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Zanvit P, van Dyk D, Fazenbaker C, McGlinchey K, Luo W, Pezold JM, Meekin J, Chang CY, Carrasco RA, Breen S, Cheung CSF, Endlich-Frazier A, Clark B, Chu NJ, Vantellini A, Martin PL, Hoover CE, Riley K, Sweet SM, Chain D, Kim YJ, Tu E, Harder N, Phipps S, Damschroder M, Gilbreth RN, Cobbold M, Moody G, Bosco EE. Antitumor activity of AZD0754, a dnTGFβRII-armored, STEAP2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy, in prostate cancer. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e169655. [PMID: 37966111 PMCID: PMC10645390 DOI: 10.1172/jci169655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is generally considered an immunologically "cold" tumor type that is insensitive to immunotherapy. Targeting surface antigens on tumors through cellular therapy can induce a potent antitumor immune response to "heat up" the tumor microenvironment. However, many antigens expressed on prostate tumor cells are also found on normal tissues, potentially causing on-target, off-tumor toxicities and a suboptimal therapeutic index. Our studies revealed that six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate-2 (STEAP2) was a prevalent prostate cancer antigen that displayed high, homogeneous cell surface expression across all stages of disease with limited distal normal tissue expression, making it ideal for therapeutic targeting. A multifaceted lead generation approach enabled development of an armored STEAP2 chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapeutic candidate, AZD0754. This CAR-T product was armored with a dominant-negative TGF-β type II receptor, bolstering its activity in the TGF-β-rich immunosuppressive environment of prostate cancer. AZD0754 demonstrated potent and specific cytotoxicity against antigen-expressing cells in vitro despite TGF-β-rich conditions. Further, AZD0754 enforced robust, dose-dependent in vivo efficacy in STEAP2-expressing cancer cell line-derived and patient-derived xenograft mouse models, and exhibited encouraging preclinical safety. Together, these data underscore the therapeutic tractability of STEAP2 in prostate cancer as well as build confidence in the specificity, potency, and tolerability of this potentially first-in-class CAR-T therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
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- Oncology Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
| | - Clare E. Hoover
- Clinical Pathology Patient Safety, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kenesha Riley
- Clinical Pathology Patient Safety, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Steve M. Sweet
- Oncology Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
| | - David Chain
- Oncology Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
| | - Yeoun Jin Kim
- Oncology Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
| | - Eric Tu
- Oncology Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
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Chambers AG, Chain DC, Sweet SM, Song Z, Martin PL, Ellis MJ, Rooney C, Kim YJ. Mass spectrometry quantifies target engagement for a KRASG12C inhibitor in FFPE tumor tissue. Clin Proteomics 2023; 20:47. [PMID: 37880622 PMCID: PMC10599008 DOI: 10.1186/s12014-023-09435-8] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quantification of drug-target binding is critical for confirming that drugs reach their intended protein targets, understanding the mechanism of action, and interpreting dose-response relationships. For covalent inhibitors, target engagement can be inferred by free target levels before and after treatment. Targeted mass spectrometry assays offer precise protein quantification in complex biological samples and have been routinely applied in pre-clinical studies to quantify target engagement in frozen tumor tissues for oncology drug development. However, frozen tissues are often not available from clinical trials so it is critical that assays are applicable to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues in order to extend mass spectrometry-based target engagement studies into clinical settings. METHODS Wild-type RAS and RASG12C was quantified in FFPE tissues by a highly optimized targeted mass spectrometry assay that couples high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) with internal standards. In a subset of samples, technical reproducibility was evaluated by analyzing consecutive tissue sections from the same tumor block and biological variation was accessed among adjacent tumor regions in the same tissue section. RESULTS Wild-type RAS protein was measured in 32 clinical non-small cell lung cancer tumors (622-2525 amol/µg) as measured by FAIMS-PRM mass spectrometry. Tumors with a known KRASG12C mutation (n = 17) expressed a wide range of RASG12C mutant protein (127-2012 amol/µg). The variation in wild-type RAS and RASG12C measurements ranged 0-18% CV across consecutive tissue sections and 5-20% CV among adjacent tissue regions. Quantitative target engagement was then demonstrated in FFPE tissues from 2 xenograft models (MIA PaCa-2 and NCI-H2122) treated with a RASG12C inhibitor (AZD4625). CONCLUSIONS This work illustrates the potential to expand mass spectrometry-based proteomics in preclinical and clinical oncology drug development through analysis of FFPE tumor biopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Chambers
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - David C Chain
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Steve M Sweet
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Zifeng Song
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Philip L Martin
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Matthew J Ellis
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | | | - Yeoun Jin Kim
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA.
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Al-Garawi ZS, McIntosh BA, Neill-Hall D, Hatimy AA, Sweet SM, Bagley MC, Serpell LC. The amyloid architecture provides a scaffold for enzyme-like catalysts. Nanoscale 2017; 9:10773-10783. [PMID: 28722055 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr02675g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural biological enzymes possess catalytic sites that are generally surrounded by a large three-dimensional scaffold. However, the proportion of the protein molecule that participates in the catalytic reaction is relatively small. The generation of artificial or miniature enzymes has long been a focus of research because enzyme mimetics can be produced with high activity at low cost. These enzymes aim to mimic the active sites without the additional architecture contributed by the protein chain. Previous work has shown that amyloidogenic peptides are able to self-assemble to create an active site that is capable of binding zinc and catalysing an esterase reaction. Here, we describe the structural characterisation of a set of designed peptides that form an amyloid-like architecture and reveal that their capability to mimic carbonic anhydrase and serve as enzyme-like catalysts is related to their ability to self-assemble. These amyloid fibril structures can bind the metal ion Zn2+via a three-dimensional arrangement of His residues created by the amyloid architecture. Our results suggest that the catalytic efficiency of amyloid-like assembly is not only zinc-dependent but also depends on an active centre created by the peptides which is, in turn, dependent on the ordered architecture. These fibrils have good esterase activity, and they may serve as good models for the evolution of modern-day enzymes. Furthermore, they may be useful in designing self-assembling fibrils for applications as metal ion catalysts. This study also demonstrates that the ligands surrounding the catalytic site affect the affinity of the zinc-binding site to bind the substrate contributing to the enzymatic activity of the assembled peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z S Al-Garawi
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9QG, UK.
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Grundy GJ, Polo LM, Zeng Z, Rulten SL, Hoch NC, Paomephan P, Xu Y, Sweet SM, Thorne AW, Oliver AW, Matthews SJ, Pearl LH, Caldecott KW. PARP3 is a sensor of nicked nucleosomes and monoribosylates histone H2B(Glu2). Nat Commun 2016; 7:12404. [PMID: 27530147 PMCID: PMC4992063 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [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: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PARP3 is a member of the ADP-ribosyl transferase superfamily that we show accelerates the repair of chromosomal DNA single-strand breaks in avian DT40 cells. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance experiments reveal that PARP3 employs a conserved DNA-binding interface to detect and stably bind DNA breaks and to accumulate at sites of chromosome damage. PARP3 preferentially binds to and is activated by mononucleosomes containing nicked DNA and which target PARP3 trans-ribosylation activity to a single-histone substrate. Although nicks in naked DNA stimulate PARP3 autoribosylation, nicks in mononucleosomes promote the trans-ribosylation of histone H2B specifically at Glu2. These data identify PARP3 as a molecular sensor of nicked nucleosomes and demonstrate, for the first time, the ribosylation of chromatin at a site-specific DNA single-strand break.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle J. Grundy
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
| | - Luis M. Polo
- Cancer Research UK DNA Repair Enzymes Group, Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
| | - Zhihong Zeng
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
| | - Stuart L. Rulten
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
| | - Nicolas C. Hoch
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
- CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasilia/DF 70040-020, Brazil
| | - Pathompong Paomephan
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
| | - Yingqi Xu
- Cross-faculty NMR centre, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Steve M. Sweet
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
| | - Alan W. Thorne
- Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Portsmouth, St Michael's Building, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK
| | - Antony W. Oliver
- Cancer Research UK DNA Repair Enzymes Group, Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
| | - Steve J. Matthews
- Cross-faculty NMR centre, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Laurence H. Pearl
- Cancer Research UK DNA Repair Enzymes Group, Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
| | - Keith W. Caldecott
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Science Park Road, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RQ, UK
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Abstract
Three Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates of differing bacteriophage types were studied to define proteins confined to the cell wall, which were surface exposed and thus available to interact with the host. Three major proteins of 37, 41, and 51 kDa were identified in all whole-cell lysates and cell wall extracts by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. Two additional proteins of 18 and 25 kDa became evident by using 125I labeling to delineate surface-exposed proteins. A classification scheme using P1 to P5 to delineate the 51-, 41-, 37-, 25- and 18-kDa proteins is proposed. Additionally, murine immune sera were used to identify two immunodominant proteins of 51 and 25 kDa (P1 and P4, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- C C Patrick
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
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