Jarvi NL, Balu-Iyer SV. A mechanistic marker-based screening tool to predict clinical immunogenicity of biologics.
Commun Med (Lond) 2023;
3:174. [PMID:
38066254 PMCID:
PMC10709359 DOI:
10.1038/s43856-023-00413-7]
[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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The efficacy and safety of therapeutic proteins are undermined by immunogenicity driven by anti-drug antibodies. Immunogenicity risk assessment is critically necessary during drug development, but current methods lack predictive power and mechanistic insight into antigen uptake and processing leading to immune response. A key mechanistic step in T-cell-dependent immune responses is the migration of mature dendritic cells to T-cell areas of lymphoid compartments, and this phenomenon is most pronounced in the immune response toward subcutaneously delivered proteins.
METHODS
The migratory potential of monocyte-derived dendritic cells is proposed to be a mechanistic marker for immunogenicity screening. Following exposure to therapeutic protein in vitro, dendritic cells are analyzed for changes in activation markers (CD40 and IL-12) in combination with levels of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 to represent migratory potential. Then a transwell assay captures the intensity of dendritic cell migration in the presence of a gradient of therapeutic protein and chemokine ligands.
RESULTS
Here, we show that an increased ability of the therapeutic protein to induce dendritic cell migration along a gradient of chemokine CCL21 and CXCL12 predicts higher immunogenic potential. Expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 on human monocyte-derived dendritic cells, in combination with activation markers CD40 and IL-12, strongly correlates with clinical anti-drug antibody incidence.
CONCLUSIONS
Mechanistic understanding of processes driving immunogenicity led to the development of a predictive tool for immunogenicity risk assessment of therapeutic proteins. These predictive markers could be adapted for immunogenicity screening of other biological modalities.
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