U.S. patent application number 13/105152 was filed with the patent office on 2011-09-08 for anti-il-6 antibodies, compositions, methods and uses.
Invention is credited to Jill Giles-Komar, David Knight, David Peritt, Mohit Trikha.
Application Number | 20110218329 13/105152 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34699762 |
Filed Date | 2011-09-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110218329 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Giles-Komar; Jill ; et
al. |
September 8, 2011 |
ANTI-IL-6 ANTIBODIES, COMPOSITIONS, METHODS AND USES
Abstract
The present invention relates to at least one novel chimeric,
humanized or CDR-grafted anti-IL-6 antibodies derived from the
murine CLB-8 antibody, including isolated nucleic acids that encode
at least one such anti-IL-6 antibody, vectors, host cells,
transgenic animals or plants, and methods of making and using
thereof, including therapeutic compositions, methods and
devices.
Inventors: |
Giles-Komar; Jill;
(Downingtown, PA) ; Knight; David; (Berwyn,
PA) ; Peritt; David; (Bala Cynwyd, PA) ;
Trikha; Mohit; (Paoli, PA) |
Family ID: |
34699762 |
Appl. No.: |
13/105152 |
Filed: |
May 11, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12507962 |
Jul 23, 2009 |
7955597 |
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13105152 |
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11832323 |
Aug 1, 2007 |
7612182 |
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12507962 |
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10280716 |
Oct 26, 2002 |
7291721 |
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11832323 |
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60332743 |
Nov 14, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
530/387.3 ;
530/389.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61K 2039/505 20130101;
A61P 1/16 20180101; A61P 13/02 20180101; A61P 19/10 20180101; A61P
1/08 20180101; A61P 17/14 20180101; A61P 31/08 20180101; A61P 31/18
20180101; A61P 33/06 20180101; A61P 25/30 20180101; A61P 43/00
20180101; A61P 1/00 20180101; A61P 7/08 20180101; A61P 13/12
20180101; A61P 17/06 20180101; A61P 17/12 20180101; A61P 25/32
20180101; A01K 67/0271 20130101; A61P 1/04 20180101; A61P 1/18
20180101; C07K 2317/76 20130101; A61P 9/14 20180101; A61P 35/02
20180101; A61P 11/16 20180101; A61P 37/04 20180101; A61K 39/3955
20130101; A61P 3/04 20180101; A61P 35/00 20180101; A61P 37/02
20180101; A61P 1/10 20180101; A61P 15/00 20180101; A61P 31/12
20180101; C07K 2317/73 20130101; C07K 2317/92 20130101; A61P 11/02
20180101; A61P 37/06 20180101; C07K 16/248 20130101; A61P 11/06
20180101; A61P 35/04 20180101; A61P 17/00 20180101; A61P 3/06
20180101; A61P 7/02 20180101; A61P 9/10 20180101; A61P 11/00
20180101; A61P 31/00 20180101; A61P 37/00 20180101; A61P 37/08
20180101; A61P 11/04 20180101; A61P 17/04 20180101; A61P 21/04
20180101; A61P 31/10 20180101; A61P 19/02 20180101; A61P 5/14
20180101; A61P 11/14 20180101; A61P 25/00 20180101; C07K 2317/24
20130101; A61P 3/10 20180101; A61P 5/00 20180101; A61P 31/04
20180101; C07K 16/4241 20130101; A61P 7/00 20180101; A61P 17/02
20180101; A61P 31/16 20180101; C07K 2317/565 20130101; A61P 9/04
20180101; A61P 29/00 20180101; A61P 7/06 20180101; A61P 27/02
20180101; A01K 2267/0331 20130101; A61P 7/04 20180101; A61K 39/3955
20130101; A61K 2300/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
530/387.3 ;
530/389.2 |
International
Class: |
C07K 16/24 20060101
C07K016/24 |
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. (canceled)
3. An isolated antibody or antibody fragment that binds to human
IL-6 comprising a heavy chain variable domain and a light chain
variable domain containing complementarity determining regions
(CDRs), and a constant region derived from one or more human
antibodies, wherein the heavy chain variable domain comprises the
CDR3 of SEQ ID No. 3.
4. The antibody or fragment according to claim 3, wherein said
antibody or fragment competitively inhibits in vivo the binding to
human IL-6 of the anti IL-6 murine antibody CLB-8 or an antibody
having substantially the same binding characteristics of the CLB-8
antibody.
5-21. (canceled)
22. An isolated fully human antibody or specified portion or
variant thereof, wherein said antibody or specified portion or
variant binds the same epitope or antigenic region as an IL-6
antibody or fragment according to claim 3.
23-39. (canceled)
40. An isolated IL-6 antibody or fragment thereof, comprising a
murine variable and human constant region, wherein said antibody or
specified portion or variant specifically binds at least one
epitope comprising amino acids Gln29-Lev34 of human IL-6.
41. An IL-6 antibody or fragment thereof according to claim 40,
wherein said antibody or specified portion or variant binds IL-6
with an affinity of at least 10.sup.-9 M.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser.
No. 12/507,962 filed 23 Jul., 2009, currently allowed, which is a
divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/832,323 filed 1 Aug.
2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,612,182 issued 3 Nov. 2009, which is a
divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/280,716, filed 26 Oct.
2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,291,721 issued 6 Nov. 2007, which claims
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/332743
filed 14 Nov. 2001. The entire contents of the aforementioned
applications are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to antibodies, including
specified portions or variants, specific for at least one
Interleukin-6 (IL-6 also known as Interferon .beta.2) protein or
fragment thereof, as well as nucleic acids encoding such anti-IL-6
antibodies, complementary nucleic acids, vectors, host cells, and
methods of making and using thereof, including therapeutic
formulations, administration and devices.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that is
produced by many different cell types. In vivo, stimulated
monocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells represent the main
sources of IL-6. Other cells such as macrophages, T and B
lymphocytes, granulocytes, keratinocytes, mast cells, osteoblasts,
chrondrocytes, glial cells, and smooth muscle cells also produce
IL-6 after stimulation (Kishimoto, T., Blood 74:1-10 (1989) and
Kurihara, N. et al., J. Immunology 144:4226-4230 (1990)). Several
tumor cells also produce IL-6 (Smith, P. C. et al. Cytokine and
Growth Factor Reviews 12:33-40 (2001)) and recently IL-6 was
indicated to be a prognostic factor for prostate cancer progression
(Nakashima, J. et al. Clinical Cancer Research 6:2702-2706 (2000)).
IL-6 production can be regulated by IL-6 itself and depending upon
cell type, IL-6 can stimulate or inhibit its own synthesis.
[0006] IL-6 can bind to the IL-6 receptor expressed on
mitogen-activated B cells, T cells, peripheral monocytes, and
certain tumors (Ishimi, Y. et al., J. Immunology 145:3297-3303
(1990)). The IL-6 receptor has at least two different components
and is composed of an alpha chain called gp80 that is responsible
for IL-6 binding and a beta chain designated gp130 that is needed
for signal transduction (Adebanjo, O. et al., J. Cell Biology
142:1347-1356 (1998) and Poli, V. et al., EMBO 13:1189-1196
(1994)). The cytokine family which includes IL-6, LIF, Oncostatin
M, IL-11, CNTF, and CT-1 all signal through gp130 after binding to
their cognate receptors. In addition, all members of the IL-6
cytokine family can induce hepatic expression of acute phase
proteins (Bellido, T. et al., J. Clin. Investigation 97:431-437
(1996)).87908790.
[0007] There are at least two major biological functions of IL-6:
mediation of acute phase proteins and acting as a differentiation
and activation factor (Avvisti, G. et al., Baillieres Clinical
Hematology 8:815-829 (1995) and Poli, V. et al., EMBO 13:1189-1196
(1994)). Acute phase proteins are known to regulate immune
responses, mediate inflammation, and play a role in tissue
remodeling. As a differentiation and activation factor, IL-6
induces B cells to differentiate and secrete antibody, it induces T
cells to differentiate into cytotoxic T cells, activates cell
signaling factors, and promotes hematopoiesis (Ishimi, Y. et al., J
Immunology 145:3297-3303 (1990)). IL-6 is prominently involved in
many critical bodily functions and processes. As a result,
physiological processes including bone metabolism, neoplastic
transformation, and immune and inflammatory responses can be
enhanced, suppressed, or prevented by manipulation of the
biological activity of IL-6 in vivo by means of an antibody
(Adebanjo, O. et al., J. Cell Biology 142:1347-1356 (1998)).
[0008] Although IL-6 is involved in many pathways, IL-6 knockout
mice have a normal phenotype, they are viable and fertile, and
these animals show slightly decreased number of T cells and
decreased acute phase protein response to tissue injury (Kopf M et
al., Impaired immune and acute-phase responses in
interleukin-6-deficient mice, Nature;368(6469):339-42, 1994). In
contrast, transgenic mice that over-express IL-6 develop neurologic
disease such as neurodegeneration, astrocytosis, cerebral
vasculogenesis, and these mice do not develop a blood brain barrier
(Campbell et al., Neurologic Disease Induced in Transgenic Mice by
Cerebral Overexpression of Interleukin 6 PNAS 90: 10061-10065.
1993).
[0009] Recent studies have indicated that a Mab to IL-6 can inhibit
in vivo growth of prostate tumors (Smith, P. C. and Keller, E. T.,
The Prostate in press and Okamoto, M. et al., Cancer Research
57:141-146 (1997) and renal carcinoma (Weissglas, M. et al., The
Journal of Urology 153:554-557 (1995)). In addition to a direct
effect on tumor growth, blocking IL-6 production can also
chemo-sensitize and enhance cytotoxic efficacy (Smith, P. C. et al.
Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews 12:33-40 (2001)). Collectively,
literature teaches us that blocking IL-6 activity can inhibit bone
degradation, tumor growth and cancer cachexia.
[0010] Passive immunotherapy employing non-human, polyclonal (e.g.,
anti-sera) or monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) and fragments thereof
(e.g., proteolytic digestion products thereof) are potential
therapeutic agents that are being developed as treatments for
various diseases. However, antibodies composed of non-human
portions are known to elicit an immune response when administered
to humans. This immune response makes repeated antibody
administration often unsuitable for therapy and may result in an
immune complex mediated clearance of the antibodies from
circulation, thus reducing the therapeutic benefit to the patients.
Examples of conditions that may be attributed to repeat
administration of antibodies composed of non-human portions are
serum sickness and anaphylaxis.
[0011] In an attempt to avoid these and other problems, a number of
approaches including chimerization and "humanization" have been
pursued to reduce the immunogenicity of the antibodies/fragments
thereof. These approaches have produced antibodies having reduced
immunogenicity. These antibodies are substantially of human origin,
with only the complementary determining regions (CDR's) and certain
framework residue that influence CDR conformation being of non
human original. Novel human or humanized monoclonal antibodies are
therefore particularly useful alone or in combination with existing
molecules for immunotherapeutic uses.
[0012] Accordingly, there is a need to provide a high affinity,
neutralizing chimeric or human antibodies to IL-6 or fragments
thereof that overcome one more of these problems, as well as
improvements over known antibodies or fragments thereof for use in
preventing, treating, ameliorating, or diagnosing conditions
related to the IL-6.
[0013] Murine monocolonal antibodies to IL-6 produced from a
hybridoma cell line are known for example in U.S. Pat. No.
5,618,700. U.S. Pat. No. 5,856,135 discloses reshaped human
antibodies to human IL-6 drived from a mouse monoclonal antibody
SK2 in which the complementary determining regions (CDR's) from the
variable region of the mouse antibody SK2 are transplanted into the
variable region of a human antibody and joined to the constant
region of a human antibody.
[0014] Other murine monoclonal antibodies have been described and
categorized as neutralizing, that is preventing receptor binding,
or non-neutralizing (Brakenhoff et al, J. Immunol. (1990)
(145:561). Among this set of antibodies, neutralizing monoclonal
antibodies to IL-6 can be divided into two groups; and the putative
epitopes on the IL-6 molecule designated Site I and Site II. Site I
prevent binding to the gp80 (IL6R) and therefore prevent gp130
activation. The Site I epitope was further characterized as
comprising regions of both amino terminal and carboxy terminal
portions of the IL-6 molecule. Site II binders prevent gp130
activation and therefore may recognize a conformational epitope
involved in signalling.
[0015] A murine IL-6 monoclonal antibody referred to as CLB-6/8 or
CLB-8, which has high affinity for IL-6, binds to the Site I
epitope, is known (Brakenhoff et al supra), but the antigen binding
domains (CDR regions) of this antibody are not known. As described
above, however, the murine antibody is highly immunogenic in humans
and its therapeutic value is therefore limited. There is thus a
continuing need for antibodies to IL-6 that exhibit high affinity
and a favorable pharmaceutical profile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The present invention provides isolated chimeric, humanized
and/or CDR-grafted anti-IL-6 antibodies, having at least one
antigen binding region derived from the high affinity CLB-8
anti-IL-6 antibody, as well as anti-IL-6 antibody compositions,
encoding or complementary nucleic acids, vectors, host cells,
compositions, formulations, devices, transgenic animals, transgenic
plants related thereto, and methods of making and using thereof, as
described and enabled herein, in combination with what is known in
the art. The antibody of the invention specifically neutralizes
human IL-6 with high affinity.
[0017] The present invention provides at least one isolated
human-mouse chimeric, humanized or CDR-grafted anti-IL-6 CLB-8
antibody ("cCLB-8 antibody") as described herein. The cCLB-8
antibody according to the present invention includes any protein or
peptide molecule that comprises at least one complementarity
determining region (CDR) of a heavy or light chain or a ligand
binding portion thereof, derived from the murine CLB-8 monoclonal
antibody, in combination with a heavy chain or light chain constant
region, a framework region, or any portion thereof, that can be
incorporated into an antibody of the present invention. In one
embodiment the invention is directed to an anti-IL-6 chimeric
antibody comprising two light chains and two heavy chains, each of
the chains comprising at least part of a human constant region and
at least part of a variable region (v) derived from the murine CLB8
monoclonal antibody having specificity to human IL-6, said antibody
binding with high affinity to an inhibiting and/or neutralizing
epitope of human IL-6, such as the antibody cCLB-8. The invention
also includes fragments or a derivative of such an antibody, such
as one or more portions of the antibody chain, such as the heavy
chain constant, joining, diversity or variable regions, or the
light chain constant, joining or variable regions.
[0018] The antibody can comprise at least one specified portion of
at least one complementarity determining region (CDR) (e.g., CDR1,
CDR2 or CDR3 of the heavy or light chain variable region) derived
from the murine CLB-8 monoclonal antibody, and/or at least one
constant or variable framework region or any portion thereof. The
antibody amino acid sequence can further optionally comprise at
least one specified substitution, insertion or deletion as
described herein or as known in the art.
[0019] Preferred antibodies of the present invention include those
chimeric, humanized and/or CDR grafted antibodies that will
competitively inhibit in vivo binding to human IL-6 of anti-IL-6
murine CLB-8, chimeric anti-IL-6 CLB-8, or an antibody having
substantially the same binding characteristics, as well as
fragments and regions thereof.
[0020] Preferred antibodies of the present invention are those that
bind epitopes recognized by
[0021] CLB-8 and cCLB-8, which are included in the Site Iepitope as
described by Brackenhoff et al. (supra). Preferred methods for
determining monoclonal antibody specificity and affinity by
competitive inhibition can be found in Harlow, et al, Antibodies: A
Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring
Harbor, N.Y., 1988), hereby incorporated by reference into the
present application. At least one antibody of the invention binds
at least one specified epitope specific to human IL-6 protein,
subunit, fragment, portion or any combination thereof, to which the
CLB-8 monoclonal antibody binds. The epitope can comprise at least
one antibody binding region to which the CLB-8 antibody binds,
which epitope is preferably comprised of at least 1-5 amino acids
of at least one portion thereof, such as but not limited to, at
least one functional, extracellular, soluble, hydrophillic,
external or cytoplasmic domain of human IL-6 protein, or any
portion thereof.
[0022] In one aspect, the present invention provides at least one
isolated mammalian anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody, comprising at least
one variable region comprising SEQ ID NO:7 or 8 and the nucleic
acid sequences encoding them (SEQ ID NO: 15 or 16).
[0023] In another aspect, the present invention provides at least
one isolated mammalian anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody, comprising either
(i) all of the heavy chain complementarity determining regions
(CDR) amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS:1, 2, and 3 and the
nucleic acid sequences encoding them (SEQ ID NOS: 9-11); or (ii)
all of the light chain CDR amino acids sequences of SEQ ID NOS:4,
5, and 6 and the nucleic acid sequences encoding them (SEQ ID NOS:
12-14).
[0024] In another aspect, the present invention provides at least
one isolated mammalian anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody, comprising at
least one heavy chain or light chain CDR having the amino acid
sequence of at least one of SEQ ID NOS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 and the
nucleic acid sequences encoding them (SEQ ID NOS: 9-14).
[0025] In other aspect the present invention provides at least one
isolated mammalian chimeric, humanized or CDR-grafted anti-IL-6
cCLB-8 antibody, comprising at least one human CDR, wherein the
antibody specifically binds at least one epitope comprising at
least 1-3 amino acids of the epitope of human IL-6 to which the
CLB-8 antibody binds.
[0026] The at least one antibody can optionally further bind IL-6
with an affinity (K.sub.d) of at least 10.sup.-9 M, preferably at
least 10.sup.-10 M, and/or substantially neutralize at least one
activity of at least one IL-6 protein. In a preferred embodiment,
the antibody binds IL-6 with an affinity (K.sub.d) of at least
1.times.10.sup.-11M, preferably 5.times.10.sup.-11 neutralizes
human IL-6.
[0027] The present invention provides, in one aspect, isolated
nucleic acid molecules comprising, complementary, or hybridizing
to, a polynucleotide encoding the aforementioned specific anti-IL-6
antibodies, comprising at least one specified sequence, domain,
portion or variant thereof. The present invention further provides
recombinant vectors comprising said anti-IL-6 antibody nucleic acid
molecules, host cells containing such nucleic acids and/or
recombinant vectors, as well as methods of making and/or using such
antibody nucleic acids, vectors and/or host cells. Thus, the
invention comprisesn isolated nucleic acid encoding at least one
isolated mammalian anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody; an isolated nucleic
acid vector comprising the isolated nucleic acid, and/or a
prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell comprising the isolated nucleic
acid. The host cell can optionally be at least one selected from
COS-1, COS-7, HEK293, BHK21, CHO, BSC-1, Hep G2, 653, SP2/0, 293,
HeLa, myeloma, or lymphoma cells, or any derivative, immortalized
or transformed cell thereof. Also provided is a method for
producing at least one anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody, comprising
translating the antibody encoding nucleic acid under conditions in
vitro, in vivo or in situ, such that the IL-6 antibody is expressed
in detectable or recoverable amounts.
[0028] The present invention further provides at least one IL-6
anti-idiotype antibody to at least one cCLB-8 anti-IL-6 antibody of
the present invention. The anti-idiotype antibody includes any
protein or peptide containing molecule that comprises at least a
portion of an immunoglobulin molecule, such as but not limited to
at least one complementarity determining region (CDR) of a heavy or
light chain or a ligand binding portion thereof, a heavy chain or
light chain variable region, a heavy chain or light chain constant
region, a framework region, or any portion thereof, that can be
incorporated into an anti-idiotype antibody to the antibody of the
present invention. An anti-idiotype antibody of the invention can
include or be derived from any mammal, such as but not limited to a
human, a mouse, a rabbit, a rodent, a primate, and the like.
[0029] The present invention provides, in one aspect, isolated
nucleic acid molecules comprising, complementary, or hybridizing
to, a polynucleotide encoding at least one IL-6 anti-idiotype
antibody, comprising at least one specified sequence, domain,
portion or variant thereof. The present invention further provides
recombinant vectors comprising said IL-6 anti-idiotype antibody
encoding nucleic acid molecules, host cells containing such nucleic
acids and/or recombinant vectors, as well as methods of making
and/or using such anti-idiotype antiobody nucleic acids, vectors
and/or host cells.
[0030] The present invention also provides at least one method for
expressing at least one aforementioned anti-IL-6 antibody, or IL-6
anti-idiotype antibody in a host cell, comprising culturing a host
cell as described herein under conditions wherein at least one
anti-IL-6 antibody is expressed in detectable and/or recoverable
amounts.
[0031] Also provided is a method for producing at least one
isolated anti-IL-6 antibody of the present invention, comprising
providing a transgenic animal or transgenic plant or plant cell
capable of expressing the antibody in recoverable amounts. Further
provided in the present invention is at least one anti-IL-6
antibody produced by the above method.
[0032] The present invention also provides at least one composition
comprising (a) an isolated anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody encoding
nucleic acid and/or antibody as described herein; and (b) a
suitable carrier or diluent. The carrier or diluent can optionally
be pharmaceutically acceptable, according to known carriers or
diluents. The composition can optionally further comprise at least
one further compound, protein or composition.
[0033] The present invention further provides at least one
anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody method or composition, for administering
a therapeutically effective amount to modulate or treat at least
one IL-6 related condition in a cell, tissue, organ, animal or
patient and/or, prior to, subsequent to, or during a related
condition, as known in the art and/or as described herein. Thus,
the invention provides a method for diagnosing or treating an IL-6
related condition in a cell, tissue, organ or animal, comprising
contacting or administering a composition comprising an effective
amount of at least one isolated anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody of the
invention with, or to, the cell, tissue, organ or animal. The
method can optionally further comprise using an effective amount of
0.001-50 mg/kilogram of the cells, tissue, organ or animal. The
method can optionally further comprise using the contacting or the
administrating by at least one mode selected from parenteral,
subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous, intrarticular,
intrabronchial, intraabdominal, intracapsular, intracartilaginous,
intracavitary, intracelial, intracelebellar,
intracerebroventricular, intracolic, intracervical, intragastric,
intrahepatic, intramyocardial, intraosteal, intrapelvic,
intrapericardiac, intraperitoneal, intrapleural, intraprostatic,
intrapulmonary, intrarectal, intrarenal, intraretinal, intraspinal,
intrasynovial, intrathoracic, intrauterine, intravesical, bolus,
vaginal, rectal, buccal, sublingual, intranasal, or transdermal.
The method can optionally further comprise administering, prior,
concurrently, or after the antibody contacting or administering at
least one composition comprising an effective amount of at least
one compound or protein selected from at least one of a detectable
label or reporter, a TNF antagonist, an antirheumatic, a muscle
relaxant, a narcotic, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID),
an analgesic, an anesthetic, a sedative, a local anesthetic, a
neuromsucular blocker, an antimicrobial, an antipsoriatic, a
corticosteriod, an anabolic steroid, an erythropoietin, an
immunization, an immunoglobulin, an immunosuppressive, a growth
hormone, a hormone replacement drug, a radiopharmaceutical, an
antidepressant, an antipsychotic, a stimulant, an asthma
medication, a beta agonist, an inhaled steriod, an epinephrine or
analog thereof, a cytotoxic or other anti-cancer agent, an
anti-metabolite such as methotrexate, an anti-proliferative agent,
a cytokine, or a cytokine antagonist.
[0034] The present invention further provides at least one
anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody method for diagnosing at least one IL-6
related condition in a cell, tissue, organ, animal or patient
and/or, prior to, subsequent to, or during a related condition, as
known in the art and/or as described herein.
[0035] The present invention also provides at least one
composition, device and/or method of delivery for diagnosing of at
least one anti-IL-6 antibody, according to the present
invention.
[0036] Also provided is a composition comprising at least one
isolated chimeric, human or humanized anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody and
at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent. The
composition can optionally further comprise an effective amount of
at least one compound or protein selected from at least one of a
detectable label or reporter, a cytotoxic or other anti-cancer
agent, an anti-metabolite such as methotrexate, an
anti-proliferative agent, a cytokine, or a cytokine antagonist, a
TNF antagonist, an antirheumatic, a muscle relaxant, a narcotic, a
non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NTHE), an analgesic, an
anesthetic, a sedative, a local anethetic, a neuromuscular blocker,
an antimicrobial, an antipsoriatic, a corticosteriod, an anabolic
steroid, an erythropoietin, an immunization, an immunoglobulin, an
immunosuppressive, a growth hormone, a hormone replacement drug, a
radiopharmaceutical, an antidepressant, an antipsychotic, a
stimulant, an asthma medication, a beta agonist, an inhaled
steroid, an epinephrine or analog.
[0037] Also provided is a medical device, comprising at least one
isolated mammalian anti-IL-6 antibody of the invention, wherein the
device is suitable to contacting or administering the at least one
anti-IL-6 antibody by at least one mode selected from parenteral,
subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous, intrarticular,
intrabronchial, intraabdominal, intracapsular, intracartilaginous,
intracavitary, intracelial, intracelebellar,
intracerebroventricular, intracolic, intracervical, intragastric,
intrahepatic, intramyocardial, intraosteal, intrapelvic,
intrapericardiac, intraperitoneal, intrapleural, intraprostatic,
intrapulmonary, intrarectal, intrarenal, intraretinal, intraspinal,
intrasynovial, intrathoracic, intrauterine, intravesical, bolus,
vaginal, rectal, buccal, sublingual, intranasal, or
transdermal.
[0038] Also provided is an article of manufacture for human
pharmaceutical or diagnostic use, comprising packaging material and
a container comprising a solution or a lyophilized form of at least
one isolated mammalian anti-IL-6 antibody of the present invention.
The article of manufacture can optionally comprise having the
container as a component of a parenteral, subcutaneous,
intramuscular, intravenous, intrarticular, intrabronchial,
intraabdominal, intracapsular, intracartilaginous, intracavitary,
intracelial, intracelebellar, intracerebroventricular, intracolic,
intracervical, intragastric, intrahepatic, intramyocardial,
intraosteal, intrapelvic, intrapericardiac, intraperitoneal,
intrapleural, intraprostatic, intrapulmonary, intrarectal,
intrarenal, intraretinal, intraspinal, intrasynovial,
intrathoracic, intrauterine, intravesical, bolus, vaginal, rectal,
buccal, sublingual, intranasal, or transdermal delivery device or
system.
[0039] The present invention further provides any invention
described herein.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0040] FIG. 1: Graph showing binding of cCLB8 to human recombinant
IL-6.
[0041] FIG. 2: Graph showing the inhibition of IL-6 mediated IgM mu
secretion from SKW6.4 cells by cCLB8.
[0042] FIG. 3: Graph showing the inhibition of IL-6 mediated MCP-1
production by cCLB8.
[0043] FIG. 4: Image of a western blot showing cCLB8 inhibition of
IL-6 signaling in THP-1 human monocytic leukemia cells.
[0044] FIG. 5: Graph showing the inhibition by cCLB8 of IL-6
induced serum amyloid A production from HepG2 cells.
[0045] FIG. 6: Graph showing the ability of cCLB8 to neutralize
rhIL-6-induced cell proliferation.
[0046] FIG. 7: Graph showing the relative reduction in host body
weight loss in human tumor bearing mice treated with both
anti-human and anti-mouse IL-6 antibodies.
[0047] FIG. 8A-G: Graph showing the serum inhibition study profiles
of 7 anti-idiotype antibodies.
[0048] FIG. 9: Graph showing the inhibition of cCLB8 binding to
human IL-6 by anti-id Mabs.
[0049] FIG. 10: Graph showing the anti-id binding to cCLB-8
pre-bound to human IL-6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0050] Citations
[0051] All publications or patents cited herein are entirely
incorporated herein by reference as they show the state of the art
at the time of the present invention and/or to provide description
and enablement of the present invention. Publications refer to any
scientific or patent publications, or any other information
available in any media format, including all recorded, electronic
or printed formats. The following references are entirely
incorporated herein by reference: Ausubel, et al., ed., Current
Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY,
N.Y. (1987-2001); Sambrook, et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory
Manual, 2.sup.nd Edition, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1989); Harlow
and Lane, antibodies, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.
(1989); Colligan, et al., eds., Current Protocols in Immunology,
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY (1994-2001); Colligan et al.,
Current Protocols in Protein Science, John Wiley & Sons, NY,
N.Y., (1997-2001).
[0052] Amino Acid Codes
[0053] The amino acids that make up anti-IL-6 antibodies of the
present invention are often abbreviated. The amino acid
designations can be indicated by designating the amino acid by its
single letter code, its three letter code, name, or three
nucleotide codon(s) as is well understood in the art (see Alberts,
B., et al., Molecular Biology of The Cell, Third Ed., Garland
Publishing, Inc., New York, 1994):
[0054] Definitions
[0055] As used herein, an "anti-Interleukin-6 cCLB-8 antibody,"
"anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody," "anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody portion,"
or "anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody fragment" and/or "anti-IL-6 cCLB-8
antibody variant" and the like include any protein or peptide
containing molecule that comprises at least a portion of an
immunoglobulin molecule, containing at least one complementarity
determining region (CDR) of a heavy or light chain or a ligand
binding portion thereof derived from the murine CLB-8 monoclonal
antibody in combination with a heavy chain or light chain variable
region, a heavy chain or light chain constant region, a framework
region, or any portion thereof, of non-murine origin, preferably of
human origen, which can be incorporated into an antibody of the
present invention. Such antibody is capable of modulating,
decreasing, antagonizes, mitigates, aleviates, blocks, inhibits,
abrogates and/or interferes with at least one IL-6 activity or
binding, or with IL-6 receptor activity or binding, in vitro, in
situ and/or in vivo. As a non-limiting example, a suitable
anti-IL-6 antibody, specified portion or variant of the present
invention can bind with high affinity to an inhibiting and/or
neutralizing epitope of human IL-6 recognized by the CLB-8
monoclonal antibody. A suitable anti-IL-6 antibody, specified
portion, or variant can also optionally affect at least one of IL-6
activity or function, such as but not limited to, RNA, DNA or
protein synthesis, IL-6 release, IL-6 receptor signaling, membrane
IL-6 cleavage, IL-6 activity, IL-6 production and/or synthesis.
[0056] The term "antibody" is further intended to encompass
antibodies, digestion fragments, specified portions and variants
thereof, including antibody mimetics or comprising portions of
antibodies that mimic the structure and/or function of an antibody
or specified fragment or portion thereof, including single chain
antibodies and fragments thereof; each containing at least one CDR
derived from the CLB-8 monoclonal antibody. Functional fragments
include antigen-binding fragments that bind to a mammalian IL-6.
For example, antibody fragments capable of binding to IL-6 or
portions thereof, including, but not limited to Fab (e.g., by
papain digestion), Fab' (e.g., by pepsin digestion and partial
reduction) and F(ab').sub.2 (e.g., by pepsin digestion), facb
(e.g., by plasmin digestion), pFc' (e.g., by pepsin or plasmin
digestion), Fd (e.g., by pepsin digestion, partial reduction and
reaggregation), Fv or scFv (e.g., by molecular biology techniques)
fragments, are encompassed by the invention (see, e.g., Colligan,
Immunology, supra).
[0057] Such fragments can be produced by enzymatic cleavage,
synthetic or recombinant techniques, as known in the art and/or as
described herein. antibodies can also be produced in a variety of
truncated forms using antibody genes in which one or more stop
codons have been introduced upstream of the natural stop site. For
example, a combination gene encoding a F(ab').sub.2 heavy chain
portion can be designed to include DNA sequences encoding the
CH.sub.1 domain and/or hinge region of the heavy chain. The various
portions of antibodies can be joined together chemically by
conventional techniques, or can be prepared as a contiguous protein
using genetic engineering techniques.
[0058] As used herein "chimeric" antibodies or "humanized"
antibodies or "CDR-grafted" include any combination of the herein
described murine CDR's with one or more proteins or peptides
derived from a non-murine, preferably, human antibody. In
accordance with the invention, chimeric or humanized antibodies are
provided wherein the CDR's are derived from the murine CLB-8
antibody capable of binding human IL-6 and at least a portion, or
the remainder of the antibody is derived from one or more human
antibodies. Thus, the human part of the antibody may include the
framework, C.sub.L, C.sub.H domains (e.g., C.sub.H1, C.sub.H2,
C.sub.H3), hinge, (V.sub.L, V.sub.H)) regions which are
substantially non-immunogenic in humans. The regions of the
antibody that are derived from human antibodies need not have 100%
identity with human antibodies. In a preferred embodiment, as many
of the human amino acid residues as possible are retained in order
for the immunogenicity to be negligible, but the human residues may
be modified as necessary to support the antigen binding site formed
by the CDR's while simultaneously maximizing the humanization of
the antibody. Such changes or variations optionally and preferably
retain or reduce the immunogenicity in humans or other species
relative to non-modified antibodies. It is pointed out that a
humanized antibody can be produced by a non-human animal or
prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell that is capable of expressing
functionally rearranged human immunoglobulin (e.g., heavy chain
and/or light chain) genes. Further, when the antibody is a single
chain antibody, it can comprise a linker peptide that is not found
in native human antibodies. For example, an Fv can comprise a
linker peptide, such as two to about eight glycine or other amino
acid residues, which connects the variable region of the heavy
chain and the variable region of the light chain. Such linker
peptides are considered to be of human origin.
Antibodies of the Present Invention
[0059] In accordance with the present invention, the anti-IL-6
cCLB-8 antibody comprises an antibody in which the variable region
or CDRs are derived from the murine CLB-8 antibody capable of
binding to and inhibiting the function of human IL-6 and the
framework and constant regions of the antibody are derived from one
or more human antibodies. The variable region or CDRs derived from
the murine CLB-8 antibody preferably have from about 90% to about
100% identity with the variable region or CDRs of the murine CLB-8
antibody, although any and all modifications, including
substitutions, insertions and deletions, are contemplated so long
as the chimeric antibody maintains the ability to bind to and
inhibit IL-6. The regions of the chimeric, humanized or CDR-grafted
antibodies that are derived from human antibodies need not have
100% identity with the human antibodies. In a preferred embodiment,
as many of the human amino acid residues as possible are retained
in order than immunogenicity is negligible, but the human residues,
in particular residues of the framework region, are substituted as
required and as taught hereinbelow in accordance with the present
invention. Such modifications as disclosed herein are necessary to
support the antigen binding site formed by the CDRs while
sumultaneously maximizing the humanization of the antibody.
[0060] The CLB-8 murine monoclonal antibody against human IL-6 is
known in the art (Brakenhoff et al, supra), but the CDR regions of
this antibody have not heretofore been disclosed. The present
invention, for the first time, discloses chimeric, humanized or CDR
grafted antibodies derived from the CDR regions of the CLB-8 murine
monoclonal antibody and methods for preparing such antibodies. In
accordance with the present invention, the cDNA (SEQ ID NO: 15) and
amino acid sequences of the heavy chain (SEQ ID NO: 7) of murine
CLB-8 heavy chain is provided at Example 2. The cDNA and deduced
amino acid sequence of the murine CLB-8 light chain (SEQ ID NO. 8)
is also provided in Example 2 (SEQ ID NO: 16). Each of the heavy
and light chain variable regions contain three CDRs that combine to
form the antigen binding site. The three CDRs are surrounded by
four FR regions that primarily function to support the CDRs. The
sequences of the CDRs within the sequences of the variable regions
of the heavy and light chains can be identified by
computer-assisted alignment according to Kabat et al. (1987) in
Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, 4.sup.th ed.,
United States Department of Health and Human Services, U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., or by molecular
modeling of the variable regions, for example utilizing the ENCAD
program as described by Levitt (1983) J. Mol. Biol. 168:595.
[0061] In a preferred embodiment the CDRs are derived from murine
monoclonal antibody CLB-8. The preferred heavy chain CDRs have the
following sequences:
TABLE-US-00001 CDR1 SFAMS (SEQ ID NO: 1) CDR2 EISSGGSYTYYPDTVTG
(SEQ ID NO: 2) CDR3 GLWGYYALDY (SEQ ID NO: 3)
[0062] The preferred light chain CDRs have the following
sequences:
TABLE-US-00002 CDR1 SASSSVSYMY (SEQ. ID NO: 4) CDR2 DTSNLAS (SEQ.
ID NO: 5) CDR3 QQWSGYPYT (SEQ. ID NO: 6)
[0063] The sequences of the CDRs of the murine CLB-8 antibody, may
be modified by insertions, substitutions and deletions to the
extent that the CDR-grafted antibody maintains the ability to bind
to and inhibit human 11-6. The ordinarily skilled artisan can
ascertain the maintenance of this activity by performing the
functional assays described hereinbelow. The CDRs can have, for
example, from about 50% to about 100% homology to the CDRs of SEQ
ID NOS: 1-6. In a preferred embodiment the CDRs have from about 80%
to about 100% homology to the CDRs of SEQ ID NOS: 1-6. In a more
preferred embodiment the CDRs have from about 90% to about 100%
homology to the CDRs of SEQ ID NOS: 1-6. In a most preferred
embodiment the CDRs have from about 100% homology to the CDRs of
SEQ ID NOS:1-6.
[0064] Alternatively, the entire heavy chain variable region and
light chain variable region of the murine CLB-8 antibody as set
forth in Example 2 (SEQ. ID NOS. 7 and 8) may be combined with the
human constant and framework regions to form the chimeric cCLB-8
antibody of the present invention.
[0065] Human genes which encode the constant (C) regions of the
chimeric antibodies, fragments and regions of the present invention
can be derived from a human fetal liver library, by known methods.
Human C region genes can be derived from any human cell including
those which express and produce human immunoglobulins. The human
C.sub.H region can be derived from any of the known classes or
isotypes of human H chains, including gamma, .mu., .alpha.,
.delta., .epsilon., and subtypes thereof, such as G1, G2, G3 and
G4. Since the H chain isotype is responsible for the various
effector functions of an antibody, the choice of C.sub.H region
will be guided by the desired effector functions, such as
complement fixation, or activity in antibody-dependent cellular
cytotoxicity (ADCC). Preferably, the C.sub.H region is derived from
gamma 1 (IgG1).
[0066] The human C.sub.L region can be derived from either human L
chain isotype, kappa or lambda, preferably kappa.
[0067] Genes encoding human immunoglobulin C regions are obtained
from human cells by standard cloning techniques (Sambrook, et al.
(Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2.sup.nd Edition, Cold
Spring Harbor Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1989) and Ausubel et
al, eds. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology (1987-1993)). Human
C region genes are readily available from known clones containing
genes representing the two classes of L chains, the five classses
of H chains and subclasses thereof. Chimeric antibody fragments,
such as F(ab.sup.1).sub.2 and Fab, can be prepared by designing a
chimeric H chain gene which is appropriately truncated. For
example, a chimeric gene encoding an H chain portion of an
F(ab.sup.1).sub.2 fragment would include DNA sequenes encoding the
CH1 domain and hinge region of the H chain, followed by a
translational stop codon to yield the truncated molecule.
[0068] Generally, in one example, chimeric antibodies, fragments
and regions of the present invention are produced by cloning DNA
segments encoding the H and L chain antigen-binding regions of the
CLB-8 anti IL-6 specific antibody, and joining these DNA segments
to DNA segments encloding C.sub.H and C.sub.L regions,
respectively, to produce chimeric immunoglobulin-encoding
genes.
[0069] Thus, in a preferred embodiment, a fused chimeric gene is
created which comprises a first DNA segment that encodes at least
the antigen-binding region of non-human origin, such as a
functionally rearranged V region with joining (J) segment, linked
to a second DNA segment encoding at least a part of a human C
region.
[0070] The sequences of the variable regions of the murine CLB-8
antibody, may be modified by insertions, substitutions and
deletions to the extent that the chimeric antibody maintains the
ability to bind to and inhibit human IL-6. The ordinarily skilled
artisan can ascertain the maintenance of this activity by
performing the functional assays described hereinbelow. The
variable regions can have, for example, from about 50% to about
100% homology to the variable regions of SEQ ID NOS:7-8. in a
preferred embodiment the variable regions have from about 80% to
about 100% homology to the variable regions of SEQ ID NOS: 7-8. In
a more preferred embodiment the variable regions have from about
90% to about 100% homology to the variable regions of SEQ ID NOS:
7-8. In a most preferred embodiment the variable regions have from
about 100% homology to the CDRs of SEQ ID NOS: 1-6.
[0071] For convenience, the numering scheme of Kabat et al., has
been adopted herein.
[0072] Residues are designated by lower case numbers or hyphens as
necessary to conform the present sequences to the standard Kabat
numbered sequence.
[0073] In accordance with the present invention, in the case of a
CDR-grafted or humanized antibody where the CDR region of the CLB-8
antibody is combined with a human region, residues may be retained
in the FR region which are idiosyncratic to the parent antibody,
e.g. CLB-8. Residues that have been demonstrated to be critical in
the humanization of other antibodies may also be retained. The
foregoing guidelines are followed to the extent necessary to
support the antigen binding site formed by the CDRs while
simultaneously maximizing the humanization of the antibody.
[0074] The amino acid sequence of a representative heavy chain
variable region derived from murine monoclonal antibody CLB-8 and a
human antibody are shown in Example 2 below.
[0075] The amino acid sequence of a representative chimeric light
chain variable region derived from murine monoclonal antibody CLB-8
and a human antibody is also shown in Example 2.
[0076] A chimeric antibody containing variable regions from the
murine CLB-8 antibody has been demonstrated in accordance with the
present invention to be as effective as murine monoclonal antibody
CLB-8 in binding to IL-6.
[0077] Methods for engineering or humanizing non-human or human
antibodies can be used and are well known in the art. Generally, a
humanized or engineered antibody has one or more amino acid
residues from a source which is non-human, e.g., but not limited to
mouse, rat, rabbit, non-human primate or other mammal These human
amino acid residues are often referred to as "import" residues,
which are typically taken from an "import" variable, constant or
other domain of a known human sequence. Known human Ig sequences
are disclosed, e.g., www._ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi;
www._atcc.org/phage/hdb.html; www._sciquest.com/;
www._abcam.com/;www._antibodyresource.com/onlinecomp.html;
www._public.iastate.edu/.about.pedro/research_tools.html;www._mgen.uni-he-
idelberg.de/SD/IT/IT.html;
www._whfreeman.com/immunology/CH05/kuby05.htm;
www._library.thinkquest.org/12429/Immune/Antibody.html;
www._hhmi.org/grants/lectures/1996/vlab/;www.path.cam.ac.uk/.about.mrc7/m-
ikeimages.html; www._antibodyresource.com/;
mcb.harvard.edu/BioLinks/Immunology.html. www._immunologylink.com/;
pathbox.wustl.edu/.about.hccenter/index.html;
www._biotech.ufl.edu/.about.hcl/;
www._pebio.com/pa/340913/340913.html;
www._nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/antibody/;
www._m.ehime-u.ac.jp/.about.yasuhito/Elisa.html;
www._biodesign.com/table.asp;
www.icnet.uk/axp/facs/davies/links.html;
www._biotech.ufl.edu/.about.fccl/protocol.html;
www._isac-net.org/sites_geo.html;aximtl.imt.uni-marburg.de/.about.rek/AEP-
Start.html; baserv.uci.kun.nl/.about.jraats/linksl.html;
www._recab.uni-hd.de/immuno.bme.nwu.edu/;
www._mrc-cpe.cam.ac.uk/imt-doc/public/INTRO.html;
www._ibt.unam.mx/vir/V_mice.html; imgt.cnusc.fr:8104/;
www._biochem.ucl.ac.uk/.about.martin/abs/index.html;
antibody.bath.ac.uk/; abgen.cvm.tamu.edu/lab/wwwabgen.html;
www._unizh.ch/.about.honegger/AHOseminar/Slide01.html;www._cryst.bbk.ac.u-
k/.about.ubcg07s/; www._nimr.mrc.ac.uk/CC/ccaewg/ccaewg.htm;
www._path.cam.ac.uk/.about.mrc7/humanisation/TAHHP.html;
www._ibt.unam.mx/vir/structure/stataim.html;www._biosci.missouri.edu/smit-
hgp/index.html;
www._cryst.bioc.cam.ac.uk/.about.fmolina/Web-pages/Pept/spottech.html;
www._jerini.de/fr_products.htm; www._patents.ibm.com/ibm.html.Kabat
et al.
[0078] Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, U.S. Dept.
Health (1983), each entirely incorporated herein by reference.
[0079] Such imported sequences can be used to reduce immunogenicity
or reduce, enhance or modify binding, affinity, on-rate, off-rate,
avidity, specificity, half-life, or any other suitable
characteristic, as known in the art. Generally part or all of the
non-human or human CDR sequences are maintained while the non-human
sequences of the variable and constant regions are replaced with
human or other amino acids. Antibodies can also optionally be
humanized with retention of high affinity for the antigen and other
favorable biological properties. To achieve this goal, humanized
antibodies can be optionally prepared by a process of analysis of
the parental sequences and various conceptual humanized products
using three-dimensional models of the parental and humanized
sequences. Three-dimensional immunoglobulin models are commonly
available and are familiar to those skilled in the art. Computer
programs are available which illustrate and display probable
three-dimensional conformational structures of selected candidate
immunoglobulin sequences. Inspection of these displays permits
analysis of the likely role of the residues in the functioning of
the candidate immunoglobulin sequence, i.e., the analysis of
residues that influence the ability of the candidate immunoglobulin
to bind its antigen. In this way, FR residues can be selected and
combined from the consensus and import sequences so that the
desired antibody characteristic, such as increased affinity for the
target antigen(s), is achieved. In general, the CDR residues are
directly and most substantially involved in influencing antigen
binding. Humanization or engineering of antibodies of the present
invention can be performed using any known method, such as but not
limited to those described in, Winter (Jones et al., Nature 321:522
(1986); Riechmann et al., Nature 332:323 (1988); Verhoeyen et al.,
Science 239:1534 (1988)), Sims et al., J. Immunol. 151: 2296
(1993); Chothia and Lesk, J. Mol. Biol. 196:901 (1987), Carter et
al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89:4285 (1992); Presta et al.,
J. Immunol. 151:2623 (1993), U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,723,323, 5,976,862,
5,824,514, 5,817,483, 5,814,476, 5,763,192, 5,723,323, 5,766,886,
5,714,352, 6,204,023, 6,180,370, 5,693,762, 5,530,101, 5,585,089,
5,225,539; 4,816,567, PCT/: US98/16280, US96/18978, US91/09630,
US91/05939, US94/01234, GB89/01334, GB91/01134, GB92/01755;
WO90/14443, WO90/14424, WO90/14430, EP 229246, each entirely
incorporated herein by reference, included references cited
therein
[0080] The human constant region of the chimeric antibody of the
invention can be of any class (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, IgD, etc.) or
isotype and can comprise a kappa or lambda light chain. In one
embodiment, the human constant region comprises an IgG heavy chain
or defined fragment, for example, at least one of isotypes, IgG1,
IgG2, IgG3 or IgG4. In another embodiment, the anti-human IL-6
human antibody comprises an IgG1 heavy chain and a IgG1 K light
chain. The isolated anti-IL-6 antibodies of the present invention
comprise antibody amino acid sequences disclosed herein encoded by
any suitable polynucleotide as well as. Preferably, the antibody or
antigen-binding fragment binds human IL-6 and, thereby partially or
substantially neutralizes at least one biological activity of the
protein. The cCLB-8 antibody, or specified portion or variant
thereof, partially or preferably substantially neutralizes at least
one biological activity of at least one IL-6 protein or fragment
and thereby inhibit activities mediated through the binding of IL-6
to the IL-6 receptor or through other IL-6-dependent or mediated
mechanisms. As used herein, the term "neutralizing antibody" refers
to an antibody that can inhibit an IL-6-dependent activity by about
20-120%, preferably by at least about 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 55, 60,
65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100% or
more depending on the assay. The capacity of an anti-IL-6 antibody
to inhibit an IL-6-dependent activity is preferably assessed by at
least one suitable IL-6 protein or receptor assay, as described
herein and/or as known in the art.
[0081] At least one antibody of the invention binds at least one
specified epitope specific to at least one IL-6 protein, subunit,
fragment, portion or any combination thereof to which the CLB-8
antibody binds. The at least one epitope can comprise at least one
antibody binding region that comprises at least one portion of the
protein, which epitope is preferably comprised of at least one
extracellular, soluble, hydrophillic, external or cytoplasmic
portion of the protein. Generally, the human antibody or
antigen-binding fragment of the present invention will comprise an
antigen-binding region that comprises at least one human
complementarity determining region (CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3) of SEQ ID
NOS. 1, 2 and 3 or variant of at least one heavy chain variable
region and at least one human complementarity determining region
(CDR4, CDR5 and CDR6) (SEQ ID NO. 4, 5 and 6) or variant of at
least one light chain variable region. As a non-limiting example,
the antibody or antigen-binding portion or variant can comprise at
least one of the heavy chain CDR3 having the amino acid sequence of
SEQ ID NO:3, and/or a light chain CDR3 having the amino acid
sequence of SEQ ID NO:6. In a particular embodiment, the antibody
or antigen-binding fragment can have an antigen-binding region that
comprises at least a portion of at least one heavy chain CDR (i.e.,
CDR1, CDR2 and/or CDR3) having the amino acid sequence of the
corresponding CDRs 1, 2 and/or 3 (e.g., SEQ ID NOS:1, 2, and/or 3).
In another particular embodiment, the antibody or antigen-binding
portion or variant can have an antigen-binding region that
comprises at least a portion of at least one light chain CDR (i.e.,
CDR4, CDR5 and/or CDR6) having the amino acid sequence of the
corresponding CDRs 4, 5 and/or 6 (e.g., SEQ ID NOS: 4, 5, and/or
6). In a preferred embodiment the three heavy chain CDRs and the
three light chain CDRs of the antibody or antigen-binding fragment
have the amino acid sequence of the corresponding CDR of at least
one of mAb cCLB8, Chimeric anti-IL-6 Mab, as described herein. Such
antibodies can be prepared by chemically joining together the
various portions (e.g., CDRs, framework) of the antibody using
conventional techniques, by preparing and expressing a (i.e., one
or more) nucleic acid molecule that encodes the antibody using
conventional techniques of recombinant DNA technology or by using
any other suitable method and using any of the possible redundant
codons that will result in expression of a polypeptide of the
invention, for example, SEQ ID NO: 15 or 16.
[0082] Antibodies that bind to human IL-6 and that comprise the
defined heavy or light chain variable region or CDR regions can be
prepared using suitable methods, such as phage display (Katsube,
Y., et al., Int J Mol. Med, 1(5):863-868 (1998)) or methods that
employ transgenic animals, as known in the art and/or as described
herein. For example, the antibody, specified portion or variant can
be expressed using the encoding nucleic acid or portion thereof in
a suitable host cell.
[0083] As stated, the invention also relates to antibodies,
antigen-binding fragments, immunoglobulin chains and CDRs
comprising amino acids in a sequence that is substantially the same
as an amino acid sequence described herein. Such anti-IL-6
antibodies can include one or more amino acid substitutions,
delations or additions, either from natural mutations or human
manipulation, as specified herein. Preferably, such antibodies or
antigen-binding fragments and antibodies comprising such chains or
CDRs can bind human IL-6 with high affinity (e.g., K.sub.D less
than or equal to about 10.sup.-9 M). Amino acid sequences that are
substantially the same as the sequences described herein include
sequences comprising conservative amino acid substitutions, as well
as amino acid deletions and/or insertions. A conservative amino
acid substitution refers to the replacement of a first amino acid
by a second amino acid that has chemical and/or physical properties
(e.g, charge, structure, polarity, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity)
that are similar to those of the first amino acid. Conservative
substitutions include replacement of one amino acid by another
within the following groups: lysine (K), arginine (R) and histidine
(H); aspartate (D) and glutamate (E); asparagine (N), glutamine
(Q), serine (S), threonine (T), tyrosine (Y), K, R, H, D and E;
alanine (A), valine (V), leucine (L), isoleucine (I), proline (P),
phenylalanine (F), tryptophan (W), methionine (M), cysteine (C) and
glycine (G); F, W and Y; C, S and T.
[0084] Of course, the number of amino acid substitutions a skilled
artisan would make depends on many factors, including those
described above. Generally speaking, the number of amino acid
substitutions, insertions or deletions for any given anti-IL-6
antibody, fragment or variant will not be more than 40, 30, 20, 19,
18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, such
as 1-30 or any range or value therein, as specified herein.
[0085] Amino acids in an anti-IL-6 antibody of the present
invention that are essential for function can be identified by
methods known in the art, such as site-directed mutagenesis or
alanine-scanning mutagenesis (e.g., Ausubel, supra, Chapters 8, 15;
Cunningham and Wells, Science 244:1081-1085 (1989)). The latter
procedure introduces single alanine mutations at every residue in
the molecule. The resulting mutant molecules are then tested for
biological activity, such as, but not limited to at least one IL-6
neutralizing activity. Sites that are critical for antibody binding
can also be identified by structural analysis such as
crystallization, nuclear magnetic resonance or photoaffinity
labeling (Smith, et al., J. Mol. Biol. 224:899-904 (1992) and de
Vos, et al., Science 255:306-312 (1992)).
[0086] Anti-IL-6 antibodies of the present invention can include,
but are not limited to, at least one portion, sequence or
combination selected from 5 to all of the contiguous amino acids of
at least one of SEQ ID NOS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
[0087] A(n) anti-IL-6 antibody can further optionally comprise a
polypeptide of at least one of 70-100% of the contiguous amino
acids of at least one of SEQ ID NOS:7, 8.
[0088] In one embodiment, the amino acid sequence of an
immunoglobulin chain, or portion thereof (e.g., variable region,
CDR) has about 70-100% identity (e.g., 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76,
77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93,
94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 or any range or value therein) to the
amino acid sequence of the corresponding chain of at least one of
SEQ ID NOS:7, 8. For example, the amino acid sequence of a light
chain variable region can be compared with the sequence of SEQ ID
NO:8, or the amino acid sequence of a heavy chain CDR3 can be
compared with SEQ ID NO:7. Preferably, 70-100% amino acid identity
(i.e., 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 or any range or
value therein) is determined using a suitable computer algorithm,
as known in the art.
[0089] Exemplary heavy chain and light chain variable regions
sequences are provided in SEQ ID
[0090] NOS: 7, 8. The antibodies of the present invention, or
specified variants thereof, can comprise any number of contiguous
amino acid residues from an antibody of the present invention,
wherein that number is selected from the group of integers
consisting of from 10-100% of the number of contiguous residues in
an anti-IL-6 antibody. Optionally, this subsequence of contiguous
amino acids is at least about 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90,
100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220,
230, 240, 250 or more amino acids in length, or any range or value
therein. Further, the number of such subsequences can be any
integer selected from the group consisting of from 1 to 20, such as
at least 2, 3, 4, or 5.
[0091] As those of skill will appreciate, the present invention
includes at least one biologically active antibody of the present
invention. Biologically active antibodies have a specific activity
at least 20%, 30%, or 40%, and preferably at least 50%, 60%, or
70%, and most preferably at least 80%, 90%, or 95%-1000% of that of
the native (non-synthetic), endogenous or related and known
antibody. Methods of assaying and quantifying measures of enzymatic
activity and substrate specificity, are well known to those of
skill in the art.
[0092] In another aspect, the invention relates to human antibodies
and antigen-binding fragments, as described herein, which are
modified by the covalent attachment of an organic moiety. Such
modification can produce an antibody or antigen-binding fragment
with improved pharmacokinetic properties (e.g., increased in vivo
serum half-life). The organic moiety can be a linear or branched
hydrophilic polymeric group, fatty acid group, or fatty acid ester
group. In particular embodiments, the hydrophilic polymeric group
can have a molecular weight of about 800 to about 120,000 Daltons
and can be a polyalkane glycol (e.g., polyethylene glycol (PEG),
polypropylene glycol (PPG)), carbohydrate polymer, amino acid
polymer or polyvinyl pyrolidone, and the fatty acid or fatty acid
ester group can comprise from about eight to about forty carbon
atoms.
[0093] The modified antibodies and antigen-binding fragments of the
invention can comprise one or more organic moieties that are
covalently bonded, directly or indirectly, to the antibody. Each
organic moiety that is bonded to an antibody or antigen-binding
fragment of the invention can independently be a hydrophilic
polymeric group, a fatty acid group or a fatty acid ester group. As
used herein, the term "fatty acid" encompasses mono-carboxylic
acids and di-carboxylic acids. A "hydrophilic polymeric group," as
the term is used herein, refers to an organic polymer that is more
soluble in water than in octane. For example, polylysine is more
soluble in water than in octane. Thus, an antibody modified by the
covalent attachment of polylysine is encompassed by the invention.
Hydrophilic polymers suitable for modifying antibodies of the
invention can be linear or branched and include, for example,
polyalkane glycols (e.g., PEG, monomethoxy-polyethylene glycol
(mPEG), PPG and the like), carbohydrates (e.g., dextran, cellulose,
oligosaccharides, polysaccharides and the like), polymers of
hydrophilic amino acids (e.g., polylysine, polyarginine,
polyaspartate and the like), polyalkane oxides (e.g., polyethylene
oxide, polypropylene oxide and the like) and polyvinyl pyrolidone.
Preferably, the hydrophilic polymer that modifies the antibody of
the invention has a molecular weight of about 800 to about 150,000
Daltons as a separate molecular entity. For example PEG.sub.5000
and PEG.sub.20,000, wherein the subscript is the average molecular
weight of the polymer in Daltons, can be used. The hydrophilic
polymeric group can be substituted with one to about six alkyl,
fatty acid or fatty acid ester groups. Hydrophilic polymers that
are substituted with a fatty acid or fatty acid ester group can be
prepared by employing suitable methods. For example, a polymer
comprising an amine group can be coupled to a carboxylate of the
fatty acid or fatty acid ester, and an activated carboxylate (e.g.,
activated with N,N-carbonyl diimidazole) on a fatty acid or fatty
acid ester can be coupled to a hydroxyl group on a polymer.
[0094] Fatty acids and fatty acid esters suitable for modifying
antibodies of the invention can be saturated or can contain one or
more units of unsaturation. Fatty acids that are suitable for
modifying antibodies of the invention include, for example,
n-dodecanoate (C.sub.12, laurate), n-tetradecanoate (C.sub.14,
myristate), n-octadecanoate (C.sub.18, stearate), n-eicosanoate
(C.sub.20, arachidate), n-docosanoate (C.sub.22, behenate),
n-triacontanoate (C.sub.30), n-tetracontanoate (C.sub.40),
cis-.DELTA.9-octadecanoate (C.sub.18, oleate), all
cis-.DELTA.5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoate (C.sub.20, arachidonate),
octanedioic acid, tetradecanedioic acid, octadecanedioic acid,
docosanedioic acid, and the like. Suitable fatty acid esters
include mono-esters of dicarboxylic acids that comprise a linear or
branched lower alkyl group. The lower alkyl group can comprise from
one to about twelve, preferably one to about six, carbon atoms.
[0095] The modified human antibodies and antigen-binding fragments
can be prepared using suitable methods, such as by reaction with
one or more modifying agents. A "modifying agent" as the term is
used herein, refers to a suitable organic group (e.g., hydrophilic
polymer, a fatty acid, a fatty acid ester) that comprises an
activating group. An "activating group" is a chemical moiety or
functional group that can, under appropriate conditions, react with
a second chemical group thereby forming a covalent bond between the
modifying agent and the second chemical group. For example,
amine-reactive activating groups include electrophilic groups such
as tosylate, mesylate, halo (chloro, bromo, fluoro, iodo),
N-hydroxysuccinimidyl esters (NHS), and the like. Activating groups
that can react with thiols include, for example, maleimide,
iodoacetyl, acrylolyl, pyridyl disulfides, 5-thiol-2-nitrobenzoic
acid thiol (TNB-thiol), and the like. An aldehyde functional group
can be coupled to amine- or hydrazide-containing molecules, and an
azide group can react with a trivalent phosphorous group to form
phosphoramidate or phosphorimide linkages. Suitable methods to
introduce activating groups into molecules are known in the art
(see for example, Hermanson, G. T., Bioconjugate Techniques,
Academic Press: San Diego, Calif. (1996)). An activating group can
be bonded directly to the organic group (e.g., hydrophilic polymer,
fatty acid, fatty acid ester), or through a linker moiety, for
example a divalent C.sub.1-C.sub.12 group wherein one or more
carbon atoms can be replaced by a heteroatom such as oxygen,
nitrogen or sulfur. Suitable linker moieties include, for example,
tetraethylene glycol, --(CH.sub.2).sub.3--,
--NH--(CH.sub.2).sub.6--NH--, --(CH.sub.2).sub.2--NH-- and
--CH.sub.2--O--CH.sub.2--CH.sub.2--O--CH.sub.2--CH.sub.2--O--CH--NH--.
Modifying agents that comprise a linker moiety can be produced, for
example, by reacting a mono-Boc-alkyldiamine (e.g.,
mono-Boc-ethylenediamine, mono-Boc-diaminohexane) with a fatty acid
in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide
(EDC) to form an amide bond between the free amine and the fatty
acid carboxylate. The Boc protecting group can be removed from the
product by treatment with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to expose a
primary amine that can be coupled to another carboxylate as
described, or can be reacted with maleic anhydride and the
resulting product cyclized to produce an activated maleimido
derivative of the fatty acid. (See, for example, Thompson, et al.,
WO 92/16221 the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein
by reference.)
[0096] The modified antibodies of the invention can be produced by
reacting a human antibody or antigen-binding fragment with a
modifying agent. For example, the organic moieties can be bonded to
the antibody in a non-site specific manner by employing an
amine-reactive modifying agent, for example, an NHS ester of PEG.
Modified human antibodies or antigen-binding fragments can also be
prepared by reducing disulfide bonds (e.g., intra-chain disulfide
bonds) of an antibody or antigen-binding fragment. The reduced
antibody or antigen-binding fragment can then be reacted with a
thiol-reactive modifying agent to produce the modified antibody of
the invention. Modified human antibodies and antigen-binding
fragments comprising an organic moiety that is bonded to specific
sites of an antibody of the present invention can be prepared using
suitable methods, such as reverse proteolysis (Fisch et al.,
Bioconjugate Chem., 3:147-153 (1992); Werlen et al., Bioconjugate
Chem., 5:411-417 (1994); Kumaran et al., Protein Sci.
6(10):2233-2241 (1997); Itoh et al., Bioorg. Chem., 24(1): 59-68
(1996); Capellas et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng., 56(4):456-463
(1997)), and the methods described in Hermanson, G. T.,
Bioconjugate Techniques, Academic Press: San Diego, Calif.
(1996).
[0097] The antibodies of the invention can bind human IL-6 with a
wide range of affinities (K.sub.D). In a preferred embodiment, at
least one human mAb of the present invention can optionally bind
human IL-6 with high affinity. For example, a mAb can bind human
IL-6 with a K.sub.D equal to or less than about 10.sup.-7 M, such
as but not limited to, 0.1-9.9 (or any range or value therein) X
10.sup.-7, 10.sup.-8, 10.sup.-9, 10.sup.-10, 10.sup.-11,
10.sup.-12, 10.sup.-13 or any range or value therein.
[0098] The affinity or avidity of an antibody for an antigen can be
determined experimentally using any suitable method. (See, for
example, Berzofsky, et al., "Antibody-Antigen Interactions," In
Fundamental Immunology, Paul, W. E., Ed., Raven Press: New York,
N.Y. (1984); Kuby, Janis Immunology, W. H. Freeman and Company: New
York, N.Y. (1992); and methods described herein). The measured
affinity of a particular antibody-antigen interaction can vary if
measured under different conditions (e.g., salt concentration, pH).
Thus, measurements of affinity and other antigen-binding parameters
(e.g., K.sub.D, K.sub.a, K.sub.d) are preferably made with
standardized solutions of antibody and antigen, and a standardized
buffer, such as the buffer described herein.
[0099] Anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibodies useful in the methods and
compositions of the present invention are characterized by high
affinity binding to IL-6 and optionally and preferably having low
toxicity. In particular, an antibody, specified fragment or variant
of the invention, where the individual components, such as the
variable region, constant region and framework, individually and/or
collectively, optionally and preferably possess low immunogenicity,
is useful in the present invention. The antibodies that can be used
in the invention are optionally characterized by their ability to
treat patients for extended periods with measurable alleviation of
symptoms and low and/or acceptable toxicity. Low or acceptable
immunogenicity and/or high affinity, as well as other suitable
properties, can contribute to the therapeutic results achieved.
"Low immunogenicity" is defined herein as raising significant HAHA,
HACA or HAMA responses in less than about 75%, or preferably less
than about 50% of the patients treated and/or raising low titres in
the patient treated (less than about 300, preferably less than
about 100 measured with a double antigen enzyme immunoassay)
(Elliott et al., Lancet 344:1125-1127 (1994), entirely incorporated
herein by reference).
[0100] When cCLB8 is compared to other IL-6-specific antibodies
CLB.IL-6/14 and CLB.IL-6/16, one can see the distinct
characteristics of antibody affinity and epitope specificity.
[0101] cCLB8, an antibody that binds IL-6 and normally blocks the
interaction between IL-6 and its receptor, can inhibit nearly 100%
of IL-6 function as as illustrated in both the IL-6 dependent 7TD1
cell proliferation bioassay and the IL-6 binding to IL-6 receptor
Luminex based assay. In contrast, CLB.IL-6/16, an antibody that
binds IL-6, but neutralizes by sterically hindering the interaction
between the IL-6/IL-6R complex and the gp130 signaling component,
can inhibit only 62% of the bound biotin-IL-6. Finally, an antibody
that binds IL-6 but does not interfere with its biological
activity, as in CLB.IL-6/14, displays no inhibition of biotin-IL-6
binding the solid phase sIL-6R/gp80.
[0102] Bispecific, heterospecific, heteroconjugate or similar
antibodies can also be used that are monoclonal, humanized,
antibodies that have binding specificities for at least two
different antigens. In the present case, one of the binding
specificities is for at least one IL-6 protein, the other one is
for any other antigen. Methods for making bispecific antibodies are
known in the art. Traditionally, the recombinant production of
bispecific antibodies is based on the co-expression of two
immunoglobulin heavy chain-light chain pairs, where the two heavy
chains have different specificities (Milstein and Cuello, Nature
305:537 (1983)). Because of the random assortment of immunoglobulin
heavy and light chains, these hybridomas (quadromas) produce a
potential mixture of 10 different antibody molecules, of which only
one has the correct bispecific structure. The purification of the
correct molecule, which is usually done by affinity chromatography
steps, is rather cumbersome, and the product yields are low.
Similar procedures are disclosed, e.g., in WO 93/08829, U.S. Pat.
Nos. 6,210,668, 6,193,967, 6,132,992, 6,106,833, 6,060,285,
6,037,453, 6,010,902, 5,989,530, 5,959,084, 5,959,083, 5,932,448,
5,833,985, 5,821,333, 5,807,706, 5,643,759, 5,601,819, 5,582,996,
5,496,549, 4,676,980, WO 91/00360, WO 92/00373, EP 03089,
Traunecker et al., EMBO J. 10:3655 (1991), Suresh et al., Methods
in Enzymology 121:210 (1986), each entirely incorporated herein by
reference.
[0103] Nucleic Acid Molecules
[0104] Using the information provided herein, such as the
nucleotide sequences encoding at least 70-100% of the contiguous
amino acids of at least one of SEQ ID NOS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
specified fragments, variants or consensus sequences thereof, or a
deposited vector comprising at least one of these sequences, a
nucleic acid molecule of the present invention encoding at least
one cCLB-8 anti-IL-6 antibody can be obtained using methods
described herein or as known in the art.
[0105] Nucleic acid molecules of the present invention can be in
the form of RNA, such as mRNA, hnRNA, tRNA or any other form, or in
the form of DNA, including, but not limited to, cDNA and genomic
DNA obtained by cloning or produced synthetically, or any
combinations thereof. The DNA can be triple-stranded,
double-stranded or single-stranded, or any combination thereof. Any
portion of at least one strand of the DNA or RNA can be the coding
strand, also known as the sense strand, or it can be the non-coding
strand, also referred to as the anti-sense strand.
[0106] Isolated nucleic acid molecules of the present invention can
include nucleic acid molecules comprising an open reading frame
(ORF), optionally with one or more introns, e.g., but not limited
to, at least one specified portion of at least one CDR, as CDR1,
CDR2 and/or CDR3 of at least one heavy chain (e.g., SEQ ID NOS:1-3)
or light chain (e.g., SEQ ID NOS: 4-6); nucleic acid molecules
comprising the coding sequence for an anti-IL-6 antibody or
variable region (e.g., SEQ ID NOS:15 or 16); and nucleic acid
molecules which comprise a nucleotide sequence substantially
different from those described above but which, due to the
degeneracy of the genetic code, still encode at least one anti-IL-6
antibody as described herein and/or as known in the art. Of course,
the genetic code is well known in the art. Thus, it would be
routine for one skilled in the art to generate such degenerate
nucleic acid variants that code for specific anti-IL-6 antibodies
of the present invention. See, e.g., Ausubel, et al., supra, and
such nucleic acid variants are included in the present invention.
Non-limiting examples of isolated nucleic acid molecules of the
present invention include SEQ ID NOS: 9-16; corresponding to
non-limiting examples of a nucleic acid encoding, respectively, HC
CDR1, HC CDR2, HC CDR3, LC CDR1, LC CDR2, LC CDR3, HC variable
region and LC variable region.
[0107] As indicated herein, nucleic acid molecules of the present
invention which comprise a nucleic acid encoding an anti-IL-6
antibody can include, but are not limited to, those encoding the
amino acid sequence of an antibody fragment, by itself; the coding
sequence for the entire antibody or a portion thereof; the coding
sequence for an antibody, fragment or portion, as well as
additional sequences, such as the coding sequence of at least one
signal leader or fusion peptide, with or without the aforementioned
additional coding sequences, such as at least one intron, together
with additional, non-coding sequences, including but not limited
to, non-coding 5' and 3' sequences, such as the transcribed,
non-translated sequences that play a role in transcription, mRNA
processing, including splicing and polyadenylation signals (for
example--ribosome binding and stability of mRNA); an additional
coding sequence that codes for additional amino acids, such as
those that provide additional functionalities. Thus, the sequence
encoding an antibody can be fused to a marker sequence, such as a
sequence encoding a peptide that facilitates purification of the
fused antibody comprising an antibody fragment or portion.
[0108] Polynucleotides Which Selectively Hybridize to a
Polynucleotide as Described Herein
[0109] The present invention provides isolated nucleic acids that
hybridize under selective hybridization conditions to a
polynucleotide disclosed herein. Thus, the polynucleotides of this
embodiment can be used for isolating, detecting, and/or quantifying
nucleic acids comprising such polynucleotides. For example,
polynucleotides of the present invention can be used to identify,
isolate, or amplify partial or full-length clones in a deposited
library. In some embodiments, the polynucleotides are genomic or
cDNA sequences isolated, or otherwise complementary to, a cDNA from
a human or mammalian nucleic acid library.
[0110] Preferably, the cDNA library comprises at least 80%
full-length sequences, preferably at least 85% or 90% full-length
sequences, and more preferably at least 95% full-length sequences.
The cDNA libraries can be normalized to increase the representation
of rare sequences. Low or moderate stringency hybridization
conditions are typically, but not exclusively, employed with
sequences having a reduced sequence identity relative to
complementary sequences. Moderate and high stringency conditions
can optionally be employed for sequences of greater identity. Low
stringency conditions allow selective hybridization of sequences
having about 70% sequence identity and can be employed to identify
orthologous or paralogous sequences.
[0111] Optionally, polynucleotides of this invention will encode at
least a portion of an antibody encoded by the polynucleotides
described herein. The polynucleotides of this invention embrace
nucleic acid sequences that can be employed for selective
hybridization to a polynucleotide encoding an antibody of the
present invention. See, e.g., Ausubel, supra; Colligan, supra, each
entirely incorporated herein by reference.
[0112] Construction of Nucleic Acids
[0113] The isolated nucleic acids of the present invention can be
made using (a) recombinant methods, (b) synthetic techniques, (c)
purification techniques, or combinations thereof, as well-known in
the art.
[0114] The nucleic acids can conveniently comprise sequences in
addition to a polynucleotide of the present invention. For example,
a multi-cloning site comprising one or more endonuclease
restriction sites can be inserted into the nucleic acid to aid in
isolation of the polynucleotide. Also, translatable sequences can
be inserted to aid in the isolation of the translated
polynucleotide of the present invention. For example, a
hexa-histidine marker sequence provides a convenient means to
purify the proteins of the present invention. The nucleic acid of
the present invention--excluding the coding sequence--is optionally
a vector, adapter, or linker for cloning and/or expression of a
polynucleotide of the present invention.
[0115] Additional sequences can be added to such cloning and/or
expression sequences to optimize their function in cloning and/or
expression, to aid in isolation of the polynucleotide, or to
improve the introduction of the polynucleotide into a cell. Use of
cloning vectors, expression vectors, adapters, and linkers is well
known in the art. (See, e.g., Ausubel, supra; or Sambrook,
supra)
[0116] Recombinant Methods for Constructing Nucleic Acids
[0117] The isolated nucleic acid compositions of this invention,
such as RNA, cDNA, genomic DNA, or any combination thereof, can be
obtained from biological sources using any number of cloning
methodologies known to those of skill in the art. In some
embodiments, oligonucleotide probes that selectively hybridize,
under stringent conditions, to the polynucleotides of the present
invention are used to identify the desired sequence in a cDNA or
genomic DNA library. The isolation of RNA, and construction of cDNA
and genomic libraries, is well known to those of ordinary skill in
the art. (See, e.g., Ausubel, supra; or Sambrook, supra)
[0118] Nucleic Acid Screening and Isolation Methods
[0119] A cDNA or genomic library can be screened using a probe
based upon the sequence of a polynucleotide of the present
invention, such as those disclosed herein. Probes can be used to
hybridize with genomic DNA or cDNA sequences to isolate homologous
genes in the same or different organisms. Those of skill in the art
will appreciate that various degrees of stringency of hybridization
can be employed in the assay; and either the hybridization or the
wash medium can be stringent. As the conditions for hybridization
become more stringent, there must be a greater degree of
complementarity between the probe and the target for duplex
formation to occur. The degree of stringency can be controlled by
one or more of temperature, ionic strength, pH and the presence of
a partially denaturing solvent such as formamide For example, the
stringency of hybridization is conveniently varied by changing the
polarity of the reactant solution through, for example,
manipulation of the concentration of formamide within the range of
0% to 50%. The degree of complementarity (sequence identity)
required for detectable binding will vary in accordance with the
stringency of the hybridization medium and/or wash medium. The
degree of complementarity will optimally be 100%, or 70-100%, or
any range or value therein. However, it should be understood that
minor sequence variations in the probes and primers can be
compensated for by reducing the stringency of the hybridization
and/or wash medium.
[0120] Methods of amplification of RNA or DNA are well known in the
art and can be used according to the present invention without
undue experimentation, based on the teaching and guidance presented
herein.
[0121] Known methods of DNA or RNA amplification include, but are
not limited to, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and related
amplification processes (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,195,
4,683,202, 4,800,159, 4,965,188, to Mullis, et al.; U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,795,699 and 4,921,794 to Tabor, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,033 to
Innis; U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,464 to Wilson, et al.; U.S. Pat. No.
5,091,310 to Innis; U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,584 to Gyllensten, et al;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,818 to Gelfand, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,370
to Silver, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,067 to Biswas; U.S. Pat. No.
4,656,134 to Ringold) and RNA mediated amplification that uses
anti-sense RNA to the target sequence as a template for
double-stranded DNA synthesis (U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,238 to Malek, et
al, with the tradename NASBA), the entire contents of which
references are incorporated herein by reference. (See, e.g.,
Ausubel, supra; or Sambrook, supra.)
[0122] For instance, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology can
be used to amplify the sequences of polynucleotides of the present
invention and related genes directly from genomic DNA or cDNA
libraries. PCR and other in vitro amplification methods can also be
useful, for example, to clone nucleic acid sequences that code for
proteins to be expressed, to make nucleic acids to use as probes
for detecting the presence of the desired mRNA in samples, for
nucleic acid sequencing, or for other purposes. Examples of
techniques sufficient to direct persons of skill through in vitro
amplification methods are found in Berger, supra, Sambrook, supra,
and Ausubel, supra, as well as Mullis, et al., U.S. Pat. No.
4,683,202 (1987); and Innis, et al., PCR Protocols A Guide to
Methods and Applications, Eds., Academic Press Inc., San Diego,
Calif. (1990). Commercially available kits for genomic PCR
amplification are known in the art. See, e.g., Advantage-GC Genomic
PCR Kit (Clontech). Additionally, e.g., the T4 gene 32 protein
(Boehringer Mannheim) can be used to improve yield of long PCR
products.
[0123] Synthetic Methods for Constructing Nucleic Acids
[0124] The isolated nucleic acids of the present invention can also
be prepared by direct chemical synthesis by known methods (see,
e.g., Ausubel, et al., supra). Chemical synthesis generally
produces a single-stranded oligonucleotide, which can be converted
into double-stranded DNA by hybridization with a complementary
sequence, or by polymerization with a DNA polymerase using the
single strand as a template. One of skill in the art will recognize
that while chemical synthesis of DNA can be limited to sequences of
about 100 or more bases, longer sequences can be obtained by the
ligation of shorter sequences.
[0125] Recombinant Expression Cassettes
[0126] The present invention further provides recombinant
expression cassettes comprising a nucleic acid of the present
invention. A nucleic acid sequence of the present invention, for
example a cDNA or a genomic sequence encoding an antibody of the
present invention, can be used to construct a recombinant
expression cassette that can be introduced into at least one
desired host cell. A recombinant expression cassette will typically
comprise a polynucleotide of the present invention operably linked
to transcriptional initiation regulatory sequences that will direct
the transcription of the polynucleotide in the intended host cell.
Both heterologous and non-heterologous (i.e., endogenous) promoters
can be employed to direct expression of the nucleic acids of the
present invention.
[0127] In some embodiments, isolated nucleic acids that serve as
promoter, enhancer, or other elements can be introduced in the
appropriate position (upstream, downstream or in intron) of a
non-heterologous form of a polynucleotide of the present invention
so as to up or down regulate expression of a polynucleotide of the
present invention. For example, endogenous promoters can be altered
in vivo or in vitro by mutation, deletion and/or substitution.
[0128] Vectors And Host Cells
[0129] The present invention also relates to vectors that include
isolated nucleic acid molecules of the present invention, host
cells that are genetically engineered with the recombinant vectors,
and the production of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody by
recombinant techniques, as is well known in the art. See, e.g.,
Sambrook, et al., supra; Ausubel, et al., supra, each entirely
incorporated herein by reference.
[0130] The polynucleotides can optionally be joined to a vector
containing a selectable marker for propagation in a host.
Generally, a plasmid vector is introduced in a precipitate, such as
a calcium phosphate precipitate, or in a complex with a charged
lipid. If the vector is a virus, it can be packaged in vitro using
an appropriate packaging cell line and then transduced into host
cells.
[0131] The DNA insert should be operatively linked to an
appropriate promoter. The expression constructs will further
contain sites for transcription initiation, termination and, in the
transcribed region, a ribosome binding site for translation. The
coding portion of the mature transcripts expressed by the
constructs will preferably include a translation initiating at the
beginning and a termination codon (e.g., UAA, UGA or UAG)
appropriately positioned at the end of the mRNA to be translated,
with UAA and UAG preferred for mammalian or eukaryotic cell
expression.
[0132] Expression vectors will preferably but optionally include at
least one selectable marker. Such markers include, e.g., but not
limited to, methotrexate (MTX), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR, U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,399,216; 4,634,665; 4,656,134; 4,956,288; 5,149,636;
5,179,017, ampicillin, neomycin (G418), mycophenolic acid, or
glutamine synthetase (GS, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,122,464; 5,770,359;
5,827,739) resistance for eukaryotic cell culture, and tetracycline
or ampicillin resistance genes for culturing in E. coli and other
bacteria or prokaryotics (the above patents are entirely
incorporated hereby by reference). Appropriate culture mediums and
conditions for the above-described host cells are known in the art.
Suitable vectors will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan.
Introduction of a vector construct into a host cell can be effected
by calcium phosphate transfection, DEAE-dextran mediated
transfection, cationic lipid-mediated transfection,
electroporation, transduction, infection or other known methods.
Such methods are described in the art, such as Sambrook, supra,
Chapters 1-4 and 16-18; Ausubel, supra, Chapters 1, 9, 13, 15,
16.
[0133] At least one antibody of the present invention can be
expressed in a modified form, such as a fusion protein, and can
include not only secretion signals, but also additional
heterologous functional regions. For instance, a region of
additional amino acids, particularly charged amino acids, can be
added to the N-terminus of an antibody to improve stability and
persistence in the host cell, during purification, or during
subsequent handling and storage. Also, peptide moieties can be
added to an antibody of the present invention to facilitate
purification. Such regions can be removed prior to final
preparation of an antibody or at least one fragment thereof. Such
methods are described in many standard laboratory manuals, such as
Sambrook, supra, Chapters 17.29-17.42 and 18.1-18.74; Ausubel,
supra, Chapters 16, 17 and 18.
[0134] Those of ordinary skill in the art are knowledgeable in the
numerous expression systems available for expression of a nucleic
acid encoding a protein of the present invention.
[0135] Alternatively, nucleic acids of the present invention can be
expressed in a host cell by turning on (by manipulation) in a host
cell that contains endogenous DNA encoding an antibody of the
present invention. Such methods are well known in the art, e.g., as
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,580,734, 5,641,670, 5,733,746, and
5,733,761, entirely incorporated herein by reference.
[0136] Illustrative of cell cultures useful for the production of
the antibodies, specified portions or variants thereof, are
mammalian cells. Mammalian cell systems often will be in the form
of monolayers of cells although mammalian cell suspensions or
bioreactors can also be used. A number of suitable host cell lines
capable of expressing intact glycosylated proteins have been
developed in the art, and include the COS-1 (e.g., ATCC CRL 1650),
COS-7 (e.g., ATCC CRL-1651), HEK293, BHK21 (e.g., ATCC CRL-10), CHO
(e.g., ATCC CRL 1610) and BSC-1 (e.g., ATCC CRL-26) cell lines,
Cos-7 cells, CHO cells, hep G2 cells, P3X63Ag8.653, SP2/0-Ag14, 293
cells, HeLa cells and the like, which are readily available from,
for example, American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Va.
(www.atcc.org). Preferred host cells include cells of lymphoid
origin such as myeloma and lymphoma cells. Particularly preferred
host cells are P3X63Ag8.653 cells (ATCC Accession Number CRL-1580)
and SP2/0-Ag14 cells (ATCC Accession Number CRL-1851). In a
particularly preferred embodiment, the recombinant cell is a
P3X63Ab8.653 or a SP2/0-Ag14 cell.
[0137] Expression vectors for these cells can include one or more
of the following expression control sequences, such as, but not
limited to an origin of replication; a promoter (e.g., late or
early
[0138] SV40 promoters, the CMV promoter (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,168,062;
5,385,839), an HSV tk promoter, a pgk (phosphoglycerate kinase)
promoter, an EF-1 alpha promoter (U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,491), at
least one human immunoglobulin promoter; an enhancer, and/or
processing information sites, such as ribosome binding sites, RNA
splice sites, polyadenylation sites (e.g., an SV40 large T Ag poly
A addition site), and transcriptional terminator sequences. See,
e.g., Ausubel et al., supra; Sambrook, et al., supra. Other cells
useful for production of nucleic acids or proteins of the present
invention are known and/or available, for instance, from the
American Type Culture Collection Catalogue of Cell Lines and
Hybridomas (www.atcc.org) or other known or commercial sources.
[0139] When eukaryotic host cells are employed, polyadenlyation or
transcription terminator sequences are typically incorporated into
the vector. An example of a terminator sequence is the
polyadenlyation sequence from the bovine growth hormone gene.
Sequences for accurate splicing of the transcript can also be
included. An example of a splicing sequence is the VP1 intron from
SV40 (Sprague, et al., J. Virol. 45:773-781 (1983)). Additionally,
gene sequences to control replication in the host cell can be
incorporated into the vector, as known in the art.
[0140] Production of an Antibody
[0141] At least one anti-IL-6 antibody of the present invention can
be optionally produced by a cell line, a mixed cell line, an
immortalized cell or clonal population of immortalized cells, as
well known in the art. See, e.g., Ausubel, et al., ed., Current
Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY,
N.Y. (1987-2001); Sambrook, et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory
Manual, 2.sup.nd Edition, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1989); Harlow
and Lane, antibodies, a Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.
(1989); Colligan, et al., eds., Current Protocols in Immunology,
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY (1994-2001); Colligan et al.,
Current Protocols in Protein Science, John Wiley & Sons, NY,
N.Y., (1997-2001), each entirely incorporated herein by
reference.
[0142] In one approach, a hybridoma is produced by fusing a
suitable immortal cell line (e.g., a myeloma cell line such as, but
not limited to, Sp2/0, Sp2/0-AG14, NSO, NS1, NS2, AE-1, L.5,
>243, P3X63Ag8.653, Sp2 SA3, Sp2 MAI, Sp2 SS1, Sp2 SA5, U937,
MLA 144, ACT IV, MOLT4, DA-1, JURKAT, WEHI, K-562, COS, RAJI, NIH
3T3, HL-60, MLA 144, NAMAIWA, NEURO 2A, or the like, or
heteromylomas, fusion products thereof, or any cell or fusion cell
derived therefrom, or any other suitable cell line as known in the
art. See, e.g., www.atcc.org, www.lifetech.com., and the like, with
antibody producing cells, such as, but not limited to, isolated or
cloned spleen, peripheral blood, lymph, tonsil, or other immune or
B cell containing cells, or any other cells expressing heavy or
light chain constant or variable or framework or CDR sequences,
either as endogenous or heterologous nucleic acid, as recombinant
or endogenous, viral, bacterial, algal, prokaryotic, amphibian,
insect, reptilian, fish, mammalian, rodent, equine, ovine, goat,
sheep, primate, eukaryotic, genomic DNA, cDNA, rDNA, mitochondrial
DNA or RNA, chloroplast DNA or RNA, hnRNA, mRNA, tRNA, single,
double or triple stranded, hybridized, and the like or any
combination thereof. See, e.g., Ausubel, supra, and Colligan,
Immunology, supra, chapter 2, entirely incorporated herein by
reference.
[0143] Any other suitable host cell can also be used for expressing
heterologous or endogenous nucleic acid encoding an antibody,
specified fragment or variant thereof, of the present invention.
The fused cells (hybridomas) or recombinant cells can be isolated
using selective culture conditions or other suitable known methods,
and cloned by limiting dilution or cell sorting, or other known
methods. Cells which produce antibodies with the desired
specificity can be selected by a suitable assay (e.g., ELISA).
[0144] Antibodies of the present invention can also be prepared
using at least one anti-IL-6 antibody encoding nucleic acid to
provide transgenic animals or mammals, such as goats, cows, horses,
sheep, and the like, that produce such antibodies in their milk.
Such animals can be provided using known methods. See, e.g., but
not limited to, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,827,690; 5,849,992; 4,873,316;
5,849,992; 5,994,616, 5,565,362; 5,304,489, and the like, each of
which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
[0145] Antibodies of the present invention can additionally be
prepared using at least one anti-IL-6 antibody encoding nucleic
acid to provide transgenic plants and cultured plant cells (e.g.,
but not limited to tobacco and maize) that produce such antibodies,
specified portions or variants in the plant parts or in cells
cultured therefrom. As a non-limiting example, transgenic tobacco
leaves expressing recombinant proteins have been successfully used
to provide large amounts of recombinant proteins, e.g., using an
inducible promoter. See, e.g., Cramer et al., Curr. Top. Microbol.
Immunol. 240:95-118 (1999) and references cited therein. Also,
transgenic maize have been used to express mammalian proteins at
commercial production levels, with biological activities equivalent
to those produced in other recombinant systems or purified from
natural sources. See, e.g., Hood et al., Adv. Exp. Med. Biol.
464:127-147 (1999) and references cited therein. antibodies have
also been produced in large amounts from transgenic plant seeds
including antibody fragments, such as single chain antibodies
(scFv's), including tobacco seeds and potato tubers. See, e.g.,
Conrad et al., Plant Mol. Biol. 38:101-109 (1998) and reference
cited therein. Thus, antibodies of the present invention can also
be produced using transgenic plants, according to know methods. See
also, e.g., Fischer et al., Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem. 30:99-108
(October, 1999), Ma et al., Trends Biotechnol. 13:522-7 (1995); Ma
et al., Plant Physiol. 109:341-6 (1995); Whitelam et al., Biochem.
Soc. Trans. 22:940-944 (1994); and references cited therein. See,
also generally for plant expression of antibodies, but not limited
to, Each of the above references is entirely incorporated herein by
reference.
[0146] Purification of an Antibody
[0147] An anti-IL-6 antibody can be recovered and purified from
recombinant cell cultures by well-known methods including, but not
limited to, protein A purification, ammonium sulfate or ethanol
precipitation, acid extraction, anion or cation exchange
chromatography, phosphocellulose chromatography, hydrophobic
interaction chromatography, affinity chromatography,
hydroxylapatite chromatography and lectin chromatography. High
performance liquid chromatography ("HPLC") can also be employed for
purification. See, e.g., Colligan, Current Protocols in Immunology,
or Current Protocols in Protein Science, John Wiley & Sons, NY,
N.Y., (1997-2001), e.g., Chapters 1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, each entirely
incorporated herein by reference.
[0148] Antibodies of the present invention include naturally
purified products, products of chemical synthetic procedures, and
products produced by recombinant techniques from a eukaryotic host,
including, for example, yeast, higher plant, insect and mammalian
cells. Depending upon the host employed in a recombinant production
procedure, the antibody of the present invention can be
glycosylated or can be non-glycosylated, with glycosylated
preferred. Such methods are described in many standard laboratory
manuals, such as Sambrook, supra, Sections 17.37-17.42; Ausubel,
supra, Chapters 10, 12, 13, 16, 18 and 20, Colligan, Protein
Science, supra, Chapters 12-14, all entirely incorporated herein by
reference.
[0149] Cloning and Expression of IL-6 Antibody in Mammalian
Cells
[0150] A typical mammalian expression vector contains at least one
promoter element, which mediates the initiation of transcription of
mRNA, the antibody coding sequence, and signals required for the
termination of transcription and polyadenylation of the transcript.
Additional elements include enhancers, Kozak sequences and
intervening sequences flanked by donor and acceptor sites for RNA
splicing. Highly efficient transcription can be achieved with the
early and late promoters from SV40, the long terminal repeats
(LTRS) from Retroviruses, e.g., RSV, HTLVI, HIVI and the early
promoter of the cytomegalovirus (CMV). However, cellular elements
can also be used (e.g., the human actin promoter). Suitable
expression vectors for use in practicing the present invention
include, for example, vectors such as pIRES1neo, pRetro-Off,
pRetro-On, PLXSN, or pLNCX (Clonetech Labs, Palo Alto, Calif.),
pcDNA3.1 (+/-), pcDNA/Zeo (+/-) or pcDNA3.1/Hygro (+/-)
(Invitrogen), PSVL and PMSG (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden), pRSVcat
(ATCC 37152), pSV2dhfr (ATCC 37146) and pBC12MI (ATCC 67109).
Mammalian host cells that could be used include human Hela 293, H9
and Jurkat cells, mouse NIH3T3 and C127 cells, Cos 1, Cos 7 and CV
1, quail QC1-3 cells, mouse L cells and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)
cells.
[0151] Alternatively, the gene can be expressed in stable cell
lines that contain the gene integrated into a chromosome. The
co-transfection with a selectable marker such as dhfr, gpt,
neomycin, or hygromycin allows the identification and isolation of
the transfected cells.
[0152] The transfected gene can also be amplified to express large
amounts of the encoded antibody. The DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase)
marker is useful to develop cell lines that carry several hundred
or even several thousand copies of the gene of interest. Another
useful selection marker is the enzyme glutamine synthase (GS)
(Murphy, et al., Biochem. J. 227:277-279 (1991); Bebbington, et
al., Bio/Technology 10:169-175 (1992)). Using these markers, the
mammalian cells are grown in selective medium and the cells with
the highest resistance are selected. These cell lines contain the
amplified gene(s) integrated into a chromosome. Chinese hamster
ovary (CHO) and NSO cells are often used for the production of
antibodies.
[0153] The expression vectors pC1 and pC4 contain the strong
promoter (LTR) of the Rous Sarcoma Virus (Cullen, et al., Molec.
Cell. Biol. 5:438-447 (1985)) plus a fragment of the CMV-enhancer
(Boshart, et al., Cell 41:521-530 (1985)). Multiple cloning sites,
e.g., with the restriction enzyme cleavage sites BamHI, XbaI and
Asp718, facilitate the cloning of the gene of interest. The vectors
contain in addition the 3' intron, the polyadenylation and
termination signal of the rat preproinsulin gene.
[0154] Cloning and Expression in CHO Cells
[0155] The vector pC4 is used for the expression of IL-6 antibody.
Plasmid pC4 is a derivative of the plasmid pSV2-dhfr (ATCC
Accession No. 37146). The plasmid contains the mouse DHFR gene
under control of the SV40 early promoter. Chinese hamster ovary- or
other cells lacking dihydrofolate activity that are transfected
with these plasmids can be selected by growing the cells in a
selective medium (e.g., alpha minus MEM, Life Technologies,
Gaithersburg, Md.) supplemented with the chemotherapeutic agent
methotrexate. The amplification of the DHFR genes in cells
resistant to methotrexate (MTX) has been well documented (see,
e.g., F. W. Alt, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 253:1357-1370 (1978); J. L.
Hamlin and C. Ma, Biochem. et Biophys. Acta 1097:107-143 (1990);
and M. J. Page and M. A. Sydenham, Biotechnology 9:64-68 (1991)).
Cells grown in increasing concentrations of MTX develop resistance
to the drug by overproducing the target enzyme, DHFR, as a result
of amplification of the DHFR gene. If a second gene is linked to
the DHFR gene, it is usually co-amplified and over-expressed. It is
known in the art that this approach can be used to develop cell
lines carrying more than 1,000 copies of the amplified gene(s).
Subsequently, when the methotrexate is withdrawn, cell lines are
obtained that contain the amplified gene integrated into one or
more chromosome(s) of the host cell.
[0156] Plasmid pC4 contains for expressing the gene of interest the
strong promoter of the long terminal repeat (LTR) of the Rous
Sarcoma Virus (Cullen, et al., Molec. Cell. Biol. 5:438-447 (1985))
plus a fragment isolated from the enhancer of the immediate early
gene of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) (Boshart, et al., Cell
41:521-530 (1985)). Downstream of the promoter are BamHI, XbaI, and
Asp718 restriction enzyme cleavage sites that allow integration of
the genes. Behind these cloning sites the plasmid contains the 3'
intron and polyadenylation site of the rat preproinsulin gene.
Other high efficiency promoters can also be used for the
expression, e.g., the human b-actin promoter, the SV40 early or
late promoters or the long terminal repeats from other
retroviruses, e.g., HIV and HTLVI. Clontech's Tet-Off and Tet-On
gene expression systems and similar systems can be used to express
the IL-6 in a regulated way in mammalian cells (M. Gossen, and H.
Bujard, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 5547-5551 (1992)). For the
polyadenylation of the mRNA other signals, e.g., from the human
growth hormone or globin genes can be used as well. Stable cell
lines carrying a gene of interest integrated into the chromosomes
can also be selected upon co-transfection with a selectable marker
such as gpt, G418 or hygromycin. It is advantageous to use more
than one selectable marker in the beginning, e.g., G418 plus
methotrexate.
[0157] The plasmid pC4 is digested with restriction enzymes and
then dephosphorylated using calf intestinal phosphatase by
procedures known in the art. The vector is then isolated from a 1%
agarose gel.
[0158] The DNA sequence encoding the complete IL-6 antibody is
used, e.g., as presented in SEQ ID NOS: 7, and 8, corresponding to
HC and LC variable regions of a IL-6 antibody of the present
invention, according to known method steps. Isolated nucleic acid
encoding a suitable human constant region (i.e., HC and LC regions)
is also used in this construct.
[0159] The isolated variable and constant region encoding DNA and
the dephosphorylated vector are then ligated with T4 DNA ligase. E.
coli HB101 or XL-1 Blue cells are then transformed and bacteria are
identified that contain the fragment inserted into plasmid pC4
using, for instance, restriction enzyme analysis.
[0160] Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells lacking an active DHFR
gene are used for transfection. 5 .mu.g of the expression plasmid
pC4 is cotransfected with 0.5 .mu.g of the plasmid pSV2-neo using
lipofectin. The plasmid pSV2neo contains a dominant selectable
marker, the neo gene from Tn5 encoding an enzyme that confers
resistance to a group of antibiotics including G418. The cells are
seeded in alpha minus MEM supplemented with 1 .mu.g/ml G418. After
2 days, the cells are trypsinized and seeded in hybridoma cloning
plates (Greiner, Germany) in alpha minus MEM supplemented with 10,
25, or 50 ng/ml of methotrexate plus 1 .mu.g/ml G418. After about
10-14 days single clones are trypsinized and then seeded in 6-well
petri dishes or 10 ml flasks using different concentrations of
methotrexate (50 nM, 100 nM, 200 nM, 400 nM, 800 nM). Clones
growing at the highest concentrations of methotrexate are then
transferred to new 6-well plates containing even higher
concentrations of methotrexate (1 mM, 2 mM, 5 mM, 10 mM, 20 mM).
The same procedure is repeated until clones are obtained that grow
at a concentration of 100-200 mM. Expression of the desired gene
product is analyzed, for instance, by SDS-PAGE and Western blot or
by reverse phase HPLC analysis.
[0161] Anti-Idiotype Antibodies to Anti-Il-6 Antibody
Composition
[0162] In addition to monoclonal or chimeric anti-IL-6 antibodies,
the present invention is also directed to an anti-idiotypic
(anti-Id) antibody specific for such antibodies of the invention.
An anti-Id antibody is an antibody which recognizes unique
determinants generally associated with the antigen-binding region
of another antibody. The anti-Id can be prepared by immunizing an
animal of the same species and genetic type (e.g. mouse strain) as
the source of the Id antibody with the antibody or a CDR containing
region thereof. The immunized animal will recognize and respond to
the idiotypic determinants of the immunizing antibody and produce
an anti-Id antibody. The anti-Id antibody may also be used as an
"immunogen" to induce an immune response in yet another animal,
producing a so-called anti-anti-Id antibody.
[0163] Anti-Il-6 Antibody Compositions
[0164] The present invention also provides at least one anti-IL-6
antibody composition comprising at least one, at least two, at
least three, at least four, at least five, at least six or more
anti-IL-6 antibodies thereof, as described herein and/or as known
in the art that are provided in a non-naturally occurring
composition, mixture or form. Such compositions comprise
non-naturally occurring compositions comprising at least one or two
full length, C- and/or N-terminally deleted variants, domains,
fragments, or specified variants, of the anti-IL-6 antibody amino
acid sequence selected from the group consisting of 70-100% of the
contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NOS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or
specified fragments, domains or variants thereof. Preferred
anti-IL-6 antibody compositions include at least one or two full
length, fragments, domains or variants as at least one CDR or LBR
containing portions of the anti-IL-6 antibody sequence of 70-100%
of SEQ ID NOS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or specified fragments, domains or
variants thereof. Further preferred compositions comprise 40-99% of
at least one of 70-100% of SEQ ID NOS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or
specified fragments, domains or variants thereof. Such composition
percentages are by weight, volume, concentration, molarity, or
molality as liquid or dry solutions, mixtures, suspension,
emulsions or colloids, as known in the art or as described
herein.
[0165] Anti-IL-6 antibody compositions of the present invention can
further comprise at least one of any suitable and effective amount
of a composition or pharmaceutical composition comprising at least
one anti-IL-6 antibody to a cell, tissue, organ, animal or patient
in need of such modulation, treatment or therapy, optionally
further comprising at least one selected from at least one TNF
antagonist (e.g., but not limited to a TNF antibody or fragment, a
soluble TNF receptor or fragment, fusion proteins thereof, or a
small molecule TNF antagonist), an antirheumatic (e.g.,
methotrexate, auranofin, aurothioglucose, azathioprine, etanercept,
gold sodium thiomalate, hydroxychloroquine sulfate, leflunomide,
sulfasalzine), a muscle relaxant, a narcotic, a non-steroid
anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), an analgesic, an anesthetic, a
sedative, a local anethetic, a neuromuscular blocker, an
antimicrobial (e g , aminoglycoside, an antifungal, an
antiparasitic, an antiviral, a carbapenem, cephalosporin, a
flurorquinolone, a macrolide, a penicillin, a sulfonamide, a
tetracycline, another antimicrobial), an antipsoriatic, a
corticosteriod, an anabolic steroid, a diabetes related agent, a
mineral, a nutritional, a thyroid agent, a vitamin, a calcium
related hormone, an antidiarrheal, an antitussive, an antiemetic,
an antiulcer, a laxative, an anticoagulant, an erythropieitin
(e.g., epoetin alpha), a filgrastim (e.g., G-CSF, Neupogen), a
sargramostim (GM-CSF, Leukine), an immunization, an immunoglobulin,
an immunosuppressive (e.g., basiliximab, cyclosporine, daclizumab),
a growth hormone, a hormone replacement drug, an estrogen receptor
modulator, a mydriatic, a cycloplegic, an alkylating agent, an
antimetabolite, a mitotic inhibitor, a radiopharmaceutical, an
antidepressant, antimanic agent, an antipsychotic, an anxiolytic, a
hypnotic, a sympathomimetic, a stimulant, donepezil, tacrine, an
asthma medication, a beta agonist, an inhaled steroid, a
leukotriene inhibitor, a methylxanthine, a cromolyn, an epinephrine
or analog, dornase alpha (Pulmozyme), a cytokine or a cytokine
antagonist. Non-limiting examples of such cytokines include, but
are not limted to, any of IL-1 to IL-23. Suitable dosages are well
known in the art. See, e.g., Wells et al., eds., Pharmacotherapy
Handbook, 2.sup.nd Edition, Appleton and Lange, Stamford, Conn.
(2000); PDR Pharmacopoeia, Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2000,
Deluxe Edition, Tarascon Publishing, Loma Linda, Calif. (2000),
each of which references are entirely incorporated herein by
reference.
[0166] Such anti-cancer or anti-infectives can also include toxin
molecules that are associated, bound, co-formulated or
co-administered with at least one antibody of the present
invention. The toxin can optionally act to selectively kill the
pathologic cell or tissue. The pathologic cell can be a cancer or
other cell. Such toxins can be, but are not limited to, purified or
recombinant toxin or toxin fragment comprising at least one
functional cytotoxic domain of toxin, e.g., selected from at least
one of ricin, diphtheria toxin, a venom toxin, or a bacterial
toxin. The term toxin also includes both endotoxins and exotoxins
produced by any naturally occurring, mutant or recombinant bacteria
or viruses which may cause any pathological condition in humans and
other mammals, including toxin shock, which can result in death.
Such toxins may include, but are not limited to, enterotoxigenic E.
coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), heat-stable enterotoxin (ST),
Shigella cytotoxin, Aeromonas enterotoxins, toxic shock syndrome
toxin-1 (TSST-1), Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), B (SEB), or C
(SEC), Streptococcal enterotoxins and the like. Such bacteria
include, but are not limited to, strains of a species of
enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (e.g.,
strains of serotype 0157:H7), Staphylococcus species (e.g.,
Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus pyogenes), Shigella species
(e.g., Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella flexneri, Shigella boydii,
and Shigella sonnei), Salmonella species (e.g., Salmonella typhi,
Salmonella cholera-suis, Salmonella enteritidis), Clostridium
species (e.g., Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium dificile,
Clostridium botulinum), Camphlobacter species (e.g., Camphlobacter
jejuni, Camphlobacter fetus), Heliobacter species, (e.g.,
Heliobacter pylori), Aeromonas species (e.g., Aeromonas sobria,
Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas caviae), Pleisomonas shigelloides,
Yersina enterocolitica, Vibrios species (e.g., Vibrios cholerae,
Vibrios parahemolyticus), Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, and Streptococci. See, e.g., Stein, ed., INTERNAL
MEDICINE, 3rd ed., pp 1-13, Little, Brown and Co., Boston, (1990);
Evans et al., eds., Bacterial Infections of Humans: Epidemiology
and Control, 2d. Ed., pp 239-254, Plenum Medical Book Co., New York
(1991); Mandell et al, Principles and Practice of Infectious
Diseases, 3d. Ed., Churchill Livingstone, New York (1990); Berkow
et al, eds., The Merck Manual, 16th edition, Merck and Co., Rahway,
N.J., 1992; Wood et al, FEMS Microbiology Immunology, 76:121-134
(1991); Marrack et al, Science, 248:705-711 (1990), the contents of
which references are incorporated entirely herein by reference.
[0167] Anti-IL-6 antibody compounds, compositions or combinations
of the present invention can further comprise at least one of any
suitable auxiliary, such as, but not limited to, diluent, binder,
stabilizer, buffers, salts, lipophilic solvents, preservative,
adjuvant or the like. Pharmaceutically acceptable auxiliaries are
preferred. Non-limiting examples of, and methods of preparing such
sterile solutions are well known in the art, such as, but limited
to, Gennaro, Ed., Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 18.sup.th
Edition, Mack Publishing Co. (Easton, Pa.) 1990. Pharmaceutically
acceptable carriers can be routinely selected that are suitable for
the mode of administration, solubility and/or stability of the
anti-IL-6 antibody, fragment or variant composition as well known
in the art or as described herein.
[0168] Pharmaceutical excipients and additives useful in the
present composition include but are not limited to proteins,
peptides, amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates (e.g., sugars,
including monosaccharides, di-, tri-, tetra-, and oligosaccharides;
derivatized sugars such as alditols, aldonic acids, esterified
sugars and the like; and polysaccharides or sugar polymers), which
can be present singly or in combination, comprising alone or in
combination 1-99.99% by weight or volume. Exemplary protein
excipients include serum albumin such as human serum albumin (HSA),
recombinant human albumin (rHA), gelatin, casein, and the like.
Representative amino acid/antibody components, which can also
function in a buffering capacity, include alanine, glycine,
arginine, betaine, histidine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid,
cysteine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, methionine,
phenylalanine, aspartame, and the like. One preferred amino acid is
glycine.
[0169] Carbohydrate excipients suitable for use in the invention
include, for example, monosaccharides such as fructose, maltose,
galactose, glucose, D-mannose, sorbose, and the like;
disaccharides, such as lactose, sucrose, trehalose, cellobiose, and
the like; polysaccharides, such as raffinose, melezitose,
maltodextrins, dextrans, starches, and the like; and alditols, such
as mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, lactitol, xylitol sorbitol
(glucitol), myoinositol and the like. Preferred carbohydrate
excipients for use in the present invention are mannitol,
trehalose, and raffinose.
[0170] Anti-IL-6 antibody compositions can also include a buffer or
a pH adjusting agent; typically, the buffer is a salt prepared from
an organic acid or base. Representative buffers include organic
acid salts such as salts of citric acid, ascorbic acid, gluconic
acid, carbonic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, or
phthalic acid; Tris, tromethamine hydrochloride, or phosphate
buffers. Preferred buffers for use in the present compositions are
organic acid salts such as citrate.
[0171] Additionally, anti-IL-6 antibody compositions of the
invention can include polymeric excipients/additives such as
polyvinylpyrrolidones, ficolls (a polymeric sugar), dextrates
(e.g., cyclodextrins, such as 2-hydroxypropyl-.beta.-cyclodextrin),
polyethylene glycols, flavoring agents, antimicrobial agents,
sweeteners, antioxidants, antistatic agents, surfactants (e.g.,
polysorbates such as "TWEEN 20" and "TWEEN 80"), lipids (e.g.,
phospholipids, fatty acids), steroids (e.g., cholesterol), and
chelating agents (e.g., EDTA).
[0172] These and additional known pharmaceutical excipients and/or
additives suitable for use in the anti-IL-6 antibody, portion or
variant compositions according to the invention are known in the
art, e.g., as listed in "Remington: The Science & Practice of
Pharmacy", 19.sup.th ed., Williams & Williams, (1995), and in
the "Physician's Desk Reference", 52.sup.nd ed., Medical Economics,
Montvale, N.J. (1998), the disclosures of which are entirely
incorporated herein by reference. Preferred carrier or excipient
materials are carbohydrates (e.g., saccharides and alditols) and
buffers (e.g., citrate) or polymeric agents.
[0173] Formulations
[0174] As noted above, the invention provides for stable
formulations, which is preferably a phosphate buffer with saline or
a chosen salt, as well as preserved solutions and formulations
containing a preservative as well as multi-use preserved
formulations suitable for pharmaceutical or veterinary use,
comprising at least one anti-IL-6 antibody in a pharmaceutically
acceptable formulation. Preserved formulations contain at least one
known preservative or optionally selected from the group consisting
of at least one phenol, m-cresol, p-cresol, o-cresol, chlorocresol,
benzyl alcohol, phenylmercuric nitrite, phenoxyethanol,
formaldehyde, chlorobutanol, magnesium chloride (e.g.,
hexahydrate), alkylparaben (methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl and the
like), benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, sodium
dehydroacetate and thimerosal, or mixtures thereof in an aqueous
diluent. Any suitable concentration or mixture can be used as known
in the art, such as 0.001-5%, or any range or value therein, such
as, but not limited to 0.001, 0.003, 0.005, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02,
0.03, 0.05, 0.09, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4., 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9,
1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2,
2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5,
3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.3, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, or any range
or value therein. Non-limiting examples include, no preservative,
0.1-2% m-cresol (e.g., 0.2, 0.3. 0.4, 0.5, 0.9, 1.0%), 0.1-3%
benzyl alcohol (e.g., 0.5, 0.9, 1.1., 1.5, 1.9, 2.0, 2.5%),
0.001-0.5% thimerosal (e.g., 0.005, 0.01), 0.001-2.0% phenol (e.g.,
0.05, 0.25, 0.28, 0.5, 0.9, 1.0%), 0.0005-1.0% alkylparaben(s)
(e.g., 0.00075, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.005, 0.0075, 0.009, 0.01,
0.02, 0.05, 0.075, 0.09, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.75, 0.9, 1.0%), and
the like.
[0175] As noted above, the invention provides an article of
manufacture, comprising packaging material and at least one vial
comprising a solution of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody with the
prescribed buffers and/or preservatives, optionally in an aqueous
diluent, wherein said packaging material comprises a label that
indicates that such solution can be held over a period of 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 18, 20, 24, 30, 36, 40, 48, 54, 60, 66, 72 hours or
greater. The invention further comprises an article of manufacture,
comprising packaging material, a first vial comprising lyophilized
at least one anti-IL-6 antibody, and a second vial comprising an
aqueous diluent of prescribed buffer or preservative, wherein said
packaging material comprises a label that instructs a patient to
reconstitute the at least one anti-IL-6 antibody in the aqueous
diluent to form a solution that can be held over a period of
twenty-four hours or greater.
[0176] The at least one anti-IL-6 antibody used in accordance with
the present invention can be produced by recombinant means,
including from mammalian cell or transgenic preparations, or can be
purified from other biological sources, as described herein or as
known in the art.
[0177] The range of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody in the product
of the present invention includes amounts yielding upon
reconstitution, if in a wet/dry system, concentrations from about
1.0 .mu.g/ml to about 1000 mg/ml, although lower and higher
concentrations are operable and are dependent on the intended
delivery vehicle, e.g., solution formulations will differ from
transdermal patch, pulmonary, transmucosal, or osmotic or micro
pump methods.
[0178] Preferably, the aqueous diluent optionally further comprises
a pharmaceutically acceptable preservative. Preferred preservatives
include those selected from the group consisting of phenol,
m-cresol, p-cresol, o-cresol, chlorocresol, benzyl alcohol,
alkylparaben (methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl and the like),
benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, sodium dehydroacetate
and thimerosal, or mixtures thereof. The concentration of
preservative used in the formulation is a concentration sufficient
to yield an anti-microbial effect. Such concentrations are
dependent on the preservative selected and are readily determined
by the skilled artisan.
[0179] Other excipients, e.g. isotonicity agents, buffers,
antioxidants, preservative enhancers, can be optionally and
preferably added to the diluent. An isotonicity agent, such as
glycerin, is commonly used at known concentrations. A
physiologically tolerated buffer is preferably added to provide
improved pH control. The formulations can cover a wide range of
pHs, such as from about pH 4 to about pH 10, and preferred ranges
from about pH 5 to about pH 9, and a most preferred range of about
6.0 to about 8.0. Preferably the formulations of the present
invention have pH between about 6.8 and about 7.8. Preferred
buffers include phosphate buffers, most preferably sodium
phosphate, particularly phosphate buffered saline (PBS).
[0180] Other additives, such as a pharmaceutically acceptable
solubilizers like Tween 20 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan
monolaurate), Tween 40 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan
monopalmitate), Tween 80 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan
monooleate), Pluronic F68 (polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene block
copolymers), and PEG (polyethylene glycol) or non-ionic surfactants
such as polysorbate 20 or 80 or poloxamer 184 or 188, Pluronic.RTM.
polyls, other block co-polymers, and chelators such as EDTA and
EGTA can optionally be added to the formulations or compositions to
reduce aggregation. These additives are particularly useful if a
pump or plastic container is used to administer the formulation.
The presence of pharmaceutically acceptable surfactant mitigates
the propensity for the protein to aggregate.
[0181] The formulations of the present invention can be prepared by
a process which comprises mixing at least one anti-IL-6 antibody
and a preservative selected from the group consisting of phenol,
m-cresol, p-cresol, o-cresol, chlorocresol, benzyl alcohol,
alkylparaben, (methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl and the like),
benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, sodium dehydroacetate
and thimerosal or mixtures thereof in an aqueous diluent. Mixing
the at least one anti-IL-6 antibody and preservative in an aqueous
diluent is carried out using conventional dissolution and mixing
procedures. To prepare a suitable formulation, for example, a
measured amount of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody in buffered
solution is combined with the desired preservative in a buffered
solution in quantities sufficient to provide the protein and
preservative at the desired concentrations. Variations of this
process would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.
For example, the order the components are added, whether additional
additives are used, the temperature and pH at which the formulation
is prepared, are all factors that can be optimized for the
concentration and means of administration used.
[0182] The claimed formulations can be provided to patients as
clear solutions or as dual vials comprising a vial of lyophilized
at least one anti-IL-6 antibody that is reconstituted with a second
vial containing water, a preservative and/or excipients, preferably
a phosphate buffer and/or saline and a chosen salt, in an aqueous
diluent. Either a single solution vial or dual vial requiring
reconstitution can be reused multiple times and can suffice for a
single or multiple cycles of patient treatment and thus can provide
a more convenient treatment regimen than currently available.
[0183] The present claimed articles of manufacture are useful for
administration over a period of immediately to twenty-four hours or
greater. Accordingly, the presently claimed articles of manufacture
offer significant advantages to the patient. Formulations of the
invention can optionally be safely stored at temperatures of from
about 2 to about 40.degree. C. and retain the biologically activity
of the protein for extended periods of time, thus, allowing a
package label indicating that the solution can be held and/or used
over a period of 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 72, or 96 hours or greater.
If preserved diluent is used, such label can include use up to 1-12
months, one-half, one and a half, and/or two years.
[0184] The solutions of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody in the
invention can be prepared by a process that comprises mixing at
least one antibody in an aqueous diluent. Mixing is carried out
using conventional dissolution and mixing procedures. To prepare a
suitable diluent, for example, a measured amount of at least one
antibody in water or buffer is combined in quantities sufficient to
provide the protein and optionally a preservative or buffer at the
desired concentrations. Variations of this process would be
recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the
order the components are added, whether additional additives are
used, the temperature and pH at which the formulation is prepared,
are all factors that can be optimized for the concentration and
means of administration used.
[0185] The claimed products can be provided to patients as clear
solutions or as dual vials comprising a vial of lyophilized at
least one anti-IL-6 antibody that is reconstituted with a second
vial containing the aqueous diluent. Either a single solution vial
or dual vial requiring reconstitution can be reused multiple times
and can suffice for a single or multiple cycles of patient
treatment and thus provides a more convenient treatment regimen
than currently available.
[0186] The claimed products can be provided indirectly to patients
by providing to pharmacies, clinics, or other such institutions and
facilities, clear solutions or dual vials comprising a vial of
lyophilized at least one anti-IL-6 antibody that is reconstituted
with a second vial containing the aqueous diluent. The clear
solution in this case can be up to one liter or even larger in
size, providing a large reservoir from which smaller portions of
the at least one antibody solution can be retrieved one or multiple
times for transfer into smaller vials and provided by the pharmacy
or clinic to their customers and/or patients.
[0187] Recognized devices comprising these single vial systems
include those pen-injector devices for delivery of a solution such
as BD Pens, BD Autojector.RTM., Humaject.RTM. NovoPen.RTM.,
B-D.RTM.Pen, AutoPen.RTM., and OptiPen.RTM., GenotropinPen.RTM.,
Genotronorm Pen.RTM., Humatro Pen.RTM., Rcco-Pen.RTM., Roferon
Pen.RTM., Biojector.RTM., iject.RTM., J-tip Needle-Free
Injector.RTM., Intraject.RTM., Medi-Ject.RTM., e.g., as made or
developed by Becton Dickensen (Franklin Lakes, N.J.,
www.bectondickenson.com), Disetronic (Burgdorf, Switzerland,
www.disetronic.com; Bioject, Portland, Oreg. (www.bioject.com);
National Medical Products, Weston Medical (Peterborough, UK,
www.weston-medical.com), Medi-Ject Corp (Minneapolis, Minn.,
www.mediject.com). Recognized devices comprising a dual vial system
include those pen-injector systems for reconstituting a lyophilized
drug in a cartridge for delivery of the reconstituted solution such
as the HumatroPen.RTM..
[0188] The products presently claimed include packaging material.
The packaging material provides, in addition to the information
required by the regulatory agencies, the conditions under which the
product can be used. The packaging material of the present
invention provides instructions to the patient to reconstitute the
at least one anti-IL-6 antibody in the aqueous diluent to form a
solution and to use the solution over a period of 2-24 hours or
greater for the two vial, wet/dry, product. For the single vial,
solution product, the label indicates that such solution can be
used over a period of 2-24 hours or greater. The presently claimed
products are useful for human pharmaceutical product use.
[0189] The formulations of the present invention can be prepared by
a process that comprises mixing at least one anti-IL-6 antibody and
a selected buffer, preferably a phosphate buffer containing saline
or a chosen salt. Mixing the at least one antibody and buffer in an
aqueous diluent is carried out using conventional dissolution and
mixing procedures. To prepare a suitable formulation, for example,
a measured amount of at least one antibody in water or buffer is
combined with the desired buffering agent in water in quantities
sufficient to provide the protein and buffer at the desired
concentrations. Variations of this process would be recognized by
one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the order the
components are added, whether additional additives are used, the
temperature and pH at which the formulation is prepared, are all
factors that can be optimized for the concentration and means of
administration used.
[0190] The claimed stable or preserved formulations can be provided
to patients as clear solutions or as dual vials comprising a vial
of lyophilized at least one anti-IL-6 antibody that is
reconstituted with a second vial containing a preservative or
buffer and excipients in an aqueous diluent. Either a single
solution vial or dual vial requiring reconstitution can be reused
multiple times and can suffice for a single or multiple cycles of
patient treatment and thus provides a more convenient treatment
regimen than currently available.
[0191] At least one anti-IL-6 antibody in either the stable or
preserved formulations or solutions described herein, can be
administered to a patient in accordance with the present invention
via a variety of delivery methods including SC or IM injection;
transdermal, pulmonary, transmucosal, implant, osmotic pump,
cartridge, micro pump, or other means appreciated by the skilled
artisan, as well-known in the art.
[0192] Therapeutic Applications
[0193] IL-6, due to its pleiotropic activity, is implicated in the
pathology of a variety of diseases. Therefore, a high affinity,
neutralizing chimeric or human antibody to IL-6 would be desirable
to be used in IL-6 related diseases such as cancer, cachexia, SLE,
rheumatoid arthiritis, osteoporosis, brain trauma, cerebral edema,
depression, and CHF. cCLB8 or any derivatives of this mAb including
chimeric or humanized, or fragments can be used in alleviating bone
pain, inhibiting growth of tumors such as melanoma, renal,
prostate, breast, lung, colon cancer and multiple myeloma,
lymphoproliferative disorders and other diseases in which IL-6 has
been implicated. This antibody can be used either as a single agent
or in combination with other therapeutic agents. In addition, this
Mab can be used as a chemosensitizer whereby it can increase
therapeutic efficacy of cytotoxic agents. This antibody can be used
as a radiosensitizer whereby it can improve efficacy of radiation.
It can also be used in combination with other
tumor-immunomodulating agents such as IL-2, IL-12 and/or
IFNalpha.
[0194] Thus, the present invention also provides a method for
modulating or treating at least one IL-6 related disease, in a
cell, tissue, organ, animal, or patient, as known in the art or as
described herein, using at least one anti-IL-6 antibody of the
present invention.
[0195] IL-6 is known to enhance proliferation, differentiation and
survival of malignant plasma cells in multiple myeloma (MM) through
an autocrine or a paracrine mechanism that involves the inhibition
of apoptosis of the malignant cells. MM is an incurable malignant
plasma cell disorder where, blocking IL-6 has been postulated to be
an effective therapy (Anderson et al., Multiple Myeloma: New
Insights and Therapeutic Approaches. Hematology: 147-165, 2000).
IL-6 also has a tumorigenic effect in basal cell carcinoma where
IL-6 transfected cells showed increased tumor growth rate by both
suppressing apoptosis and actively promoting (Jee et al.,
Overexpression of interleukin-6 in human basal cell carcinoma cell
lines increases anti-apoptotic activity and tumorigenic potency.
Oncogene, Vol. 20, No. 2 pp. 198-208, 2001). IL-6 can also promote
resistance of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy by inducing mdr1
gene expression (mdr1 and metallothionein pathways) (Conze et al,
Autocrine Production of Interleukin 6 Causes Multidrug Resistance
in Breast Cancer Cells. Cancer Res 61: 8851-8858, 2001).
[0196] The ability of IL-6 to mediate tumor cell survival and
disease progression was confirmed by the inhibitory effects of an
anti-IL-6 mAb on tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. It was
reported that blockade of IL-6 can inhibit growth of human brain
tumors (glioblastoma) in vitro (Goswami et al.,
Interleukin-6-mediated autocrine growth promotion in human
glioblastoma multiforme cell line U87MG. J Neurochem 71: 1837-1845,
1998). Using the same approach it was shown that injection of
murine CLB8 anti-IL-6 antibody prolonged the survival of human
tumor bearing mice (Mauray et al., Epstein-Barr virus-dependent
lymphoproliferative disease: critical role of IL-6. Eur J Immunol;
30(7):2065-73, 2000). It was also reported that mCLB8 anti-IL-6
antibody regressed growth of human renal carcinoma tumors and
decreased serum calcium concentrations in nude mice (Weisglass et
al., The role of interleukin-6 in the induction of hypercalcemia in
renal cell carcinoma transplanted into nude mice. Endocrinology
138(5):1879-8.,1995). CLB-8 antibody also regressed established
human hormone refractory prostate tumor xenografts in mice (Smith
et al. 2001) Anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal antibody induces
regression of human prostate cancer xenografts in nude mice(Smith
and Keller, Prostate; 48(1):47-53).
[0197] IL-6 can also be a prognostic factor and a marker for
malignancies. In renal cell carcinoma (RCC) high levels of IL-6
were reported to correlate with tumor metastasis and eventually to
poor prognosis and short survival (Jean-Yves Blay et al. 1992).
Moreover, in RCC, elevated serum IL-6 is associated with poor
response to IL-2 therapy (Fumagalli et al. 1999) Pretreatment serum
markers and lymphocyte response to interleukin-2 therapy. Br J
Cancer 80(3-4):407-11 and correlated with the degree of IL-2
associated toxicity (Capuron et al. 2001) Association between
immune activation and early depressive symptoms in cancer patients
treated with interleukin-2-based therapy.
Psychoneuroendocrinology;26(8):797-808.
[0198] Elevated levels of IL-6 also correlated with poor prognosis
and the presence of metastatic disease in breast cancer
(Kurebayashi 2000 and Benoy 2002) Regulation of interleukin-6
secretion from breast cancer cells and its clinical implications.
Breast Cancer; 7(2):124-9. Serum interleukin 6, plasma VEGF, serum
VEGF, and VEGF platelet load in breast cancer patients. Clin Breast
Cancer; 2(4):311-5.
[0199] IL-6 is hypothesized to be a causative factor in
cancer-related morbidity such as asthenia/cachexia and bone
resorption. Tumor-induced cachexia (Cahlin et al. 2000) and bone
resorption (subsequent hypercalcemia) (Sandhu et al. 1999) were
found to be diminished in IL-6 knockout mice. Cancer-associated
depression, and cerebral edema secondary to brain tumors have also
been associated with high levels of IL-6 (Musselman et al. 2001).
cCLB8 antilL-6 antibody of the invention also inhibited human
melanoma and human prostate carcinoma induced cachexia in nude
mice.
[0200] Clinical Experience with Anti-IL-6 Agents
[0201] Several clinical trials using monoclonal antibodies against
IL-6 have been conducted in multiple diseases including plasma cell
leukemia, multiple myeloma, B-lympho-proliferative disorder,
rheumatoid arthritis, renal carcinoma, and AIDS associated
lymphoma.
[0202] A Phase I dose escalating study with the anti-IL-6 cCLB-8
antibody of the present invention for the treatment of refractory
patients with advanced stage multiple myeloma (N=12) demonstrated
that some patients had disease stabilization. After discontinuation
of treatment there was acceleration in the increase of M protein
levels, suggesting disease re-bound after the withdrawal of
therapy. Anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody inhibited free circulating IL-6.
Most importantly no toxicity (except transient thrombocytopenia in
two heavily pretreated patients) or allergic reactions were
observed. C-reactive protein (CRP) decreased below detection level
in all patients. Anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody demonstrated a long
circulating half-life of 17.8 days, and there was no human
anti-chimeric antibody (HACA) immune response observed (van Zaanen
et al. 1998). Administration of CNTO 328 did not cause changes in
blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, hemoglobin, liver
functions and renal functions. Except for transient
thrombocytopenia in two heavily pretreated patients, no toxicity or
allergic reactions were observed, and there was no human
anti-chimeric antibody (HACA) immune response observed. Three
patients developed infection-related complications during therapy,
however, a possible relation with anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody was
unlikely because infectious complications are common in end stage
multiple myeloma and are a major cause of death. In addition all
three patients were able to respond to their infection even in the
presence of anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody, suggesting that anti-IL-6
therapy is not able to block IL-6 during infection. No
treatment-associated fatalities were reported. In conclusion,
results from this study suggest that anti-IL-6 cCLB-8 antibody was
safe in multiple myeloma patients.
[0203] Thus, the present invention provides a method for modulating
or treating at least one malignant disease in a cell, tissue,
organ, animal or patient, including, but not limited to, at least
one of: multiple myeloma, leukemia, acute leukemia, acute
lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), B-cell, T-cell or FAB ALL, acute
myeloid leukemia (AML), chromic myelocytic leukemia (CML), chronic
lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), hairy cell leukemia, myelodyplastic
syndrome (MDS), a lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, a malignamt
lymphoma, non-hodgkin's lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, multiple
myeloma, Kaposi's sarcoma, colorectal carcinoma, renal cell
carcinoma, pancreatic carcinoma, prostatic carcinoma,
nasopharyngeal carcinoma, malignant histiocytosis, paraneoplastic
syndrome/hypercalcemia of malignancy, solid tumors,
adenocarcinomas, sarcomas, malignant melanoma, hemangioma,
metastatic disease, cancer related bone resorption, cancer related
bone pain; the suppression of cancer metastasis; the amelioration
of cancer cachexia; and the treatment of inflammatory diseases such
as mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis and the like. Such a
method can optionally be used in combination with, by administering
before, concurrently or after administration of such IL-6 antibody,
radiation therapy, an anti-angiogenic agent, a chemotherapeutic
agent, a farnesyl transferase inhibitor or the like.
[0204] The present invention also provides a method for modulating
or treating at least one Il-6 mediated immune related disease, in a
cell, tissue, organ, animal, or patient including, but not limited
to, at least one of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis, systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic
arthritis, ankylosing spondilitis, gastric ulcer, seronegative
arthropathies, asteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disease,
ulverative colitis, systemic lupus erythematosis, antiphospholipid
syndrome, iridocyclitis/uveitis/optic neuritis, idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis, systemic vasculitis/wegener's granulomatosis,
sarcoidosis, orchitis/vasectomy reversal procedures,
allergic/atopic diseases, asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema,
allergic contact dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis,
hypersensitivity pneumonitis, transplants, organ transplant
rejection, graft-versus-host disease, systemic inflammatory
response syndrome, sepsis syndrome, gram positive sepsis, gram
negative sepsis, culture negative sepsis, fungal sepsis,
neutropenic fever, urosepsis, meningococcemia, trauma/hemorrhage,
burns, ionizing radiation exposure, acute pancreatitis, adult
respiratory distress syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis,
alcohol-induced hepatitis, chronic inflammatory pathologies,
sarcoidosis, Crohn's pathology, sickle cell anemia, diabetes,
nephrosis, atopic diseases, hypersensitity reactions, allergic
rhinitis, hay fever, perennial rhinitis, conjunctivitis,
endometriosis, asthma, urticaria, systemic anaphalaxis, dermatitis,
pernicious anemia, hemolytic disesease, thrombocytopenia, graft
rejection of any organ or tissue, kidney translplant rejection,
heart transplant rejection, liver transplant rejection, pancreas
transplant rejection, lung transplant rejection, bone marrow
transplant (BMT) rejection, skin allograft rejection, cartilage
transplant rejection, bone graft rejection, small bowel transplant
rejection, fetal thymus implant rejection, parathyroid transplant
rejection, xenograft rejection of any organ or tissue, allograft
rejection, anti-receptor hypersensitivity reactions, Graves
disease, Raynoud's disease, type B insulin-resistant diabetes,
asthma, myasthenia gravis, antibody-meditated cytotoxicity, type
III hypersensitivity reactions, systemic lupus erythematosus, POEMS
syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal
gammopathy, and skin changes syndrome), polyneuropathy,
organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, skin changes
syndrome, antiphospholipid syndrome, pemphigus, scleroderma, mixed
connective tissue disease, idiopathic Addison's disease, diabetes
mellitus, chronic active hepatitis, primary billiary cirrhosis,
vitiligo, vasculitis, post-MI cardiotomy syndrome, type IV
hypersensitivity, contact dermatitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis,
allograft rejection, granulomas due to intracellular organisms,
drug sensitivity, metabolic/idiopathic, Wilson's disease,
hemachromatosis, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, diabetic
retinopathy, hashimoto's thyroiditis, osteoporosis,
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis evaluation, primary biliary
cirrhosis, thyroiditis, encephalomyelitis, cachexia, cystic
fibrosis, neonatal chronic lung disease, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), familial hematophagocytic
lymphohistiocytosis, dermatologic conditions, psoriasis, alopecia,
nephrotic syndrome, nephritis, glomerular nephritis, acute renal
failure, hemodialysis, uremia, toxicity, preeclampsia, okt3
therapy, anti-cd3 therapy, cytokine therapy, chemotherapy,
radiation therapy (e.g., including but not limited to asthenia,
anemia, cachexia, and the like), chronic salicylate intoxication,
sleep apnea, obesity, heart failure, sinusitis, inflammatory bowel
disease, and the like. See, e.g., the Merck Manual, 12th-17th
Editions, Merck & Company, Rahway, N.J. (1972, 1977, 1982,
1987, 1992, 1999), Pharmacotherapy Handbook, Wells et al., eds.,
Second Edition, Appleton and Lange, Stamford, Conn. (1998, 2000),
each entirely incorporated by reference.
[0205] The present invention also provides a method for modulating
or treating at least one infectious disease in a cell, tissue,
organ, animal or patient, including, but not limited to, at least
one of: acute or chronic bacterial infection, acute and chronic
parasitic or infectious processes, including bacterial, viral and
fungal infections, HIV infection/HIV neuropathy, meningitis,
hepatitis (A,B or C, or the like), septic arthritis, peritonitis,
pneumonia, epiglottitis, e. coli 0157:h7, hemolytic uremic
syndrome/thrombolytic thrombocytopenic purpura, malaria, dengue
hemorrhagic fever, leishmaniasis, leprosy, toxic shock syndrome,
streptococcal myositis, gas gangrene, mycobacterium tuberculosis,
mycobacterium avium intracellulare, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia,
pelvic inflammatory disease, orchitis/epidydimitis, legionella,
lyme disease, influenza a, epstein-barr virus, vital-associated
hemaphagocytic syndrome, vital encephalitis/aseptic meningitis, and
the like;
[0206] Any of such methods can optionally comprise administering an
effective amount of at least one composition or pharmaceutical
composition comprising at least one anti-IL-6 antibody to a cell,
tissue, organ, animal or patient in need of such modulation,
treatment or therapy. Indications for treatment with ant-IL-6
therapy are disclosed in the following references, hereby
incorporated by reference into the present application: Van Snick,
"Interleukin-6: An Overview," Ann. Rev. Immunol., 8:253-278 (1990);
Campbell et al., "Essential Role for Interferon-gamma And
Interleukin-6 in Autoimmune Insulin-Dependent Diabetes in NOD/Wehi
Mice," J. Clin. Invest., 87:739-742 (1991); Heinrich et al.,
"Interleukin-6 Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for a Patient with
Plasma Cell Leukemia," Blood, 78(5):1198-1204 (1991); Starnes et
al., "Anti-IL-6 Monoclonal Antibodies Protect Against Lethal
Escherichia coli Infection and Lethal Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha.
Challenge in Mice," J. Immunol., 145(12):4185-4191 (1990);
Strassman et al., "Evidence for the Involvement of Interleukin 6 in
Experimental Cancer Cachexia," J. Clin. Invest., 89:1681-1684
(1992).
[0207] Any method of the present invention can comprise
administering an effective amount of a composition or
pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one anti-IL-6
antibody to a cell, tissue, organ, animal or patient in need of
such modulation, treatment or therapy. Such a method can optionally
further comprise co-administration or combination therapy for
treating such immune diseases or malignant diseases, wherein the
administering of said at least one anti-IL-6 antibody, specified
portion or variant thereof, further comprises administering, before
concurrently, and/or after, at least one selected from at least one
TNF antagonist (e.g., but not limited to a TNF antibody or
fragment, a soluble TNF receptor or fragment, fusion proteins
thereof, or a small molecule TNF antagonist), an IL-18 antibody or
fragment, small molecule IL-18 antagonist or IL-18 receptor binding
protein, an IL-1 antibody (including both IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta)
or fragment, a soluble IL-1 receptor antagonist, an antirheumatic
(e.g., methotrexate, auranofin, aurothioglucose, azathioprine,
etanercept, gold sodium thiomalate, hydroxychloroquine sulfate,
leflunomide, sulfasalazine, radiation therapy, an anti-angiogenic
agent, a chemotherapeutic agent, Thalidomide,a muscle relaxant, a
narcotic, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), an
analgesic, an anesthetic, a sedative, a local anethetic, a
neuromuscular blocker, an antimicrobial (e.g., aminoglycoside, an
antifungal, an antiparasitic, an antiviral, a carbapenem,
cephalosporin, a flurorquinolone, a macrolide, a penicillin, a
sulfonamide, a tetracycline, another antimicrobial), an
antipsoriatic, a corticosteriod, an anabolic steroid, a diabetes
related agent, a mineral, a nutritional, a thyroid agent, a
vitamin, a calcium related hormone, an erythropieitin (e.g.,
epoetin alpha), a filgrastim (e.g., G-CSF, Neupogen), a
sargramostim (GM-CSF, Leukine), an immunization, an immunoglobulin,
an immunosuppressive (e.g., basiliximab, cyclosporine, daclizumab),
a growth hormone, a hormone replacement drug, an estrogen receptor
modulator, a mydriatic, a cycloplegic, an alkylating agent, an
antimetabolite, a mitotic inhibitor, a radiopharmaceutical, an
antidepressant, antimanic agent, an antipsychotic, an anxiolytic, a
hypnotic, a sympathomimetic, a stimulant, donepezil, tacrine, an
asthma medication, a beta agonist, an inhaled steroid, a
leukotriene inhibitor, a methylxanthine, a cromolyn, an epinephrine
or analog, dornase alpha (Pulmozyme), a cytokine or a cytokine
antagonist. Suitable dosages are well known in the art. See, e.g.,
Wells et al., eds., Pharmacotherapy Handbook, 2.sup.nd Edition,
Appleton and Lange, Stamford, Conn. (2000); PDR Pharmacopoeia,
Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2000, Deluxe Edition, Tarascon
Publishing, Loma Linda, Calif. (2000), each of which references are
entirely incorporated herein by reference.
[0208] TNF antagonists suitable for compositions, combination
therapy, co-administration, devices and/or methods of the present
invention (further comprising at least one anti body, specified
portion and variant thereof, of the present invention), include,
but are not limited to, anti-TNF antibodies, antigen-binding
fragments thereof, and receptor molecules which bind specifically
to TNF; compounds which prevent and/or inhibit TNF synthesis, TNF
release or its action on target cells, such as thalidomide,
tenidap, phosphodiesterase inhibitors (e.g, pentoxifylline and
rolipram), A2b adenosine receptor agonists and A2b adenosine
receptor enhancers; compounds which prevent and/or inhibit TNF
receptor signalling, such as mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase
inhibitors; compounds which block and/or inhibit membrane TNF
cleavage, such as metalloproteinase inhibitors; compounds which
block and/or inhibit TNF activity, such as angiotensin converting
enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (e.g., captopril); and compounds which
block and/or inhibit TNF production and/or synthesis, such as MAP
kinase inhibitors.
[0209] Therapeutic Treatments
[0210] Any method of the present invention can comprise a method
for treating an IL-6 mediated disorder, comprising administering an
effective amount of a composition or pharmaceutical composition
comprising at least one anti-IL-6 antibody to a cell, tissue,
organ, animal or patient in need of such modulation, treatment or
therapy. Such a method can optionally further comprise
co-administration or combination therapy for treating such immune
diseases, wherein the administering of said at least one anti-IL-6
antibody, specified portion or variant thereof, further comprises
administering, before concurrently, and/or after, at least one
agent as described above.
[0211] Typically, treatment of pathologic conditions is effected by
administering an effective amount or dosage of at least one
anti-IL-6 antibody composition that total, on average, a range from
at least about 0.01 to 500 milligrams of at least one anti-IL-6
antibody per kilogram of patient per dose, and preferably from at
least about 0.1 to 100 milligrams antibody /kilogram of patient per
single or multiple administration, depending upon the specific
activity of contained in the composition. Alternatively, the
effective serum concentration can comprise 0.1-5000 .mu.g/ml serum
concentration per single or multiple administration. Suitable
dosages are known to medical practitioners and will, of course,
depend upon the particular disease state, specific activity of the
composition being administered, and the particular patient
undergoing treatment. In some instances, to achieve the desired
therapeutic amount, it can be necessary to provide for repeated
administration, i.e., repeated individual administrations of a
particular monitored or metered dose, where the individual
administrations are repeated until the desired daily dose or effect
is achieved.
[0212] Preferred doses can optionally include 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4,
0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,
31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47,
48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65,
66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82,
83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99
and/or 100-500 mg/kg/administration, or any range, value or
fraction thereof, or to achieve a serum concentration of 0.1, 0.5,
0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.9, 2.0, 2.5, 2.9, 3.0, 3.5, 3.9, 4.0,
4.5, 4.9, 5.0, 5.5, 5.9, 6.0, 6.5, 6.9, 7.0, 7.5, 7.9, 8.0, 8.5,
8.9, 9.0, 9.5, 9.9, 10, 10.5, 10.9, 11, 11.5, 11.9, 20, 12.5, 12.9,
13.0, 13.5, 13.9, 14.0, 14.5, 4.9, 5.0, 5.5., 5.9, 6.0, 6.5, 6.9,
7.0, 7.5, 7.9, 8.0, 8.5, 8.9, 9.0, 9.5, 9.9, 10, 10.5, 10.9, 11,
11.5, 11.9, 12, 12.5, 12.9, 13.0, 13.5, 13.9, 14, 14.5, 15, 15.5,
15.9, 16, 16.5, 16.9, 17, 17.5, 17.9, 18, 18.5, 18.9, 19, 19.5,
19.9, 20, 20.5, 20.9, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 35,
40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 96, 100, 200, 300, 400,
500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000,
4500, and/or 5000.mu.g/ml serum concentration per single or
multiple administration, or any range, value or fraction
thereof.
[0213] Alternatively, the dosage administered can vary depending
upon known factors, such as the pharmacodynamic characteristics of
the particular agent, and its mode and route of administration;
age, health, and weight of the recipient; nature and extent of
symptoms, kind of concurrent treatment, frequency of treatment, and
the effect desired. Usually a dosage of active ingredient can be
about 0.1 to 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Ordinarily
0.1 to 50, and preferably 0.1 to 10 milligrams per kilogram per
administration or in sustained release form is effective to obtain
desired results.
[0214] As a non-limiting example, treatment of humans or animals
can be provided as a one-time or periodic dosage of at least one
antibody of the present invention 0.1 to 100 mg/kg, such as 0.5,
0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 40, 45,
50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 mg/kg, per day, on at least one of day 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,
38, 39, or 40, or alternatively or additionally, at least one of
week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35,
36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, or
52, or alternatively or additionally, at least one of 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 years,
or any combination thereof, using single, infusion or repeated
doses.
[0215] Dosage forms (composition) suitable for internal
administration generally contain from about 0.1 milligram to about
500 milligrams of active ingredient per unit or container. In these
pharmaceutical compositions the active ingredient will ordinarily
be present in an amount of about 0.5-99.999% by weight based on the
total weight of the composition.
[0216] Parenteral Formulations and Administration
[0217] For parenteral administration, the antibody can be
formulated as a solution, suspension, emulsion or lyophilized
powder in association, or separately provided, with a
pharmaceutically acceptable parenteral vehicle. Examples of such
vehicles are water, saline, Ringer's solution, dextrose solution,
and 1-10% human serum albumin. Liposomes and nonaqueous vehicles
such as fixed oils can also be used. The vehicle or lyophilized
powder can contain additives that maintain isotonicity (e.g.,
sodium chloride, mannitol) and chemical stability (e.g., buffers
and preservatives). The formulation is sterilized by known or
suitable techniques.
[0218] Suitable pharmaceutical carriers are described in the most
recent edition of Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, A. Osol, a
standard reference text in this field.
[0219] Formulations for parenteral administration can contain as
common excipients sterile water or saline, polyalkylene glycols
such as polyethylene glycol, oils of vegetable origin, hydrogenated
naphthalenes and the like. Aqueous or oily suspensions for
injection can be prepared by using an appropriate emulsifier or
humidifier and a suspending agent, according to known methods.
Agents for injection can be a non-toxic, non-orally administrable
diluting agent such as aquous solution or a sterile injectable
solution or suspension in a solvent. As the usable vehicle or
solvent, water, Ringer's solution, isotonic saline, etc. are
allowed; as an ordinary solvent, or suspending solvent, sterile
involatile oil can be used. For these purposes, any kind of
involatile oil and fatty acid can be used, including natural or
synthetic or semisynthetic fatty oils or fatty acids; natural or
synthetic or semisynthtetic mono- or di- or tri-glycerides.
Parental administration is known in the art and includes, but is
not limited to, conventional means of injections, a gas pressured
needle-less injection device as described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,851,198, and a laser perforator device as described in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,839,446 entirely incorporated herein by reference.
[0220] Alternative Delivery
[0221] The invention further relates to the administration of at
least one anti-IL-6 antibody by parenteral, subcutaneous,
intramuscular, intravenous, intrarticular, intrabronchial,
intraabdominal, intracapsular, intracartilaginous, intracavitary,
intracelial, intracelebellar, intracerebroventricular, intracolic,
intracervical, intragastric, intrahepatic, intramyocardial,
intraosteal, intrapelvic, intrapericardiac, intraperitoneal,
intrapleural, intraprostatic, intrapulmonary, intrarectal,
intrarenal, intraretinal, intraspinal, intrasynovial,
intrathoracic, intrauterine, intravesical, bolus, vaginal, rectal,
buccal, sublingual, intranasal, or transdermal means. At least one
anti-IL-6 antibody composition can be prepared for use for
parenteral (subcutaneous, intramuscular or intravenous) or any
other administration particularly in the form of liquid solutions
or suspensions; for use in vaginal or rectal administration
particularly in semisolid forms such as, but not limited to, creams
and suppositories; for buccal, or sublingual administration such
as, but not limited to, in the form of tablets or capsules; or
intranasally such as, but not limited to, the form of powders,
nasal drops or aerosols or certain agents; or transdermally such as
not limited to a gel, ointment, lotion, suspension or patch
delivery system with chemical enhancers such as dimethyl sulfoxide
to either modify the skin structure or to increase the drug
concentration in the transdermal patch (Junginger, et al. In "Drug
Permeation Enhancement"; Hsieh, D. S., Eds., pp. 59-90 (Marcel
Dekker, Inc. New York 1994, entirely incorporated herein by
reference), or with oxidizing agents that enable the application of
formulations containing proteins and peptides onto the skin (WO
98/53847), or applications of electric fields to create transient
transport pathways such as electroporation, or to increase the
mobility of charged drugs through the skin such as iontophoresis,
or application of ultrasound such as sonophoresis (U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,309,989 and 4,767,402) (the above publications and patents being
entirely incorporated herein by reference).
[0222] Pulmonary/Nasal Administration
[0223] For pulmonary administration, preferably at least one
anti-IL-6 antibody composition is delivered in a particle size
effective for reaching the lower airways of the lung or sinuses.
According to the invention, at least one anti-IL-6 antibody can be
delivered by any of a variety of inhalation or nasal devices known
in the art for administration of a therapeutic agent by inhalation.
These devices capable of depositing aerosolized formulations in the
sinus cavity or alveoli of a patient include metered dose inhalers,
nebulizers, dry powder generators, sprayers, and the like. Other
devices suitable for directing the pulmonary or nasal
administration of antibodies are also known in the art. All such
devices can use of formulations suitable for the administration for
the dispensing of antibody in an aerosol. Such aerosols can be
comprised of either solutions (both aqueous and non aqueous) or
solid particles. Metered dose inhalers like the Ventolin.RTM.
metered dose inhaler, typically use a propellent gas and require
actuation during inspiration (See, e.g., WO 94/16970, WO 98/35888).
Dry powder inhalers like Turbuhaler.TM. (Astra), Rotahaler.RTM.
(Glaxo), Diskus.RTM. (Glaxo), Spiros.TM. inhaler (Dura), devices
marketed by Inhale Therapeutics, and the Spinhaler.RTM. powder
inhaler (Fisons), use breath-actuation of a mixed powder (U.S. Pat.
No. 4,668,218 Astra, EP 237507 Astra, WO 97/25086 Glaxo, WO
94/08552 Dura, U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,135 Inhale, WO 94/06498 Fisons,
entirely incorporated herein by reference). Nebulizers like
AERx.TM. Aradigm, the Ultravent.RTM. nebulizer (Mallinckrodt), and
the Acorn II.RTM. nebulizer (Marquest Medical Products) (U.S. Pat.
No. 5,404,871 Aradigm, WO 97/22376), the above references entirely
incorporated herein by reference, produce aerosols from solutions,
while metered dose inhalers, dry powder inhalers, etc. generate
small particle aerosols. These specific examples of commercially
available inhalation devices are intended to be a representative of
specific devices suitable for the practice of this invention, and
are not intended as limiting the scope of the invention.
Preferably, a composition comprising at least one anti-IL-6
antibody is delivered by a dry powder inhaler or a sprayer. There
are a several desirable features of an inhalation device for
administering at least one antibody of the present invention. For
example, delivery by the inhalation device is advantageously
reliable, reproducible, and accurate. The inhalation device can
optionally deliver small dry particles, e.g. less than about 10
.mu.m, preferably about 1-5 .mu.m, for good respirability.
[0224] Administration of IL-6 antibody Compositions as a Spray
[0225] A spray including IL-6 antibody composition protein can be
produced by forcing a suspension or solution of at least one
anti-IL-6 antibody through a nozzle under pressure. The nozzle size
and configuration, the applied pressure, and the liquid feed rate
can be chosen to achieve the desired output and particle size. An
electrospray can be produced, for example, by an electric field in
connection with a capillary or nozzle feed. Advantageously,
particles of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody composition protein
delivered by a sprayer have a particle size less than about 10
.mu.m, preferably in the range of about 1 .mu.m to about 5 .mu.m,
and most preferably about 2 .mu.m to about 3 .mu.m.
[0226] Formulations of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody composition
protein suitable for use with a sprayer typically include antibody
composition protein in an aqueous solution at a concentration of
about 0.1 mg to about 100 mg of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody
composition protein per ml of solution or mg/gm, or any range or
value therein, e.g., but not limited to, 0.1, 0.2., 0.3, 0.4, 0.5,
0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 40,
45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 mg/ml or mg/gm. The formulation can
include agents such as an excipient, a buffer, an isotonicity
agent, a preservative, a surfactant, and, preferably, zinc. The
formulation can also include an excipient or agent for
stabilization of the antibody composition protein, such as a
buffer, a reducing agent, a bulk protein, or a carbohydrate. Bulk
proteins useful in formulating antibody composition proteins
include albumin, protamine, or the like. Typical carbohydrates
useful in formulating antibody composition proteins include
sucrose, mannitol, lactose, trehalose, glucose, or the like. The
antibody composition protein formulation can also include a
surfactant, which can reduce or prevent surface-induced aggregation
of the antibody composition protein caused by atomization of the
solution in forming an aerosol. Various conventional surfactants
can be employed, such as polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters and
alcohols, and polyoxyethylene sorbitol fatty acid esters. Amounts
will generally range between 0.001 and 14% by weight of the
formulation. Especially preferred surfactants for purposes of this
invention are polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, polysorbate 80,
polysorbate 20, or the like. Additional agents known in the art for
formulation of a protein such as IL-6 antibodies, or specified
portions or variants, can also be included in the formulation.
[0227] Administration of IL-6 Antibody Compositions by a
Nebulizer
[0228] Antibody composition protein can be administered by a
nebulizer, such as jet nebulizer or an ultrasonic nebulizer.
Typically, in a jet nebulizer, a compressed air source is used to
create a high-velocity air jet through an orifice. As the gas
expands beyond the nozzle, a low-pressure region is created, which
draws a solution of antibody composition protein through a
capillary tube connected to a liquid reservoir. The liquid stream
from the capillary tube is sheared into unstable filaments and
droplets as it exits the tube, creating the aerosol. A range of
configurations, flow rates, and baffle types can be employed to
achieve the desired performance characteristics from a given jet
nebulizer. In an ultrasonic nebulizer, high-frequency electrical
energy is used to create vibrational, mechanical energy, typically
employing a piezoelectric transducer. This energy is transmitted to
the formulation of antibody composition protein either directly or
through a coupling fluid, creating an aerosol including the
antibody composition protein. Advantageously, particles of antibody
composition protein delivered by a nebulizer have a particle size
less than about 10 .mu.m, preferably in the range of about 1 .mu.m
to about 5 .mu.m, and most preferably about 2 .mu.m to about 3
.mu.m.
[0229] Formulations of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody suitable for
use with a nebulizer, either jet or ultrasonic, typically include a
concentration of about 0.1 mg to about 100 mg of at least one
anti-IL-6 antibody protein per ml of solution. The formulation can
include agents such as an excipient, a buffer, an isotonicity
agent, a preservative, a surfactant, and, preferably, zinc. The
formulation can also include an excipient or agent for
stabilization of the at least one anti-IL-6 antibody composition
protein, such as a buffer, a reducing agent, a bulk protein, or a
carbohydrate. Bulk proteins useful in formulating at least one
anti-IL-6 antibody composition proteins include albumin, protamine,
or the like. Typical carbohydrates useful in formulating at least
one anti-IL-6 antibody include sucrose, mannitol, lactose,
trehalose, glucose, or the like. The at least one anti-IL-6
antibody formulation can also include a surfactant, which can
reduce or prevent surface-induced aggregation of the at least one
anti-IL-6 antibody caused by atomization of the solution in forming
an aerosol. Various conventional surfactants can be employed, such
as polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters and alcohols, and
polyoxyethylene sorbital fatty acid esters. Amounts will generally
range between 0.001 and 4% by weight of the formulation. Especially
preferred surfactants for purposes of this invention are
polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono-oleate, polysorbate 80, polysorbate
20, or the like. Additional agents known in the art for formulation
of a protein such as antibody protein can also be included in the
formulation.
[0230] Administration of IL-6 Antibody Compositions by a Metered
Dose Inhaler
[0231] In a metered dose inhaler (MDI), a propellant, at least one
anti-IL-6 antibody, and any excipients or other additives are
contained in a canister as a mixture including a liquefied
compressed gas. Actuation of the metering valve releases the
mixture as an aerosol, preferably containing particles in the size
range of less than about 10 .mu.m, preferably about 1 .mu.m to
about 5 .eta.m, and most preferably about 2 .mu.m to about 3 .mu.m.
The desired aerosol particle size can be obtained by employing a
formulation of antibody composition protein produced by various
methods known to those of skill in the art, including jet-milling,
spray drying, critical point condensation, or the like. Preferred
metered dose inhalers include those manufactured by 3M or Glaxo and
employing a hydrofluorocarbon propellant.
[0232] Formulations of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody for use with
a metered-dose inhaler device will generally include a finely
divided powder containing at least one anti-IL-6 antibody as a
suspension in a non-aqueous medium, for example, suspended in a
propellant with the aid of a surfactant. The propellant can be any
conventional material employed for this purpose, such as
chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon,
or a hydrocarbon, including trichlorofluoromethane,
dichlorodifluoromethane, dichlorotetrafluoroethanol and
1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, HFA-134a (hydrofluroalkane-134a),
HFA-227 (hydrofluroalkane-227), or the like. Preferably the
propellant is a hydrofluorocarbon. The surfactant can be chosen to
stabilize the at least one anti-IL-6 antibody as a suspension in
the propellant, to protect the active agent against chemical
degradation, and the like. Suitable surfactants include sorbitan
trioleate, soya lecithin, oleic acid, or the like. In some cases
solution aerosols are preferred using solvents such as ethanol.
Additional agents known in the art for formulation of a protein
such as protein can also be included in the formulation.
[0233] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the
methods of the current invention can be achieved by pulmonary
administration of at least one anti-IL-6 antibody compositions via
devices not described herein.
[0234] Oral Formulations and Administration
[0235] Formulations for oral administration rely on the
co-administration of adjuvants (e.g., resorcinols and nonionic
surfactants such as polyoxyethylene oleyl ether and
n-hexadecylpolyethylene ether) to increase artificially the
permeability of the intestinal walls, as well as the
co-administration of enzymatic inhibitors (e.g., pancreatic trypsin
inhibitors, diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFF) and trasylol) to
inhibit enzymatic degradation. The active constituent compound of
the solid-type dosage form for oral administration can be mixed
with at least one additive, including sucrose, lactose, cellulose,
mannitol, trehalose, raffinose, maltitol, dextran, starches, agar,
arginates, chitins, chitosans, pectins, gum tragacanth, gum arabic,
gelatin, collagen, casein, albumin, synthetic or semisynthetic
polymer, and glyceride. These dosage forms can also contain other
type(s) of additives, e.g., inactive diluting agent, lubricant such
as magnesium stearate, paraben, preserving agent such as sorbic
acid, ascorbic acid, .alpha.-tocopherol, antioxidant such as
cysteine, disintegrator, binder, thickener, buffering agent,
sweetening agent, flavoring agent, perfuming agent, etc.
[0236] Tablets and pills can be further processed into
enteric-coated preparations. The liquid preparations for oral
administration include emulsion, syrup, elixir, suspension and
solution preparations allowable for medical use. These preparations
can contain inactive diluting agents ordinarily used in said field,
e.g., water. Liposomes have also been described as drug delivery
systems for insulin and heparin (U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,754). More
recently, microspheres of artificial polymers of mixed amino acids
(proteinoids) have been used to deliver pharmaceuticals (U.S. Pat.
No. 4,925,673). Furthermore, carrier compounds described in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,879,681 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,5,871,753 are used to
deliver biologically active agents orally are known in the art.
[0237] Mucosal Formulations and Administration
[0238] For absorption through mucosal surfaces, compositions and
methods of administering at least one anti-IL-6 antibody include an
emulsion comprising a plurality of submicron particles, a
mucoadhesive macromolecule, a bioactive peptide, and an aqueous
continuous phase, which promotes absorption through mucosal
surfaces by achieving mucoadhesion of the emulsion particles (U.S.
Pat. No. 5,514,670). Mucous surfaces suitable for application of
the emulsions of the present invention can include corneal,
conjunctival, buccal, sublingual, nasal, vaginal, pulmonary,
stomachic, intestinal, and rectal routes of administration.
Formulations for vaginal or rectal administration, e.g.
suppositories, can contain as excipients, for example,
polyalkyleneglycols, vaseline, cocoa butter, and the like.
Formulations for intranasal administration can be solid and contain
as excipients, for example, lactose or can be aqueous or oily
solutions of nasal drops. For buccal administration excipients
include sugars, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate,
pregelinatined starch, and the like (U.S. Pat. No. 5,849,695).
[0239] Transdermal Formulations and Administration
[0240] For transdermal administration, the at least one anti-IL-6
antibody is encapsulated in a delivery device such as a liposome or
polymeric nanoparticles, microparticle, microcapsule, or
microspheres (referred to collectively as microparticles unless
otherwise stated). A number of suitable devices are known,
including microparticles made of synthetic polymers such as
polyhydroxy acids such as polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid and
copolymers thereof, polyorthoesters, polyanhydrides, and
polyphosphazenes, and natural polymers such as collagen, polyamino
acids, albumin and other proteins, alginate and other
polysaccharides, and combinations thereof (U.S. Pat. No.
5,814,599).
[0241] Prolonged Administration and Formulations
[0242] It can be sometimes desirable to deliver the compounds of
the present invention to the subject over prolonged periods of
time, for example, for periods of one week to one year from a
single administration. Various slow release, depot or implant
dosage forms can be utilized. For example, a dosage form can
contain a pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic salt of the
compounds that has a low degree of solubility in body fluids, for
example, (a) an acid addition salt with a polybasic acid such as
phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, tannic
acid, pamoic acid, alginic acid, polyglutamic acid, naphthalene
mono- or di-sulfonic acids, polygalacturonic acid, and the like;
(b) a salt with a polyvalent metal cation such as zinc, calcium,
bismuth, barium, magnesium, aluminum, copper, cobalt, nickel,
cadmium and the like, or with an organic cation formed from e.g.,
N,N'-dibenzyl-ethylenediamine or ethylenediamine; or (c)
combinations of (a) and (b) e.g. a zinc tannate salt. Additionally,
the compounds of the present invention or, preferably, a relatively
insoluble salt such as those just described, can be formulated in a
gel, for example, an aluminum monostearate gel with, e.g. sesame
oil, suitable for injection. Particularly preferred salts are zinc
salts, zinc tannate salts, pamoate salts, and the like. Another
type of slow release depot formulation for injection would contain
the compound or salt dispersed for encapsulated in a slow
degrading, non-toxic, non-antigenic polymer such as a polylactic
acid/polyglycolic acid polymer for example as described in U.S.
Pat. No. 3,773,919. The compounds or, preferably, relatively
insoluble salts such as those described above can also be
formulated in cholesterol matrix silastic pellets, particularly for
use in animals. Additional slow release, depot or implant
formulations, e.g. gas or liquid liposomes are known in the
literature (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,770,222 and "Sustained and Controlled
Release Drug Delivery Systems", J. R. Robinson ed., Marcel Dekker,
Inc., N.Y., 1978).
[0243] Abbreviations [0244] BSA--bovine serum albumin [0245]
EIA--enzyme immunoassay [0246] FBS--fetal bovine serum [0247]
H.sub.2O.sub.2--hydrogen peroxide [0248] HRP--horseradish
peroxidase\ [0249] Ig--immunoglobulin [0250] IL-6--Interleukin-6
[0251] IP--intraperitoneal [0252] IV--intravenous [0253]
Mab--monoclonal antibody [0254] OD--optical density [0255]
OPD--o-Phenylenediamine dihydrochloride [0256] PEG--polyethylene
glycol [0257] PSA--penicillin, streptomycin, amphotericin [0258]
RT--room temperature [0259] SQ--subcutaneous [0260] v/v--volume per
volume [0261] w/v--weight per volume
EXAMPLE 1
Generation of Murine CLB8 Mab
Immunization
[0262] The hybridoma giving rise to the murine CLB-IL6-8 antibody
was derived from a fusion performed in a laboratory of Dr. Lucien
Aarden, Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Transfusion
Service (CLB) as reported (Brackenhoff et al, J. Immunol. (1990)
145: 561-568).
[0263] Eight week old female Balb/c mice obtained from CLB's
specified pathogen free breeding stock were immunized
intramuscularly (IM) with 10 .mu.g of purified recombinant
interleukin-6 (rIL-6) (CLB) emulsified in Complete Freund's
adjuvant. Three subsequent IM injections with 10 .mu.g each of
rIL-6 in Incomplete Freund's adjuvant were carried out at intervals
of 4-8 weeks.
Cell Fusion
[0264] Four days after the last IM booster injection, a mouse was
sacrificed; the spleen was removed and finely minced. A single cell
suspension was obtained in ambient Earle's balanced salt solution.
The cells were washed and counted. A fusion was carried out at a
1:3 ratio of viable spleen cells to murine myeloma cells
(SP2/0-Ag14) in the presence of 42% (w/v) polyethylene glycol in
Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium (IMDM). The non-Ig secreting
fusion partner SP2/0 was established from a cell bank maintained at
CLB. After fusion, cells were resuspended in IMDM, supplemented
with 5% fetal bovine serum, 50 .mu.M penicillin/streptomycin,
5.times.10-5 M 2-mrecaptoethanol (2-ME) and HAT (6.times.10-4 M
hypoxanthine, 6.5.times.10-7 M aminopterin, 6.4.times.10-5 M
thymidine). The proliferation of these hybridomas immediately after
fusion is dependent on IL-6, therefore, 100 U/mL of purified murine
IL-6 (Van Smick, Brussels) was added to the selection medium. The
fused cells were then distributed into 96-well plates at
1.times.10.sup.5 cells/100 microL well.
Primary Characterization of Murine Anti IL-6 Hybridomas
[0265] Anti-IL-6 secreting hybrids were selected by enzyme linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) (Brackenhoff
et al. (1990) 145: 561-568).
[0266] A solid phase ELISA was employed for screening monoclonal
antibodies specific for human IL-6. Purified rIL-6 (0.5 .mu.g/mL)
was coated overnight at room temperature in phosphate buffered
saline (PBS) on flat-bottomed plates (Dynatech), 100 .mu.L/well.
The plates were washed with PBS, 0.02% (v/v) Tween 20 (PBS/Tween)
and were incubated with 1:2 dilutions of culture supernatants in
PBS/Tween supplemented with 0.2% gelatin (PTG) for 2 hours at
ambient temperature. After washing, the plates were incubated with
horseradish peroxidase-conjugated monoclonal rat anti-mouse kappa
light chain 226 (Einstein University, NY) in PTG (2 .mu.g/mL) for 1
hour. The plates were washed and the bound peroxidase was detected
with 100 .mu.L/well of 3,5,3,5,tetramethylbenzidine/0.003% hydrogen
peroxide in 0.1-M sodium acetate, pH 5.5. The color reaction was
stopped with 2M H.sub.2SO.sub.4 and the plates were read at 450 nM
on a Titertek, Multiscan reader. The wells yielding positive OD's
were chosen.
[0267] A solid phase RIA was also employed for screening anti-IL-6
hybridomas. Goat anti-murine Ig antibodies were coupled to
cyanogen-bromide activated sepharose CL-4B (Pharmacia). The
sepharose was washed and resuspended at 10 mg/mL in PBS, 0.1% Tween
20, 0.1% sodium azide. Hybridoma supernatants were added to
sepharose beads in the presence of approximately 20,000
counts/minute of .sup.125Iodine-rIL-6 (CLB) for 6 hours with
constant mixing. The beads were washed extensively in PBS/Tween and
counted in a gamma counter. The wells yielding the highest specific
activities were chosen.
[0268] Hybridomas that were positive in both assay systems were
established and subcloned twice at limiting dilutions in IMDM
supplemented with 2.times.10.sup.-5 M 2-ME and 5% FBS (complete
IMDM). The IL-6 independent subclone CLB-IL6-8 was selected and
maintained in complete IMDM. Stock cultures tested negative for
mycoplasma using an indirect Hoescht stain after 4 days in culture
on Vero76 target cells. Isotype determination of supernatant via
Innogenetics Line ImmunoAssay (INNO-LIA) mouse monoclonal antibody
isotype kit yielded a single murine isotype IgG.sub.1 kappa. This
isotype determination was confirmed by a capture EIA
[0269] The murine hybridoma and cell line was so produced,
CLBIL-6/8 was called CLB8. It was chimerized and further
characterized as described below.
EXAMPLE 2
Chimerization and Sequencing
[0270] Cloning and Expression of the cCLB8 Variable Region
Genes
[0271] Genomic DNA was isolated from the murine hybridoma C143A
which secretes a murine monoclonal antibody specific for human
IL-6.
[0272] For the light chain, the DNA was digested with restriction
endonuclease Hind III and subjected to electrophoresis through a
0.8% agarose gel. The portion of the gel containing DNA fragments
approximately 3.4 Kb in length was excised, and the DNA was eluted.
The fragments were ligated into the vector8charon27, and packaged
into bacteriophage particles. For the heavy chain, the DNA was
digested with restriction endonuclease Eco RI and subjected to
electrophoresis through a 0.8% agarose gel. The portion of the gel
containing DNA fragments approximately 3.6 Kb in length was
excised, and the DNA was eluted. The fragments were ligated into
the vector8gt10, and packaged into bacteriophage particles.
[0273] Both heavy and light chain bacteriophage libraries were
plated on E. Coli, and grown overnight. The plaques were
transferred to nitrocellulose filters, and probed with
.sup.32P-labeled DNA fragments corresponding to murine
J.sub..kappa. (light chain) or murine J.sub.II sequences. Positive
plaques were identified and plaque purified. Phage DNA was
isolated, and the Hind III (light chain) or Eco RI (heavy chain)
inserts were isolated and cloned into immunoglobulin expression
vectors.
[0274] Heavy and light chain expression plasmids were used to
cotransfect SP2/0 cells, and mycophenolic acid selection was
applied. Individual clones producing chimeric antibody were
identified and subcloned to insure monoclonality and to generate
higher producers.
[0275] Antibody purified from individual cell lines was tested for
neutralization ability in an IL-6-dependent B9 cell proliferation
assay. The antibody is referred as chimeric CLB8 or cCLB8
throughout this application.
TABLE-US-00003 cCLB8 Heavy Chain Variable Region E V Q L V E S G G
K L L K P G G S L K L GAG GTG CAA CTG GTG GAA TCT GGA GGA AAA TTA
CTG AAG CCT GGA GGG TCC CTG AAA CTC S C A A S G F T F S S F A M S W
F R Q S TCC TGT GCA GCC TCT GGA TTC ACC TTC AGT AGC TTT GCC ATG TCT
TGG TTT CGC CAG TCT CDR 1 P E K R L E W V A E I S S G G S Y T Y Y
CCA GAG AAG AGG CTG GAG TGG GTC GCA GAA ATT AGT AGT GGT GGG AGT TAC
ACC TAC TAT CDR 2 P D T V T G R F T I S R D N A K N T L Y CCT GAC
ACT GTG ACG GGC CGA TTC ACC ATC TCC AGA GAC AAT GCC AAG AAC ACC CTG
TAC L E M S S L R S E D T A M Y Y C A R G L CTG GAA ATG AGC AGT CTG
AGG TCT GAG GAC ACG GCC ATG TAT TAT TGT GCA AGG GGT TTA W G Y Y A L
D Y W G Q G T S V T V S S TGG GGG TAC TAT GCT CTT GAC TAC TGG GGT
CAA GGA ACC TCA GTC ACC GTC TCC TCA CDR 3 cCLB8 Light Chain
Variable Region Q I V L I Q S P A I M S A S P G E K V T CAA ATT GTT
CTC ATA CAG TCT CCA GCA ATC ATG TCT GCA TCT CCA GGG GAG AAG GTC ACC
M T C S A S S S V S Y M Y W Y Q Q K P G ATG ACC TGC AGT GCC AGC TCA
AGT GTA AGT TAC ATG TAC TGG TAC CAG CAG AAG CCA GGA CDR 1 S S P R L
L I Y D T S N L A S G V P V R TCC TCC CCC AGA CTC CTG ATT TAT GAC
ACA TCC AAC CTG GCT TCT GGA GTC CCT GTT CGC CDR 2 F S G S G S G T S
Y S L T I S R M E A E TTC AGT GGC AGT GGG TCT GGG ACC TCT TAC TCT
CTC ACA ATC AGC CGA ATG GAG GCT GAG D A A T Y Y C Q Q W S G Y P Y T
F G G G GAT GCT GCC ACT TAT TAC TGC CAG CAG TGG AGT GGT TAC CCA TAC
ACG TTC GGA GGG GGG CDR 3 T K L E I K ACC AAG CTG GAA ATA AAA
EXAMPLE 3
Measure of Binding of cCLB8 to Human IL-6 by Solid Parse EIA
[0276] A solid phase EIA was used to assess binding characteristics
of cCLB8 Mab to human IL-6. Briefly, plates were coated with
recombinant human IL-6 (RDI) at 1 .mu.g/mL in PBS overnight at
4.degree. C. After washing in 0.15M saline containing 0.02% (v/v)
Tween 20, the wells were blocked with 1% (w/v) BSA in PBS, 200
.mu.L/well for 1 hour at RT. Purified antibody was incubated in
two-fold serial dilutions from a starting concentration of 5
.mu.g/mL for 1 hour at 37.degree. C. The plate was washed and then
probed with 50 .mu.L/well HRP-labeled goat anti-human IgG (Tago)
diluted 1:20,000 in 1% BSA-PBS for 1 hour at RT. The plate was
again washed and 100 .mu.L/well of the citrate-phosphate substrate
solution (0.1M citric acid and 0.2M sodium phosphate, 0.01%
H.sub.2O.sub.2 and 1 mg/mL OPD) was added for 15 minutes at RT.
Stop solution (4N sulfuric acid) was then added at 25 .mu.L/well
and the absorption at 490 nm quantitated using an automated plate
photometer. FIG. 1 shows cCLB8 binding to IL-6 measured as OD 490
nm demonstrating that cCLB8 binds to recombinant human IL-6 in a
concentration dependent manner.
EXAMPLE 4
In Vitro Neutralization Assays
[0277] Blockade of IL-6 by cCLB8 inhibits secretion of IgM and
MCP-1 The chimeric monoclonal antibody cCLB8 was assessed in two
simple bioassay formats to determine its neutralizing bioactivity
on IL6 induced secretion of human IgM and the chemokine MCP-1. Two
human cell lines were used in these studies. The SKW6.4 cell line
was originally derived from an EBV transformed Burkitt's B cell
lymphoma and secretes soluble IgM in response to IL6. The U937 cell
line is monoblastic, committed to monocyte differentiation and was
originally isolated from a patient with diffuse histiocytic
lymphoma. U937 cells secrete MCP-1 in response to IL6. cCLB8
inhibition of these particular bioactivities were evaluated since
they could easily be monitored using an EIA format. Prior to assay,
cells were serum starved over night and then cultured the following
day alone, with IL6 or with IL6 preincubated with various
concentrations of antibody or a negative control antibody. At the
conclusion of a 72 hour incubation supernatants were collected and
used in IgM specific and MCP-1 specific ETA's. The results as shown
in FIGS. 2 and 3, demonstrate cCLB8 significantly inhibits IL6
mediated secretion of IgM and MCP-1 in vitro.
[0278] In the experiment represented by FIG. 2, EIA plates were
coated with goat anti-human IgM Fc5.mu. fragment specific in 10 mM
carbonate buffer, pH 9.6 overnight at 4.degree. C. Plates were
washed with 0.15 M saline with 0.02% v/v Tween 20 and blocked with
PBS/1% w/v BSA for 1 hour. Cell culture supernatant was added at
serial two-fold dilutions. Following incubation and subsequent
washes with 0.02% Tween, 0.15M saline the plate was probed with
HRP-labeled goat anti-human IgM.mu. chain specific. OPD substrate
was then added and following color development, OD read at 490 nm.
The data indicate that cCLB8, but not the isotype matched negative
control chimeric mAb, inhibits IgM mu secretion.
[0279] In the experiment represented by FIG. 3, EIA plates were
coated with goat anti-human MCP-1 in 10 mM carbonate buffer, pH 9.6
overnight at 4.degree. C. Plates were washed with 0.15 M saline
with 0.02% v/v Tween 20 and blocked with PBS/1% w/v BSA for 1 hour.
Cell culture supernatant was added at serial two-fold dilutions.
Following a two-hour incubation and subsequent washes with 0.02%
Tween, 0.15M saline, the plate was probed with biotinylated
anti-human MCP-1 as per manufacturer's instructions. Plates were
washed again and HRP-labeled streptavidin was added for 1 hour.
Color development was done with TMB substrate. OD read at 450. The
data indicate that cCLB8, but not cK931, inhibit IL-6 mediated
MCP-1 production.
[0280] Neutralization of IL6-Mediated Phosphorylation of STAT3.
[0281] The IL6 receptor consists of an 80 kD binding sub-unit,
IL6R.alpha. and the signal transduction sub-unit, gp130. IL6 binds
to the IL6R.alpha. sub-unit and initiates the association of
IL6R.alpha. and gp130 resulting in a high affinity receptor and
signal transduction. IL6R.alpha. also exists in a soluble form. IL6
can bind to soluble IL6R (sIL6R) and the complex can act on cells
expressing gp130. IL6 has been shown to activate STAT3. A human
acute monocytic leukemia cell line, THP-1, was used to demonstrate
inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation by cCLB8. Cells were stimulated
with (IL6 +sIL6R)+/-cCLB8 or irrelevant antibody (K931) as a
negative control. Cell lysates were immunoprecipitated with
anti-STAT3, samples resolved on 7.5% SDS-PAGE and transferred to
Hybond-P membrane, followed by Western blotting using
anti-phosphotyrosine-HRP. ECLplus was used for detection.
[0282] The data represented in FIG. 4 show that cCLB8 can inhibit
phosphorylation of STAT3 when it is a) allowed to bind to rhIL6
before addition of sIL6R, b) allowed to bind to sIL6R before
addition of rhIL6, or c) when rhIL6 is allowed to bind to sIL6R
before addition of cCLB8 and cells. THP-1 cells incubated in media
without serum for 16 hr, scraped from flasks and resuspended in
0.5ml media Lanes 2-6, IL6 incubated +/- antibody for 15 min, then
sIL6R added and incubated for 15 min. Cells added and incubated
additional 15 min. Lane 7, IL6 incubated with sIL6R for 15 min,
then CLB-IL6 added and incubated for 15 min. Cells added and
incubated additional 15 min. Samples immunoprecipitated with
anti-STAT3 [1 .mu.g/ml], resuspended in Laemmli sample buffer and
resolved on 7.5% SDS-PAGE and transferred to Hybond-P. Membrane
incubated with anti-phosphotyrosine-HRP.
[0283] cCLB8 Inhibits Serum Amyloid A Production
[0284] IL-1.beta. is a potent inducer of Serum Amyloid A (SAA)
production from HepG2 human hepatoma cells in the presence of human
IL-6 (Smith and McDonald, Clin Exp. Immunol. 90:293-9 (1992)).
Therefore, cCLB8 Mab was assayed for the ability to inhibit
IL-1.beta./IL-6 induced SAA production from these cells. Briefly,
HepG2 cells were seeded at 2.25.times.10.sup.5/well for 24 hours.
IL-6 (100 ng/ml, RDI) and IL-6sR (200 ng/ml, S & D) were
preincubated for 30 minutes, and mixed with IL-1.beta. (1 ng/ml,
R&D). The cCLB8 Mab and a negative isotype control Mab (cSF25)
were serially diluted and then preincubated with the above mixture
for 30 minutes more.
[0285] For the experimental results shown in FIG. 5, serial
dilutions of cCLB8 or cSF25 (an isotype matched irrelevant Mab)
were preincubated with IL-6sR and IL-1.beta. and then cultured with
HepG2 cells for 24 hours. Cell supernatant was then analyzed for
Serum amyloid A production levels by ELISA. (Human SAA ELISA kit,
Biosource, performed according to manufacturer's instructions).
Error bars indicate SEM of duplicate samples. The data in FIG. 5
indicate that cCLB8 was able to inhibit IL-1.beta./IL-6 induced SAA
production from HepG2 cells in a dose dependent manner.
[0286] Inhibition of IL-6 Induced Cell Proliferation by cCLB8
Mab
[0287] The murine B myeloma cell line, 7TD1, is induced to
proliferate in the presence of IL-6. To demonstrate the ability of
cCLB8 Mab to neutralize the activity of IL-6, the cells were
incubated at 37.degree. C. for 72 hours in IMDM containing 10% FBS
and 0.5 ng/mL recombinant human IL-6 (R&D Systems), and with
serial dilutions of cCLB8 Mab or negative control Mab 17-1A. Cell
proliferation was measured by a luminescent ATP assay (ATPLite,
Packard Bioscience) which correlates directly with cell number.
[0288] The data shown in FIG. 6 demonstrate that IL-6 dramatically
stimulates proliferation of 7TD1 cells and cCLB8 inhibited this
cell proliferation in a concentration dependent manner with an
EC.sub.50 of 7.2 ng/mL. Error bars indicate the SEM of duplicate
samples. * represents proliferation of cells in the absence of
rIL-6.
EXAMPLE 5
Epitope Mapping
[0289] The epitopes of several neutralizing anti IL-6 Mabs
including CLB8 have been characterized using antibody binding to
human IL-6 mutant proteins as described in (Brakenhoff, J. et al.
(1990) J. Immunology 145: 561-568). Amino and carboxyl-terminal
deletion mutants were prepared and the panel of antibodies to IL-6
was analyzed by antibody competition experiments. On the basis of
the competition studies the neutralizing Mabs were divided into 2
groups (I and II). In this method, residues included in the epitope
of a given Mab are delineated by its failure to recognize the
corresponding site-specific single amino acid substitution variants
of the antigenic protein. CLB.IL-6/8 was mapped to site I on the
human IL-6 molecule which is composed of amino acids Gln29-Leu34 in
close proximity of the carboxyl terminus of the molecule. Further
studies (Kalai, M, et al., Eur. J. Biochem. 249, 690-700 (1997))
showed that CLB. IL-6/8 recognized amino acid residues crucial for
the binding of IL-6 to the IL-6R (gp80). These studies also
indicated that its epitope covers the ends of both the AB loop and
the D helix regions of the IL-6 molecule.
EXAMPLE 6
In Vivo Characterization
[0290] Treatment with Anti-Human IL-6 (cCLB8) and Anti-Mouse IL-6
Mouse Mabs Delays Cancer Cachexia
[0291] Human melanoma cells (A375S2) were inoculated into female
nude mice and Mab therapy was initiated on the same day. Antibodies
were injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 10 mg/kg
(2.times./week) and C57 (anti-CMV) was used as a control mAb.
Combination of cCLB8 (anti-human IL-6) and MP520F3 (Mab to mouse
IL-6, R&D Systems) were used to create a combined blockade
significantly inhibited weight loss of human melanoma tumor bearing
animals compared to control antibody C57 treated animals (FIG. 7).
Antibody therapy did not effect tumor growth or final tumor weight.
These findings indicate that IL6 participates in tumor-induced
animal weight loss, and blockade of IL-6 can delay cancer cachexia
in this model.
[0292] FIG. 7. Combined blockade of human and mouse IL6 (anti-IL6
mAbs cCLB8 and MP520F3) results in significant inhibition of animal
weight loss. Corrected animal weight loss on Y axis is (animal
weight-tumor weight at the end of the study) minus animal weight at
start of the study. Each bar is the mean of data from at least 14
animals/group and error bars indicate standard deviation. A two
tailed t-test analysis indicated that the anti-IL-6 group
significantly inhibited body weight loss with p=0.007.
EXAMPLE 7
Affinity Measurements
[0293] BIAcore 2000, Sensor Chip CM-5 (gold surface on chip covered
with a carboxymethylated dextran matrix), HBS (10 mM HEPES with
0.15 M NaCl, 3.4 mM EDTA, and 0.05% surfactant P20 at pH 7.4),
amine coupling reagents (N-hydroxysuccinimde (NHS),
N-ethyl-N'-(3-methylaminopropyl)-carbodimiide (EDC) and 1M
ethanolamine HCl) were obtained from BIAcore and prepared according
to the manufacturer's instructions. Anti-human Fc (Jackson
AffiniPure Goat anti-human IgG, Fc , Cat #109-005-098, Lot #48646)
was purchased from Jackson ImmunoResearch.
[0294] Chimeric CLB8 (Lot #PD1F03) IgG monoclonal antibody in 5 ml
of 0.15M Sodium Chloride, 0.01M Sodium Phosphate, pH 7.2 was
manufactured by Centocor. Recombinant Human IL-6 (Lot #A1197111)
was purchased from R&D Systems.
[0295] An anti-human Fc (1.8 mg/ml) was diluted to a concentration
of 50 .mu.g/ml in NaOAc buffer (10 mM, pH 4.8) and coupled to the
carboxymethylated dextran matrix of a CM-5 sensor chip using the
manufacturer's amine-coupling chemistry as described in the BIAcore
systems manual. Using the surface preparation wizard aiming for
10000 RU, the carboxyl groups on the sensor surfaces were first
activated with NHS/EDC followed by the addition of the anti-human
Fc. The remaining activated groups were blocked by the injection of
1M ethanolamine. Each of the flow cells was coupled individually.
Employing these conditions, the four flow cell surfaces containing
7554-9571 resonance units (RU) of anti-human Fc were prepared. In
preliminary experiments, it was determined that three injections
(15 ul at 300 min) 100 mM H3PO4/0.05% CHAPS would efficiently
remove the bound immunoglobulin and preserve the binding capacity
of the immobilized anti-human Fc.
[0296] Two experiments were performed on the BIAcore 2000 at 25oC
and a flow rate of 30 .mu.L/min. cCLB8 was dissolved in HBS at 5
ug/ml. The analyte, IL-6, was dissolved in HBS at 0.25, 0.125,
0.062, 0.031, and 0.015 .mu.g/ml. A designated amount of antibody
was flowed over its respective flow cell followed by injections of
30 .mu.l of each IL-6 concentration at 30 .mu.l/min (association
phase) and an uninterrupted 800 seconds of buffer flow
(dissociation phase). The surface of the chip was regenerated by
three sequential injections of 15 .mu.l each with 100 mM
H3PO4/0.05% CHAPS. The injections of HBS serve as a reference
(blank sensogram) for the subtraction of bulk refractive indices
for analysis. Using the 1:1 model in BIAanalysis 3.0, a local fit
was done for both dissociation (kd, [s-1] and association (ka,
[M-1s-1]) and the dissociation constant (KD, [M]) calculated
(kd/ka).
[0297] Analysis was done using BIAevaluation version 3.0. Kinetic
constants were derived from sensogram data by fitting the
experimental curves to the rate equations derived from models of
the interaction mechanism. A global analysis using a 1:1 binding
model with local RUmax fit, the ka, kd, KD were determined (Table
1).
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 1 Affinity Measurements for cCLB8 Mab by
Biacore Sample k.sub.a (m.sup.-1s.sup.-1) (.times.10.sup.6) k.sub.d
(s.sup.-1) (.times.10.sup.-5) K.sub.D (M) (.times.10.sup.-11)
Chi.sup.2 cCLB8 1.1 6.2 5.7 0.111 cCLB8 0.37 5.2 14 0.236
EXAMPLE 8
Anti-Idiotype Antibodies
[0298] Development of effective assay systems (immunohistochemistry
and serum detection) for cCLB8 requires the use of anti-idiotypic
antibodies. Therefore Balb/c mice are immunized with cCLB8 to
generate anti-idiotypic antibodies to cCLB8 that may be utilized as
pharmacokinetic probes in serum detection and immunohistochemical
assays.
[0299] Immunization
[0300] Five Balb/c mice (Charles River Laboratories) at 6-7 weeks
of age were immunized over a 12-week period with cCLB8 (Centocor,
PD1F03) given at 50 .mu.g IP and 25 .mu.g SC. Each mouse received
IP and SC injections. Injections occurred at 2-week intervals
throughout the immunization regimen. Injection material
administered IP was emulsified with an equal volume of Freund's
Adjuvant (Sigma). The first IP injection utilized Completed
Freund's Adjuvant in a total volume of 200 .mu.l. Subsequent IP
injections contained Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant. Injection
material administered SC was diluted in PBS and divided between two
injection sites at 100 .mu.l/site. The mice were bled on days 0,
21, 47, and 77. Blood collections were performed on anesthetized
mice by retro-orbital puncture, and serum was collected for titer
determination by cCLB8 solid phase EIA. Three weeks following the
end of the immunization protocol, Mouse #1 received a final IV
booster injection of 100 .mu.g cCLB8 diluted in 125 .mu.l PBS.
[0301] Generation of Mouse cCLB8 Anti-Idiotypic Monoclonal
Antibodies
[0302] One fusion utilizing a cCLB8 immunized Balb/c mouse spleen
resulted in identification of 7 anti-id antibodies specific for
cCLB8 via EIA. The 7 anti-id antibodies were shown not to bind
other mouse/human chimeric antibodies such as C207A, C128A, C168J,
C116J, C300A, and C301A. Six of the seven antibodies were of
isotype IgG1.kappa. and one antibody was IgG2b.kappa.. Table 1
summarizes the results of the fusion. It should be noted that a
maximum serum titer of 1:800 was achieved in the mouse after 47
days and remained constant throughout the duration of
immunization.
[0303] Isotyping
[0304] Isotype determination of the antibodies was accomplished by
use of Mouse Monoclonal Antibody Isotyping Kit (Life Technologies)
in dipstick format. A mixture of dilution buffer, hybridoma
supernatant, and Rat anti-mouse conjugate were incubated overnight
at RT with shaking in tubes containing sticks pre-coated with
various capture murine antibody isotypes. Sticks were removed from
tubes, rinsed gently in dH.sub.2O, and isotypes determined
TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 1 Properties of Mouse cCLB8 anti-idiotypic
Monoclonal Antibodies C code Isotype C433A IgG1.kappa. C434A
IgG1.kappa. C435A IgG1.kappa. C436A IgG2b.kappa. C437A IgG1.kappa.
C438A IgG1.kappa. C439A IgG1.kappa.
[0305] Serum Inhibition Assays
[0306] The effect of pooled normal human serum (NHS) on the 7
anti-id antibodies' ability to bind cCLB8 was determined Doubling
dilutions of Anti-id Mabs starting at 50 .mu.g/ml were incubated in
the presence of 0%, 0.5%, 5%, and 50% NHS for 30 minutes at
37.degree. C. The mixtures were transferred to cCLB8 coated plates
and incubated for 30 minutes at 37.degree. C. Plates were washed
then probed with goat anti-mouse IgG Fc*HRP. None of the anti-id
Mabs were prevented from binding cCLB8 by 0% and 0.5% NHS. Three
Mabs (C433A, C435A, and C437A) exhibited partial binding inhibition
by 5% NHS. All except C434A and C436A were significantly affected
by NHS concentration of 50% (FIGS. 8A-G).
Inhibition of cCLB8 Binding to HuIL-6 by Anti-id Mabs
[0307] The capability of the 7 anti-id antibodies to inhibit cCLB8
binding to HuIL-6 was assessed. Previous EIA studies have shown
that cCLB8 binds very weakly to HuIL-6 coated plates. Two Mabs
(C435A and C437A) at concentration excesses of 6-25 fold
demonstrated virtually complete inhibition of cCLB8 binding to
HuIL-6. C434A expressed an inhibitory effect for cCLB8 only at
25-fold excess. The two best antibodies at inhibiting binding of
cCLB8 to HuIL-6 were C436A and C439A. These two antibodies were
able to completely inhibit cCLB8 binding over an excess
concentration range of 3 to 25 fold. C433A and C438A showed no
inhibitory activity (FIG. 9). This assay confirmed the results
obtained in a preliminary study.
Anti-id Binding to cCLB8 Pre-Bound to HuIL-6
[0308] The capacity of the 7 anti-id antibodies to bind cCLB8 that
was pre-bound to HuIL-6 was examined. cCLB8 at 10 .mu.g/ml
incubated on HuIL-6 plates for 30 minutes at 37.degree. C. Plates
were washed then incubated with tripling dilutions of Anti-id Mabs
starting at 10 .mu.g/ml for 30 minutes at 37.degree. C. Plates were
washed then probed with goat anti-mouse IgG Fc*HRP. As in
preliminary studies, C436A and C438A were the only antibodies able
to bind cCLB8 that was pre-bound to HuIL-6. FIG. 10 illustrates the
binding abilities of the 7 anti-id antibodies for cCLB8 that is
pre-bound to HuIL-6.
[0309] In summary, seven monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies were
produced from fusion of murine myeloma cells and spleen cells from
a Balb/c mouse immunized with chimeric anti-Human IL-6 antibody
(cCLB8). Five of the anti-id antibodies (C434A, C435A, C436A,
C437A, and C439A) were able to block cCLB8 binding to HuIL-6. Two
antibodies (C436A and C438A) possessed the ability to bind cCLB8
that was pre-bound to HuIL-6, and two antibodies (C434A and C436A)
were virtually unaffected from binding cCLB8 by any concentration
of NHS tested. The broad binding profiles of these cCLB8
anti-idiotypic antibodies make some of them potential candidates
for use as pharmacokinetic probes in serum detection and
immunohistochemical assays.
[0310] It will be clear that the invention can be practiced
otherwise than as particularly described in the foregoing
description and examples.
[0311] Numerous modifications and variations of the present
invention are possible in light of the above teachings and,
therefore, are within the scope of the appended claims.
Sequence CWU 1
1
1615PRTMus musculus 1Ser Phe Ala Met Ser1 5217PRTMus musculus 2Glu
Ile Ser Ser Gly Gly Ser Tyr Thr Tyr Tyr Pro Asp Thr Val Thr1 5 10
15Gly310PRTMus musculus 3Gly Leu Trp Gly Tyr Tyr Ala Leu Asp Tyr1 5
10410PRTMus musculus 4Ser Ala Ser Ser Ser Val Ser Tyr Met Tyr1 5
1057PRTMus musculus 5Asp Thr Ser Asn Leu Ala Ser1 569PRTMus
musculus 6Gln Gln Trp Ser Gly Tyr Pro Tyr Thr1 57119PRTMus musculus
7Glu Val Gln Leu Val Glu Ser Gly Gly Lys Leu Leu Lys Pro Gly Gly1 5
10 15Ser Leu Lys Leu Ser Cys Ala Ala Ser Gly Phe Thr Phe Ser Ser
Phe 20 25 30Ala Met Ser Trp Phe Arg Gln Ser Pro Glu Lys Arg Leu Glu
Trp Val 35 40 45Ala Glu Ile Ser Ser Gly Gly Ser Tyr Thr Tyr Tyr Pro
Asp Thr Val 50 55 60Thr Gly Arg Phe Thr Ile Ser Arg Asp Asn Ala Lys
Asn Thr Leu Tyr65 70 75 80Leu Glu Met Ser Ser Leu Arg Ser Glu Asp
Thr Ala Met Tyr Tyr Cys 85 90 95Ala Arg Gly Leu Trp Gly Tyr Tyr Ala
Leu Asp Tyr Trp Gly Gln Gly 100 105 110Thr Ser Val Thr Val Ser Ser
1158106PRTMus musculus 8Gln Ile Val Leu Ile Gln Ser Pro Ala Ile Met
Ser Ala Ser Pro Gly1 5 10 15Glu Lys Val Thr Met Thr Cys Ser Ala Ser
Ser Ser Val Ser Tyr Met 20 25 30Tyr Trp Tyr Gln Gln Lys Pro Gly Ser
Ser Pro Arg Leu Leu Ile Tyr 35 40 45Asp Thr Ser Asn Leu Ala Ser Gly
Val Pro Val Arg Phe Ser Gly Ser 50 55 60Gly Ser Gly Thr Ser Tyr Ser
Leu Thr Ile Ser Arg Met Glu Ala Glu65 70 75 80Asp Ala Ala Thr Tyr
Tyr Cys Gln Gln Trp Ser Gly Tyr Pro Tyr Thr 85 90 95Phe Gly Gly Gly
Thr Lys Leu Glu Ile Lys 100 105915DNAMus musculus 9agctttgcca tgtct
151051DNAMus musculus 10gaaattagta gtggtgggag ttacacctac tatcctgaca
ctgtgacggg c 511130DNAMus musculus 11ggtttatggg ggtactatgc
tcttgactac 301230DNAMus musculus 12agtgccagct caagtgtaag ttacatgtac
301321DNAMus musculus 13gacacatcca acctggcttc t 211427DNAMus
musculus 14cagcagtgga gtggttaccc atacacg 2715357DNAMus musculus
15gaggtgcaac tggtggaatc tggaggaaaa ttactgaagc ctggagggtc cctgaaactc
60tcctgtgcag cctctggatt caccttcagt agctttgcca tgtcttggtt tcgccagtct
120ccagagaaga ggctggagtg ggtcgcagaa attagtagtg gtgggagtta
cacctactat 180cctgacactg tgacgggccg attcaccatc tccagagaca
atgccaagaa caccctgtac 240ctggaaatga gcagtctgag gtctgaggac
acggccatgt attattgtgc aaggggttta 300tgggggtact atgctcttga
ctactggggt caaggaacct cagtcaccgt ctcctca 35716318DNAMus musculus
16caaattgttc tcatacagtc tccagcaatc atgtctgcat ctccagggga gaaggtcacc
60atgacctgca gtgccagctc aagtgtaagt tacatgtact ggtaccagca gaagccagga
120tcctccccca gactcctgat ttatgacaca tccaacctgg cttctggagt
ccctgttcgc 180ttcagtggca gtgggtctgg gacctcttac tctctcacaa
tcagccgaat ggaggctgag 240gatgctgcca cttattactg ccagcagtgg
agtggttacc catacacgtt cggagggggg 300accaagctgg aaataaaa 318
* * * * *
References