U.S. patent application number 12/769572 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-23 for peg-urate oxidase conjugates and use thereof.
Invention is credited to Michael S. Herschfield, Susan J. Kelly, Mark G.P. Saifer, Merry R. Sherman, L. David WILLIAMS.
Application Number | 20100323423 12/769572 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22818799 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100323423 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WILLIAMS; L. David ; et
al. |
December 23, 2010 |
PEG-Urate Oxidase Conjugates and Use Thereof
Abstract
A naturally occurring or recombinant urate oxidase (uricase)
covalently coupled to poly(ethylene glycol) or poly(ethylene oxide)
(both referred to as PEG), wherein an average of 2 to 10 strands of
PEG are conjugated to each uricase subunit and the PEG has an
average molecular weight between about 5 kDa and 100 kDa. The
resulting PEG-uricase conjugates are substantially non-immunogenic
and retain at least 75% of the uricolytic activity of the
unmodified enzyme.
Inventors: |
WILLIAMS; L. David;
(Fremont, CA) ; Herschfield; Michael S.; (Durham,
NC) ; Kelly; Susan J.; (Chapel Hill, NC) ;
Saifer; Mark G.P.; (San Carlos, CA) ; Sherman; Merry
R.; (San Carlos, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STERNE, KESSLER, GOLDSTEIN & FOX P.L.L.C.
1100 NEW YORK AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
22818799 |
Appl. No.: |
12/769572 |
Filed: |
April 28, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09839946 |
Apr 19, 2001 |
7723089 |
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12769572 |
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09370084 |
Aug 6, 1999 |
6576235 |
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09839946 |
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60219318 |
Aug 6, 1998 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
435/191 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61K 47/60 20170801;
C12Y 107/03003 20130101; A61P 3/00 20180101; A61P 13/12 20180101;
C12N 9/0093 20130101; C12N 9/0046 20130101; C12N 9/0048 20130101;
C12N 9/96 20130101; A61K 38/00 20130101; A61P 19/06 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
435/191 |
International
Class: |
C12N 9/06 20060101
C12N009/06 |
Goverment Interests
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
[0001] A portion of the research described in this application was
made with support from Grant DK48529 from the National Institutes
of Health. Accordingly, the U.S. government may have certain rights
in this invention.
Claims
1-41. (canceled)
42. An isolated tetrameric mammalian uricase, wherein said
tetrameric uricase is substantially free of uricase aggregates.
43. The isolated tetrameric uricase of claim 42, wherein the
uricase is a porcine liver, a bovine liver or an ovine liver
uricase.
44. The isolated tetrameric uricase of claim 42, wherein the
uricase is recombinant.
45. The isolated tetrameric uricase of claim 44, wherein the
uricase has substantially the sequence of a porcine, a bovine, an
ovine or a baboon liver uricase.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to chemical modification of
proteins to prolong their circulating lifetimes and reduce their
immunogenicity. More specifically, the invention relates to
conjugation of poly(ethylene glycols) or poly(ethylene oxides) to
urate oxidases, which substantially eliminates urate oxidase
immunogenicity without compromising its uricolytic activity.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Statements contained in this background section do not
constitute an admission of prior art, but instead reflect the
inventors' own subjective comments on and interpretations of the
state of the art at the time the invention was made. These
interpretations may include personal, heretofore undisclosed,
insights of the inventors, which insights were not themselves part
of the prior art.
[0004] Urate oxidases (uricases; E.C. 1.7.3.3) are enzymes that
catalyze the oxidation of uric acid to a more soluble product,
allantoin, a purine metabolite that is more readily excreted.
Humans do not produce enzymatically active uricase, as a result of
several mutations in the gene for uricase acquired during the
evolution of higher primates. Wu, X, et al., (1992) J Mol Evol
34:78-84. As a consequence, in susceptible individuals, excessive
concentrations of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia) and in the
urine (hyperuricosuria) can lead to painful arthritis (gout),
disfiguring urate deposits (tophi) and renal failure. In some
affected individuals, available drugs such as allopurinol (an
inhibitor of uric acid synthesis) produce treatment-limiting
adverse effects or do not relieve these conditions adequately.
Halide, K R, et al., (1984) Am J Med 76:47-56; Fam, A G, (1990)
Bailliere's Clin Rheumatol 4:177-192. Injections of uricase can
decrease hyperuricemia and hyperuricosuria, at least transiently.
Since uricase is a foreign protein in humans, however, even the
first injection of the unmodified protein from Aspergillus flavus
has induced anaphylactic reactions in several percent of treated
patients (Pui, C-H, et al., (1997) Leukemia 11:1813-1816), and
immunologic responses limit its utility for chronic or intermittent
treatment. Donadio, D, et al., (1981) Nouv Presse Med 10:711-712;
Leaustic, M, et al., (1983) Rev Rhum Mal Osteoartic 50:553-554.
[0005] The sub-optimal performance of available treatments for
hyperuricemia has been recognized for several decades. Kissel, P,
et al., (1968) Nature 217:72-74. Similarly, the possibility that
certain groups of patients with severe gout might benefit from a
safe and effective form of injectable uricase has been recognized
for many years. Davis, F F, et al., (1978) in G B Broun, et al.,
(Eds.) Enzyme Engineering, Vol. 4 (pp. 169-173) New York, Plenum
Press; Nishimura, H, et al., (1979) Enzyme 24:261-264; Nishimura,
H, et al., (1981) Enzyme 26:49-53; Davis, S, et al., (1981) Lancet
2(8241):281-283; Abuchowski, A, et al., (1981) J Pharmacol Exp Ther
219:352-354; Chen, RH-L, et al., (1981) Biochim Biophys Acta
660:293-298; Chua, C C, et al., (1988) Ann Int Med 109:114-117;
Greenberg, M L, et al., (1989) Anal Biochem 176:290-293. Uricases
derived from animal organs are nearly insoluble in solvents that
are compatible with safe administration by injection. U.S. Pat. No.
3,616,231. Certain uricases derived from plants or from
microorganisms are more soluble in medically acceptable solvents.
However, injection of the microbial enzymes quickly induces
immunological responses that can lead to life-threatening allergic
reactions or to inactivation and/or accelerated clearance of the
uricase from the circulation. Donadio, et al., (1981); Leaustic, et
al., (1983). Enzymes based on the deduced amino acid sequences of
uricases from mammals, including pig and baboon, or from insects,
such as, for example, Drosophila melanogaster or Drosophila
pseudoobscura (Wallrath, L L, et al., (1990) Mol Cell Biol
10:5114-5127), have not been suitable candidates for clinical use,
due to problems of immunogenicity and insolubility at physiological
pH.
[0006] Covalent modification of proteins with poly(ethylene glycol)
or poly(ethylene oxide) (both referred to as PEG), has been used to
increase protein half-life and reduce immunogenicity. U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,179,337, 4,766,106, and 4,847,325; Saifer, M G P, et al.,
(1994) Adv Exp Med Biol 366:377-387. The coupling of PEG of high
molecular weight to produce conjugates with prolonged circulating
lifetimes and/or decreased immunogenicity, while conserving
functional activity, was previously demonstrated for another
enzyme, superoxide dismutase (Somack, R, et al., (1991) Free Rad
Res Commun 12-13:553-562; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,283,317 and 5,468,478)
and for other types of proteins, e.g., cytokines (Saifer, M G P, et
al., (1997) Polym Preprints 38:576-577; Sherman, M R, et al.,
(1997) in J M Harris, et al., (Eds.), Poly(ethylene glycol)
Chemistry and Biological Applications. ACS Symposium Series 680
(pp. 155-169) Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society).
Conjugates of uricase with polymers other than PEG have also been
described. U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,683.
[0007] In nearly all of the reported attempts to PEGylate uricase
(i.e. to covalently couple PEG to uricase), the PEG was attached
primarily to amino groups, including the amino-terminal residue and
the available lysine residues. In the uricases commonly used, the
total number of lysines in each of the four identical subunits is
between 25 (Aspergillus flavus (U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,518)) and 29
(pig (Wu, X, et al., (1989) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86:9412-9416)).
Some of the lysines are unavailable for PEGylation in the native
conformation of the enzyme. The most common approach to reducing
the immunogenicity of uricase has been to couple large numbers of
strands of low molecular weight PEG. This has invariably resulted
in large decreases in the enzymatic activity of the resultant
conjugates.
[0008] Previous investigators have used injected uricase to
catalyze the conversion of uric acid to allantoin in vivo. See Pui,
et al., (1997). This is the basis for the use in France and Italy
of uricase from the fungus Aspergillus flavus (Uricozyme.RTM.) to
prevent or temporarily correct the hyperuricemia associated with
cytotoxic therapy for hematologic malignancies and to transiently
reduce severe hyperuricemia in patients with gout. Potaux, L, et
al., (1975) Nouv Presse Med 4:1109-1112; Legoux, R, et al., (1992)
J Biol Chem 267:8565-8570; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,382,518 and 5,541,098.
Because of its short circulating lifetime, Uricozyrne.RTM. requires
daily injections. Furthermore, it is not well suited for long-term
therapy because of its immunogenicity.
[0009] A single intravenous injection of a preparation of Candida
utilis uricase coupled to 5 kDa PEG reduced serum urate to
undetectable levels in five human subjects whose average
pre-injection serum urate concentration was 6.2 mg/dL, which is
within the normal range. Davis, et al., (1981). The subjects were
given an additional injection four weeks later, but their responses
were not reported. No antibodies to uricase were detected following
the second (and last) injection, using a relatively insensitive gel
diffusion assay. This reference reported no results from chronic or
subchronic treatments of human patients or experimental
animals.
[0010] A preparation of uricase from Arthrobacter protoformiae
coupled to 5 kDa PEG was used to temporarily control hyperuricemia
in a single patient with lymphoma whose pre-injection serum urate
concentration was 15 mg/dL. Chua, et al., (1988). Because of the
critical condition of the patient and the short duration of
treatment (four injections during 14 days), it was not possible to
evaluate the long-tend efficacy or safety of the conjugate.
[0011] In this application, the term "immunogenicity" refers to the
induction of an immune response by an injected preparation of
PEG-modified or unmodified uricase (the antigen), while
"antigenicity" refers to the reaction of an antigen with
preexisting antibodies. Collectively, antigenicity and
immunogenicity are referred to as "immunoreactivity." In previous
studies of PEG-uricase, immunoreactivity was assessed by a variety
of methods, including: 1) the reaction in vitro of PEG-uricase with
preformed antibodies; 2) measurements of induced antibody
synthesis; and 3) accelerated clearance rates after repeated
injections.
[0012] Previous attempts to eliminate the immunogenicity of
uricases from several sources by coupling various numbers of
strands of PEG through various linkers have met with limited
success. PEG-uricases were first disclosed by F F Davis and by Y
Inada and their colleagues. Davis, et al., (1978); U.S. Pat. No.
4,179,337; Nishimura, et al., (1979); Japanese Patents 55-99189 and
62-55079. The conjugate disclosed in the '337 patent was
synthesized by reacting uricase of unspecified origin with a
2,000-fold molar excess of 750 dalton PEG, indicating that a large
number of polymer molecules was likely to have been attached to
each uricase subunit. The '337 patent discloses the coupling of
either PEG or poly(propylene glycol) with molecular weights of 500
to 20,000 daltons, preferably about 500 to 5,000 daltons, to
provide active, water-soluble, non-immunogenic conjugates of
various polypeptide hormones and enzymes including oxidoreductases,
of which uricase is one of three examples. In addition, the '337
patent emphasizes the coupling of 10 to 100 polymer strands per
molecule of enzyme, and the retention of at least 40% of enzymatic
activity. No test results were reported for the extent of coupling
of PEG to the available amino groups of uricase, the residual
specific uricolytic activity, or the immunoreactivity of the
conjugate.
[0013] Data from 13 citations relating to PEGylation of uricase are
summarized in Table 1. Some of these results are also presented
graphically in FIGS. 1A-2B. Seven of these publications describe
significant decreases in uricolytic activity measured in vitro
caused by coupling various numbers of strands of PEG to uricase
from Candida utilis. Coupling a large number of strands of 5 kDa
PEG to porcine liver uricase gave similar results, as described in
both the Chen publication and a symposium report by the same group.
Chen, et al., (1981); Davis, et al., (1978).
[0014] Among the studies summarized in Table 1, the
immunoreactivity of uricase was reported to be decreased by
PEGylation in seven of them and eliminated in five of them. In
three of the latter five studies, the elimination of
immunoreactivity was associated with profound decreases in
uricolytic activity--to at most 15%, 28%, or 45% of the initial
activity. Nishimura, et al., (1979) (15% activity); Chen, et al.,
(1981) (28% activity); Nishimura, et al., (1981) (45% activity). In
the fourth report, PEG was reported to be coupled to 61% of the
available lysine residues, but the residual specific activity was
not stated. Abuchowski, et al., (1981). However, a research team
that included two of the same scientists and used the same methods
reported elsewhere that this extent of coupling left residual
activity of only 23-28%. Chen, et al., (1981). The 1981
publications of Abuchowski et al., and Chen et al., indicate that
to reduce the immunogenicity of uricase substantially, PEG must be
coupled to approximately 60% of the available lysine residues
(Table 1). The fifth publication in which the immunoreactivity of
uricase was reported to have been eliminated does not disclose the
extent of PEG coupling, the residual uricolytic activity, or the
nature of the PEG-protein linkage. Veronese, F M, et al., (1997) in
J M Harris, et al., (Eds.), Poly(ethylene glycol) Chemistry and
Biological Applications. ACS Symposium Series 680 (pp. 182-192)
Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society.
[0015] Conjugation of PEG to a smaller fraction of the lysine
residues in uricase reduced but did not eliminate its
immunoreactivity in experimental animals. Tsuji, J, et al., (1985)
Int J Immunopharmacol 7:725-730 (28-45% of the amino groups
coupled); Yasuda, Y, et al., (1990) Chem Pharm Bull 38:2053-2056
(38% of the amino groups coupled). The residual uricolytic
activities of the corresponding adducts ranged from <33% (Tsuji,
et al.) to 60% (Yasuda, et al.) of their initial values. Tsuji, et
al., synthesized PEG-uricase conjugates with 7.5 kDa and 10 kDa
PEGs, in addition to 5 kDa PEG. All of the resultant conjugates
were somewhat immunogenic and antigenic, while displaying markedly
reduced enzymatic activities (Table 1; FIGS. 1A-1B).
[0016] A PEGylated preparation of uricase from Candida utilis that
was safely administered twice to each of five humans was reported
to have retained only 11% of its initial activity. Davis, et al.,
(1981). Several years later, PEG-modified uricase from Arthrobacter
protoformiae was administered four times to one patient with
advanced lymphoma and severe hyperuricemia. Chua, et al., (1988).
While the residual activity of that enzyme preparation was not
measured, Chua, et al., demonstrated the absence of anti-uricase
antibodies in the patient's serum 26 days after the first
PEG-uricase injection, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA).
[0017] As summarized in Table 1, previous studies of PEGylated
uricase show that catalytic activity is markedly depressed by
coupling a sufficient number of strands of PEG to decrease its
immunoreactivity substantially. Furthermore, most previous
preparations of PEG-uricase were synthesized using PEG activated
with cyanuric chloride, a triazine derivative
(2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine) that has been shown to introduce
new antigenic determinants and to induce the formation of
antibodies in rabbits. Tsuji, et al., (1985).
[0018] Japanese Patent 3-148298 to A Sano, et al., discloses
modified proteins, including uricase, derivatized with PEG having a
molecular weight of 1-12 kDa that show reduced antigenicity and
"improved prolonged" action, and methods of making such derivatized
peptides. However, there are no disclosures regarding strand
counts, enzyme assays, biological tests or the meaning of "improved
prolonged." Japanese Patents 55-99189 and 62-55079, both to Y
Inada, disclose uricase conjugates prepared with PEG-triazine or
bis-PEG-triazine (denoted as PEG.sub.2 in Table 1), respectively.
See Nishimura, et al., (1979 and 1981). In the first type of
conjugate, the molecular weights of the PEGs were 2 kDa and 5 kDa,
while in the second, only 5 kDa PEG was used. Nishimura, et al.,
(1979) reported the recovery of 15% of the uricolytic activity
after modification of 43% of the available lysines with linear 5
kDa PEG, while Nishimura, et al., (1981) reported the recovery of
31% or 45% of the uricolytic activity after modification of 46% or
36% of the lysines, respectively, with PEG.sub.2.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Previous studies teach that when a significant reduction in
the immunogenicity and/or antigenicity of uricase is achieved by
PEGylation, it is invariably associated with a substantial loss of
uricolytic activity. The safety, convenience and cost-effectiveness
of biopharmaceuticals are all adversely impacted by decreases in
their potencies and the resultant need to increase the administered
dose. Thus, there is a need for a safe and effective alternative
means for lowering elevated levels of uric acid in body fluids,
including blood and urine. The present invention provides a
substantially non-immunogenic PEG-uricase that retains all or
nearly all of the uricolytic activity of the unmodified enzyme.
[0020] One embodiment of the present invention is a conjugate of
urate oxidase (uricase) that retains at least about 75% of the
uricolytic activity of unconjugated uricase and has substantially
reduced immunogenicity. This embodiment includes a purified uricase
in which each subunit may be covalently linked to an average of 2
to 10 strands of PEG, which may be linear or branched, wherein each
molecule of PEG may have a molecular weight between about 5 kDa and
100 kDa. The uricase of this aspect of the invention may be
recombinant. Whether recombinant or not, the uricase may be of
mammalian origin. In one aspect of this embodiment, the uricase may
be porcine, bovine or ovine liver uricase. In another aspect of
this embodiment, the uricase may be chimeric. The chimeric uricase
may contain portions of porcine liver and/or baboon liver uricase.
For example, the chimeric uricase may be pig-baboon chimeric
uricase (PBC uricase) or porcine uricase containing the mutations
R291K and T301S (PKS uricase) (see sequences in FIG. 6 and results
of physiological and immunological studies in FIGS. 7-12).
Alternatively, the uricase may be baboon liver uricase in which
tyrosine 97 has been replaced by histidine, whereby the specific
activity of the uricase may be increased by at least about 60%. The
uricase of the invention, whatever the origin, may also be in a
form that is truncated, either at the amino terminal, or at the
carboxyl terminal, or at both terminal. Likewise, the uricase may
be fungal or microbial uricase. In one aspect of this embodiment,
the fungal or microbial uricase may be a naturally occurring or
recombinant form of uricase from Aspergillus flavus, Arthrobacter
globiformis or Candida utilis. Alternatively, the uricase may be an
invertebrate uricase, such as, for example, a naturally occurring
or recombinant form of uricase from Drosophila melanogaster or
Drosophila pseudoobscura. The uricase of the invention may also be
a plant uricase, for example, a naturally occurring or recombinant
form of uricase from soybean root nodule (Glycine max). The PEG may
have an average molecular weight between about 5 kDa and 100 kDa;
preferably the PEG may have an average molecular weight between
about 10 kDa and 60 kDa; more preferably, the PEG may have an
average molecular weight between about 20 kDa and about 40 kDa,
such as, for example, 30 kDa. The average number of covalently
coupled strands of PEG may be 2 to 10 strands per uricase subunit;
preferably, the average number of covalently coupled strands may be
3 to 8 per subunit; more preferably, the average number of strands
of PEG may be 4 to 6 per subunit. In one aspect of this embodiment,
the uricase may be tetrameric. The strands of PEG may be covalently
linked to uricase via urethane (carbamate) linkages, secondary
amine linkages, and/or amide linkages. When the uricase is a
recombinant form of any of the uricases mentioned herein, the
recombinant form may have substantially the sequence of the
naturally occurring form.
[0021] Another embodiment of the present invention is a
pharmaceutical composition for lowering uric acid levels in body
fluids, containing any of the PEG-uricase conjugates described
above and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The composition
may be stabilized by lyophilization and also may dissolve promptly
upon reconstitution to provide solutions suitable for parenteral
administration.
[0022] The present invention also provides a method for lowering
uric acid levels in body fluids and tissues of a mammal. The method
includes administering to a mammal an effective uric acid-lowering
amount of PEG-uricase. The PEG-uricase may be a purified uricase of
two or more subunits in which each subunit may be covalently linked
to an average of 2 to 10 strands of linear or branched PEG, wherein
each molecule of PEG may have a molecular weight between about 5
kDa and 100 kDa, in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The
mammal may be a human. The administering step may be, for example,
injection by intravenous, intradermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular
or intraperitoneal routes or inhalation of an aerosolized
preparation. The elevated uric acid levels may be in blood, urine
and/or other body fluids and tissues, and may be associated with
gout, tophi, renal insufficiency, organ transplantation or
malignant disease.
[0023] Other embodiments of the present invention are a method for
isolating a tetrameric form of unease from a solution containing
multiple forms of uricase and the product of that method.
Initially, the solution may contain tetrameric uricase and uricase
aggregates. The method may include the steps of: applying the
solution to at least one separation column at a pH between about 9
and 10.5, such as, for example, 10.2; recovering fractions of the
eluate and identifying those that may contain isolated tetrameric
uricase, wherein the fractions are substantially free of uricase
aggregates; and pooling the fractions of the isolated tetrameric
uricase. The separation column may be based on ion exchange, size
exclusion, or any other effective separation property. The method
may also include analysis of the fractions to determine the
presence of tetrameric uricase and/or the absence of uricase
aggregates. For example, such analysis may include high performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC), other chromatographic methods, light
scattering, centrifugation and/or electrophoresis. In one aspect of
this embodiment, the purified tetrameric uricase may contain less
than about 10% uricase aggregates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1A shows the retention of activity by PEGylated uricase
from Candida utilis as a function of the number of strands of PEG
coupled per subunit.
[0025] FIG. 1B shows the retention of activity by PEGylated uricase
from Candida utilis as a function of the total mass of PEG coupled
per subunit.
[0026] FIG. 2A shows the retention of activity by PEGylated uricase
from porcine liver as a function of the number of strands of PEG
coupled per subunit,
[0027] FIG. 2B shows the retention of activity by PEGylated uricase
from porcine liver as a function of the total mass of PEG coupled
per subunit.
[0028] FIG. 3A shows the retention of activity by PEGylated
pig-baboon chimeric (PBC) uricase as a function of the number of
strands coupled per subunit.
[0029] FIG. 3B shows the retention of activity by PEGylated PBC
unease as a function of the total mass of PEG coupled per
subunit.
[0030] FIG. 4A shows the retention of activity by PEGylated uricase
from Aspergillus flavus as a function of the number of strands of
PEG coupled per subunit.
[0031] FIG. 4B shows the retention of activity by PEGylated uricase
from Aspergillus flavus as a function of the total mass of PEG
coupled per subunit.
[0032] FIG. 5A shows the retention of activity by PEGylated
recombinant soybean root nodule uricase as a function of the number
of strands of PEG coupled per subunit.
[0033] FIG. 5B shows the retention of activity by PEGylated
recombinant soybean root nodule uricase as a function of the total
mass of PEG coupled per subunit.
[0034] FIG. 6 shows the deduced amino acid sequences of pig-baboon
chimeric uricase (PBC uricase), PBC uricase that is truncated at
both the amino and carboxyl terminals (PBC-NT-CT) and porcine
uricase containing the mutations R291K and T301S (PKS uricase),
compared with the porcine and baboon sequences.
[0035] FIG. 7 shows the activity of uricase in mouse serum 24 h
after each of four or five intraperitoneal injections of
PEG-modified PBC unease, relative to the value 24 h after the first
injection.
[0036] FIG. 8 shows the inverse relationship between the activity
of injected PEG-modified PBC uricase in the serum of a
unease-deficient mouse and the concentrations of uric acid in the
serum and urine.
[0037] FIG. 9 shows the decreased severity of a urine-concentrating
defect in uricase-deficient (uox -/-) mice that were treated with
PEG-modified PBC uricase.
[0038] FIG. 10 shows the decreased severity of nephrogenic diabetes
insipidus in unease-deficient (uox -/-) mice that were treated with
PEG-modified PBC uricase.
[0039] FIG. 11 shows the decreased severity of uric acid-induced
nephropathy, as visualized by magnetic resonance microscopy, in
uricase-deficient (uox -/-) mice that were treated with
PEG-modified PBC uricase.
[0040] FIG. 12 shows the accelerated clearance from the circulation
of BALB/c mice of injected PBC uricase octamer, compared with the
tetramer, when both were coupled to 5-6 strands of 10 kDa PEG per
subunit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0041] The present invention provides improved conjugates of
water-soluble polymers, preferably poly(ethylene glycols) or
poly(ethylene oxides), with uricases. The invention also provides
pharmaceutical compositions of the improved conjugates. These
conjugates are substantially non-immunogenic and retain at least
75%, preferably 85%, and more preferably 95% or more of the
uricolytic activity of the unmodified enzyme. Uricases suitable for
conjugation to water-soluble polymers include naturally occurring
urate oxidases isolated from bacteria, fungi and the tissues of
plants and animals, both vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as
recombinant forms of uricase, including mutated, hybrid, and/or
truncated enzymatically active variants of uricase. Water-soluble
polymers suitable for use in the present invention include linear
and branched poly(ethylene glycols) or poly(ethylene oxides), all
commonly known as PEGs. Examples of branched PEG are the subject of
U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,575. One preferred example of linear PEG is
monomethoxyPEG, of the general structure
CH.sub.3O--(CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O).sub.nH, where n varies from about
100 to about 2,300.
[0042] One preferred mammalian uricase is recombinant pig-baboon
chimeric uricase, composed of portions of the sequences of pig
liver and baboon liver uricase, both of which were first determined
by Wu, et al., (1989). One example of such a chimeric uricase
contains the first 225 amino acids from the porcine uricase
sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1) and the last 79 amino acids from the baboon
uricase sequence (SEQ ID NO: 2) (pig-baboon uricase, or PBC
uricase; see FIG. 6). Another example of such a chimeric uricase
contains residues 7-225 of the porcine sequence (SEQ ID NO. 1) and
residues 226-301 of the baboon sequence (SEQ ID NO. 2); this is
equivalent to PBC uricase that is truncated at both the amino and
carboxyl terminals (PBC-NT-CT; see FIG. 6). Another example of such
a chimeric uricase contains the first 288 amino acids from the
porcine sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1) and the last 16 amino acids from
the baboon sequence (SEQ ID NO: 2). Since the latter sequence
differs from the porcine sequence at only two positions, having a
lysine (K) in place of arginine at residue 291 and a serine (S) in
place of threonine at residue 301, this mutant is referred to as
pig-K-S or PKS uricase. PKS, PBC and PBC-NT-CT uricases each have
one more lysine residue and, hence, one more potential site of
PEGylation than either the porcine or baboon sequence.
[0043] The cDNAs for various mammalian uricases, including PBC
uricase, PKS uricase and a recombinant baboon-like uricase, were
subcloned and the optimal conditions were determined for expression
in E. coli, using standard methods. See Erlich, H A, (Ed.) (1989)
PCR Technology. Principles and Applications for DNA Amplification.
New York: Stockton Press; Sambrook, J, et al., (1989) Molecular
Cloning. A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition. Cold Spring Harbor,
N.Y.: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. The recombinant uricases
were extracted, purified and their stability and activity were
assessed using a modification of standard assays. See Fridovich, I,
(1965) J Biol Chem 240:2491-2494; Nishimura, et al., (1979), and
Example 1.
[0044] In one embodiment of the invention, uricase may be
conjugated via a biologically stable, nontoxic, covalent linkage to
a relatively small number of strands of PEG. Such linkages may
include urethane (carbamate) linkages, secondary amine linkages,
and amide linkages. Various activated PEGs suitable for such
conjugation are available commercially from Shearwater Polymers,
Huntsville, Ala.
[0045] For example, urethane linkages to uricase may be formed by
incubating uricase in the presence of the succinimidyl carbonate
(SC) or 4-nitrophenyl carbonate (NPC) derivative of PEG. SC-PEG may
be synthesized using the procedure described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,612,460, which is hereby incorporated by reference. NPC-PEG may
be synthesized by reacting PEG with 4-nitrophenyl chloroformate
according to methods described in Veronese, F M, et at, (1985) Appl
Biochem Biotechnol 11:141-152, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,637,
which is hereby incorporated by reference. The methods described in
the '637 patent are adapted to PEGs of higher molecular weight by
adjusting the concentrations of the reactants to maintain similar
stoichiometry. An alternative method of synthesis of NPC-PEG is
described by Buittner, W, et al., East German Patent Specification
DD 279 486 A1.
[0046] Amide linkages to uricase may be obtained using an
N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of a carboxylic acid derivative of PEG
(Shearwater Polymers). Secondary amine linkages may be formed using
2,2,2-trifluoroethanesulfonyl PEG (tresyl PEG; Shearwater Polymers)
or by reductive alkylation using PEG aldehyde (Shearwater Polymers)
and sodium cyanoborohydride.
[0047] In conjugates containing PEGs with molecular weights between
5 kDa and 30 kDa, the maximum number of strands of PEG that were
coupled per subunit, while retaining at least 75% of the uricolytic
activity of the unmodified enzyme, ranged from an average of 2
strands for soybean uricase to more than 10 strands for PBC uricase
(see assay conditions in Example 1 and results in FIGS. 1A-5B). The
latter extent of PEGylation corresponds to approximately one third
of the total amino groups. In one embodiment of the invention, the
average number of strands of PEG coupled per uricase subunit is
between 2 and 10. In a preferred embodiment, the average number of
strands of PEG coupled per uricase subunit is between 3 and 8. In a
more preferred embodiment, the average number of covalently linked
strands of PEG per uricase subunit is between 4 and 6. In another
embodiment, the molecular weight of PEG used for the coupling
reaction is between 5 kDa and 100 kDa, preferably between 10 kDa
and 60 kDa, and more preferably between 20 kDa and 40 kDa, such as,
for example 30 kDa.
[0048] There are several factors that may affect the choice of the
optimal molecular weight and number of strands of PEG for coupling
to a given form of uricase. In general, the reduction or
elimination of immunogenicity without substantial loss of
uricolytic activity may require the coupling of relatively more
strands of PEG of lower molecular weight, compared to relatively
fewer strands of PEG of higher molecular weight. For example,
either 6 strands of 20 kDa PEG per subunit or 4 strands of 30 kDa
PEG per subunit might be optimally effective. Likewise, each
different form of uricase may have a different optimum with respect
to both the size and number of strands. See FIGS. 1A-5B.
[0049] PEG conjugation rendered all of the tested uricases soluble
and stable in buffers at physiological pH, without the addition of
a substrate analog or inhibitor, such as 8-azaxanthine that is used
as a stabilizer in the fungal uricase (Uricozyme.RTM.) sold by
Sanofi Winthrop in France and Italy. Two different conjugates of
PBC uricase, one containing approximately 6 strands of 10 kDa PEG
per subunit and the other containing approximately 2 strands of 19
kDa PEG per subunit, retained significant activity after incubation
in mouse serum for more than one month at 37.degree. C. In
addition, several of the conjugates of this invention had
circulating half-lives in mice that were greater than two days, in
contrast to the approximately 8-hour or 24-hour half-lives
previously reported for PEG-modified mammalian and microbial
uricases. Chen, et al., (1981); Fuertges, F, et at, (1990) J Contr
Release 11: 139-148; Fujita, T, et al., (1991) J Pharmacobiodyn
14:623-629. Longer half-lives of injected protein drugs make them
more cost-effective and can lead to improved patient compliance.
Prolonged half-life is also indicative of products that are better
tolerated by the body.
[0050] When PEG conjugates of PBC uricase were prepared from the
purified tetrameric faun of the enzyme (four 35 kDa subunits), they
displayed profoundly reduced immunogenicity in mice (FIG. 7), in
contrast to the moderate immunogenicity of PEG conjugates of larger
forms of the enzyme (e.g. octamers of the 35 kDa subunit; see FIG.
12), and the very high immunogenicity of the unmodified enzyme.
Repeated injections of uricase-deficient mice with PEG-uricase of
the present invention eliminated their hyperuricemia for more than
2 months and protected the structure and function of their kidneys
against uric acid-related damage (FIGS. 8-11).
[0051] Injections of fully active conjugates of PBC uricase with 10
kDa PEG (FIGS. 3A-3B) reduced dramatically the hyperuricemia of
homozygous, uricase-deficient mice (FIG. 8). Uric acid levels in
the urine were also reduced dramatically in all uricase-deficient
mice treated with PEG-modified PBC uricase. Uricase-deficient mice
received a series of injections with a preparation of PEG-uricase
similar to that used to obtain the data in FIG. 8. This treatment
reduced the severity of a urine-concentrating defect, as
demonstrated by measurements of urine osmolality under normal
conditions and after a 12-hour period of water deprivation (FIG. 9)
and by their water consumption and urine output (FIG. 10), compared
to the corresponding measurements in untreated, genetically similar
mice. It was also demonstrated that ten weeks of treatment,
starting within the first ten days of life, of homozygous
uricase-deficient (uox -/-) "knockout" mice with a PEG-uricase of
this invention decreased the severity of urate-induced disruption
of the renal architecture, as visualized by magnetic resonance
microscopy (FIG. 11). For microscopy methods, see Hedlund, L W, et
al., (1991) Fund Appl Toxicol 16:787-797; Johnson, G A, et al.,
(1992) in J C Gore, (Ed.), Reviews of Magnetic Resonance in
Medicine, Vol. 4 (pp. 187-219) New York: Pergamon Press.
[0052] Purified preparations of naturally occurring and recombinant
uricases usually contain a mixture of aggregates of the enzyme, in
addition to the tetrameric (140 kDa) form. The percentage of each
uricase preparation that is in the tetrameric form generally varies
from approximately 20% to 90%. Despite evidence that unPEGylated
aggregates of several other proteins are highly immunogenic (see,
e.g., Moore, W V, et al., (1980) J Clin Endocrinol Metab
51:691-697), previous studies of PEG-uricase do not describe any
efforts to limit the content of aggregates, suggesting that the
potential immunogenicity of the PEG-modified aggregates was not
considered. On the basis of the observations of the present
inventors, it appears likely that such aggregates were present in
the enzyme preparations used for previous syntheses of PEG-uricase.
Their presence may have rendered the task of preparing
non-immunogenic conjugates more difficult. It also appears that the
large losses of uricolytic activity observed in previous efforts to
PEGylate uricase were related to the large number of strands of low
molecular weight PEG that were coupled. On the other hand, the
methods of uricase purification and PEGylation described herein
permit the covalent attachment of as many as 10 strands of PEG per
subunit while retaining more than 75% of the uricolytic activity,
at least for certain uricases, e.g., pig-baboon chimeric uricase
and the enzyme from A. flavus (see FIGS. 3A and 4A).
[0053] In another preferred embodiment, substantially all
aggregates of the tetrameric form of the enzyme may be removed by
ion-exchange or size-exclusion chromatography at a pH between about
9 and 10.5, preferably 10.2, prior to PEG conjugation of the
resulting substantially tetrameric preparation of uricase. The
molecular weight of the uricase in each fraction from the
preparative column may be monitored by any size-dependent
analytical technique, including, for example, HPLC, conventional
size-exclusion chromatography, centrifugation, light scattering,
capillary electrophoresis or gel electrophoresis in a
non-denaturing buffer. For tetrameric uricase isolated using
size-exclusion chromatography, fractions containing only the 140
kDa form of the enzyme may be pooled and used for conjugation to
PEG. For tetrameric uricase isolated using ion-exchange
chromatography, fractions from the ion-exchange column may be
analyzed with respect to size to deter mine which fractions contain
substantial amounts of the tetrameric form without detectable
aggregates. Of the uricase thus pooled, at least 90% may be in the
tetrameric form; the undesirable aggregates may thus constitute as
little as about 10%, 5%, 2%, or less, of the total isolated
unease.
[0054] The results presented herein indicate that, even when
extensively PEGylated, forms of PBC uricase larger than the
tetramer are highly immunogenic in mice (FIG. 12). Furthermore, in
mice that had been injected once with PEG conjugates of uricase
aggregates, the uricolytic activity in subsequent injections of
either PEGylated tetramers or PEGylated aggregates was cleared
rapidly from the circulation. In contrast, conjugates prepared from
uricase containing less than 5% aggregates could be reinjected many
times without any acceleration of their clearance rates (FIG. 7)
and without the detectable formation of antibodies, as measured by
a sensitive enzyme-linked immunoassay. The use of highly purified
tetrameric uricase further distinguishes the improved conjugates of
the present invention from the PEG-uricase preparations described
previously. In contrast, the presence of a significant proportion
(e.g., >10%) of aggregates in the uricase preparations used by
some previous investigators may have led them to couple large
numbers of strands of PEG in efforts to suppress the
immunogenicity. Consequently, the enzymatic activity of the
resultant conjugates was decreased substantially. In other
embodiments, the present invention expressly contemplates PEGylated
uricase in non-tetrameric form, such as, for example, uricase
dimers, so long as the preparations of such conjugated uricase
retain at least about 75% of their uricolytic activity and are
substantially non-immunogenic.
[0055] In another embodiment of the present invention, a mutated
baboon liver uricase of unexpectedly increased potency, relative to
that of the unmutated enzyme, is provided. This improved primate
uricase was prepared by conventional recombinant DNA techniques. It
was particularly unexpected that the substitution of a single amino
acid residue (histidine for tyrosine at position 97) in baboon
unease would result in a substantial increase in specific enzymatic
activity. When expressed in E. coli, this mutant protein was found
to have at least 60% higher specific activity than the recombinant
baboon enzyme from which it was derived.
[0056] In another embodiment, the specific activity is increased
and/or the solubility of the unPEGylated enzyme is improved by
expressing truncated variants of porcine or porcine-baboon chimeric
uricases from which at least the first six amino acids at the amino
terminal and/or at least the last three amino acids at the carboxyl
terminal are deleted from the expressed proteins (see FIG. 6).
Recombinant uricases with the carboxyl-terminal truncation may have
improved solubility prior to PEGylation because of the removal of
the peroxisomal targeting sequence. See Miura, S, et al., (1994)
Eur J Biochem 223:141-146.
[0057] The PEG-uricase conjugates of the present invention are
useful for lowering the levels of uric acid in the body fluids and
tissues of mammals, preferably humans, and can thus be used for
treatment of elevated uric acid levels associated with conditions
including gout, tophi, renal insufficiency, organ transplantation
and malignant disease. PEG-uricase conjugates may be injected into
a mammal having excessive uric acid levels by any of a number of
routes, including intravenous, subcutaneous, intradermal,
intramuscular and intraperitoneal routes. Alternatively, they may
be aerosolized and inhaled. See Patton, J S, (1996) Adv Drug
Delivery Rev 19:3-36 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,135. The effective
dose of PEG-uricase of the present invention will depend on the
level of uric acid and the size of the individual. In one
embodiment of this aspect of the invention, PEG-uricase is
administered in a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or diluent
in an amount ranging from about 10 .mu.g to about 1 g. In a
preferred embodiment, the amount administered is between about 100
.mu.g and 500 mg. More preferably, the conjugated uricase is
administered in an amount between 1 mg and 100 mg, such as, for
example, 5 mg, 20 mg or 50 mg. Masses given for dosage amounts of
the embodiments refer to the amount of protein in the
conjugate.
[0058] Pharmaceutical formulations containing PEG-uricase can be
prepared by conventional techniques, e.g., as described in Gennaro,
A R (Ed.) (1990) Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 18th Edition
Easton, Pa.: Mack Publishing Co. Suitable excipients for the
preparation of injectable solutions include, for example, phosphate
buffered saline, lactated Ringer's solution, water, polyols and
glycerol. Pharmaceutical compositions for parenteral injection
comprise pharmaceutically acceptable sterile aqueous or non-aqueous
liquids, dispersions, suspensions, or emulsions as well as sterile
powders for reconstitution into sterile injectable solutions or
dispersions just prior to use. These formulations may contain
additional components, such as, for example, preservatives,
solubilizers, stabilizers, wetting agents, emulsifiers, buffers,
antioxidants and diluents.
[0059] PEG-uricase may also be provided as controlled-release
compositions for implantation into an individual to continually
control elevated uric acid levels in body fluids. For example,
polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, regenerated collagen,
poly-L-lysine, sodium alginate, gellan gum, chitosan, agarose,
multilamellar liposomes and many other conventional depot
formulations comprise bioerodible or biodegradable materials that
can be formulated with biologically active compositions. These
materials, when implanted or injected, gradually break down and
release the active material to the surrounding tissue. For example,
one method of encapsulating PEG-uricase comprises the method
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,974, which is hereby incorporated
by reference. The use of bioerodible, biodegradable and other depot
formulations is expressly contemplated in the present invention.
The use of infusion pumps and matrix entrapment systems for
delivery of PEG-uricase is also within the scope of the present
invention. PEG-uricase may also advantageously be enclosed in
micelles or liposomes. Liposome encapsulation technology is well
known in the art. See, e.g., Lasic, D, et al., (Eds.) (1995)
Stealth Liposomes. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press.
[0060] The PEG-uricase pharmaceutical compositions of the invention
will decrease the need for hemodialysis in patients at high risk of
urate-induced renal failure, e.g., organ transplant recipients (see
Venkataseshan, V S, et al., (1990) Nephron 56:317-321) and patients
with some malignant diseases. In patients with large accumulations
of crystalline urate (tophi), such pharmaceutical compositions will
improve the quality of life more rapidly than currently available
treatments.
[0061] The following examples, which are not to be construed as
limiting the invention in any way, illustrate the various aspects
disclosed above. These examples describe PEG-uricases prepared by
coupling activated (i.e., electrophilic) PEG derivatives of several
sizes and compositions with naturally occurring porcine, fungal or
bacterial uricases, or with recombinant soybean, porcine or
pig-baboon chimeric uricases. Results of activity, solubility,
stability, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and immunological
studies are included. The data in FIGS. 8-11 provide evidence of
the ability of PEG-modified PBC uricase of this invention to
correct hyperuricemia and hyperuricosuria and to preserve renal
structure and function in an animal model in which hyperuricemia
and hyperuricosuria occur and cause serious renal damage. Wu, X, et
al., (1994) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:742-746. These examples
provide guidance to one with ordinary skill in the art for
producing substantially non-immunogenic conjugates of uricase that
retain at least about 75% of the uricolytic activity of the
unmodified enzyme.
Example 1
Purification of the Tetrameric Form of Uricase
[0062] The tetrameric form of uricase (molecular weight ca. 140
kDa) was purified from a solution of porcine liver uricase by
preparative size-exclusion or ion-exchange chromatography, followed
by analytical size-exclusion chromatography. Porcine liver uricase
was obtained from Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Mo., catalog No. U2350
or U3377; or Boehringer Mannheim, Indianapolis, Ind.
[0063] Preparative and analytical size-exclusion chromatography
were performed at pH 10-10.5, preferably 10.2, in 10 mM sodium
carbonate buffer containing 0.1 M NaCl on Superdex 200 columns that
had been previously calibrated with proteins of known molecular
weight. Superdex was obtained from Amersham Phaiuiacia, Piscataway,
N.J. Any buffer may be used that is capable of maintaining the
desired pH and that is compatible with the chemistry to be used for
subsequent PEG coupling. Such buffers are well known in the art.
The ultraviolet absorbance of the eluate from the preparative
column was monitored at 280 nm, and uricase-containing portions of
the eluate corresponding to the molecular weight of the desired
tetrameric form, but free of higher molecular weight species, were
collected for use in synthesizing substantially non-immunogenic
PEG-uricase as described in Example 2. Alternatively, tetrameric
forms of uricase can be isolated using other size-exclusion media
such as, for example, Superose 12 (Amersham Pharmacia) or any other
medium that is compatible with mildly alkaline solutions and that
has an appropriate size fractionation range. Such media are readily
available and are well known in the art.
[0064] Ion-exchange chromatography was performed at pH 10-10.5,
preferably 10.2, on Mono Q columns (Amersham Pharmacia, Piscataway,
N.J.) that had been equilibrated with 0.1 M sodium carbonate
buffer. Any buffer that is compatible with the chemistry of PEG
coupling and that is capable of maintaining the desired pH may be
used at sufficiently low ionic strength to permit the adsorption of
uricase to the column. Such buffers are well known in the art. The
ultraviolet absorbance of the eluate was monitored at 280 nm during
elution of the uricase from the ion-exchange resin by increasing
the ionic strength of the applied buffer solution, e.g. by a linear
gradient of 0 to 0.5 M NaCl in the sodium carbonate buffer.
Size-exclusion HPLC was then used to identify the fractions of the
eluate containing the desired tetrameric form of uricase, without
detectable aggregates, for the synthesis of substantially
non-immunogenic PEG-uricase. Alternatively, the tetrameric form of
uricase can be isolated using other ion-exchange media, such as
Q-Sepharose (Amersham Pharmacia) or any other medium that is
compatible with mildly alkaline solutions. Such media are readily
available and are well known in the art.
[0065] Uricase activity was assayed using a modification of
standard methods. See, e.g., Fridovich (1965); Nishimura, et al.,
(1979). Solutions of uric acid were prepared fresh daily in 50 mM
sodium borate buffer, pH 9.2, to provide final concentrations in
the assay of 6-150 .mu.M. Uricase preparations were diluted in this
borate buffer containing bovine serum albumin (Sigma-Aldrich, St.
Louis, Mo., catalog No. A-7030), so that the final concentration of
albumin in the assay was 0.1 mg/mL. After mixing various dilutions
of the enzyme with the substrate in the wells of a microtiter plate
in a microplate reader, the rate of disappearance of uric acid at
25.degree. C. was monitored at 292 nm every 4 seconds for 3
minutes. From samples in which between 10% and 40% of the substrate
was consumed within 3 minutes, at least 20 data points were used to
calculate the maximal rate of decrease in the absorbance per
minute. One international unit (IU) of uricase activity is defined
as the amount of enzyme that consumes one micromole of uric acid
per minute; specific activities are expressed as IU/mg protein.
Some of the data for relative uricase activities in FIGS. 1A-5B
were obtained using 100 .mu.M uric acid in the assay. Other results
for the velocity at 100 .mu.M uric acid (V.sub.100) were calculated
from the values of the Michaelis constant (K.sub.M) and the maximal
velocity (V.sub.max) for the respective enzyme preparations, using
the formula:
V.sub.100=100.times.V.sub.max/(K.sub.M+100)
where K.sub.M is expressed in micromolar units.
Example 2
PEG Coupling to Tetrameric Porcine Uricase
[0066] To a solution of tetrameric uricase in 0.1 M sodium
carbonate buffer, pH 10.2, 10-200 moles of an activated derivative
of monomethoxyPEG, e.g., the 4-nitrophenyl carbonate (NPC-PEG), of
various sizes (5 kDa to 30 kDa) were added for each mole of uricase
subunit (molecular weight 35 kDa). These and other suitable
activated PEGs are available from Shearwater Polymers. Instructions
for coupling these PEGs to proteins are given in the catalog of
Shearwater Polymers, on the Internet at www.swpolymers.com, and in
J M Harris, et al., (Eds.) (1997) Poly(ethylene glycol) Chemistry
and Biological Applications. ACS Symposium Series 680, Washington,
D.C.: American Chemical Society. The coupling reaction was allowed
to proceed at 0-8.degree. C. until the extent of PEG coupling no
longer changed significantly with time. Unreacted PEG was then
removed from the reaction product by chromatography and/or
ultrafiltration.
[0067] The number of strands of PEG coupled per subunit of uricase
was determined by an adaptation of the methods described by
Kunitani, M, et al., (1991) J Chromatogr 588:125-137; Saifer, et
al., (1997) and Sherman, et al., (1997). Briefly, aliquots of the
PEGylation reaction mixtures or fractions from the preparative
ion-exchange or size-exclusion columns were characterized by
analytical size-exclusion HPLC on a TSK 5,000 PW.sub.XL column at
room temperature in 10 mM sodium carbonate buffer, pH 10.2,
containing 0.1 M NaCl. The HPLC column was obtained from TosoHaas,
Montgomeryville, Pa. Proteins and PEGs were monitored by
ultraviolet absorbance and refractive index detectors. The amount
of protein in the conjugate was calculated from the ultraviolet
absorbance relative to that of the appropriate unmodified uricase
standard. The amount of PEG in the conjugate was then calculated
from the area of the refractive index peak, corrected for the
contribution of the protein to refractive index, relative to the
area of the refractive index peak of the appropriate PEG
standard.
[0068] FIG. 2A shows the retention of activity by PEGylated porcine
liver uricase as a function of the number of strands of PEG coupled
per subunit. Data of the present inventors (.DELTA., .quadrature.)
are compared with those of Chen, et al., (1981). The data point
within a large circle denotes a conjugate reported to be
non-immunoreactive by Chen, et al., (1981). As shown in FIG. 2A,
conjugates of tetrameric porcine uricase with up to 6 strands of 30
kDa PEG per subunit or up to 7 strands of 5 kDa PEG per subunit
retained at least 75% of the activity of the unmodified enzyme. The
apparent increase in specific activity with an increasing number of
strands of 5 kDa or 30 kDa PEG (up to about 4 strands per subunit)
may reflect the relative insolubility or instability of the
unmodified enzyme compared to the conjugates. As shown in FIG. 2B,
conjugates of porcine uricase with an average of more than 3
strands of 30 kDa PEG per subunit contain a greater mass of PEG
than was found sufficient to preclude immunoreactivity by Chen, et
al., (1981).
Example 3
Properties of PEG Conjugates of Tetrameric Recombinant PBC
Uricase
[0069] Recombinant pig-baboon chimeric (PBC) uricase cDNA was
subcloned into the pET3d expression vector (Novagen, Madison, Wis.)
and the resultant plasmid construct was transformed into and
expressed in a strain of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLysS (Novagen).
These procedures were carried out using methods well known in the
art of molecular biology. See Erlich (1989); Sambrook, et al.,
(1989); Ausubel, F, et al., (Eds.), (1997) Short Protocols in
Molecular Biology. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
[0070] FIG. 6 shows the deduced amino acid sequence of PBC uricase
(amino acids 1-225 of SEQ ID NO: 1 and amino acids 226-304 of SEQ
ID NO: 2), compared with the porcine (SEQ ID NO: 1) and baboon (SEQ
ID NO: 2) sequences. Residues in the baboon sequence that differ
from those in the porcine sequence are shown in bold type. The
porcine and baboon sequences were first determined by Wu, et al.,
(1989) and were confirmed by the present inventors. SEQ ID NO. 1 is
identical to Accession Number p16164 of GenBank, except for the
absence of the initial methionyl residue in the GenBank sequence.
SEQ ID NO. 2 is identical to Accession Number p25689 of GenBank,
except for the absence of the initial methionyl residue and a
change from histidine to threonine at residue 153 in the GenBank
sequence (residue 154 in FIG. 6).
[0071] The tetrameric form of PBC uricase was isolated and coupled
to PEGs of various molecular weights as described in Examples 1 and
2. Conjugates prepared with 5 kDa, 10 kDa, 19 kDa or 30 kDa PEG
contained up to 10 strands of PEG per subunit. Those prepared with
PEGs of at least 10 kDa retained more than 95% of the initial
specific activity of the recombinant uricase (FIGS. 3A-3B).
[0072] The following properties of a conjugate of tetrameric PBC
uricase with approximately 6 strands of 10 kDa PEG per subunit are
illustrated in the indicated figures: the lack of immunogenicity
(FIG. 7) and the efficacy in uricase-deficient mice in 1)
correcting hyperuricemia and hyperuricosuria (FIG. 8); 2)
decreasing the severity of a urine-concentrating defect (FIG. 9),
and 3) decreasing the severity of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
(FIG. 10). In addition, this PEG-uricase decreased the severity of
uric acid-related renal damage, as visualized by magnetic resonance
microscopy (FIG. 11).
[0073] FIG. 7 shows the activity of PBC uricase in mouse serum 24 h
after each of four or five intraperitoneal injections of
PEG-uricase, relative to the value 24 h after the first injection.
PEG conjugates were prepared from three different preparations of
PBC uricase using two different techniques for PEG activation. One
preparation ( ) was tested in uricase-deficient (uox -/-) mice; the
other two (.DELTA., .box-solid.) were tested in normal BALB/c mice.
The most immunoreactive preparation (.DELTA.) was prepared from
purified PBC uricase containing an unknown quantity of uricase
aggregates coupled to an average of 7 strands of 5 kDa PEG per
subunit, using the succinimidyl carbonate derivative of PEG
(SC-PEG). Zalipsky, U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,460, hereby incorporated by
reference. The moderately immunoreactive preparation (.box-solid.)
was prepared by coupling a PBC uricase preparation containing 11%
aggregates to an average of 2 strands of 19 kDa PEG per subunit,
using a 4-nitrophenyl carbonate derivative of PEG (NPC-PEG).
Sherman, et al., (1997). The least immunoreactive conjugate ( ) was
prepared by coupling an average of 6 strands of 10 kDa NPC-PEG per
subunit to a preparation of PBC uricase containing <5%
aggregated uricase.
[0074] FIG. 8 shows the inverse relationship between the
concentrations of uric acid in the serum and urine and the activity
of injected PEG-uricase in the serum of a uricase-deficient (uox
-/-) mouse. Injections at zero time and after 72 h contained 0.43
IU of PBC uricase conjugated to an average of 6 strands of 10 kDa
PEG per enzyme subunit.
[0075] FIG. 9 shows that treatment of uricase-deficient mice with
PEG-modified PBC unease decreased the severity of a
urine-concentrating defect. The mean and standard deviation of data
for urine osmolality are shown for two mice containing one copy of
the normal murine uricase gene (uox +/-), six untreated homozygous
unease-deficient mice (uox -/-) and six homozygous
uricase-deficient mice that were injected ten times between the
third and 72nd day of life with either 95 or 190 mIU of PEG-unease.
Mice of each genetic background either had received water ad
libitum (solid bars) or had been deprived of water for 12 h
(hatched bars) prior to collection of their urine.
[0076] FIG. 10 shows that treatment of uricase-deficient mice with
PEG-modified PBC uricase decreased the severity of nephrogenic
diabetes insipidus, characterized by abnormally high consumption of
water and abnormally high urine output. The genetic backgrounds of
the mice and treatment protocol were the same as in FIG. 9. The
mean and standard deviation of the daily water consumption (solid
bars) and urine output (hatched bars) are shown for three groups of
six mice.
[0077] FIG. 11 shows that treatment of uricase-deficient mice with
PEG-modified PBC unease decreased the severity of uric acid-induced
nephropathy, as visualized by magnetic resonance microscopy. The
genetic backgrounds of the three groups of mice and the treatment
protocol were the same as in FIGS. 9 and 10. Magnetic resonance
microscopy was performed at the Center for in vivo Microscopy, Duke
University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.
[0078] In addition to the results summarized in FIGS. 8-11, it was
demonstrated that the uric acid levels in the urine of all
uricase-deficient mice decreased dramatically after treatment with
PEG-modified PBC unease. Finally, FIG. 12 shows that, unlike the
PEG-modified tetrameric form of PBC uricase, the octameric fours
(molecular weight=280 kDa), even when extensively PEGylated, is
immunogenic in mice. This property is reflected in the accelerated
clearance of the PEG-modified octamer within 5 days after a single
intraperitoneal injection. The same mice were re-injected with the
same dose of the same PEG-uricase preparations on days 8 and 15.
Twenty-four hours after the second and third injections, uricolytic
activity was undetectable in the sera of mice injected with the
PEGylated octamer, but was readily detected in the sera of those
injected with the PEGylated tetramer. These findings, in
combination with the accelerated clearance of the PEGylated octamer
observed after the first injection (FIG. 12), support the utility
of removing all forms of uricase larger than the tetramer prior to
PEGylation of the enzyme.
Example 4
PEG Conjugation of Uricase from Candida utilis
[0079] Uricase from Candida utilis was obtained from either
Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, Mo.; catalog No. U1878) or Worthington
Biochemical Corporation (Freehold, N.J.; catalog No. URYW).
Proceeding as described in Examples 1 and 2, the tetrameric form
was isolated and PEG conjugates were synthesized with 5 kDa, 10 kDa
or 30 kDa PEG (FIGS. 1A-1B). FIG. 1A shows the retention of
activity by PEGylated uricase from Candida utilis as a function of
the number of strands of PEG coupled per subunit. Data of the
present inventors (.DELTA., , .quadrature.) are compared with those
of Nishimura, et al., (1979); Nishimura, et al., (1981); Chen, et
al., (1981); Davis, et al., (1981); Tsuji, et al., (1985); Yasuda,
et al., (1990), and Fujita, et al., (1991). Data points within
large circles denote conjugates reported to be non-antigenic by
Nishimura, et al., (1979 or 1981) or non-immunoreactive by Chen, et
al., (1981).
[0080] FIG. 1B shows the retention of activity by PEGylated uricase
from Candida utilis as a function of the total mass of PEG coupled
per subunit. Data of the present inventors (.DELTA., ,
.quadrature.) are compared with those of the same reports as in
FIG. 1A. Data points within large circles have the same meaning as
in FIG. 1A.
[0081] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, conjugates with an average of
up to 6 strands of 5 kDa or 30 kDa PEG or 9 strands of 10 kDa PEG
per subunit retained at least 75% of the activity of the unmodified
enzyme. The apparent increase in specific activity as an increasing
number of strands of 30 kDa PEG is attached (up to 5 or 6 strands
per subunit) may reflect the relative insolubility or instability
of the unmodified enzyme compared to the conjugates.
Example 5
PEG conjugation of uricase from Aspergillus flavus
[0082] Uricase from Aspergillus flavus was obtained from Sanofi
Winthrop (Gentilly Cedex, France). Proceeding as described in
Example 2, conjugates with PEGs of various molecular weights were
synthesized (FIGS. 4A-4B). Conjugates prepared by coupling the
enzyme from A. flavus with an average of up to 12 strands of 5 kDa
PEG or up to 7 strands of 30 kDa PEG per subunit retained at least
75% of the initial specific activity of this fungal uricase.
Example 6
PEG Conjugation of Soybean Uricase
[0083] Recombinant uricase from soybean root nodule (also called
nodulin 35) was prepared and purified as described by Kahn and
Tipton (Kahn, K, et al., (1997) Biochemistry 36:4731-4738), and was
provided by Dr. Tipton (University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.).
Proceeding as described in Examples 1 and 2, the tetrameric form
was isolated and conjugates were prepared with PEGs of various
molecular weights (FIGS. 5A-5B). In contrast to uricase from
Candida utilis (FIG. 1A), porcine uricase (FIG. 2A), pig-baboon
chimeric uricase (FIG. 3A) and uricase from Aspergillus flavus
(FIG. 4A), the soybean enzyme tolerated coupling of only
approximately 2 strands of 5 kDa or 30 kDa PEG per subunit with
retention of at least 75% of the initial uricolytic activity.
Example 7
PEG Conjugation of Uricase from Arthrobacter globiformis
[0084] Uricase from Arthrobacter globiformis was obtained from
Sigma-Aldrich (catalog No. U7128). See Japanese Patent 9-154581.
Proceeding as described in Examples 1 and 2, the tetrameric faun
was isolated and conjugates with 5 kDa and 30 kDa PEG were
prepared. While conjugates with an average of more than 3 strands
of 5 kDa PEG per subunit retained less than 60% of the initial
specific activity, conjugates with an average of approximately 2
strands of 30 kDa PEG per subunit retained at least 85% of the
initial specific activity.
Example 8
PEG Conjugation of Amino-Truncated Porcine and PBC Uricases
[0085] Recombinant porcine and PBC uricases from which the first
six amino acids at the amino terminal are deleted are expressed in
and purified from E. coli by standard techniques, as described in
Example 3. Proceeding as described in Examples 1 and 2, PEG
conjugates of the amino-truncated uricases are synthesized to
produce substantially non-immunogenic conjugates that retain at
least 75% of the initial specific activity.
Example 9
PEG Conjugation of Porcine and PBC Uricases Truncated at the
Carboxyl Terminal or Both the Amino and Carboxyl Terminals
[0086] Recombinant porcine and PBC uricases from which the last
three amino acids at the carboxyl terminal are deleted are
expressed in and purified from E. coli by standard techniques, as
described in Example 3. This carboxyl-terminal deletion may enhance
the solubility of the unmodified enzymes, since it removes the
peroxisomal-targeting signal. See Miura, et al., (1994). Proceeding
as described in Examples 1 and 2, PEG conjugates of the
carboxyl-truncated uricases are synthesized to produce
substantially non-immunogenic conjugates that retain at least 75%
of the initial specific activity. The sequence of recombinant PBC
uricase truncated by six residues at the amino terminal and by
three residues at the carboxyl terminal (PBC-NT-CT) is shown in
FIG. 6. This unease is expressed, purified and PEGylated as
described in Examples 1, 2 and 3 to produce substantially
non-immunogenic conjugates that retain at least 75% of the initial
specific activity.
Example 10
PEG Conjugation of Porcine Uricase Mutants Containing an Increased
Number of PEG Attachment Sites
[0087] Recombinant porcine uricases are prepared as described in
Example 3, in which the potential number of sites of PEG attachment
is increased by replacing one or more arginine residues with
lysine. See Hershfield, M S, et al., (1991) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA
88:7185-7189. The amino acid sequence of one example of such a
mutant (PKS uricase), in which the arginine at residue 291 is
replaced by lysine and the threonine at residue 301 is replaced by
serine, is shown in FIG. 6. Proceeding as described in Examples 1
and 2, PEG is conjugated to this uricase to produce substantially
non-immunogenic conjugates that retain at least 75% of the initial
specific activity of the recombinant uricase.
Example 11
PEG Conjugation of a Recombinant Baboon Uricase Mutant
[0088] Using standard methods of molecular biology, as in Example
3, recombinant baboon uricase is constructed having an amino acid
substitution (histidine for tyrosine) at position 97 (see baboon
sequence in FIG. 6). Proceeding as described in Examples 1 and 2,
PEG conjugates of the tetrameric foam of the recombinant baboon
uricase mutant are synthesized to produce conjugates of
substantially reduced immunogenicity that retain at least 75% of
the initial specific activity of the recombinant uricase.
Example 12
Immunogenicity of PEG Conjugates from Candida utilis, Aspergillus
flavus, and Arthrobacter globiformis
[0089] Uricase from Candida utilis, Aspergillus flavus, and
Arthrobacter globiformis are obtained as described in Examples 4,
5, and 7, respectively. Proceeding as described in Examples 1 and
2, PEG conjugates are synthesized with 5 kDa, 10 kDa, 20 kDa or 30
kDa PEG. The immunogenicity of these conjugates is substantially
reduced or eliminated.
Sequence CWU 1
1
31304PRTSus scrofa 1Met Ala His Tyr Arg Asn Asp Tyr Lys Lys Asn Asp
Glu Val Glu Phe1 5 10 15Val Arg Thr Gly Tyr Gly Lys Asp Met Ile Lys
Val Leu His Ile Gln 20 25 30Arg Asp Gly Lys Tyr His Ser Ile Lys Glu
Val Ala Thr Ser Val Gln 35 40 45Leu Thr Leu Ser Ser Lys Lys Asp Tyr
Leu His Gly Asp Asn Ser Asp 50 55 60Val Ile Pro Thr Asp Thr Ile Lys
Asn Thr Val Asn Val Leu Ala Lys65 70 75 80Phe Lys Gly Ile Lys Ser
Ile Glu Thr Phe Ala Val Thr Ile Cys Glu 85 90 95His Phe Leu Ser Ser
Phe Lys His Val Ile Arg Ala Gln Val Tyr Val 100 105 110Glu Glu Val
Pro Trp Lys Arg Phe Glu Lys Asn Gly Val Lys His Val 115 120 125His
Ala Phe Ile Tyr Thr Pro Thr Gly Thr His Phe Cys Glu Val Glu 130 135
140Gln Ile Arg Asn Gly Pro Pro Val Ile His Ser Gly Ile Lys Asp
Leu145 150 155 160Lys Val Leu Lys Thr Thr Gln Ser Gly Phe Glu Gly
Phe Ile Lys Asp 165 170 175Gln Phe Thr Thr Leu Pro Glu Val Lys Asp
Arg Cys Phe Ala Thr Gln 180 185 190Val Tyr Cys Lys Trp Arg Tyr His
Gln Gly Arg Asp Val Asp Phe Glu 195 200 205Ala Thr Trp Asp Thr Val
Arg Ser Ile Val Leu Gln Lys Phe Ala Gly 210 215 220Pro Tyr Asp Lys
Gly Glu Tyr Ser Pro Ser Val Gln Lys Thr Leu Tyr225 230 235 240Asp
Ile Gln Val Leu Thr Leu Gly Gln Val Pro Glu Ile Glu Asp Met 245 250
255Glu Ile Ser Leu Pro Asn Ile His Tyr Leu Asn Ile Asp Met Ser Lys
260 265 270Met Gly Leu Ile Asn Lys Glu Glu Val Leu Leu Pro Leu Asp
Asn Pro 275 280 285Tyr Gly Arg Ile Thr Gly Thr Val Lys Arg Lys Leu
Thr Ser Arg Leu 290 295 3002304PRTPapio hamadryas 2Met Ala Asp Tyr
His Asn Asn Tyr Lys Lys Asn Asp Glu Leu Glu Phe1 5 10 15Val Arg Thr
Gly Tyr Gly Lys Asp Met Val Lys Val Leu His Ile Gln 20 25 30Arg Asp
Gly Lys Tyr His Ser Ile Lys Glu Val Ala Thr Ser Val Gln 35 40 45Leu
Thr Leu Ser Ser Lys Lys Asp Tyr Leu His Gly Asp Asn Ser Asp 50 55
60Ile Ile Pro Thr Asp Thr Ile Lys Asn Thr Val His Val Leu Ala Lys65
70 75 80Phe Lys Gly Ile Lys Ser Ile Glu Ala Phe Gly Val Asn Ile Cys
Glu 85 90 95Tyr Phe Leu Ser Ser Phe Asn His Val Ile Arg Ala Gln Val
Tyr Val 100 105 110Glu Glu Ile Pro Trp Lys Arg Leu Glu Lys Asn Gly
Val Lys His Val 115 120 125His Ala Phe Ile His Thr Pro Thr Gly Thr
His Phe Cys Glu Val Glu 130 135 140Gln Leu Arg Ser Gly Pro Pro Val
Ile His Ser Gly Ile Lys Asp Leu145 150 155 160Lys Val Leu Lys Thr
Thr Gln Ser Gly Phe Glu Gly Phe Ile Lys Asp 165 170 175Gln Phe Thr
Thr Lys Pro Glu Val Lys Asp Arg Cys Phe Ala Thr Gln 180 185 190Val
Tyr Cys Lys Trp Arg Tyr His Gln Cys Arg Asp Val Asp Phe Glu 195 200
205Ala Thr Trp Gly Thr Ile Arg Asp Leu Val Leu Glu Lys Phe Ala Gly
210 215 220Pro Tyr Asp Lys Gly Glu Tyr Ser Pro Ser Val Gln Lys Thr
Leu Tyr225 230 235 240Asp Ile Gln Val Leu Ser Leu Ser Arg Val Pro
Glu Ile Glu Asp Met 245 250 255Glu Ile Ser Leu Pro Asn Ile His Tyr
Phe Asn Ile Asp Met Ser Lys 260 265 270Met Gly Leu Ile Asn Lys Glu
Glu Val Leu Leu Pro Leu Asp Asn Pro 275 280 285Tyr Gly Lys Ile Thr
Gly Thr Val Lys Arg Lys Leu Ser Ser Arg Leu 290 295
3003304PRTMutant combination of Sus scrofa & Papio hamadryas
3Met Ala His Tyr Arg Asn Asp Tyr Lys Lys Asn Asp Glu Val Glu Phe1 5
10 15Val Arg Thr Gly Tyr Gly Lys Asp Met Ile Lys Val Leu His Ile
Gln 20 25 30Arg Asp Gly Lys Tyr His Ser Ile Lys Glu Val Ala Thr Ser
Val Gln 35 40 45Leu Thr Leu Ser Ser Lys Lys Asp Tyr Leu His Gly Asp
Asn Ser Asp 50 55 60Val Ile Pro Thr Asp Thr Ile Lys Asn Thr Val Asn
Val Leu Ala Lys65 70 75 80Phe Lys Gly Ile Lys Ser Ile Glu Thr Phe
Ala Val Thr Ile Cys Glu 85 90 95His Phe Leu Ser Ser Phe Lys His Val
Ile Arg Ala Gln Val Tyr Val 100 105 110Glu Glu Val Pro Trp Lys Arg
Phe Glu Lys Asn Gly Val Lys His Val 115 120 125His Ala Phe Ile Tyr
Thr Pro Thr Gly Thr His Phe Cys Glu Val Glu 130 135 140Gln Ile Arg
Asn Gly Pro Pro Val Ile His Ser Gly Ile Lys Asp Leu145 150 155
160Lys Val Leu Lys Thr Thr Gln Ser Gly Phe Glu Gly Phe Ile Lys Asp
165 170 175Gln Phe Thr Thr Leu Pro Glu Val Lys Asp Arg Cys Phe Ala
Thr Gln 180 185 190Val Tyr Cys Lys Trp Arg Tyr His Gln Gly Arg Asp
Val Asp Phe Glu 195 200 205Ala Thr Trp Asp Thr Val Arg Ser Ile Val
Leu Gln Lys Phe Ala Gly 210 215 220Pro Tyr Asp Lys Gly Glu Tyr Ser
Pro Ser Val Gln Lys Thr Leu Tyr225 230 235 240Asp Ile Gln Val Leu
Thr Leu Gly Gln Val Pro Glu Ile Glu Asp Met 245 250 255Glu Ile Ser
Leu Pro Asn Ile His Tyr Leu Asn Ile Asp Met Ser Lys 260 265 270Met
Gly Leu Ile Asn Lys Glu Glu Val Leu Leu Pro Leu Asp Asn Pro 275 280
285Tyr Gly Lys Ile Thr Gly Thr Val Lys Arg Lys Leu Ser Ser Arg Leu
290 295 300
* * * * *
References