlert CL, Toleikis L, Krah S, Gupta T, Rabinovich B, Zielonka S, Peipp M. Affinity Maturation of B7-H6 Translates into Enhanced NK Cell-Mediated Tumor Cell Lysis and Improved Proinflammatory Cytokine Release of Bispecific Immunoligands via NKp30 Engagement. J Immunol 2020; 206:225-236. [PMID: 33268483 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2001004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Activating NK cell receptors represent promising target structures to elicit potent antitumor immune responses. In this study, novel immunoligands were generated that bridge the activating NK cell receptor NKp30 on NK cells with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on tumor cells in a bispecific IgG-like format based on affinity-optimized versions of B7-H6 and the Fab arm derived from cetuximab. To enhance NKp30 binding, the solitary N-terminal IgV domain of B7-H6 (ΔB7-H6) was affinity matured by an evolutionary library approach combined with yeast surface display. Biochemical and functional characterization of 36 of these novel ΔB7-H6-derived NK cell engagers revealed an up to 45-fold-enhanced affinity for NKp30 and significantly improved NK cell-mediated, EGFR-dependent killing of tumor cells compared with the NK cell engager based on the wild-type ΔB7-H6 domain. In this regard, potencies (EC50 killing) of the best immunoligands were substantially improved by up to 87-fold. Moreover, release of IFN-γ and TNF-α was significantly increased. Importantly, equipment of the ΔB7-H6-based NK cell engagers with a human IgG1 Fc part competent in Fc receptor binding resulted in an almost 10-fold superior killing of EGFR-overexpressing tumor cells compared with molecules either triggering FcγRIIIa or NKp30. Additionally, INF-γ and TNF-α release was increased compared with molecules solely triggering FcγRIIIa, including the clinically approved Ab cetuximab. Thus, incorporating affinity-matured ligands for NK cell-activating receptors might represent an effective strategy for the generation of potent novel therapeutic agents with unique effector functions in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Pekar
- Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck KGaA, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany.,Discovery Pharmacology, Merck KGaA, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Katja Klausz
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael Busch
- Discovery Pharmacology, Merck KGaA, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Bernhard Valldorf
- Chemical and Pharmaceutical Development, Merck KGaA, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Daniela Wesch
- Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany; and
| | - Hans-Heinrich Oberg
- Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany; and
| | - Steffen Krohn
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Ammelie Svea Boje
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Carina Lynn Gehlert
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Lars Toleikis
- Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck KGaA, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Simon Krah
- Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck KGaA, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tushar Gupta
- Department of Immuno-oncology, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute Inc., Billerica, MA 01821
| | - Brian Rabinovich
- Department of Immuno-oncology, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute Inc., Billerica, MA 01821
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck KGaA, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany;
| | - Matthias Peipp
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany;
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