U.S. patent application number 13/483761 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-01 for multivalent immunoglobulin-based bioactive assemblies.
This patent application is currently assigned to IBC PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.. Invention is credited to Chien-Hsing Chang, David M. Goldenberg, Edmund A. Rossi.
Application Number | 20120276608 13/483761 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46326743 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120276608 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang; Chien-Hsing ; et
al. |
November 1, 2012 |
Multivalent Immunoglobulin-Based Bioactive Assemblies
Abstract
The present invention concerns methods and compositions for
stably tethered structures of defined compositions, which may have
multiple functionalities and/or binding specificities. Preferred
embodiments concern hexameric stably tethered structures comprising
one or more IgG antibody fragments and which may be monospecific or
bispecific. The disclosed methods and compositions provide a facile
and general way to obtain stably tethered structures of virtually
any functionality and/or binding specificity. The stably tethered
structures may be administered to subjects for diagnostic and/or
therapeutic use, for example for treatment of cancer or autoimmune
disease. The stably tethered structures may bind to and/or be
conjugated to a variety of known effectors, such as drugs, enzymes,
radionuclides, therapeutic agents and/or diagnostic agents.
Inventors: |
Chang; Chien-Hsing;
(Downingtown, PA) ; Goldenberg; David M.;
(Mendham, NJ) ; Rossi; Edmund A.; (Woodland Park,
NJ) |
Assignee: |
IBC PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Morris Plains
NJ
|
Family ID: |
46326743 |
Appl. No.: |
13/483761 |
Filed: |
May 30, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12949536 |
Nov 18, 2010 |
8211440 |
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13483761 |
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12396605 |
Mar 3, 2009 |
7858070 |
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12949536 |
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11633729 |
Dec 5, 2006 |
7527787 |
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12396605 |
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PCT/US06/10762 |
Mar 24, 2006 |
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11633729 |
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PCT/US06/12084 |
Mar 29, 2006 |
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PCT/US06/10762 |
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PCT/US06/25499 |
Jun 29, 2006 |
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PCT/US06/12084 |
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11389358 |
Mar 24, 2006 |
7550143 |
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PCT/US06/25499 |
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11391584 |
Mar 28, 2006 |
7521056 |
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11389358 |
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11478021 |
Jun 29, 2006 |
7534866 |
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11391584 |
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60782332 |
Mar 14, 2006 |
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60751196 |
Dec 16, 2005 |
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60864530 |
Nov 6, 2006 |
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60728292 |
Oct 19, 2005 |
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60751196 |
Dec 16, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
435/188 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C07K 2317/55 20130101;
A61K 51/088 20130101; C07K 16/468 20130101; C07K 2317/732 20130101;
C07K 2319/30 20130101; C07K 2317/73 20130101; C07K 2317/734
20130101; C07K 16/3092 20130101; B82Y 10/00 20130101; C07K 2317/31
20130101; A61K 47/6897 20170801; C07K 16/3007 20130101; C07K
16/2887 20130101; C07K 2319/00 20130101; B82Y 5/00 20130101; C07K
2319/70 20130101; C07K 16/2803 20130101; A61P 35/00 20180101; C07K
2317/92 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
435/188 |
International
Class: |
C12N 9/96 20060101
C12N009/96 |
Claims
1. A fusion protein comprising: (i) an antibody, an antigen-binding
antibody fragment or a cytokine conjugated to (ii) a dimerization
and docking domain (DDD) moiety of human protein kinase A
regulatory subunit RI.alpha., RI.beta., RII.alpha. and
RII.alpha..
2. The fusion protein of claim 1, wherein the amino acid sequence
of the DDD moiety is selected from the group consisting of residues
1 to 44 of human PKA RII.alpha., residues 1 to 44 of human PKA
RII.beta., residues 12 to 61 of human PKA RI.alpha. and residues 13
to 66 of human PKA RI.beta..
3. The fusion protein of claim 1, wherein the antibody or
antigen-binding fragment thereof is selected from the group
consisting of LL1 (anti-CD74), LL2 (anti-CD22), RFB4 (anti-CD22),
A20 (anti-CD.sub.20), L243 (anti-HLA class II), CC49 (anti-TAG-72),
MN-14 (anti-CEA), MN-15 (anti-CEA), 679 (anti-HSG), 734
(anti-In-DTPA), L19 (anti-ED-B fibronectin), R1 (anti-IGF-1R), PAM4
(anti-MUC1), RS7 (anti-EGP-1), adalimumab, infliximab, omalizumab
and palivizumab.
4. The fusion protein of claim 1, wherein the antibody or
antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to an antigen selected from
the group consisting of carbonic anhydrase IX, alpha-fetoprotein,
BrE3-antigen, CA125, CD1, CD1a, CD3, CD5, CD15, CD16, CD19, CD20,
CD21, CD22, CD23, CD25, CD30, CD33, CD38, CD45, CD74, CD79a, CD80,
CD138, colon-specific antigen-p (CSAp), CEA (CEACAM5), CEACAM6,
EGFR, EGP-1, EGP-2, Ep-CAM, Flt-1, Flt-3, folate receptor, G250
antigen, HLA-DR, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and its
subunits, HER2/neu, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1), Ia, IL-2,
IL-6, IL-8, insulin-like growth factor-1 (ILGF-1), ILGF-1 receptor,
KC4-antigen, KS-1-antigen, KS1-4, Le-Y, macrophage migration
inhibitory factor (MIF), MAGE, MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, NCA66,
NCA95, NCA90, antigen specific for PAM-4 antibody, placental growth
factor, p53, prostatic acid phosphatase, PSA, PSMA, RS5, 5100, TAC,
TAG-72, tenascin, TRAIL receptors, Tn antigen, Thomson-Friedenreich
antigens, tumor necrosis factor-.alpha., tumor-necrosis
factor-.beta., VEGF, ED-B fibronectin, and 17-1A-antigen.
5. The fusion protein of claim 1, wherein the antibody or
antigen-binding fragment thereof is chimeric, humanized or
human.
6. The fusion protein of claim 1, wherein the antibody fragment is
selected from the group consisting of Fab, Fab', Fv, sFV and scFV
antibody fragments
7. The fusion protein of claim 1, wherein the cytokine is selected
from the group consisting of human growth hormone, N-methionyl
human growth hormone, bovine growth hormone; parathyroid hormone;
thyroxine; insulin; proinsulin; relaxin; prorelaxin; follicle
stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH),
luteinizing hormone (LH); hepatic growth factor; prostaglandin,
fibroblast growth factor; prolactin; placental lactogen, OB
protein; tumor necrosis factor-.alpha., tumor necrosis
factor-.beta.; mullerian-inhibiting substance; mouse
gonadotropin-associated peptide; inhibin; activin; vascular
endothelial growth factor; integrin; thrombopoietin (TPO);
NGF-.beta.; platelet-growth factor; TGF-.alpha., TGF-.beta.,
erythropoietin (EPO); macrophage-CSF (M-CSF);
granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF); granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF); IL-1,
IL-1.alpha., IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10,
IL-11, IL-12; IL-13, IL-14, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, IL-21, LIF,
FLT-3, angiostatin, thrombospondin, endostatin and lymphotoxin.
8. The fusion protein of claim 1, wherein the cytokine is selected
from the group consisting of G-CSF, interferon-.beta.1A,
interferon-.alpha.2b and erythropoietin.
9. A fusion protein comprising: (i) an antibody, an antigen-binding
antibody fragment or a cytokine conjugated to (ii) an anchoring
domain (AD) moiety of an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP).
10. The fusion protein of claim 9, wherein the antibody or
antigen-binding fragment thereof is selected from the group
consisting of LL1 (anti-CD74), LL2 (anti-CD22), RFB4 (anti-CD22),
A20 (anti-CD20), L243 (anti-HLA class II), CC49 (anti-TAG-72),
MN-14 (anti-CEA), MN-15 (anti-CEA), 679 (anti-HSG), 734
(anti-In-DTPA), L19 (anti-ED-B fibronectin), R1 (anti-IGF-1R), PAM4
(anti-MUC1), RS7 (anti-EGP-1), adalimumab, infliximab, omalizumab
and palivizumab.
11. The fusion protein of claim 9, wherein the antibody or
antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to an antigen selected from
the group consisting of carbonic anhydrase IX, alpha-fetoprotein,
BrE3-antigen, CA125, CD1, CD1a, CD3, CD5, CD15, CD16, CD19, CD20,
CD21, CD22, CD23, CD25, CD30, CD33, CD38, CD45, CD74, CD79a, CD80,
CD138, colon-specific antigen-p (CSAp), CEA (CEACAM5), CEACAM6,
EGFR, EGP-1, EGP-2, Ep-CAM, Flt-1, Flt-3, folate receptor, G250
antigen, HLA-DR, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and its
subunits, HER2/neu, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1), Ia, IL-2,
IL-6, IL-8, insulin-like growth factor-1 (ILGF-1), ILGF-1 receptor,
KC4-antigen, KS-1-antigen, KS1-4, Le-Y, macrophage migration
inhibitory factor (MIF), MAGE, MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, NCA66,
NCA95, NCA90, antigen specific for PAM-4 antibody, placental growth
factor, p53, prostatic acid phosphatase, PSA, PSMA, RS5, S100, TAC,
TAG-72, tenascin, TRAIL receptors, Tn antigen, Thomson-Friedenreich
antigens, tumor necrosis factor-.alpha., tumor-necrosis
factor-.beta., VEGF, ED-B fibronectin, and 17-1A-antigen.
12. The fusion protein of claim 9, wherein the antibody or
antigen-binding fragment thereof is chimeric, humanized or
human.
13. The fusion protein of claim 9, wherein the antibody fragment is
selected from the group consisting of Fab, Fab', Fv, sFV and scFV
antibody fragments
14. The fusion protein of claim 9, wherein the cytokine is selected
from the group consisting of human growth hormone, N-methionyl
human growth hormone, bovine growth hormone; parathyroid hormone;
thyroxine; insulin; proinsulin; relaxin; prorelaxin; follicle
stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH),
luteinizing hormone (LH); hepatic growth factor; prostaglandin,
fibroblast growth factor; prolactin; placental lactogen, OB
protein; tumor necrosis factor-.alpha., tumor necrosis
factor-.beta.; mullerian-inhibiting substance; mouse
gonadotropin-associated peptide; inhibin; activin; vascular
endothelial growth factor; integrin; thrombopoietin (TPO);
NGF-.beta.; platelet-growth factor; TGF-.alpha., TGF-.beta.,
erythropoietin (EPO); macrophage-CSF (M-CSF);
granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF); granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF); IL-1,
IL-1.alpha., IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10,
IL-11, IL-12; IL-13, IL-14, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, IL-21, LIF,
FLT-3, angiostatin, thrombospondin, endostatin and lymphotoxin.
15. The fusion protein of claim 9, wherein the cytokine is selected
from the group consisting of G-CSF, interferon-.beta.1A,
interferon-.alpha.2b and erythropoietin.
16. A dock-and-lock (DNL) complex comprising: a) a first fusion
protein comprising (i) a first antibody, antigen-binding antibody
fragment or cytokine conjugated to (ii) a dimerization and docking
domain (DDD) moiety of human protein kinase A regulatory subunit
RI.alpha., RI.beta., RII.alpha. and RII.beta.; and b) a second
fusion protein comprising (i) a second antibody or antigen-binding
antibody fragment conjugated to (ii) an anchoring domain (AD)
moiety of an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP); wherein two copies
of the DDD moiety a dimer and bind to the AD moiety to form the DNL
complex.
17. The DNL complex of claim 16, wherein the amino acid sequence of
the DDD moiety is selected from the group consisting of residues 1
to 44 of human PKA RII.alpha., residues 1 to 44 of human PKA
RII.beta., residues 12 to 61 of human PKA RI.alpha. and residues 13
to 66 of human PKA RI.beta..
18. The DNL complex of claim 16, wherein each antibody or
antigen-binding fragment thereof is selected from the group
consisting of LL1 (anti-CD74), LL2 (anti-CD22), RFB4 (anti-CD22),
A20 (anti-CD20), L243 (anti-HLA class II), CC49 (anti-TAG-72),
MN-14 (anti-CEA), MN-15 (anti-CEA), 679 (anti-HSG), 734
(anti-In-DTPA), L19 (anti-ED-B fibronectin), R1 (anti-IGF-1R), PAM4
(anti-MUC1), RS7 (anti-EGP-1), adalimumab, infliximab, omalizumab
and palivizumab.
19. The DNL complex of claim 16, wherein each antibody or
antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to an antigen selected from
the group consisting of carbonic anhydrase IX, alpha-fetoprotein,
BrE3-antigen, CA125, CD1, CD1a, CD3, CD5, CD15, CD16, CD19, CD20,
CD21, CD22, CD23, CD25, CD30, CD33, CD38, CD45, CD74, CD79a, CD80,
CD138, colon-specific antigen-p (CSAp), CEA (CEACAM5), CEACAM6,
EGFR, EGP-1, EGP-2, Ep-CAM, Flt-1, Flt-3, folate receptor, G250
antigen, HLA-DR, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and its
subunits, HER2/neu, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1), Ia, IL-2,
IL-6, IL-8, insulin-like growth factor-1 (ILGF-1), ILGF-1 receptor,
KC4-antigen, KS-1-antigen, KS1-4, Le-Y, macrophage migration
inhibitory factor (MIF), MAGE, MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, NCA66,
NCA95, NCA90, antigen specific for PAM-4 antibody, placental growth
factor, p53, prostatic acid phosphatase, PSA, PSMA, RS5, S100, TAC,
TAG-72, tenascin, TRAIL receptors, Tn antigen, Thomson-Friedenreich
antigens, tumor necrosis factor-.alpha., tumor-necrosis
factor-.beta., VEGF, ED-B fibronectin, and 17-1A-antigen.
20. The DNL complex of claim 16, wherein each antibody or
antigen-binding fragment thereof is chimeric, humanized or
human.
21. The DNL complex of claim 16, wherein each antibody fragment is
selected from the group consisting of Fab, Fab', Fv, sFV and scFV
antibody fragments
21. The DNL complex of claim 16, wherein each antibody fragment is
selected from the group consisting of Fab, Fab', Fv, sFV and scFV
antibody fragments
22. The DNL complex of claim 16, wherein the cytokine is selected
from the group consisting of human growth hormone, N-methionyl
human growth hormone, bovine growth hormone; parathyroid hormone;
thyroxine; insulin; proinsulin; relaxin; prorelaxin; follicle
stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH),
luteinizing hormone (LH); hepatic growth factor; prostaglandin,
fibroblast growth factor; prolactin; placental lactogen, OB
protein; tumor necrosis factor-.alpha., tumor necrosis
factor-.beta.; mullerian-inhibiting substance; mouse
gonadotropin-associated peptide; inhibin; activin; vascular
endothelial growth factor; integrin; thrombopoietin (TPO);
NGF-.beta.; platelet-growth factor; TGF-.alpha., TGF-.beta.,
erythropoietin (EPO); macrophage-CSF (M-CSF);
granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF); granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF); IL-1,
IL-1.alpha., IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10,
IL-11, IL-12; IL-13, IL-14, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, IL-21, LIF,
FLT-3, angiostatin, thrombospondin, endostatin and lymphotoxin.
23. The DNL complex of claim 16, wherein the cytokine is selected
from the group consisting of G-CSF, interferon-.beta.1A,
interferon-.alpha.2b and erythropoietin.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 12/949,536, filed Nov. 18, 2010, which is a divisional of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/396,605 (now issued U.S. Pat.
No. 7,858,070), filed Mar. 3, 2009, which is a divisional of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/633,729 (now issued U.S. Pat. No.
7,527,787), filed Dec. 5, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of
PCT/US2006/010762, filed Mar. 24, 2006; PCT/US2006/012084, filed
Mar. 29, 2006; PCT/US2006/025499, filed Jun. 29, 2006; U.S. patent
application Ser. Nos. 11/389,358 (now issued U.S. Pat. No.
7,550,143), filed Mar. 24, 2006; 11/391,584 (now issued U.S. Pat.
No. 7,521,056), filed Mar. 28, 2006 and 11/478,021 (now issued U.S.
Pat. No. 7,534,866), filed Jun. 29, 2006; which claimed priority to
provisional U.S. Patent Applications Nos. 60/782,332, filed Mar.
14, 2005; 60/728,292, filed Oct. 19, 2005, and 60/751,196, filed
Dec. 16, 2005. This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) to provisional U.S. Patent Applications No.
60/751,196, filed Dec. 16, 2005, and No. 60/864,530, filed Nov. 6,
2006. The text of each of the applications cited above is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Existing technologies for the production of antibody-based
agents having multiple functions or binding specificities suffer a
number of limitations. For agents generated by recombinant
engineering, such limitations may include high manufacturing cost,
low expression yields, instability in serum, instability in
solution resulting in formation of aggregates or dissociated
subunits, undefined batch composition due to the presence of
multiple product forms, contaminating side-products, reduced
functional activities or binding affinity/avidity attributed to
steric factors or altered conformations, etc. For agents generated
by various methods of chemical cross-linking, high manufacturing
cost and heterogeneity of the purified product are two major
limitations.
[0003] In recent years there has been an increased interest in
antibodies or other binding moieties that can bind to more than one
antigenic determinant (also referred to as epitopes). Generally,
naturally occurring antibodies and monoclonal antibodies have two
antigen binding sites that recognize the same epitope. In contrast,
bifunctional or bispecific antibodies (hereafter, only the term
bispecific antibodies will be used throughout) are synthetically or
genetically engineered structures that can bind to two distinct
epitopes. Thus, the ability to bind to two different antigenic
determinants resides in the same molecular construct.
[0004] Bispecific antibodies are useful in a number of biomedical
applications. For instance, a bispecific antibody with binding
sites for a tumor cell surface antigen and for a T-cell surface
receptor can direct the lysis of specific tumor cells by T cells.
Bispecific antibodies recognizing gliomas and the CD3 epitope on T
cells have been successfully used in treating brain tumors in human
patients (Nitta, et al. Lancet. 1990; 355:368-371). More recently,
a new class of bispecific antibodies termed "bispecific T-cell
engagers" (BiTEs) was reported to overcome the limitations of most
tumor-targeting bispecific antibodies that involve the recruitment
of effector cells for biological activities (Kufer, et al. Trends
in Biotechnol. 2004; 22: 238-244). BiTEs are recombinant bispecific
single-chain antibodies composed of two distinct single-chain Fc
fragments (scFvs) directed against a surface antigen on target
cells and CD3 on T cells joined in tandem via a flexible
polypeptide linker (Mack, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 1995;
92: 7021-7025). BiTEs are produced in mammalian cells and in
contrast to other CD3-directed bispecific antibodies are capable of
efficiently redirecting human peripheral. T lymphocytes to kill
target cells without any requirement for pre- or costimulation of
the effector T cells (Mack, et al. J. Immonol. 1997; 158:
3965-3970; Loffler, et al. Blood. 2000; 95: 2098-2103). BiTE
concentrations as low as 10-100 pg/mL (.about.0.1-2 pM) were shown
to be sufficient for achieving half-maximal target cell lysis in
vitro (Dreier, et al. Int J. Cancer. 2002; 100: 690-697) and tumor
growth could be prevented with sub-microgram amounts in mouse
models (Dreier, et al. J. Immunol. 2003; 170: 4397-4404; Schlereth
et al. Cancer Res. 2005; 65: 2882-2889).
[0005] Numerous methods to produce bispecific antibodies are known.
Methods for construction and use of bispecific and multi-specific
antibodies are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. 20050002945, filed Feb. 11, 2004, the entire text
of which is incorporated herein by reference. Bispecific antibodies
can be produced by the quadroma method, which involves the fusion
of two different hybridomas, each producing a monoclonal antibody
recognizing a different antigenic site (Milstein and Cuello,
Nature, 1983; 305:537-540). The fused hybridomas are capable of
synthesizing two different heavy chains and two different light
chains, which can associate randomly to give a heterogeneous
population of 10 different antibody structures of which only one of
them, amounting to 1/8 of the total antibody molecules, will be
bispecific, and therefore must be further purified from the other
forms, which even if feasible will not be cost effective.
Furthermore, fused hybridomas are often less stable cytogenically
than the parent hybridomas, making the generation of a production
cell line more problematic.
[0006] Another method for producing bispecific antibodies uses
heterobifunctional cross-linkers to chemically tether two different
monoclonal antibodies, so that the resulting hybrid conjugate will
bind to two different targets (Staerz, et al. Nature. 1985;
314:628-631; Perez, et al. Nature. 1985; 316:354-356). Bispecific
antibodies generated by this approach are essentially
heteroconjugates of two IgG molecules, which diffuse slowly into
tissues and are rapidly removed from the circulation. Bispecific
antibodies can also be produced by reduction of each of two
parental monoclonal antibodies to the respective half molecules,
which are then mixed and allowed to reoxidize to obtain the hybrid
structure (Staerz and Bevan. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986;
83:1453-1457). An alternative approach involves chemically
cross-linking two or three separately purified Fab' fragments using
appropriate linkers. For example, European Patent Application
0453082 disclosed the application of a tri-maleimide compound to
the production of bi- or tri-specific antibody-like structures. A
method for preparing tri- and tetra-valent monospecific
antigen-binding proteins by covalently linking three or four Fab
fragments to each other via a connecting structure is provided in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,663. All these chemical methods are undesirable
for commercial development due to high manufacturing cost,
laborious production process, extensive purification steps, low
yields (<20%), and heterogeneous products.
[0007] Other methods include improving the efficiency of generating
hybrid hybridomas by gene transfer of distinct selectable markers
via retrovirus-derived shuttle vectors into respective parental
hybridomas, which are fused subsequently (DeMonte, et al. Proc
Natl. Acad Sci USA. 1990, 87:2941-2945); or transfection of a
hybridoma cell line with expression plasmids containing the heavy
and light chain genes of a different antibody. These methods also
face the inevitable purification problems discussed above.
[0008] A method to produce a recombinant bispecific antibody
composed of Fab fragments from the same or different antibodies
that are brought into association by complementary interactive
domains inserted into a region of the antibody heavy chain constant
region, was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,996. The complementary
interactive domains are selected from reciprocal leucine zippers or
a pair of peptide segments, one containing a series of positively
charged amino acid residues and the other containing a series of
negatively charged amino acid residues. One limitation of such a
method is that the individual Fab subunits containing the fused
complementary interactive domains appear to have much reduced
affinity for their target antigens unless both subunits are
combined.
[0009] Discrete V.sub.H and V.sub.L domains of antibodies produced
by recombinant DNA technology may pair with each other to form a
dimer (recombinant Fv fragment) with binding capability (U.S. Pat.
No. 4,642,334). However, such non-covalently associated molecules
are not sufficiently stable under physiological conditions to have
any practical use. Cognate V.sub.H and V.sub.L domains can be
joined with a peptide linker of appropriate composition and length
(usually consisting of more than 12 amino acid residues) to form a
single-chain Fv (scFv) with binding activity. Methods of
manufacturing scFvs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778 and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,405. Reduction of the peptide linker length to
less than 12 amino acid residues prevents pairing of V.sub.H and
V.sub.L domains on the same chain and forces pairing of V.sub.H and
V.sub.L domains with complementary domains on other chains,
resulting in the formation of functional multimers. Polypeptide
chains of V.sub.H and V.sub.L domains that are joined with linkers
between 3 and 12 amino acid residues form predominantly dimers
(termed diabodies). With linkers between 0 and 2 amino acid
residues, trimers (termed triabody) and tetramers (termed
tetrabody) are favored, but the exact patterns of oligomerization
appear to depend on the composition as well as the orientation of
V-domains (V.sub.H-linker-V.sub.L or V.sub.L-linker-V.sub.H), in
addition to the linker length.
[0010] Monospecific diabodies, triabodies, and tetrabodies with
multiple valencies have been obtained using peptide linkers
consisting of 5 amino acid residues or less. Bispecific diabodies,
which are heterodimers of two different scFvs, each scFv consisting
of the V.sub.H domain from one antibody connected by a short
peptide linker to the V.sub.L domain of another antibody, have also
been made using a dicistronic expression vector that contains in
one cistron a recombinant gene construct comprising
V.sub.H1-linker-V.sub.L2 and in the other cistron a second
recombinant gene construct comprising V.sub.H2-linker-V.sub.L1
(Holliger, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1993; 90: 6444-6448;
Atwell, et al. Mol. Immunol. 1996; 33:1301-1302; Holliger, et al.
Nature Biotechnol. 1997; 15: 632-631; Helfrich, et al. Int. J.
Cancer. 1998; 76: 232-239; Kipriyanov, et al. Int J. Cancer. 1998;
77: 763-772; Holliger, et al. Cancer Res. 1999; 59: 2909-2916).
[0011] More recently, a tetravalent tandem diabody (termed tandab)
with dual specificity has also been reported (Cochlovius, et al.
Cancer Res. 2000; 60: 4336-4341). The bispecific tandab is a dimer
of two identical polypeptides, each containing four variable
domains of two different antibodies (V.sub.H1, V.sub.L1, V.sub.H2,
V.sub.L2) linked in an orientation to facilitate the formation of
two potential binding sites for each of the two different
specificities upon self-association.
[0012] To date, the construction of a vector that expresses
bispecific or trispecific triabodies has not been achieved.
However, polypeptides comprising a collectin neck region are
reported to trimerize (Hoppe, et al. FEBS Letters. 1994; 344:
191-195). The production of homotrimers or heterotrimers from
fusion proteins containing a neck region of a collectin is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,886.
[0013] Methods of manufacturing scFv-based agents of multivalency
and multispecificity by varying the linker length were disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,094, U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,242, and WO 98/44001.
Methods of manufacturing scFv-based agents of multivalency and
multispecificity by constructing two polypeptide chains, one
comprising of the V.sub.H domains from at least two antibodies and
the other the corresponding V.sub.L domains were disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,989,830 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,259. Common problems
that have been frequently associated with generating scFv-based
agents of multivalency and multispecificity by prior art methods
are low expression levels, heterogenous product forms, instability
in solution leading to aggregates, instability in serum, and
impaired affinity.
[0014] A recombinantly produced bispecific or trispecific antibody
in which the c-termini of CH1 and C.sub.L of a Fab are each fused
to a scFv derived from the same or different monoclonal antibodies
was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,809,185. Major deficiencies of
this "Tribody" technology include impaired binding affinity of the
appended scFvs, heterogeneity of product forms, and instability in
solution leading to aggregates.
[0015] Thus, there remains a need in the art for a method of making
multivalent structures of either monospecificity or multiple
specificities or functionalities, which are of defined composition,
homogeneous purity, and unaltered affinity, and can be produced in
high yields without the requirement of extensive purification
steps. Furthermore, such structures must also be sufficiently
stable in serum to allow in vivo applications. A need exists for
stable, multivalent structures of monospecificity or multiple
specificities or functionalities that are easy to construct and/or
obtain in relatively purified form.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The present invention discloses a platform technology for
generating stably tethered structures that may be monospecific
and/or monofunctional, or may have multiple functions or binding
specificities, and are suitable for in vitro as well as in vivo
applications. In preferred embodiments, such stably tethered
structures are produced as complexes of two components, referred
herein as A and B, via specific interactions between two distinct
peptide sequences, one termed dimerization and docking domain (DDD)
and the other anchoring domain (AD). In more preferred embodiments,
the DDD sequences (shown for DDD1 and DDD2 in FIG. 1) are derived
from the regulatory (R) subunits of a cAMP-dependent protein kinase
(PKA), and the AD sequences (shown for AD1 and AD2 in FIG. 2) are
derived from a specific region found in various A-kinase anchoring
proteins (AKAPs) that mediates association with the R subunits of
PKA. However, the skilled artisan will realize that other
dimerization and docking domains and anchoring domains are known
and any such known domains may be used within the scope of the
claimed subject matter. The disclosed methods and compositions
enable site-directed covalent or non-covalent association of any
two complexes with the DDD/AD coupling system. The X-type
four-helix bundle dimerization motif that is a structural
characteristic of the DDD (Newlon, et al. EMBO J. 2001; 20:
1651-1662; Newlon, et al. Nature Struct Biol. 1999; 3: 222-227) is
found in other classes of proteins, such as the S100 proteins (for
example, S100B and calcyclin), and the hepatocyte nuclear factor
(HNF) family of transcriptional factors (for example, HNF-1.alpha.
and HNF-1.beta.). As S100 proteins have biological activities such
as tumorigenesis, they may be less desirable for such use.
[0017] Over 300 proteins that are involved in either signal
transduction or transcriptional activation contain a module of
65-70 amino acids termed the sterile a motif (SAM) domain, which
has a variation of the X-type four-helix bundle present on its
dimerization interface. For S100B, this X-type four-helix bundle
enables the binding of each dimer to two p53 peptides derived from
the c-terminal regulatory domain (residues 367-388) with micromolar
affinity (Rustandi, et al. Biochemistry. 1998; 37: 1951-1960).
Similarly, the N-terminal dimerization domain of
HNF-1.alpha.(HNF-p1) was shown to associate with a dimer of DCoH
(dimerization cofactor for HNF-1) via a dimer of HNF-p1 (Rose, et
al. Nature Struct Biol. 2000; 7: 744-748). In alternative
embodiments, these naturally occurring systems also may be utilized
within the claimed methods and compositions to provide stable
multimeric structures with multiple functions or binding
specificities. Other binding events such as those between an enzyme
and its substrate/inhibitor, for example, cutinase and phosphonates
(Hodneland, et al. Proc Natl Acd Sci USA. 2002; 99: 5048-5052), may
also be utilized to generate the two associating components (the
"docking" step), which are subsequently stabilized covalently (the
"lock" step).
[0018] Other AD sequences of potential use may be found in Patent
Application Serial No. US20003/0232420A1, the entire text of which
is incorporated herein by reference.
[0019] In exemplary embodiments, one component of a binary complex,
A, is produced by linking a DDD sequence to the precursor of A,
referred to as A, by recombinant engineering or chemical
conjugation via a spacer group, resulting in a structure of A/DDD,
hereafter referred to as a. As the DDD sequence in a effects the
spontaneous formation of a dimer, A is thus composed of a.sub.2.
The other component of a binary complex, B, is produced by linking
an AD sequence to the precursor of B, referred to as B, by
recombinant engineering or chemical conjugation via a spacer group,
resulting in a structure of B/AD, hereafter referred to as b. The
fact that the dimeric structure contained in a.sub.2 creates a
docking site for binding to the AD sequence contained in b results
in a ready association of a.sub.2 and b to form a binary complex
composed of a.sub.2b. In various embodiments, this binding event is
further stabilized with a subsequent reaction to covalently secure
the two components of the assembly, for example via disulfide
bridges, which occurs very efficiently as the initial binding
interactions orient the reactive thiol groups to ligate
site-specifically.
[0020] By placing cysteine residues at strategic locations in both
the DDD and AD sequences (as shown for DDD2 and AD2), the binding
interaction between a.sub.2 and b can be made covalent via
disulfide bridges, thereby forming a stably tethered structure that
renders in vivo applications more feasible. The stably tethered
structure also retains the full functional properties of the two
precursors A and B. The inventors are unaware of any prior art
bispecific composition with this unique combination of features.
The design disclosed above is modular in nature, as each of the two
precursors selected can be linked to either DDD or AD and combined
afterwards. The two precursors can also be the same (A=B) or
different (A.noteq.B). When A=B, the resulting a.sub.2b complex is
composed of a stably tethered assembly of three subunits, referred
to hereafter as a.sub.3. Materials that are amenable as precursors
include proteins, peptides, peptide mimetics, polynucleotides,
RNAi, oligosaccharides, natural or synthetic polymeric substances,
nanoparticles, quantum dots, and organic or inorganic compounds.
Other non-limiting examples of precursors of potential use are
listed in Tables 6-10 below.
[0021] In addition to the use of disulfide linkages for preventing
the dissociation of the constituent subunits, other methods for
enhancing the overall stability of the stably tethered structure
may be practiced. For example, various crosslinking agents or
methods that are commercially available or used in research may be
selected for such purposes. A potentially useful agent is
glutaraldehyde, which has been widely used for probing the
structures of non-covalently associated multimeric proteins by
cross-linking the constituent subunits to form stable conjugates
(Silva, et al. Food Technol Biotechnol. 2004; 42:51-56). Also of
interest are two chemical methods involving oxidative crosslinking
of protein subunits. One is a proximity labeling technique that
employs either hexahistidine-tagged proteins (Fancy, et al. Chem.
Biol. 1996; 3:551-559) or N-terminal
glycine-glycine-histidine-tagged proteins (Brown, et al.
Biochemistry. 1998; 37:4397-4406). These tags bind Ni(II) tightly
and, when oxidized with a peracid, a Ni(III) species is produced
that is capable of mediating a variety of oxidative reactions,
including protein-protein crosslinking. Another technique, termed
PICUP (photo-induced crosslinking of unmodified proteins) uses
[Ru(II)(bipy).sub.3].sup.2+, ammonium persulfate, and visible light
to induce protein-protein crosslinking (Fancy and Kodadek. Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA. 1999; 96:6020-6024). However, as discussed
below, numerous methods for chemically cross-linking peptide,
polypeptide, protein or other macromolecular species are known in
the art and any such known method may be used to covalently
stabilize the binary a.sub.2b complex.
[0022] In more preferred embodiments, disclosed in more detail in
Examples 23-35 below, hexameric complexes may be formed that are
either monospecific or bispecific. Such complexes may be formed,
for example, as disclosed in FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 by
attaching one AD2 to each of the C- or N-terminal ends of IgG
moieties, which may then bind to DDD2-conjugated Fab fragments or
other DDD2-conjugated antibodies or antibody fragments, to form a
hexameric complex. As discussed in Examples 23-35, such
monospecific or bispecific hexameric complexes show higher binding
affinity and increased efficacy compared to the parent antibodies
or fragments. Numerous monospecific or bispecific hexameric stably
tethered structures are disclosed in Examples 23-35. However, the
skilled artisan will realize that the examples are not limiting and
a variety of antigen-binding or other functional moieties may be
incorporated into the disclosed hexameric structures, discussed in
part in Tables 6-10.
[0023] The skilled artisan will realize that where the above
discussion refers to IgG or Fab fragments, other types of
antibodies, antibody fragments, or non-antibody proteins as
discussed in more detail below may be substituted. The stably
tethered structures may comprise various combinations of
antigen-binding components and/or effector components. For example,
a bispecific antibody reacting with both activated platelet and
tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) would not only prevent further
clot formation by inhibiting platelet aggregation but also could
dissolve existing clot by recruiting endogenous tPA to the platelet
surface (Neblock et al., Bioconjugate Chem. 1991, 3:126-31). A
stably tethered structure comprising a multivalent antibody binding
component against an internalizing tumor associated antigen (such
as CD74) linked to a toxin (such as a ribonuclease) would be
valuable for selective delivery of the toxin to destroy the target
tumor cell. A stably tethered structure comprising a soluble
component of the receptor for IL-4R (sIL-4R) and a soluble
component of the receptor for IL-13 (sIL-13R) would be a potential
therapeutic agent for treating asthma or allergy. A hexameric,
monospecific stably tethered structure composed of anti-GPIIb/IIIa
Fab fragments should be more effective in preventing clot
reformation than either the monovalent (ReoPro, Centocor) or
bivalent analogs due to higher binding avidity. A stably tethered
structure comprising multiple copies of a soluble component of
TNF.alpha.-R should be more efficacious for arresting TNF than
Enbrel (Amgen) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and certain
other autoimmune diseases (AID).
[0024] The claimed methods and compositions also include conjugates
composed of one or more effectors or carriers linked to a stably
tethered structure. The effectors or carriers may be linked to the
stably tethered structure either non-covalently or covalently, for
example by chemical cross-linking or by binding to a bispecific or
multispecific stably tethered structure, with a first specificity
for a disease-associated target and a second specificity for an
effector and/or hapten linked to the effector(s), as discussed
further below. Depending on the intended applications, the effector
may be selected from a diagnostic agent, a therapeutic agent, a
chemotherapeutic agent, a radioisotope, an imaging agent, an
anti-angiogenic agent, a cytokine, a chemokine, a growth factor, a
drug, a prodrug, an enzyme, a binding molecule, a ligand for a cell
surface receptor, a chelator, an immunomodulator, an
oligonucleotide, a hormone, a photodetectable label, a dye, a
peptide, a toxin, a contrast agent, a paramagnetic label, an
ultrasound label, a pro-apoptotic agent, a liposome, a nanoparticle
or a combination thereof. Moreover, a conjugate may contain more
than one effector, which can be the same or different, or more than
one carrier, which can be the same or different. Effectors and
carriers can also be present in the same conjugate. When the
effector is a chelator, the resulting conjugate is usually further
complexed with a metal, which can be either radioactive or
non-radioactive. Conjugates containing carriers are also further
incorporated with agents of diagnostic or therapeutic functions for
the intended applications.
[0025] In certain embodiments, the effectors or carriers may be
administered to a subject after a stably tethered structure, for
example in pre-targeting strategies discussed below. The stably
tethered structure may be first administered to the subject and
allowed to localize in, for example, a diseased tissue such as a
tumor. The effectors or carriers may be added subsequently and
allowed to bind to the localized stably tethered structure. Where
the effector or carrier is conjugated to a toxic moiety, such as a
radionuclide, this pretargeting method reduces the systemic
exposure of the subject to toxicity, allowing a proportionately
greater delivery of toxic agent to the targeted tissue. Optionally,
a clearing agent may be administered to clear non-localized stably
tethered structures from circulation before administration of the
targetable construct. These methods are known in the art and
described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,846, WO 92/19273, and
Sharkey et al., Int. J. Cancer 51: 266 (1992). An exemplary
targetable construct may have a structure of
X-Phe-Lys(HSG)-D-Tyr-Lys(HSG)-Lys(Y)-NH.sub.2, where the compound
includes a hard acid cation chelator at X or Y, and a soft acid
cation chelator at remaining X or Y; and wherein the compound
further comprises at least one diagnostic or therapeutic cation,
and/or one or more chelated or chemically bound therapeutic agents,
diagnostic agents, or enzymes. The diagnostic agent could be, for
example, Gd(III), Eu(III), Dy(III), Pr(III), Pa(IV), Mn(II),
Cr(III), Co(III), Fe(III), Cu(II), Ni(II), Ti(III), V(IV) ions or a
radical. A second exemplary construct may be of the formula
X-Phe-Lys(HSG)-D-Tyr-Lys(HSG)-Lys(Y)-NH.sub.2, where the compound
includes a hard acid cation chelator or a soft acid chelator at X
or Y, and nothing at the remaining X or Y; and wherein the compound
further comprises at least one diagnostic or therapeutic cation,
and/or one or more chelated or chemically bound therapeutic agents,
diagnostic agents, or enzymes. In such embodiments, the A subunit
may, for example, contain binding sites for tumor associated
antigens while the B subunit may contain a binding site for an
effector or carrier or a hapten conjugated to an effector or
carrier.
[0026] The stably tethered structures of the present invention,
including their conjugates, are suitable for use in a wide variety
of therapeutic and diagnostic applications. For example, the
hexavalent constructs based on antibody binding domains can be used
for therapy where such a construct is not conjugated to an
additional functional agent, in the same manner as therapy using a
naked antibody. Alternatively, these stably tethered structures can
be derivatized with one or more functional agents to enable
diagnostic or therapeutic applications. The additional agent may be
covalently linked to the stably tethered structures using
conventional conjugation chemistries.
[0027] Methods of use of stably tethered structures may include
detection, diagnosis and/or treatment of a disease or other medical
condition. Such conditions may include, but are not limited to,
cancer, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, stroke,
neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer's disease, metabolic diseases,
hyperplasia, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration,
inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis,
rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, asthma, edema, pulmonary
hypertension, psoriasis, corneal graft rejection, neovascular
glaucoma, Osler-Webber Syndrome, myocardial angiogenesis, plaque
neovascularization, restenosis, neointima formation after vascular
trauma, telangiectasia, hemophiliac joints, angiofibroma, fibrosis
associated with chronic inflammation, lung fibrosis, amyloidosis,
organ transplant rejection, deep venous thrombosis or wound
granulation.
[0028] In particular embodiments, the disclosed methods and
compositions may be of use to treat autoimmune disease, such as
acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, chronic idiopathic
thrombocytopenic purpura, dermatomyositis, Sydenham's chorea,
myasthenia gravis, systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis,
rheumatic fever, polyglandular syndromes, bullous pemphigoid,
juvenile diabetes mellitus, Henoch-Schonlein purpura,
post-streptococcalnephritis, erythema nodosum, Takayasu's
arteritis, Addison's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple
sclerosis, sarcoidosis, ulcerative colitis, erythema multiforme,
IgA nephropathy, polyarteritis nodosa, ankylosing spondylitis,
Goodpasture's syndrome, thromboangitisubiterans, Sjogren's
syndrome, primary biliary cirrhosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis,
thyrotoxicosis, scleroderma, chronic active hepatitis,
polymyositis/dermatomyositis, polychondritis, pemphigus vulgaris,
Wegener's granulomatosis, membranous nephropathy, amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis, tabes dorsalis, giant cell
arteritis/polymyalgia, pernicious anemia, rapidly progressive
glomerulonephritis, psoriasis or fibrosing alveolitis.
[0029] Various embodiments may concern methods of treating
inflammatory and immune-dysregulatory diseases, infectious
diseases, pathologic angiogenesis or cancer. In this application
the stably tethered structures bind to two different targets
selected from the group consisting of (A) proinflammatory effectors
of the innate immune system, (B) coagulation factors, (C)
complement factors and complement regulatory proteins, and (D)
targets specifically associated with an inflammatory or
immune-dysregulatory disorder or with a pathologic angiogenesis or
cancer, wherein the latter target is not (A), (B), or (C). At least
one of the targets is (A), (B) or (C). Suitable combinations of
targets are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/296,432, filed Dec. 8, 2005, entitled "Methods and Compositions
for Immunotherapy and Detection of Inflammatory and
Immune-Dysregulatory Disease, Infectious Disease, Pathologic
Angiogenesis and Cancer," the contents of which are incorporated
herein by reference in their entirety. The proinflammatory effector
of the innate immune system to which the binding molecules may bind
may be a proinflammatory effector cytokine, a proinflammatory
effector chemokine or a proinflammatory effector receptor. Suitable
proinflammatory effector cytokines include MIF, HMGB-1 (high
mobility group box protein 1), TNF-.alpha., IL-1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6,
IL-8, IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18. Examples of proinflammatory effector
chemokines include CCL19, CCL21, IL-8, MCP-1, RANTES, MIP-1A,
MIP-1B, ENA-78, MCP-1, IP-10, GROB, and Eotaxin. Proinflammatory
effector receptors include IL-4R (interleukin-4 receptor), IL-6R
(interleukin-6 receptor), IL-13R (interleukin-13 receptor), IL-15R
(interleukin-15 receptor) and IL-18R (interleukin-18 receptor).
[0030] The binding molecule also may react specifically with at
least one coagulation factor, particularly tissue factor (TF) or
thrombin. In other embodiments, the binding molecule reacts
specifically with at least one complement factor or complement
regulatory protein. In preferred embodiments, the complement factor
is selected from the group consisting of C3, C5, C3a, C3b, and C5a.
When the binding molecule reacts specifically with a complement
regulatory protein, the complement regulatory protein preferably is
selected from the group consisting of CD46, CD55, CD59 and
mCRP.
[0031] In certain embodiments, the stably tethered structures may
be of use for therapeutic treatment of cancer. It is anticipated
that any type of tumor and any type of tumor antigen may be
targeted. Exemplary types of tumors that may be targeted include
acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, biliary
cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, chronic lymphocytic
leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, colorectal cancer,
endometrial cancer, esophageal, gastric, head and neck cancer,
Hodgkin's lymphoma, lung cancer, medullary thyroid cancer,
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, renal cancer, ovarian
cancer, pancreatic cancer, glioma, melanoma, liver cancer, prostate
cancer, and urinary bladder cancer.
[0032] Tumor-associated antigens that may be targeted include, but
are not limited to, carbonic anhydrase IX, A3, antigen specific for
A33 antibody, BrE3-antigen, CD1, CD1a, CD3, CD5, CD15, CD16, CD19,
CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, CD25, CD30, CD45, CD74, CD79a, CD80,
HLA-DR, NCA95, NCA90, HCG and its subunits, CEA (CEACAM-5),
CEACAM-6, CSAp, EGFR, EGP-1, EGP-2, Ep-CAM, Ba 733, HER2/neu,
hypoxia inducible factor (HIF), KC4-antigen, KS-1-antigen, KS1-4,
Le-Y, macrophage inhibition factor (MIF), MAGE, MUC1, MUC2, MUC3,
MUC4, PAM-4-antigen, PSA, PSMA, RS5, S100, TAG-72, p53, tenascin,
IL-6, IL-8, insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), Tn antigen,
Thomson-Friedenreich antigens, tumor necrosis antigens, VEGF,
placenta growth factor (P1GF), 17-1A-antigen, an angiogenesis
marker (e.g., ED-B fibronectin), an oncogene marker, an oncogene
product, and other tumor-associated antigens. Recent reports on
tumor associated antigens include Mizukami et al., (2005, Nature
Med. 11:992-97); Hatfield et al., (2005, Curr. Cancer Drug Targets
5:229-48); Vallbohmer et al. (2005, J. Clin. Oncol. 23:3536-44);
and Ren et al. (2005, Ann. Surg. 242:55-63), each incorporated
herein by reference. Particularly preferred embodiments may concern
hexavalent, monospecific constructs with binding sites for CD20 or
CD22. Other preferred embodiments may concern a hexavalent
bispecific construct with binding sites for both CD.sub.20 and
CD22.
[0033] Other embodiments may concern methods for treating a
lymphoma, leukemia, or autoimmune disorder in a subject, by
administering to the subject one or more dosages of a stably
tethered structure, where the binding site of the second precursor
bind to a lymphocyte antigen, and where the binding site of the
first precursor binds to the same or a different lymphocyte
antigen. The binding site or sites may bind a distinct epitope, or
epitopes of an antigen selected from the group consisting of CD4,
CD5, CD8, CD14, CD15, CD19, CD.sub.20, CD21, CD22, CD23, CD25,
CD33, CD37, CD38, CD40, CD40L, CD46, CD52, CD54, CD74, CD80, CD126,
CD138, CD154, B7, MUC1, Ia, Ii, HM1.24, HLA-DR, tenascin, VEGF,
P1GF, ED-B fibronectin, an oncogene, an oncogene product, NCA
66a-d, necrosis antigens, IL-2, T101, TAG, IL-6, MIF, TRAIL-R1
(DR4) and TRAIL-R2 (DR5). The composition may be parenterally
administered in a dosage of 20 to 1500 milligrams protein per dose,
20 to 500 milligrams protein per dose, 20 to 100 milligrams protein
per dose, or 20 to 1500 milligrams protein per dose, for
example.
[0034] In other embodiments, the stably tethered structures may be
of use to treat infection with pathogenic organisms, such as
bacteria, viruses or fungi. Exemplary fungi that may be treated
include Microsporum, Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, Sporothrix
schenckii, Cryptococcus neoformans, Coccidioides immitis,
Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis or Candida
albicans. Exemplary viruses include human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV), herpes virus, cytomegalovirus, rabies virus, influenza
virus, human papilloma virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus,
Sendai virus, feline leukemia virus, Reo virus, polio virus, human
serum parvo-like virus, simian virus 40, respiratory syncytial
virus, mouse mammary tumor virus, Varicella-Zoster virus, Dengue
virus, rubella virus, measles virus, adenovirus, human T-cell
leukemia viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, murine leukemia virus, mumps
virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, Sindbis virus, lymphocytic
choriomeningitis virus or blue tongue virus. Exemplary bacteria
include Bacillus anthracis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Legionella
pneumophilia, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Neisseria
gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Pneumococcus spp., Hemophilis
influenzae B, Treponema pallidum, Lyme disease spirochetes,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium leprae, Brucella abortus,
Mycobacterium tuberculosis or a Mycoplasma.
[0035] Although not limiting, in various embodiments, the
precursors incorporated into the stably tethered structures may
comprise one or more proteins, such as a bacterial toxin, a plant
toxin, ricin, abrin, a ribonuclease (RNase), DNase I,
Staphylococcal enterotoxin-A, pokeweed antiviral protein, gelonin,
diphtherin toxin, Pseudomonas exotoxin, Pseudomonas endotoxin,
Ranpirnase (Rap), Rap (N69Q), PE38, dgA, DT390, PLC, tPA, a
cytokine, a growth factor, a soluble receptor component, surfactant
protein D, IL-4, sIL-4R, sIL-13R, VEGF.sub.121, TPO, EPO
(erythropoietin), a clot-dissolving agent, an enzyme, a fluorescent
protein, sTNF.alpha.-R, an avimer, a scFv, a dsFv or a
nanobody.
[0036] In other embodiments, an anti-angiogenic agent may form part
or all of a precursor or may be attached to a stably tethered
structure. Exemplary anti-angiogenic agents of use include
angiostatin, baculostatin, canstatin, maspin, anti-VEGF antibodies
or peptides, anti-placental growth factor antibodies or peptides,
anti-Flk-1 antibodies, anti-Flt-1 antibodies or peptides, laminin
peptides, fibronectin peptides, plasminogen activator inhibitors,
tissue metalloproteinase inhibitors, interferons, interleukin 12,
IP-10, Gro-.beta., thrombospondin, 2-methoxyoestradiol,
proliferin-related protein, carboxiamidotriazole, CM101,
Marimastat, pentosan polysulphate, angiopoietin 2,
interferon-alpha, herbimycin A, PNU145156E, 16K prolactin fragment,
Linomide, thalidomide, pentoxifylline, genistein, TNP-470,
endostatin, paclitaxel, accutin, angiostatin, cidofovir,
vincristine, bleomycin, AGM-1470, platelet factor 4 or
minocycline.
[0037] In still other embodiments, one or more therapeutic agents,
such as aplidin, azaribine, anastrozole, azacytidine, bleomycin,
bortezomib, bryostatin-1, busulfan, calicheamycin, camptothecin,
10-hydroxycamptothecin, carmustine, celebrex, chlorambucil,
cisplatin, irinotecan (CPT-11), SN-38, carboplatin, cladribine,
cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, dacarbazine, docetaxel, dactinomycin,
daunomycin glucuronide, daunorubicin, dexamethasone,
diethylstilbestrol, doxorubicin, 2-pyrrolinodoxorubicine (2P-DOX),
cyano-morpholino doxorubicin, doxorubicin glucuronide, epirubicin
glucuronide, ethinyl estradiol, estramustine, etoposide, etoposide
glucuronide, etoposide phosphate, floxuridine (FUdR),
3',5'-O-dioleoyl-FudR (FUdR-dO), fludarabine, flutamide,
fluorouracil, fluoxymesterone, gemcitabine, hydroxyprogesterone
caproate, hydroxyurea, idarubicin, ifosfamide, L-asparaginase,
leucovorin, lomustine, mechlorethamine, medroprogesterone acetate,
megestrol acetate, melphalan, mercaptopurine, 6-mercaptopurine,
methotrexate, mitoxantrone, mithramycin, mitomycin, mitotane,
phenyl butyrate, prednisone, procarbazine, paclitaxel, pentostatin,
PSI-341, semustine streptozocin, tamoxifen, taxanes, taxol,
testosterone propionate, thalidomide, thioguanine, thiotepa,
teniposide, topotecan, uracil mustard, velcade, vinblastine,
vinorelbine, vincristine, ricin, abrin, ribonuclease, onconase,
rapLR1, DNase I, Staphylococcal enterotoxin-A, pokeweed antiviral
protein, gelonin, diphtheria toxin, Pseudomonas exotoxin,
Pseudomonas endotoxin, an antisense oligonucleotide, an
interference RNA, or a combination thereof, may be conjugated to or
incorporated into a stably tethered structure.
[0038] Various embodiments may concern stably tethered structures
and methods of use of same that are of use to induce apoptosis of
diseased cells. Further details may be found in U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 20050079184, the entire text of which
is incorporated herein by reference. Such structures may comprise
precursors with binding affinity for an antigen selected from the
group consisting of CD2, CD3, CD8, CD10, CD21, CD23, CD24, CD25,
CD30, CD33, CD37, CD38, CD40, CD48, CD52, CD55, CD59, CD70, CD74,
CD80, CD86, CD138, CD147, HLA-DR, CEA, CSAp, CA-125, TAG-72, EFGR,
HER2, HER3, HER4, IGF-1R, c-Met, PDGFR, MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4,
TNFR1, TNFR2, NGFR, Fas (CD95), DR3, DR4, DR5, DR6, VEGF, P1GF,
ED-B fibronectin, tenascin, PSMA, PSA, carbonic anhydrase IX, and
IL-6. In more particular embodiments, a stably tethered structure
of use to induce apoptosis may comprise monoclonal antibodies, Fab
fragments, chimeric, humanized or human antibodies or fragments. In
preferred embodiments, the stably tethered structure may comprise
combinations of anti-CD74 X anti-CD.sub.20, anti-CD74 X anti-CD22,
anti-CD22 X anti-CD20, anti-CD20 X anti-HLA-DR, anti-CD19 X
anti-CD20, anti-CD20 X anti-CD80, anti-CD2 X anti-CD25, anti-CD8 X
anti-CD25, anti-CD2 X anti-CD147, anti-CEACAM5 X anti-CD3,
anti-CEACAM6 X anti-CD3, anti-EGFR X anti-CD3, anti-HER2/neu X
anti-CD3, anti-CD20 X anti-CD3, anti-CD74 X anti-CD3 and anti-CCD22
X anti-CD3. In other preferred embodiments, the stably tethered
structure may be a monospecific or multispecific anti-CD.sub.20,
anti-CD22, anti-HLA-DR and/or anti-CD74. The skilled artisan will
realize that a multivalent stably tethered structure may comprise
multiple antigen-binding moieties that bind, for example, to
different epitopes of the CD.sub.20 or CD22 antigens, or
alternatively may comprise multiple copies of a single
antigen-binding moiety that all bind to the same epitope. In more
preferred embodiments, the chimeric, humanized or human antibodies
or antibody fragments may be derived from the variable domains of
LL2 (anti-CD22), LL1 (anti-CD74), L243 (anti-HLA-DR) and A20
(anti-CD.sub.20).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0039] FIG. 1 shows two exemplary DDD sequences. The underlined
sequence in DDD1 (SEQ ID NO:1) corresponds to the first 44
amino-terminal residues found in the RII.alpha. of human PKA. DDD2
(SEQ ID NO:2) differs from DDD1 in the two amino acid residues at
the N-terminus.
[0040] FIG. 2 shows two exemplary AD sequences. The underlined
sequence of AD1 (SEQ ID NO:3) corresponds to AKAP-is, which is an
optimized RII-selective peptide reported with a Kd of 0.4 nM. Also
shown is AD2 (SEQ ID NO:4).
[0041] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 (A),
and the putative a.sub.2 structure formed by DDD2-mediated
dimerization (B).
[0042] FIG. 4 shows the design of the N-DDD2-VH-hMN-14-pdHL2
plasmid expression vector.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 (A),
and the putative a.sub.2 structure formed by DDD2-mediated
dimerization (B).
[0044] FIG. 6 shows the design of the C-DDD2-VH-hMN-14-pdHL2
plasmid expression vector.
[0045] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of (A) the
noncovalent a.sub.2b complex that is formed upon mixing
N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 and h679-Fab-AD2 under reducing conditions, and
(B) the covalent TF1 structure formed by disulfide bridges.
[0046] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of TF2.
[0047] FIG. 9 is a sketch of C-H-AD2-IgG. (A) Arrangement of
cDNA/polypeptide sequences for heavy chain-AD2 and light chain. (B)
Schematic representation of a C-H-AD2-IgG.
[0048] FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of a monospecific HIDS
(hexavalent IgG-based DNL structure) resulting from the combination
of C-H-AD2-IgG and Fab-DDD2 modules.
[0049] FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of a bispecific HIDS
resulting from the combination of C-H-AD2-IgG and Fab-DDD2
modules.
[0050] FIG. 12 is a sketch of N-K-AD2-IgG. (A) Arrangement of
cDNA/polypeptide sequences for heavy chain and AD2-light chain. (B)
Schematic representation of a N-K-AD2-IgG.
[0051] FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a bispecific HIDS
resulting from the combination of N-K-AD2-IgG and Fab-DDD2
modules.
[0052] FIG. 14 shows sketches of (A) Fc-AD2-pdHL2 shuttle vector,
(B) IgG-pdHL2 mammalian expression vector and (C) C-H-AD2-IgG-pdHL2
mammalian expression vector.
[0053] FIG. 15 shows SE-HPLC analysis of Protein A-purified
C-H-AD2-hLL2-IgG. Peaks representing monomeric and dimeric forms
are indicated.
[0054] FIG. 16 shows SDS-PAGE analysis of Protein A-purified
C-H-AD2-hLL2-IgG under reducing and non-reducing conditions. Bands
representing heavy chain-AD2, heavy chain and kappa light chain are
indicated for reduced lanes. Bands representing C-H-AD2-hLL2-IgG
and the covalent dimer are indicated for non-reduced lanes. The
positions of molecular weight markers are indicated.
[0055] FIG. 17 shows SE-HPLC analysis of Protein A-purified
N-K-AD2-hLL2-IgG. (A) Peaks representing monomeric, dimeric and
trimeric forms are indicated with arrows. (B) Analysis following
reduction with glutathione showing that the dimeric and trimeric
forms are converted to the monomeric form.
[0056] FIG. 18 shows sketches of postulated structures for (A)
dimeric and (B) trimeric forms of N-K-AD2-hLL2-IgG, which are
converted to (C) the monomeric form by mild reduction.
[0057] FIG. 19 shows SE-HPLC analysis of Protein A-purified
Hex-hA20.
[0058] FIG. 20 shows SDS-PAGE analysis of six
C-H-AD2-hLL2-IgG-based HIDS. (A) SDS-PAGE under non-reducing
conditions. (B) SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. Bands
representing heavy chain-AD2, Fd-DDD2 and kappa light chain are
indicated by arrows. The positions of molecular weight markers are
indicated.
[0059] FIG. 21 shows SE-HPLC analysis of Protein A-purified
Hex-hLL2.
[0060] FIG. 22 shows SE-HPLC analysis of (A) DNL1 and (B)
DNL1C.
[0061] FIG. 23 shows SE-HPLC analysis of DNL2.
[0062] FIG. 24 shows SDS-PAGE analysis of DNL3 and K-Hex-hA20 under
reducing and non-reducing conditions. Bands representing heavy
chain, AD2-kappa chain, Fd-DDD2 and kappa light chain are shown in
the reduced lanes. Bands representing DNL3 and K-Hex-hA20 are shown
in the non-reduced lanes. The positions of molecular weight markers
are indicated.
[0063] FIG. 25 shows SE-HPLC analysis of DNL3.
[0064] FIG. 26 shows the results of two competitive ELISA
experiments to compare the relative hA20/hLL2 binding avidities of
DNL1, DNL2 Hex-hA20 and Hex-hLL2 with the parental IgGs. Microtitre
plates were coated with hA20 or hLL2 IgG at 5 .mu.g/ml. Dilution
series of the HIDS were mixed with anti-Ids specific to hA20 or
hLL2 IgG, which was maintained at a constant concentration (2 nM).
The level of binding of the anti-Ids to the coated wells was
detected using peroxidase-conjugated-Goat anti-Rat IgG and OPD
substrate solution. The results are plotted as % inhibition (of
anti-Id binding to coated wells) vs. concentration of HIDS.
EC.sub.50 (the effective concentration resulting in 50% inhibition)
values were derived using Prism software. The HIDS were used to
compete for binding to (A) WI2 (hA20 Rat anti-Id) in hA20-coated
wells or (B) WN (hLL2 Rat anti-Id) in hLL2-coated wells.
[0065] FIG. 27 shows the results of two competitive ELISA
experiments to compare the relative hA20/hLL2 binding avidities of
DNL2 and DNL3. Experiments were carried out as described for FIG.
26. DNL2, DNL3 and the parental IgGs were used to compete for
binding to (A) WI2 (hA20 Rat anti-Id) in hA20-coated wells or (B)
WN (hLL2 Rat anti-Id) in hLL2-coated wells.
[0066] FIG. 28 shows the result of cell counting assays following
treatment of Daudi lymphoma cells with DNL1, DNL2, Hex-hA20 or
rituximab. Tissue culture flasks were inoculated with
1.times.10.sup.5 Daudi cells/ml in RPMI 1640 media supplemented
with one of the HIDS or rituximab at varying concentrations. Viable
cells were counted daily using a Guava PCA. (A) Comparison growth
curves following treatments at 10 nM concentrations. (B) Comparison
of growth curves at selected concentrations.
[0067] FIG. 29 shows the results of a dose-response experiment for
treatment of Daudi cells with various HIDS. Cells were plated in
96-well plates at 5,000 cells/well in RPMI 1640 media. Five-fold
serial dilutions were performed in triplicate from concentrations
of 2.times.10.sup.-8 down to 6.4.times.10.sup.-12 M. The plates
were incubated for four days, after which MTS reagent was added and
the incubation was continued for an additional four hours before
reading the plates at 490 nm. The results are given as percent of
the OD.sub.490 for untreated wells vs. the log of the molar
concentration of HIDS. EC.sub.40 (the effective concentration
resulting in 40% growth inhibition) values were measured for each
dose-response curve.
[0068] FIG. 30 shows the results of an in vivo therapy experiment
where mice bearing human Burkitt Lymphoma (Daudi) were treated with
DNL2 or Hex-hA20. Mice (4/group) were inoculated i.v. with
1.5.times.10.sup.7 Daudi cells (day 0). On days 1, 4 and 7, mice
were administered either 4 pg or 20 .mu.g of DNL2 or Hex-hA20
intraperitoneally (i.p.). Mice were sacrificed if they developed
either hind-limb paralysis or lost >20% body weight. The results
are plotted as % survival vs. time (days). Median survival and long
term survivors are shown.
[0069] FIG. 31 shows the relative dose-response curves generated
using an MTS proliferation assay for Daudi cells, Raji cells and
Ramos cells treated with a bispecific HID (DNL2--four hLL2 Fab
fragments tethered to an hA20 IgG) and a monospecific HID
(Hex-hA20), compared with an hA20 IgG control. In Daudi cells (top
panel), DNL2 showed >100-fold and Hex-hA20 showed >10,000
fold more potent antiproliferative activity than hA20 IgG. In Raji
cells (middle panel), Hex-hA20 displayed potent anti-proliferative
activity, while DNL2 showed only minimal activity, compared to hA20
IgG. In Ramos cells (bottom panel), both DNLs and Hex-hA20
displayed potent anti-proliferative activity compared to hA20
IgG.
[0070] FIG. 32 shows the effects of cross-linking on the
anti-proliferative activity of hA20 IgG, DNL2 and Hex-hA20. As
shown in the Figure, cross-linking potentiated the
anti-proliferative activity of hA20 IgG, but resulted in no
enhancement of the activities of DNL2 or Hex-hA20.
[0071] FIG. 33 shows the stability of DNL1 and DNL2 in human serum,
as determined using a bispecific ELISA assay. The protein
structures were incubated at 10 .mu.g/ml in fresh pooled human sera
at 37.degree. C. and 5% CO.sub.2 for five days. For day 0 samples,
aliquots were frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately after dilution
in serum. ELISA plates were coated with an anti-Id to hA20 IgG and
bispecific binding was detected with an anti-Id to hLL2 IgG. Both
DNL1 and DNL2 were highly stable in serum and maintained complete
bispecific binding activity.
[0072] FIG. 34 illustrates the complement-dependent cytotoxicity
(CDC) or lack thereof by DNL1, DNL2, Hex-hA20, hLL2, hA20-IgG and
hA20-IgG-AD2. Surprisingly, although hA20 IgG and hA20-IgG-AD2
exhibited potent CDC activity on Daudi cells in an in vitro assay,
none of the hexavalent DNL structures exhibited CDC activity in
this assay. Both DNL2 and Hex-ha20 comprise hA20-IgG-AD2, which
showed CDC activity similar to hA20 IgG.
[0073] FIG. 35 shows the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity
(ADCC) of DNL1, compared with hA20 IgG, Rituximab and hLL2 IgG,
assayed with freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Both rituximab and hA20 IgG had potent ADCC activity, while DNL1
did not exhibit any detectable ADCC.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0074] All documents, or portions of documents, cited in this
application, including but not limited to patents, patent
applications, articles, books, and treatises, are hereby expressly
incorporated by reference in their entirety.
[0075] In certain embodiments, novel stably tethered structures in
the format of a.sub.2b and methods for making these complexes are
provided. In general, the binary complexes are made up of a
noncovalently linked homodimer structure, referred to as A or
a.sub.2, with which a second structure, referred to as B or b,
associates site-specifically. The resulting a.sub.2b structure may
be stabilized by non-covalent, or preferably by covalent
interaction (e.g., disulfide bonds) between A and B. A is formed
from two identical subunits, where each subunit is composed of a
precursor linked to a peptide sequence, referred to as the
dimerization and docking domain (DDD), which in preferred
embodiments is derived from a cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA).
The DDD domain contained in the subunit associates spontaneously to
form a stable homodimer, and this association in turn produces a
high affinity binding site for a peptide sequence, referred to as
the anchoring domain (AD), which is found, for example, in various
A-kinase anchor proteins (AKAPs), and is contained in B. Thus, B is
composed of a precursor linked to an AD.
[0076] Assembly of the binary complex occurs readily via
interaction of the AD peptide with the (DDD).sub.2 binding site.
The DDD peptide may be inserted into essentially any polypeptide
sequence or tethered to any precursor, provided that such
derivatization does not interfere with its ability to dimerize, as
well as to bind to the AD peptide. Likewise, the AD peptide may be
inserted into essentially any polypeptide sequence or tethered to
any precursor provided that such derivatization does not interfere
with its binding to the homodimer DDD binding site. This modular
approach is highly versatile and can be used to combine essentially
any A with any B to form a binary assembly that contains two
subunits (a.sub.2) derived from the precursor of A and one subunit
(b) derived from the precursor of B. Where both precursors of A and
B contain an antibody domain that can associate with a second
antibody domain to produce an antigen binding site (for example, a
Fab or scFv), the resulting a.sub.2b complex is bispecific and
trivalent. In some embodiments, the binary complex may be linked,
for example via chemical conjugation, to effectors, such as ligands
or drugs, to carriers, such as dextran or nanoparticles, or to both
effectors and carriers, to allow additional applications enabled by
such modifications. In preferred embodiments, variations on this
theme may be used to prepare hexameric complexes that are either
homohexamers or heterohexamers.
[0077] As the stability of the binary complex depends primarily on
the binding affinity of the DDD contained in A for the AD contained
in B, which is estimated by equilibrium size-exclusion HPLC
analysis to be no stronger than 8 nM for two prototype a.sub.2b
structures (described in Example 5) formed between a C-terminally
fused AD1 construct (h679-Fab-AD1, described in Example 3) to a C-
or N-terminally fused DDD1 construct (C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 or
N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14, both described in Example 4), covalently linking
A and B contained in the a.sub.2b complex would prevent undesirable
dissociation of the individual subunits, thereby facilitating in
vivo applications. To stabilize the binary complex, cysteine
residues may be introduced onto both the DDD and AD sequences at
strategic positions to enable the formation of disulfide linkages
between the DDD and AD. Other methods or strategies may be applied
to effect the formation of a stabilized complex via crosslinking
a.sub.2 and b. For example, the constituent subunits can be
covalently linked to each other in a less specific way with lower
efficiency using glutaraldehyde or the PICUP method. Other known
methods of covalent cross-linking may also be used.
DEFINITIONS
[0078] As used herein, "a" or "an" may mean one or more than one of
an item.
[0079] As used herein, the terms "and" and "or" may be used to mean
either the conjunctive or disjunctive. That is, both terms should
be understood as equivalent to "and/or" unless otherwise
stated.
[0080] A "dimerization and docking domain (DDD)" refers to a
peptide sequence that allows the spontaneous dimer formation of two
homomonomers containing the DDD sequence. The resulting homodimer
contains a docking site within the DDD sequence for an anchoring
domain. Although exemplary DDD sequences may be obtained from
cAMP-dependent protein kinase, other known DDD sequences may be
utilized.
[0081] An "anchoring domain (AD)" is a peptide sequence that has
binding affinity for a dimerized DDD sequence. Although exemplary
AD sequences may be derived from any of the A-kinase anchor
proteins (AKAPs), other known AD sequences may be utilized.
[0082] The term "precursor" is used according to its plain and
ordinary meaning of a substance from which a more stable,
definitive or end product is formed.
[0083] A "binding molecule," "binding moiety" or "targeting
molecule," as used herein, is any molecule that can specifically
bind to a target molecule, cell, complex and/or tissue. A binding
molecule may include, but is not limited to, an antibody or a
fragment, analog or mimic thereof, an avimer, an aptamer or a
targeting peptide.
[0084] An "antibody," as described herein, refers to a full-length
(i.e., naturally occurring or formed by normal immunoglobulin gene
fragment recombinatorial processes) immunoglobulin molecule (e.g.,
an IgG antibody) or an immunologically active (i.e., specifically
binding) portion or analog of an immunoglobulin molecule, like an
antibody fragment.
[0085] An "antibody fragment" is a portion of an antibody such as
F(ab).sub.2, F(ab').sub.2, Fab, Fv, sFv and the like. Regardless of
structure, an antibody fragment binds with the same antigen that is
recognized by the intact antibody. The term "antibody fragment"
also includes any synthetic or genetically engineered protein that
acts like an antibody by binding to a specific antigen to form a
complex. For example, antibody fragments include isolated fragments
consisting of the variable regions, such as the "Fv" fragments
consisting of the variable regions of the heavy and light chains,
recombinant single chain polypeptide molecules in which light and
heavy variable regions are connected by a peptide linker ("scFv
proteins"), and minimal recognition units (CDR) consisting of the
amino acid residues that mimic the hypervariable region.
[0086] An "effector" is an atom, molecule, or compound that brings
about a chosen result. An effector may include a therapeutic agent
and/or a diagnostic agent.
[0087] A "therapeutic agent" is an atom, molecule, or compound that
is useful in the treatment of a disease. Examples of therapeutic
agents include antibodies, antibody fragments, drugs, toxins,
enzymes, nucleases, hormones, immunomodulators, antisense
oligonucleotides, small interfering RNA (siRNA), chelators, boron
compounds, photoactive agents, dyes, and radioisotopes. Other
exemplary therapeutic agents and methods of use are disclosed in
U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 20050002945, 20040018557, 20030148409
and 20050014207, each incorporated herein by reference.
[0088] A "diagnostic agent" is an atom, molecule, or compound that
is useful in diagnosing a disease. Useful diagnostic agents
include, but are not limited to, radioisotopes, dyes (such as with
the biotin-streptavidin complex), contrast agents, fluorescent
compounds or molecules, and enhancing agents (e.g., paramagnetic
ions) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
[0089] An "immunoconjugate" is a conjugate of a binding molecule
(e.g., an antibody component) with an atom, molecule, or a
higher-ordered structure (e.g., with a carrier, a therapeutic
agent, or a diagnostic agent).
[0090] A "naked antibody" is an antibody that is not conjugated to
any other agent.
[0091] A "carrier" is an atom, molecule, or higher-ordered
structure that is capable of associating with a therapeutic or
diagnostic agent to facilitate delivery of such agent to a targeted
cell. Carriers may include lipids (e.g., amphiphilic lipids that
are capable of forming higher-ordered structures), polysaccharides
(such as dextran), or other higher-ordered structures, such as
micelles, liposomes, or nanoparticles.
[0092] As used herein, the term "antibody fusion protein" is a
recombinantly produced antigen-binding molecule in which two or
more of the same or different scFv or antibody fragments with the
same or different specificities are linked. Valency of the fusion
protein indicates how many binding arms or sites the fusion protein
has to a single antigen or epitope; i.e., monovalent, bivalent,
trivalent or multivalent. The multivalency of the antibody fusion
protein means that it can take advantage of multiple interactions
in binding to an antigen, thus increasing the avidity of binding to
the antigen. Specificity indicates how many antigens or epitopes an
antibody fusion protein is able to bind; i.e., monospecific,
bispecific, trispecific, multispecific. Using these definitions, a
natural antibody, e.g., an IgG, is bivalent because it has two
binding arms but is monospecific because it binds to one epitope.
Monospecific, multivalent fusion proteins have more than one
binding site for an epitope but only binds to one such epitope, for
example a diabody with two binding site reactive with the same
antigen. The fusion protein may comprise a single antibody
component, a multivalent or multispecific combination of different
antibody components, or multiple copies of the same antibody
component. The fusion protein may additionally comprise an antibody
or an antibody fragment and a therapeutic agent. Examples of
therapeutic agents suitable for such fusion proteins include
immunomodulators ("antibody-immunomodulator fusion protein") and
toxins ("antibody-toxin fusion protein"). One preferred toxin
comprises a ribonuclease (RNase), preferably a recombinant
RNase.
[0093] An antibody or immunoconjugate preparation, or a composition
described herein, is said to be administered in a "therapeutically
effective amount" if the amount administered is physiologically
significant. An agent is physiologically significant if its
presence results in a detectable change in the physiology of a
recipient mammal. In particular embodiments, an antibody
preparation is physiologically significant if its presence invokes
an antitumor response or mitigates the signs and symptoms of an
autoimmune disease state. A physiologically significant effect
could also be the evocation of a humoral and/or cellular immune
response in the recipient mammal leading to growth inhibition or
death of target cells. A "therapeutically effective amount" is not
limited to the amount of an agent that produces the most preferred
effect in a subject, but may refer to an amount that results in any
of the possible known effects of the agent on a subject, cell,
tissue or organ.
Methods to Generate a Stably Tethered Assembly of Modular
Subunits
[0094] The disclosed methods and compositions provide a platform
technology for generating a stably tethered assembly of modular
subunits. One embodiment concerns a stably tethered binary complex
formed from two defined components, A and B, which are preferably
produced separately. However, in alternative embodiments both A and
B may be produced together, for example by transfecting a single
cell line with a vector that codes for both A and B, or with two
different vectors that separately encode A and B. Separate
production is preferred where A and B are both Fab fragments, as
otherwise co-production would result in heterogenous products due
to light chain scrambling.
[0095] In some embodiments, A, consisting of two identical subunits
(a.sub.2), is combined with B, consisting of one subunit (b), to
form an assembly in the configuration of a.sub.2b. The association
of A and B is site-specific and spontaneous, due to the strong
binding interaction between the DDD and AD sequences that are built
into A and B, respectively. Both A and B can be any entity and the
precursor of A to which the DDD is linked may be different from or
the same as the precursor of B to which the AD is linked In the
latter case, the resulting a.sub.2b complex, referred to as
a.sub.3, is composed of three subunits, each containing the same
precursor but linked to both DDD and AD.
[0096] The modular nature of the claimed methods and compositions
allows the combination of any A with any B. There is essentially no
limit on the types of precursors that can be attached to or
incorporated into A and B, so long as they do not interfere with
the dimerization of DDD or the binding of DDD to AD. When
constructed by recombinant engineering, A and B can be produced
independently in a different host cell, purified, and stored (or
alternatively produced in the same host cell as discussed above).
However, the need for purification of A and B prior to assembly is
not absolutely required. Cell extracts or culture media containing
A and B may be mixed directly under appropriate conditions to
effect the formation of the binary complex, which may then be
stabilized by disulfide linkages upon oxidation, and purified
afterwards. In certain applications, it may be desirable to
conjugate B, after purification and before combining with A, with
effectors or carriers. Alternatively, it may be desirable to
conjugate A, after purification and before combining with B, with
effectors or carriers. It may also be desirable to modify both A
and B with effectors or carriers before combining. In addition,
conjugation of the a.sub.2b complex with effectors or carriers may
also be desirable in certain applications. Where A and B are
produced in the same host cell, they may spontaneously assemble
into an a.sub.2b complex.
[0097] Preferred embodiments take advantage of the specific
protein/protein interactions between cAMP-dependent protein kinase
(PKA) regulatory subunits and A-kinase anchor proteins (AKAP)
anchoring domains that occur in nature. PKA was first reported in
1968 (See Walsh et al., J. Biol. Chem. 243:3763-65 (1968)). The
structure of the holoenzyme, which consists of two catalytic
subunits that are held in an inactive form by a regulatory (R)
subunit dimer, was elucidated in the mid 1970s (See Corbin et al.,
J. Biol. Chem. 248:1813-21 (1973)). Two types of R subunits (RI and
RII) are found and each has a and .beta. isoforms. The R subunits
have been isolated only as stable dimers and the dimerization
domain has been shown to consist of the first 44 amino-terminal
residues (See Hausken et al., J. Biol. Chem. 271:29016-22 (1996)).
The signaling specificity of PKA, which is a broad-spectrum
serine/threonine kinase, is achieved through compartmentalization
of the holoenzyme via docking proteins called A-kinase anchor
proteins (AKAPs) (Scott et al., J. Biol. Chem. 265:21561-66
(1990)).
[0098] The first AKAP, microtubule-associated protein-2, was
characterized in 1984 (Lohmann et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA.
81:6723-27 (1984)). To date, more than 50 structurally diverse
AKAPs have been identified in species ranging from yeast to humans
(See Wong et al., Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 12:959-70 (2004)). The PKA
anchoring domain of AKAPs is an amphipathic helix of 14-18 residues
(See Carr et al. J. Biol. Chem. 266:14188-92 (1991)). The amino
acid sequences of the PKA anchoring domain are quite diverse among
AKAPs and the binding affinities for RII dimers ranges from 2-90 nM
while the binding affinities for R1 dimers is about 100-fold weaker
(See Alto et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 100:4445-50 (2003)).
The anchoring domain binds to a hydrophobic surface on RII dimers
formed by the first amino terminal 23 residues of RII (Colledge et
al., Trends Cell Biol. 6:216-21 (1999)). Thus, the RII dimerization
domain and AKAP binding domain are both located within the same 44
amino acid sequence. Further, AKAPs will only bind to RII dimers,
not monomers. A structural model of this interaction is shown in
FIG. 7.
[0099] The non-covalent complexes formed via the interaction of the
DDD and AD sequences may be covalently stabilized to allow in vivo
applications. This may be achieved through the introduction of
cysteine residues into both the DDD and AD sequences at strategic
positions (as those shown for DDD2 and AD2) to facilitate the
formation of disulfide linkages. Alternatively, other known types
of covalent cross-linking may be employed.
[0100] The two components of the binary complex (A and B), when
produced by recombinant engineering, may be synthesized within the
same host cell, or more preferably in two separate host cell lines.
An expression vector directing the synthesis of A will contain the
DNA sequences of a polypeptide of interest (A) fused to a sequence
encoding the DDD of a PKA R-subunit, such as DDD1 or DDD2, which
may consist of the first 30 or more amino acids of R1.alpha.,
RI.beta., RII.alpha., RII.beta., or any natural or synthetic
functional analog. The DDD can be coupled to the amino-terminal or
carboxyl terminal end of A, either directly or preferably with a
spacer containing an appropriate length and composition of amino
acid residues. Alternatively, the DDD can be positioned internally
within the fusion protein provided that the binding activity of the
DDD and the desired activity of the polypeptide fusion partner are
not compromised. Upon synthesis, the A/DDD fusion protein will form
exclusively a stable homodimer with DDD1, or predominantly a stable
homotetramer with DDD2. Methods for forming stable homohexamers or
heterohexamers are discussed below in the Examples.
[0101] A second expression cassette directing the synthesis of B,
which can be in the same vector that directs the synthesis of A or
preferably an independent one, will contain the DNA sequences of a
polypeptide of interest (B) fused to a sequence encoding an
anchoring domain (AD), such as AD1 or AD2, which can be derived
from any AKAP protein, or a natural or synthetic analog as
disclosed in US 2003/0232420A1, incorporated herein by reference.
The AD can be coupled to the amino-terminal or carboxyl terminal
end of B, either directly or preferably with a spacer containing
appropriate length or composition of amino acid residues. Mixing
the B/AD2 fusion protein (b) with the A/DDD2 fusion protein
(predominantly a.sub.4) in the presence of a disulfide reducing
agent results in a binary complex consisting of a.sub.2b, which is
subsequently stabilized with the formation of disulfide bonds
facilitated by the addition of a suitable oxidizing agent such as
dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
[0102] The modular nature of the subunits allows the combination of
any DDD2-polypeptide dimer with any AD2-polypeptide. Stocks of a
variety of modular subunits can be maintained individually either
as purified products or unpurified cell culture supernatants and
subsequently combined to obtain various a.sub.2b structures when
desired.
[0103] A further embodiment is that effectors, such as drugs or
chelators, or carriers, such as dextran or nanoparticles, may be
coupled using appropriate conjugation chemistry to either A or B
following its purification. Alternatively, such modifications can
be made to the structure after its formation and purification, or
to both A and B before mixing.
Stably Tethered Assembly of Modular Subunits Derived from
Recombinant Antibody Binding Domains
[0104] The disclosed methods and compositions are useful for
providing recombinant antibody-based multivalent binding
structures, which can be monospecific or bispecific. For example,
the DDD2 sequence can be fused to a single chain Fv to obtain
monospecific binding structures. More generally, a DDD sequence can
be fused to an antibody variable domain that can associate with a
complementary antibody variable domain to form an antigen-binding
site. For example, the DDD1 or DDD2 sequence can be fused to an
antibody sequence containing a V.sub.H domain and a CH1 domain
(Fd/DDD), or alternatively to a V.sub.L domain and a CL domain
(L/DDD). The Fd/DDD or L/DDD can then associate with a
complementary L or Fd, respectively, to form a Fab/DDD and further
a dimer of Fab/DDD1 or a tetramer/dimer of Fab/DDD2.
[0105] Similarly, an AD sequence like AD2 can be fused to a single
chain Fv, or more generally, to an antibody sequence containing a
VH domain and a CH1 domain (Fd/AD2), which forms a Fab/AD2 when
paired with a cognate L-chain. Alternatively, an AD sequence like
AD2 may be fused to an antibody sequence containing a VL domain and
a CL domain, which forms a Fab/AD2 when paired with a cognate Fd
chain. Mixing a tetramer/dimer of Fab/DDD2 with Fab/AD2 followed by
reduction and oxidation results in a stably tethered assembly of a
trivalent binding structure, which can be monospecific or
bispecific.
[0106] The V.sub.H and V.sub.L regions of the binding structure may
be derived from a "humanized" monoclonal antibody or from a human
antibody. Alternatively, the V.sub.H and/or V.sub.L regions may
comprise a sequence derived from human antibody fragments isolated
from a combinatorial immunoglobulin library. See, for example,
Barbas et al., METHODS: A companion to Methods in Enzymology 2: 119
(1991), and Winter et al., Ann. Rev. Immunol. 12: 433 (1994).
Cloning and expression vectors that are useful for producing a
human immunoglobulin phage library can be obtained, for example,
from STRATAGENE Cloning Systems (La Jolla, Calif.).
[0107] The human antibody V.sub.H or V.sub.L sequence may be
derived from a human monoclonal antibody produced in a mouse. Such
antibodies are obtained from transgenic mice that have been
"engineered" to produce specific human antibodies in response to
antigenic challenge. In this technique, elements of the human heavy
and light chain loci are introduced into strains of mice derived
from embryonic stem cell lines that contain targeted disruptions of
the endogenous heavy chain and light chain loci. The transgenic
mice can synthesize human antibodies specific for human antigens,
and the mice can be used to produce human antibody-secreting
hybridomas. Methods for obtaining human antibodies from transgenic
mice are described by Green et al., Nature Genet. 7: 13 (1994),
Lonberg et al., Nature 368: 856 (1994), and Taylor et al., Int.
Immun. 6: 579 (1994).
General Methods for the Production of Recombinant Fusion Proteins
Containing Antibody Fragments
[0108] Nucleic acid sequences encoding antibody fragments that
recognize specific epitopes can be obtained by techniques that are
well known in the art. For example, hybridomas secreting antibodies
of a desired specificity can be used to obtain antibody-encoding
DNA that can be prepared using known techniques, for example, by
PCR or by traditional cDNA cloning techniques. Alternatively, Fab'
expression libraries or antibody phage display libraries can be
constructed to screen for antibody fragments having a desired
specificity.
[0109] The nucleic acid encoding the antibody fragment can then be
ligated, directly or via a sequence that encodes a peptide spacer,
to nucleic acid encoding either the DDD or the AD. Methods of
producing nucleic acid sequences encoding these types of fusion
proteins are well known in the art and are further provided in the
Examples.
[0110] In another embodiment, additional amino acid residues may be
added to either the N- or C-terminus of the modular subunit
composed of A/DDD or B/AD, where the exact fusion site may depend
on whether the DDD or the AD are attached to the N- or C-terminus
(or at an internal position). The additional amino acid residues
may comprise a peptide tag, a signal peptide, a cytokine, an enzyme
(for example, a pro-drug activating enzyme), a hormone, a toxin, a
peptide drug, a membrane-interacting peptide, or other functional
proteins.
[0111] Methods for producing recombinant proteins in a desired host
cell are well known in the art. To facilitate purification, the
stably tethered structures may contain suitable peptide tags, such
as the FLAG sequence or the poly-HIS sequence, to facilitate their
purification with a relevant affinity column.
[0112] A exemplary expression system suitable for expressing the
constituent subunits of the stably tethered structures is the pdHL2
vector, which has an amplifiable murine dhfr gene that allows
selection and amplification by methotrexate treatment. See Gillies
et al., J. Immunol. Methods 125:191 (1989). The pdHL2 vector
provides independent expression of two genes that are separately
controlled by two metallothionine promoters and IgH enhancers.
[0113] Suitable host cells or cell lines for the expression of the
constituent subunits of the stably tethered structures of are known
to one skilled in the art. The use of a human host cell would
enable any expressed molecules to be modified with human
glycosylation patterns. However, there is no indication that a
human host cell is essential or preferred for the disclosed
methods.
[0114] As an illustration, a murine myeloma cell line such as Sp2/0
can be transfected by electroporation with linearized pdHL2 vector
that encodes a constituent subunit of the stably tethered
structures. Selection can be initiated 48 hours after transfection
by incubating cells with medium containing 0.05-0.1 .mu.M
methotrexate. The clones selected can then be amplified by a
stepwise increase in methotrexate concentration up to 5 .mu.M.
Conjugates of the Stably Tethered Structures
[0115] Additional moieties can be conjugated to the stably tethered
structures described above. For example, drugs, toxins, radioactive
compounds, enzymes, hormones, cytotoxic proteins, chelates,
cytokines, and other functional agents may be conjugated to one or
more subunits of the stably tethered structures. Conjugation can be
via, for example, covalent attachments to amino acid residues
containing amine, carboxyl, thiol or hydroxyl groups in the
side-chains. Various conventional linkers may be used for this
purpose, for example, diisocyanates, diisothiocyanates,
bis(hydroxysuccinimide) esters, carbodiimides,
maleimide-hydroxysuccinimide esters, glutaraldehyde and the like.
Conjugation of agents to the stably tethered structures preferably
does not significantly affect the activity of each subunit
contained in the unmodified structures. Conjugation can be carried
out separately to the modular subunits and the subunits then
allowed to assemble into the stably tethered construct, or
alternatively conjugation may be carried out using the fully formed
stably tethered construct or any intermediate in the formation of
the stably tethered construct. In addition, cytotoxic or other
agents may be first coupled to a polymeric carrier, which is then
conjugated to a stably tethered structure. For this method, see
Ryser et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 75:3867-3870, 1978; U.S.
Pat. No. 4,699,784 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,722, which are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0116] The conjugates described herein can be prepared by various
methods known in the art. For example, a stably tethered structure
can be radiolabeled with .sup.131I and conjugated to a lipid, such
that the resulting conjugate can form a liposome. The liposome may
incorporate one or more therapeutic agents (e.g., a drug such as
FUdR-dO) or diagnostic agents. Alternatively, in addition to the
carrier, a stably tethered structure may be conjugated to .sup.131I
(e.g., at a tyrosine residue) and a drug (e.g., at the epsilon
amino group of a lysine residue), and the carrier may incorporate
an additional therapeutic or diagnostic agent. Therapeutic and
diagnostic agents may be covalently associated with one or more
than one subunit of the stably tethered structures.
[0117] The formation of liposomes and micelles is known in the art.
See, e.g., Wrobel and Collins, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta
(1995), 1235: 296-304; Lundberg et al., J. Pharm. Pharmacol.
(1999), 51:1099-1105; Lundberg et al., Int. J. Pharm. (2000),
205:101-108; Lundberg, J. Pharm. Sci. (1994), 83:72-75; Xu et al.,
Molec. Cancer Ther. (2002), 1:337-346; Torchilin et al., Proc.
Nat'l. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. (2003), 100:6039-6044; U.S. Pat. No.
5,565,215; U.S. 6,379,698; and U.S. 2003/0082154.
[0118] Nanoparticles or nanocapsules formed from polymers, silica,
or metals, which are useful for drug delivery or imaging, have been
described as well. See, e.g., West et al., Applications of
Nanotechnology to Biotechnology (2000), 11:215-217; U.S. Pat. No.
5,620,708; U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,727; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,944.
The conjugation of antibodies or binding molecules to liposomes to
form a targeted carrier for therapeutic or diagnostic agents has
been described. See, e.g., Bendas, Biodrugs (2001), 15:215-224; Xu
et al., Mol. Cancer. Ther (2002), 1:337-346; Torchilin et al.,
Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. U.S.A (2003), 100:6039-6044; Bally, et al.,
J. Liposome Res. (1998), 8:299-335; Lundberg, Int. J. Pharm.
(1994), 109:73-81; Lundberg, J. Pharm. Pharmacol. (1997), 49:16-21;
Lundberg, Anti-cancer Drug Design (1998), 13: 453-461. See also
U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,393; U.S. Ser. No. 10/350,096; U.S. Ser. No.
09/590,284, and U.S. Ser. No. 60/138,284, filed Jun. 9, 1999. All
these references are incorporated herein by reference.
[0119] A wide variety of diagnostic and therapeutic agents can be
advantageously used to fond the conjugates of the stably tethered
structures, or may be linked to haptens that bind to a recognition
site on the stably tethered structures. Diagnostic agents may
include radioisotopes, enhancing agents for use in MRI or contrast
agents for ultrasound imaging, and fluorescent compounds. Many
appropriate imaging agents are known in the art, as are methods for
their attachment to proteins or peptides (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,021,236 and 4,472,509, both incorporated herein by reference).
Certain attachment methods involve the use of a metal chelate
complex employing, for example, an organic chelating agent such a
DTPA attached to the protein or peptide (U.S. Pat. No.
4,472,509).
[0120] In order to load a stably tethered structure with
radioactive metals or paramagnetic ions, it may be necessary to
first react it with a carrier to which multiple copies of a
chelating group for binding the radioactive metals or paramagnetic
ions have been attached. Such a carrier can be a polylysine,
polysaccharide, or a derivatized or derivatizable polymeric
substance having pendant groups to which can be bound chelating
groups such as, e.g., ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA),
diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), porphyrins, polyamines,
crown ethers, bis-thiosemicarbazones, polyoximes, and the like
known to be useful for this purpose. Carriers containing chelates
may be coupled to the stably tethered structure using standard
chemistries in a way to minimize aggregation and loss of
immunoreactivity.
[0121] Other, more unusual, methods and reagents that may be
applied for preparing such conjugates are disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 4,824,659, which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety. Particularly useful metal-chelate combinations include
2-benzyl-DTPA and its monomethyl and cyclohexyl analogs, used with
diagnostic isotopes in the general energy range of 60 to 4,000 keV.
Some useful diagnostic nuclides may include .sup.18F, .sup.52Fe,
.sup.62Cu, .sup.64Cu, .sup.67Cu, .sup.67Ga, .sup.68Ga, .sup.86Y,
.sup.89Zr, .sup.94Tc, .sup.94mTC, .sup.99mTC, or .sup.111In. The
same chelates complexed with non-radioactive metals, such as
manganese, iron and gadolinium, are useful for MRI, when used along
with the stably tethered structures and carriers described herein.
Macrocyclic chelates such as NOTA, DOTA, and TETA are of use with a
variety of metals and radiometals, most particularly with
radionuclides of gallium, yttrium and copper, respectively. Such
metal-chelate complexes can be made very stable by tailoring the
ring size to the metal of interest. Other ring-type chelates, such
as macrocyclic polyethers for complexing .sup.223Ra, may be
used.
[0122] Therapeutic agents include, for example, chemotherapeutic
drugs such as vinca alkaloids, anthracyclines, epidophyllotoxins,
taxanes, antimetabolites, alkylating agents, antibiotics, Cox-2
inhibitors, antimitotics, antiangiogenic and proapoptotic agents,
particularly doxorubicin, methotrexate, taxol, CPT-11,
camptothecans, and others from these and other classes of
anticancer agents, and the like. Other cancer chemotherapeutic
drugs include nitrogen mustards, alkyl sulfonates, nitrosoureas,
triazenes, folic acid analogs, pyrimidine analogs, purine analogs,
platinum coordination complexes, hormones, and the like. Suitable
chemotherapeutic agents are described in REMINGTON'S PHARMACEUTICAL
SCIENCES, 19th Ed. (Mack Publishing Co. 1995), and in GOODMAN AND
GILMAN'S THE PHARMACOLOGICAL BASIS OF THERAPEUTICS, 7th Ed.
(MacMillan Publishing Co. 1985), as well as revised editions of
these publications. Other suitable chemotherapeutic agents, such as
experimental drugs, are known to those of skill in the art, and may
be conjugated to the stably tethered structures described herein
using methods that are known in the art.
[0123] Another class of therapeutic agents consists of
radionuclides that emit .alpha.-particles (such as .sup.212Pb,
.sup.212Bi, .sup.213Bi, .sup.211At, .sup.223Ra, .sup.225Ac),
.beta.-particles (such as .sup.32P, .sup.33P, .sup.47Sc, .sup.67Cu,
.sup.67Ga, .sup.89Sr, .sup.90Y, .sup.111Ag, .sup.125I, .sup.131I,
.sup.142Pr, .sup.153Sm, .sup.161Tb, .sup.166Ho, .sup.166Dy,
.sup.177Dy, .sup.186Re, .sup.188Re, .sup.189Re), or Auger electrons
(such as .sup.111In, .sup.125I, .sup.67Ga, .sup.191Os, .sup.193mPt,
.sup.195mPt, .sup.195mHg). The stably tethered structures may be
labeled with one or more of the above radionuclides using methods
as described for the diagnostic agents.
[0124] A suitable peptide containing a detectable label (e.g., a
fluorescent molecule), or a cytotoxic agent, (e.g., a radioiodine),
can be covalently, non-covalently, or otherwise associated with the
stably tethered structures. For example, a therapeutically useful
conjugate can be obtained by incorporating a photoactive agent or
dye onto the stably tethered structures. Fluorescent compositions,
such as fluorochrome, and other chromogens, or dyes, such as
porphyrins sensitive to visible light, have been used to detect and
to treat lesions by directing the suitable light to the lesion. In
therapy, this has been termed photoradiation, phototherapy, or
photodynamic therapy. See Joni et al. (eds.), PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY
OF TUMORS AND OTHER DISEASES (Libreria Progetto 1985); van den
Bergh, Chem. Britain (1986), 22:430. Moreover, monoclonal
antibodies have been coupled with photoactivated dyes for achieving
phototherapy. See Mew et al., J. Immunol. (1983), 130:1473; idem.,
Cancer Res. (1985), 45:4380; Oseroff et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
USA (1986), 83:8744; idem., Photochem. Photobiol. (1987), 46:83;
Hasan et al., Prog. Clin. Biol. Res. (1989), 288:471; Tatsuta et
al., Lasers Surg. Med. (1989), 9:422; Pelegrin et al., Cancer
(1991), 67:2529. Endoscopic or laparoscopic applications are also
contemplated. Endoscopic methods of detection and therapy are
described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,412; U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,338; U.S.
Pat. No. 5,716,595; U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,119; U.S. Pat. No.
5,922,302; U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,289; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,350,
which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
[0125] In certain embodiments, the novel constructs and methods
disclosed herein are useful for targeted delivery of RNAi for
therapeutic intervention. The delivery vehicle can be a stably
tethered structure with an internalizing antibody binding domain
fused to human protamine (peptide of .about.50 amino acid residues)
as its precursor. An example of an a.sub.2 construct of use would
be VH-CH1-hP1-DDD1//VL-CL or VH-CH1-hP2-DDD1//VL-CL, where hP1 and
hP2 are human protamine 1 and human protamine 2, respectively; both
capable of forming stable DNA complexes for in vivo applications
(Nat. Biotechnol. 23: 709-717, 2005; Gene Therapy. 13: 194-195,
2006). An example of an a.sub.4 construct of use would be
VH-CH1-hP1-DDD2//VL-CL or VH-CH1-hP2-DDD2//VL-CL, which would
provide four active Fab fragments, each carrying a human protamine
for binding to RNAi. The multivalent complex will facilitate the
binding to and receptor-mediated internalization into target cells,
where the noncovalently bound RNAi is dissociated in the endosomes
and released into cytoplasm. As no redox chemistry is involved, the
existence of 3 intramolecular disulfide bonds in hP1 or hP2 does
not present a problem. In addition to delivery of RNAi, these
constructs may also be of use for targeted delivery of therapeutic
genes or DNA vaccines. Another area of use is to apply the
technology for producing intrabodies, which is the protein analog
of RNAi in terms of function.
Therapeutic Agents
[0126] Pharmaceutical Compositions
[0127] In some embodiments, a stably tethered structure and/or one
or more other therapeutic agents may be administered to a subject,
such as a subject with cancer. Such agents may be administered in
the form of pharmaceutical compositions. Generally, this will
entail preparing compositions that are essentially free of
impurities that could be harmful to humans or animals. One skilled
in the art would know that a pharmaceutical composition can be
administered to a subject by various routes including, for example,
orally or parenterally, such as intravenously.
[0128] In certain embodiments, an effective amount of a therapeutic
agent must be administered to the subject. An "effective amount" is
the amount of the agent that produces a desired effect. An
effective amount will depend, for example, on the efficacy of the
agent and on the intended effect. For example, a lesser amount of
an antiangiogenic agent may be required for treatment of a
hyperplastic condition, such as macular degeneration or
endometriosis, compared to the amount required for cancer therapy
in order to reduce or eliminate a solid tumor, or to prevent or
reduce its metastasizing. An effective amount of a particular agent
for a specific purpose can be determined using methods well known
to those in the art.
[0129] Chemotherapeutic Agents
[0130] In certain embodiments, chemotherapeutic agents may be
administered. Anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents of use include,
but are not limited to, 5-fluorouracil, bleomycin, busulfan,
camptothecins, carboplatin, chlorambucil, cisplatin (CDDP),
cyclophosphamide, dactinomycin, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, estrogen
receptor binding agents, etoposide (VP16), farnesyl-protein
transferase inhibitors, gemcitabine, ifosfamide, mechlorethamine,
melphalan, methotrexate, mitomycin, navelbine, nitrosurea,
plicomycin, procarbazine, raloxifene, tamoxifen, taxol,
temazolomide (an aqueous form of DTIC), transplatinum, vinblastine
and methotrexate, vincristine, or any analog or derivative variant
of the foregoing. Chemotherapeutic agents of use against infectious
organisms include, but are not limited to, acyclovir, albendazole,
amantadine, amikacin, amoxicillin, amphotericin B, ampicillin,
aztreonam, azithromycin, bacitracin, bactrim, Batrafen.RTM.,
bifonazole, carbenicillin, caspofungin, cefaclor, cefazolin,
cephalosporins, cefepime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, chloramphenicol,
cidofovir, Cipro.RTM., clarithromycin, clavulanic acid,
clotrimazole, cloxacillin, doxycycline, econazole, erythrocycline,
erythromycin, flagyl, fluconazole, flucytosine, foscarnet,
furazolidone, ganciclovir, gentamycin, imipenem, isoniazid,
itraconazole, kanamycin, ketoconazole, lincomycin, linezolid,
meropenem, miconazole, minocycline, naftifine, nalidixic acid,
neomycin, netilmicin, nitrofurantoin, nystatin, oseltamivir,
oxacillin, paromomycin, penicillin, pentamidine,
piperacillin-tazobactam, rifabutin, rifampin, rimantadine,
streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, sulfasalazine, tetracycline,
tioconazole, tobramycin, tolciclate, tolnaftate, trimethoprim
sulfamethoxazole, valacyclovir, vancomycin, zanamir, and
zithromycin.
[0131] Chemotherapeutic agents and methods of administration,
dosages, etc., are well known to those of skill in the art (see for
example, the "Physicians Desk Reference", Goodman & Gilman's
"The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics" and in "Remington's
Pharmaceutical Sciences", incorporated herein by reference in
relevant parts). Some variation in dosage will necessarily occur
depending on the condition of the subject being treated. The person
responsible for administration will, in any event, determine the
appropriate dose for the individual subject.
Hormones
[0132] Corticosteroid hormones can increase the effectiveness of
other chemotherapy agents, and consequently, they are frequently
used in combination treatments. Prednisone and dexamethasone are
examples of corticosteroid hormones. Progestins, such as
hydroxyprogesterone caproate, medroxyprogesterone acetate, and
megestrol acetate, have been used in cancers of the endometrium and
breast. Estrogens such as diethylstilbestrol and ethinyl estradiol
have been used in cancers such as prostate cancer. Antiestrogens
such as tamoxifen have been used in cancers such as breast cancer.
Androgens such as testosterone propionate and fluoxymesterone have
also been used in treating breast cancer.
[0133] Angiogenesis Inhibitors
[0134] In certain embodiments, anti-angiogenic agents, such as
angiostatin, baculostatin, canstatin, maspin, anti-VEGF antibodies,
anti-P1GF peptides and antibodies, anti-vascular growth factor
antibodies, anti-Flk-1 antibodies, anti-Flt-1 antibodies and
peptides, laminin peptides, fibronectin peptides, plasminogen
activator inhibitors, tissue metalloproteinase inhibitors,
interferons, interleukin-12, IP-10, Gro-.beta., thrombospondin,
2-methoxyoestradiol, proliferin-related protein,
carboxiamidotriazole, CM101, Marimastat, pentosan polysulphate,
angiopoietin-2, interferon-alpha, herbimycin A, PNU145156E, 16K
prolactin fragment, Linomide, thalidomide, pentoxifylline,
genistein, TNP-470, endostatin, paclitaxel, accutin, angiostatin,
cidofovir, vincristine, bleomycin, AGM-1470, platelet factor 4 or
minocycline may be of use.
[0135] Immunomodulators
[0136] As used herein, the term "immunomodulator" includes
cytokines, stem cell growth factors, lymphotoxins and hematopoietic
factors, such as interleukins, colony-stimulating factors,
interferons (e.g., interferons-.alpha., -.beta. and -.gamma.) and
the stem cell growth factor designated "Si factor." Examples of
suitable immunomodulator moieties include IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12,
IL-18, IL-21, interferon-gamma, TNF-alpha, and the like.
[0137] The term "cytokine" is a generic term for proteins or
peptides released by one cell population which act on another cell
as intercellular mediators. As used broadly herein, examples of
cytokines include lymphokines, monokines, growth factors and
traditional polypeptide hormones. Included among the cytokines are
growth hormones such as human growth hormone, N-methionyl human
growth hormone, and bovine growth hormone; parathyroid hormone;
thyroxine; insulin; proinsulin; relaxin; prorelaxin; glycoprotein
hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid
stimulating hormone (TSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH); hepatic
growth factor; prostaglandin, fibroblast growth factor; prolactin;
placental lactogen, OB protein; tumor necrosis factor-.alpha. and
-.beta.; mullerian-inhibiting substance; mouse
gonadotropin-associated peptide; inhibin; activin; vascular
endothelial growth factor; integrin; thrombopoietin (TPO); nerve
growth factors such as NGF-.beta.; platelet-growth factor;
transforming growth factors (TGFs) such as TGF-.alpha. and
TGF-.beta.; insulin-like growth factor-I and -II; erythropoietin
(EPO); osteoinductive factors; interferons such as
interferon-.alpha., -.beta., and -.gamma.; colony stimulating
factors (CSFs) such as macrophage-CSF (M-CSF);
granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF); and granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF);
interleukins (ILs) such as IL-1, IL-1.alpha., IL-2, IL-3, IL-4,
IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-11, IL-12; IL-13, IL-14,
IL-15, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, IL-21, LIF, G-CSF, GM-CSF, M-CSF, EPO,
kit-ligand or FLT-3, angiostatin, thrombospondin, endostatin, tumor
necrosis factor and LT. As used herein, the term cytokine includes
proteins from natural sources or from recombinant cell culture and
biologically active equivalents of the native sequence
cytokines.
[0138] Chemokines generally act as chemoattractants to recruit
immune effector cells to the site of chemokine expression.
Chemokines include, but are not limited to, RANTES, MCAF,
MIP1-alpha, MIP1-Beta, and IP-10. The skilled artisan will
recognize that certain cytokines are also known to have
chemoattractant effects and could also be classified under the term
chemokines. Similarly, the terms immunomodulator and cytokine
overlap in their respective members.
[0139] Radioisotope Therapy and Radioimmunotherapy
[0140] In some embodiments, the peptides and/or proteins may be of
use in radionuclide therapy or radioimmunotherapy methods (see,
e.g., Govindan et al., 2005, Technology in Cancer Research &
Treatment, 4:375-91; Sharkey and Goldenberg, 2005, J. Nucl. Med.
46:115 S-127S; Goldenberg et al. (J Clin Oncol 2006; 24:823-834),
"Antibody Pre-targeting Advances Cancer Radioimmunodetection and
Radioimmunotherapy," each incorporated herein by reference.) In
specific embodiments, stably tethered structures may be directly
tagged with a radioisotope of use and administered to a subject. In
alternative embodiments, radioisotope(s) may be administered in a
pre-targeting method as discussed above, using a haptenic peptide
or ligand that is radiolabeled and injected after administration of
a bispecific stably tethered structure that localizes at the site
of elevated expression in the diseased tissue.
[0141] Radioactive isotopes useful for treating diseased tissue
include, but are not limited to--.sup.111In, .sup.177Lu,
.sup.212Bi, .sup.213Bi, .sup.211At, .sup.62Cu, .sup.67Cu, .sup.90Y,
.sup.125I, .sup.131I, .sup.32P, .sup.33P, .sup.47Sc, .sup.111Ag,
.sup.67Ga, .sup.142Pr, .sup.153Sm, .sup.161Tb, .sub.166Dy,
.sup.166Ho, .sup.186Re, .sup.188Re, .sup.189Re, .sup.212Pb,
.sup.223Ra, .sup.225Ac, .sup.59Fe, .sup.75Se, .sup.77As, .sup.89Sr,
.sup.99Mo, .sup.105Rh, .sup.109Pd, .sup.143Pr, .sup.149Pm,
.sup.169Er, .sup.194Ir, .sup.198Au, .sup.199Au, and .sup.211Pb. The
therapeutic radionuclide preferably has a decay energy in the range
of 20 to 6,000 keV, preferably in the ranges 60 to 200 keV for an
Auger emitter, 100-2,500 keV for a beta emitter, and 4,000-6,000
keV for an alpha emitter. Maximum decay energies of useful
beta-particle-emitting nuclides are preferably 20-5,000 keV, more
preferably 100-4,000 keV, and most preferably 500-2,500 keV. Also
preferred are radionuclides that substantially decay with
Auger-emitting particles. For example, Co-58, Ga-67, Br-80m,
Tc-99m, Rh-103m, Pt-109, In-111, Sb-119, 1-125, Ho-161, Os-189m and
Ir-192. Decay energies of useful beta-particle-emitting nuclides
are preferably <1,000 keV, more preferably <100 keV, and most
preferably <70 keV. Also preferred are radionuclides that
substantially decay with generation of alpha-particles. Such
radionuclides include, but are not limited to: Dy-152, At-211,
Bi-212, Ra-223, Rn-219, Po-215, Bi-211, Ac-225, Fr-221, At-217,
Bi-213 and Fm-255. Decay energies of useful alpha-particle-emitting
radionuclides are preferably 2,000-10,000 keV, more preferably
3,000-8,000 keV, and most preferably 4,000-7,000 keV.
[0142] For example, .sup.67Cu, considered one of the more promising
radioisotopes for radioimmunotherapy due to its 61.5 hour half-life
and abundant supply of beta particles and gamma rays, can be
conjugated to a protein or peptide using the chelating agent,
p-bromoacetamido-benzyl-tetraethylaminetetraacetic acid (TETA).
Alternatively, .sup.90Y, which emits an energetic beta particle,
can be coupled to a peptide, antibody, fusion protein, or fragment
thereof, using diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA).
[0143] Additional potential radioisotopes include .sup.11C,
.sup.13N, .sup.15O, .sup.75Br, .sup.198Au, .sup.224Ac, .sup.126I,
.sup.133I, .sup.77Br, .sup.113mIn, .sup.95Ru, .sup.97Ru,
.sup.103Ru, .sup.105Ru, .sup.107Hg, .sup.203Hg, .sup.121mTe,
.sup.122mTe, .sup.125mTe, .sup.165Tm, .sup.167Tm, .sup.168Tm,
.sup.197Pt, .sup.109Pd, .sup.105Rh, .sup.142Pr, .sup.143Pr,
.sup.161Tb, .sup.166HO, .sup.199Au, .sup.57Co, .sup.58Co,
.sup.51Cr, .sup.59Fe, .sup.75Se, .sup.201Tl, .sup.225Ac, .sup.76Br,
.sup.169Yb, and the like.
[0144] In another embodiment, a radiosensitizer can be used. The
addition of the radiosensitizer can result in enhanced efficacy.
Radiosensitizers are described in D. M. Goldenberg (ed.), CANCER
THERAPY WITH RADIOLABELED ANTIBODIES, CRC Press (1995), which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0145] The stably tethered structure that has a boron addend-loaded
carrier for thermal neutron activation therapy will normally be
effective in some ways. However, it will be advantageous to wait
until non-targeted immunoconjugate clears before neutron
irradiation is performed. Clearance can be accelerated using an
antibody that binds to the ligand. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,846 for
a description of this general principle. For example, boron addends
such as carboranes, can be attached to antibodies. Carboranes can
be prepared with carboxyl functions on pendant side chains, as is
well-known in the art. Attachment of carboranes to a carrier, such
as aminodextran, can be achieved by activation of the carboxyl
groups of the carboranes and condensation with amines on the
carrier. The intermediate conjugate is then conjugated to the
antibody. After administration of the conjugate, a boron addend is
activated by thermal neutron irradiation and converted to
radioactive atoms which decay by alpha-emission to produce highly
toxic, short-range effects.
Kits
[0146] Various embodiments may concern kits containing components
suitable for treating or diagnosing diseased tissue in a patient.
Exemplary kits may contain at least one stably tethered structure.
If the composition containing components for administration is not
formulated for delivery via the alimentary canal, such as by oral
delivery, a device capable of delivering the kit components through
some other route may be included. One type of device, for
applications such as parenteral delivery, is a syringe that is used
to inject the composition into the body of a subject. Inhalation
devices may also be used.
[0147] The kit components may be packaged together or separated
into two or more separate containers. In some embodiments, the
containers may be vials that contain sterile, lyophilized
formulations of a composition that are suitable for reconstitution.
A kit may also contain one or more buffers suitable for
reconstitution and/or dilution of other reagents. Other containers
that may be used include, but are not limited to, a pouch, tray,
box, tube, or the like. Kit components may be packaged and
maintained sterilely within the containers. Another component that
can be included is instructions to a person using a kit for its
use.
Formulation and Administration
[0148] The stably tethered structures, including their conjugates,
may be further formulated to obtain compositions that include one
or more pharmaceutically suitable excipients, one or more
additional ingredients, or some combination of these. These can be
accomplished by known methods to prepare pharmaceutically useful
dosages, whereby the active ingredients (i.e., the stably tethered
structures or conjugates), are combined in a mixture with one or
more pharmaceutically suitable excipients. Sterile
phosphate-buffered saline is one example of a pharmaceutically
suitable excipient. Other suitable excipients are well known to
those in the art. See, e.g., Ansel et al., PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE
FORMS AND DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS, 5th Edition (Lea & Febiger
1990), and Gennaro (ed.), REMINGTON'S PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, 18th
Edition (Mack Publishing Company 1990), and revised editions
thereof.
[0149] The preferred route for administration of the compositions
described herein is parental injection. In parenteral
administration, the compositions will be formulated in a unit
dosage injectable form such as a solution, suspension or emulsion,
in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. Such
excipients are inherently nontoxic and nontherapeutic. Examples of
such excipients are saline, Ringer's solution, dextrose solution
and Hank's solution. Nonaqueous excipients such as fixed oils and
ethyl oleate may also be used. A preferred excipient is 5% dextrose
in saline. The excipient may contain minor amounts of additives
such as substances that enhance isotonicity and chemical stability,
including buffers and preservatives. Other methods of
administration, including oral administration, are also
contemplated.
[0150] Formulated compositions comprising stably tethered
structures can be used for intravenous administration via, for
example, bolus injection or continuous infusion. Compositions for
injection can be presented in unit dosage form, e.g., in ampules or
in multi-dose containers, with an added preservative. Compositions
can also take such forms as suspensions, solutions or emulsions in
oily or aqueous vehicles, and can contain formulatory agents such
as suspending, stabilizing and/or dispersing agents. Alternatively,
the compositions can be in powder form for constitution with a
suitable vehicle, e.g., sterile pyrogen-free water, before use.
[0151] The compositions may be administered in solution. The pH of
the solution should be in the range of pH 5 to 9.5, preferably pH
6.5 to 7.5. The formulation thereof should be in a solution having
a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable buffer such as phosphate,
tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-HCl or citrate and the like. Buffer
concentrations should be in the range of 1 to 100 mM. The
formulated solution may also contain a salt, such as sodium
chloride or potassium chloride in a concentration of 50 to 150 mM.
An effective amount of a stabilizing agent such as glycerol,
albumin, a globulin, a detergent, a gelatin, a protamine or a salt
of protamine may also be included. Systemic administration of the
formulated composition is typically made every two to three days or
once a week if a humanized form of the antibody is used as a
template for the stably tethered structures. Alternatively, daily
administration is useful. Usually administration is by either
intramuscular injection or intravascular infusion.
[0152] The compositions may be administered to a mammal
subcutaneously or by other parenteral routes. Moreover, the
administration may be by continuous infusion or by single or
multiple boluses. Methods useful for the antibodies or
immunoconjugates can be applied to the compositions described
herein. In general, the dosage of an administered immunoconjugate,
fusion protein or naked antibody for humans will vary depending
upon such factors as the patient's age, weight, height, sex,
general medical condition and previous medical history. Typically,
it is desirable to provide the recipient with a dosage of the
active ingredient that is in the range of from about 1 mg/kg to 20
mg/kg as a single intravenous infusion, although a lower or higher
dosage also may be administered as circumstances dictate. This
dosage may be repeated as needed, for example, once per week for
4-10 weeks, preferably once per week for 8 weeks, and more
preferably, once per week for 4 weeks. It may also be given less
frequently, such as every other week for several months. The dosage
may be given through various parenteral routes, with appropriate
adjustment of the dose and schedule. In various exemplary
embodiments, dosages may range from 100 to 500 mg, from 200 to 1000
mg, from 500 to 2000 mg, from 100 to 250 mg, from 250 to 500 mg,
from 500 to 1000 mg, or other ranges known for antibody, antibody
fragment or fusion protein administration.
[0153] Pharmaceutical methods employed to control the duration of
action of immunoconjugates or antibodies may be applied to the
formulated compositions described herein. Control release
preparations can be achieved through the use of biocompatible
polymers to complex or adsorb the immunoconjugate or naked
antibody, for example, matrices of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)
and matrices of a polyanhydride copolymer of a stearic acid dimer
and sebacic acid. See Sherwood et al., Bio/Technology (1992), 10:
1446. The rate of release of an immunoconjugate or antibody from
such a matrix depends upon the molecular weight of the
immunoconjugate or antibody, the amount of immunoconjugate,
antibody within the matrix, and the size of dispersed particles.
See Saltzman et al., Biophys. J (1989), 55: 163; Sherwood et al.,
supra. Other solid dosage forms are described in Ansel et al.,
PHARMACEUTICAL DOSAGE FORMS AND DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS, 5th Edition
(Lea & Febiger 1990), and Gennaro (ed.), REMINGTON'S
PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, 18th Edition (Mack Publishing Company
1990), and revised editions thereof.
[0154] For purposes of therapy, the composition is administered to
a mammal in a therapeutically effective amount. A suitable subject
for the therapeutic and diagnostic methods disclosed herein is
usually a human, although a non-human animal subject, such as
mammals, cats, dogs, horses, pigs, goats, cows, alpacas, llamas or
sheep is also contemplated.
[0155] The stably tethered structures disclosed herein are
particularly useful in the method of treating autoimmune disorders,
disclosed in pending U.S. Ser. No. 09/590,284 filed on Jun. 9, 2000
entitled "Immunotherapy of Autoimmune Disorders using Antibodies
that Target B-Cells," which is incorporated in its entirety by
reference. Compositions containing such binding structures are
preferably administered intravenously or intramuscularly at a dose
of 20-5000 mg. Administration may also be intranasal or by other
nonparenteral routes. The compositions may also be administered via
microspheres, liposomes or other microparticulate delivery systems
placed in certain tissues including blood.
[0156] The compositions may be administered by aerosol to achieve
localized delivery to the lungs. Either an aqueous aerosol or a
nonaqueous (e.g., fluorocarbon propellent) suspension could be
used. Sonic nebulizers preferably are used in preparing aerosols to
minimize exposing the stably tethered structure in the compositions
to shear, which can result in its degradation and loss of
activity.
[0157] In general, the dosage of administration will vary depending
upon such factors as the patient's age, weight, height, sex,
general medical condition and previous medical history. Preferably,
a saturating dose of the stably tethered structure is administered
to a patient.
[0158] Typically, it is desirable to provide the recipient with a
dosage that is in the range of from about 50 to 500 milligrams of
the stably tethered structure, although a lower or higher dosage
also may be administered as circumstances dictate. Examples of
dosages include 20 to 1500 milligrams protein per dose, 20 to 500
milligrams protein per dose, 20 to 100 milligrams protein per dose,
20 to 1000 milligrams protein per dose, 100 to 1500 milligrams
protein per dose. In the embodiments where the composition
comprises a radionuclide, the dosage may be measured by
millicurries. In the case of .sup.90Y, the dosage may be between 15
and 40 mCi, 10 and 30 mCi, 20 and 30 mCi, or 10 and 20 mCi.
[0159] A stably tethered structure linked to a radionuclide is
particularly effective for microbial therapy. After it has been
determined that the stably tethered structure is localized at one
or more infectious sites in a subject, higher doses of the labeled
composition, generally from 20 mCi to 150 mCi per dose for
.sup.131I, 5 mCi to 30 mCi per dose for .sup.90Y, or 5 mCi to 20
mCi per dose of .sup.186Re, each based on a 70 kg patient weight,
are injected. Injection may be intravenous, intraarterial,
intralymphatic, intrathecal, or intracavitary (i.e., parenterally),
and may be repeated. It may be advantageous for some therapies to
administer multiple, divided doses, thus providing higher microbial
toxic doses without usually effecting a proportional increase in
radiation of normal tissues.
[0160] Chemotherapeutic agents, antimicrobial agents, cytokines,
granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte
macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), erythropoietin,
thrombopoietin, and the like, which are not chemically linked to
the stably tethered structures, may be administered before, during,
or after the administration of the composition. Alternatively, such
agents may be attached to the stably tethered structures.
[0161] The stably tethered structures in the a.sub.2b format are
particularly suitable as pretargeting agents. A exemplary structure
will consist of two scFv or Fab subunits as a.sub.2 that bind
bivalently to a target tissue or cell, and one scFv or Fab subunit
as b that binds to a hapten. Such a bispecific trivalent structure
is first administered to a subject, optionally followed by a
clearing agent, followed by administration of an agent in which the
hapten is bound to a functional agent, such as a detectable label
for diagnosis, or a therapeutic agent for methods of treatment. The
skilled artisan will be aware that other known methods of using
bispecific antibodies may also be practiced using the stably
tethered structures. These methods of diagnosis and therapy may be
applied in essentially any circumstance in which antibody-based
agents have been used for diagnosis or therapy. As discussed below,
bispecific hexavalent stably tethered structures may also be
utilized for the same purposes as bispecific trivalent
structures.
Uses for Treatment and Diagnosis: Applications not Involving
Pretargeting
[0162] The stably tethered structures, including their conjugates,
are suitable for use in a wide variety of therapeutic and
diagnostic applications that utilize antibodies or immunoconjugates
and do not require pretargeting. For example, the trivalent
structures can be used for therapy as a "naked" construct, i.e. in
an embodiment where such a structure is not conjugated to an
additional functional agent, in the same manner as therapy using a
naked antibody. Alternatively, the stably tethered structures can
be derivatized with one or more functional agents to enable
diagnostic or therapeutic applications. The additional agent may be
covalently linked to the stably tethered structures as described
above.
[0163] Also contemplated is the use of radioactive and
non-radioactive diagnostic agents, which are linked to the stably
tethered structures. Suitable non-radioactive diagnostic agents are
those used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed
tomography (CT) or ultrasound. MRI agents include, for example,
non-radioactive metals, such as manganese, iron and gadolinium,
which are complexed with suitable chelates such as 2-benzyl-DTPA
and its monomethyl and cyclohexyl analogs. See U.S. Ser. No.
09/921,290 filed on Oct. 10, 2001, which is incorporated in its
entirety by reference.
[0164] The stably tethered structures may be labeled with a
radioisotope useful for diagnostic imaging. Suitable radioisotopes
may include those in the energy range of 60 to 4,000 KeV, or more
specifically, .sup.18F, .sup.52Fe, .sup.62Cu, .sup.64Cu, .sup.67CU,
.sup.67Ga, .sup.68Ga, .sup.86Y, .sup.89Zr .sup.94mTc, .sup.94Tc,
.sup.99mTc, .sup.45Ti, .sup.111In, .sup.123I, .sup.124I, .sup.125I,
.sup.131I, .sup.154-158Gd, .sup.177Lu, .sup.32P, .sup.188Re, and
the like, or a combination thereof. See, e.g., U.S. patent
application entitled "Labeling Targeting Agents with
Gallium-68"--Inventors G. L. Griffiths and W. J. McBride, and U.S.
Provisional Application No. 60/342,104, which discloses positron
emitters, such as .sup.18F, .sup.68Ga, .sup.94mTc, and the like,
for imaging purposes; incorporated entirely by reference).
Detection can be achieved, for example, by single photon emission
computed tomography (SPECT), or positron emission tomography (PET).
The application also may be for intraoperative diagnosis to
identify occult neoplastic tumors.
[0165] In another embodiment the stably tethered structures may be
labeled with one or more radioactive isotopes useful for killing
neoplastic or other rapidly dividing cells, which include
.beta.-emitters (such as .sup.32P, .sup.33P, .sup.47Sc, .sup.67Cu,
.sup.67Ga, .sup.89Sr, .sup.90Y, .sup.111Ag, .sup.125I, .sup.131I,
.sup.142Pr, .sup.153Sm, .sup.61Tb, .sup.166Ho, .sup.166Dy,
.sup.177Lu, .sup.186Re, .sup.188Re, .sup.189Re), Auger electron
emitters (such as .sup.111In, .sup.125I, .sup.67Ga, .sup.191Os,
.sup.193mPt, .sup.195mPt, .sup.195mHg), .alpha.-emitters (such as
.sup.212Pb, .sup.212Bi, .sup.213Bi, .sup.211At, .sup.223Ra,
.sup.225Ac), or a combination thereof.
[0166] The stably tethered structures may be used for MRI by
linking to one or more image enhancing agents, which may include
complexes of metals selected from the group consisting of chromium
(III), manganese (II), iron (III), iron (II), cobalt (II), nickel
(II), copper (II), neodymium (III), samarium (III), ytterbium
(III), gadolinium (III), vanadium (II), terbium (III), dysprosium
(III), holmium (III) and erbium (III). Similarly, the stably
tethered structures may be used for ultrasound imaging by linking
to one or more image enhancing agents currently on the market. U.S.
Pat. No. 6,331,175 describes MRI technique and the preparation of
antibodies conjugated to an MRI enhancing agent and is incorporated
in its entirety by reference.
[0167] A functional protein, such as a toxin, may be present in the
stably tethered structures in several ways. For example, a
functional protein may serve as the precursor for either component
of the binary complex by fusing to either DDD2 or AD2, which is
then combined with a targeting entity, composed of, for example,
Fab/AD2 or Fab/DDD2, respectively. Alternatively, a functional
protein can be fused to a targeting structure to serve as a
precursor for A, and the resulting A is optionally paired with a
suitable B. Toxins that may be used in this regard include ricin,
abrin, ribonuclease (RNase), DNase I, Staphylococcal enterotoxin-A,
pokeweed antiviral protein, gelonin, diphtherin toxin, Pseudomonas
exotoxin, and Pseudomonas endotoxin. (See, e.g., Pastan. et al.,
Cell (1986), 47:641, and Goldenberg, C A--A Cancer Journal for
Clinicians (1994), 44:43. Additional toxins suitable for use herein
are known to those of skill in the art and are disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,077,499, which is incorporated in its entirety by
reference. Other functional proteins of interest include various
cytokines, clot-dissolving agents, enzymes, and fluorescent
proteins.
[0168] Also provided is a method of treating a neoplastic disorder
in a subject, by administering to the subject a "naked" stably
tethered binding structure as described above, where at least one
of the antigen binding sites binds to an antigen selected from the
group consisting of carbonic anydrase IX, alpha-fetoprotein, A3,
antigen specific for A33 antibody, Ba 733, BrE3-antigen, CA125,
carcinoembryonic antigen (CEACAM5), CEACAM6, CD1, CD1a, CD3, CD5,
CD15, CD16, CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, CD25, CD30, CD33, CD38,
CD45, CD74, CD79a, CD80, CD138, colon-specific antigen-p (CSAp),
EGFR, EGP-1, EGP-2, Flt-1, Flt-3, folate receptor, HER2/neu,
HLA-DR, human chorionic gonadrotropin, Ia, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8,
insulin-like growth factor, KC4-antigen, KS-1, KS1-4, Le(y),
macrophage-inhibition factor (MIF), MAGE, MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4,
NCA66, NCA95, NCA90, necrosis antigens, antigen bound by p53, PAM-4
antibody, placental growth factor, prostatic acid phosphatase, PSA,
PSMA, RS5, S100, T101, TAC, TAG-72, Tn antigen,
Thomson-Friedenreich antigens, tumor necrosis antigens, tenascin,
TRAIL receptors, ED-B fibronectin, VEGF, 17-1A-antigen, an
angiogenesis marker, an oncogene marker or an oncogene product.
Antibodies against TRAIL receptors, such as TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2,
are well known in the art. (See, e.g., Georgakis et al., Br. J.
Haematol. 2005, 130:501-510; Mori et al., FEBS Lett. 2005,
579:5379-84.) Such antibodies or fragments may be used alone or in
combination with anti-TAA antibodies for cancer therapy.
[0169] The neoplastic disorder may be selected from the group
consisting of carcinomas, sarcomas, gliomas, lymphomas, leukemias,
and melanomas. Exemplary types of tumors that may be targeted
include acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia,
biliary cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, chronic lymphocytic
leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, colorectal cancer,
endometrial cancer, esophageal, gastric, head and neck cancer,
Hodgkin's lymphoma, lung cancer, medullary thyroid, non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, glioma, melanoma,
liver cancer, prostate cancer, and urinary bladder cancer.
[0170] Also provided is a method for treating a B-cell malignancy,
or B-cell immune or autoimmune disorder in a subject, by
administering to the subject one or more dosages of a therapeutic
composition containing a stably tethered binding structure as
described above and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, where
each antigen binding site binds a distinct epitope of CD19, CD20,
CD22 or IL-17. The therapeutic composition may be parenterally
administered in a dosage of 20 to 1500 milligrams protein per dose,
or 20 to 500 milligrams protein per dose, or to 100 milligrams
protein per dose. The subject may receive repeated parenteral
dosages of 20 to 100 milligrams protein per dose, or repeated
parenteral dosages of 20 to 1500 milligrams protein per dose. In
these methods, a sub-fraction of the binding structure may be
labeled with a radioactive isotope, such as .sup.32P, .sup.33P,
.sup.47Sc, .sup.67CU, .sup.67Ga, .sup.90Y, .sup.111Ag, .sup.111In,
.sup.125I, .sup.131I, .sup.142Pr, .sup.153Sm, .sup.161Tb,
.sup.166Dy, .sup.166Ho, .sup.177Lu, .sup.186Re, .sup.188Re,
.sup.189Re, .sup.212Pb, .sup.212Bi, .sup.213Bi, .sup.211At,
.sup.223Ra, and .sup.225Ac, or a combination thereof.
[0171] Also provided is a method for detecting or diagnosing a
B-cell malignancy, or B-cell immune or autoimmune disorder in a
subject, by administering to the subject a diagnostic composition
containing a stably tethered binding structure, where each antigen
binding site binds a distinct epitope of CD19, CD20, CD22 or IL-17,
a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and a radionuclide selected
from the group consisting of .sup.18F, .sup.52Fe, .sup.62Cu,
.sup.64Cu, .sup.67Cu, .sup.67Ga, .sup.68Ga, .sup.86Y, .sup.89Zr
.sup.94mTC, .sup.94Tc, .sup.99mTc, .sup.111In, .sup.123I,
.sup.124I, .sup.125I, .sup.131I, .sup.154-158Gd, .sup.177Lu,
.sup.32P, .sup.45Ti, and .sup.188Re, or a combination thereof.
Detection may be by SPECT or PET as described above. The
application also may be for intraoperative diagnosis to identify
occult neoplastic tumors.
[0172] Also provided is a method for detecting or diagnosing a
B-cell malignancy, or B-cell immune or autoimmune disorder in a
subject, by administering to the subject a diagnostic composition
containing a stably tethered binding structure, where each antigen
binding site binds a distinct epitope of CD19, CD20, CD22 or IL-17,
a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and one or more image
enhancing agents for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The
image enhancing agent may be selected from those described
above.
[0173] Also provided is a method of diagnosing and/or treating a
non-neoplastic disease or disorder, by administering to a subject
suffering from the disease or disorder a stably tethered binding
structure, where a detectable label or therapeutic agent is
attached, and where one or more of the antigen binding sites is
specific for a marker substance of the disease or disorder. The
disease or disorder may be caused by a fungus, such as Microsporum,
Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, Sporothrix schenckii, Cryptococcus
neoformans, Coccidioides immitis, Histoplasma capsulatum,
Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Candida albicans, or a virus, such as
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes virus, cytomegalovirus,
rabies virus, influenza virus, human papilloma virus, hepatitis B
virus, Sendai virus, feline leukemia virus, Reo virus, polio virus,
human serum parvo-like virus, simian virus 40, respiratory
syncytial virus, mouse mammary tumor virus, Varicella-Zoster virus,
Dengue virus, rubella virus, measles virus, adenovirus, human
T-cell leukemia viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, murine leukemia virus,
mumps virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, Sindbis virus, lymphocytic
choriomeningitis virus, and blue tongue virus.
[0174] The disease or disorder may be caused by a bacterium, such
as Anthrax bacillus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Legionella
pneumophilia, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Neisseria
gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Pneumococcus, Hemophilis
influenzae B, Treponema pallidum, Lyme disease spirochetes,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium leprae, Brucella abortus, and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or a Mycoplasma. The disease or
disorder may be caused by a parasite, such as malaria.
[0175] The disease or disorder may be an autoimmune disease, such
as acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, chronic idiopathic
thrombocytopenic purpura, dermatomyositis, Sydenham's chorea,
myasthenia gravis, systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis,
rheumatic fever, polyglandular syndromes, bullous pemphigoid,
diabetes mellitus, Henoch-Schonlein purpura,
post-streptococcalnephritis, erythema nodosum, Takayasu's
arteritis, Addison's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple
sclerosis, sarcoidosis, ulcerative colitis, erythema multiforme,
IgA nephropathy, polyarteritis nodosa, ankylosing spondylitis,
Goodpasture's syndrome, thromboangitisubiterans, Sjogren's
syndrome, primary biliary cirrhosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis,
thyrotoxicosis, scleroderma, chronic active hepatitis,
polymyositis/dermatomyositis, polychondritis, parnphigus vulgaris,
Wegener's granulomatosis, membranous nephropathy, amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis, tabes dorsalis, giant cell
arteritis/polymyalgia, pernicious anemia, rapidly progressive
glomerulonephritis, psoriasis, and fibrosing alveolitis.
[0176] The disease or disorder may be myocardial infarction,
ischemic heart disease, or atherosclerotic plaques, or graft
rejection, or Alzheimer's disease, or caused by atopic tissue. The
disease or disorder may be inflammation caused by accretion of
activated granulocytes, monocytes, lymphoid cells or macrophages at
the site of inflammation, and where the inflammation is caused by
an infectious agent.
[0177] In addition, cells expressing a particular receptor or
overexpressing a receptor may be targeted using a stably tethered
structure wherein either the A or B component contains a ligand for
the receptor that directs binding of the structure to the cell(s)
bearing the receptor. Therapeutic or diagnostic agents can be fused
or conjugated to one or more of the subunits of the structure to
permit methods of diagnosis and therapy.
Uses for Treatment and Diagnosis: Applications Involving
Pretargeting
[0178] Pretargeting is a multistep process originally developed to
resolve the slow blood clearance of directly targeting antibodies,
which contributes to undesirable toxicity to normal tissues, in
particular, bone marrow. With pretargeting, a radionuclide or other
therapeutic agent is attached to a small compound that is cleared
within minutes from the blood. The pretargeting agent, which is
capable of recognizing the small radiolabeled compound in addition
to the target antigen, is administered first, and the radiolabeled
compound is administered at a later time when the pretargeting
agent is sufficiently cleared from the blood.
[0179] Pretargeting methods have been developed to increase the
target:background ratios of detection or therapeutic agents.
Examples of pre-targeting and biotin/avidin approaches are
described, for example, in Goodwin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,713;
Goodwin et al., J. Nucl. Med. 29:226, 1988; Hnatowich et al., J.
Nucl. Med. 28:1294, 1987; Oehr et al., J. Nucl. Med. 29:728, 1988;
Klibanov et al., J. Nucl. Med. 29:1951, 1988; Sinitsyn et al., J.
Nucl. Med. 30:66, 1989; Kalofonos et al., J. Nucl. Med. 31:1791,
1990; Schechter et al., Int. J. Cancer 48:167, 1991; Paganelli et
al., Cancer Res. 51:5960, 1991; Paganelli et al., Nucl. Med.
Commun. 12:211, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,395; Stickney et al.,
Cancer Res. 51:6650, 1991; Yuan et al., Cancer Res. 51:3119, 1991;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,499; U.S. Ser. No. 09/597,580; U.S. Ser. No.
10/361,026; U.S. Ser. No. 09/337,756; U.S. Ser. No. 09/823,746;
U.S. Ser. No. 10/116,116; U.S. Ser. No. 09/382,186; U.S. Ser. No.
10/150,654; U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,381; U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,511; U.S.
Ser. No. 10/114,315; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/386,411;
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/345,641; U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/332,8835; U.S. Provisional Application No.
60/426,379; U.S. Ser. No. 09/823,746; U.S. Ser. No. 09/337,756;
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/342,103; and U.S. Pat. No.
6,962,702, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0180] In a specific, non-limiting example, a pretargeting agent
based on the stably tethered structure contains two identical tumor
antigen binding sites that are specific for CEA and the third
binding site is specific for the hapten, histamine-succinyl-glycine
(HSG). In alternative embodiments, a different tumor-associated
antigen may be targeted, with the same or a different hapten.
[0181] For pretargeting applications, the targetable agent may be a
liposome with a bivalent HSG-peptide covalently attached to the
outside surface of the liposome lipid membrane. The liposome may be
gas filled for contrast or may be filled with a therapeutic or
diagnostic agent.
[0182] A pretargeting method of treating or diagnosing a disease or
disorder in a subject is provided by (1) administering to the
subject a bispecific trivalent or hexavalent binding structure
described above, where the first antigen binding sites are directed
to a marker substance, or marker substances specific for the
disorder, and the second antigen binding sites are directed to a
targetable construct containing a bivalent hapten; (2) optionally
administering to the subject a clearing composition, and allowing
the composition to clear the binding structure from circulation;
and (3) administering to the subject the targetable construct
containing a bivalent hapten, where the targetable construct
further contains one or more chelated or chemically bound
therapeutic or diagnostic agents. The disease or disorder may be as
described above.
[0183] Also provided is a method of antibody dependent enzyme
prodrug therapy (ADEPT) by (1) administering to a patient with a
neoplastic disorder a binding structure as above, where the
structure contains a covalently attached enzyme capable of
activating a prodrug, (2) optionally administering to the subject a
clearing composition, and allowing the composition to clear the
binding structure from circulation, and (3) administering the
prodrug to the patient.
Additional Uses
[0184] In general, the stably tethered structures may be
substituted for antibody-based agents that have shown efficacy for
treating cancers or non-cancer diseases. It is well known that
radioisotopes, drugs, and toxins can be conjugated to antibodies or
antibody fragments which specifically bind to markers produced by
or associated with cancer cells, and that such antibody conjugates
can be used to target the radioisotopes, drugs or toxins to tumor
sites to enhance their therapeutic efficacy and minimize side
effects. Examples of these agents and methods are reviewed in
Wawrzynczak and Thorpe (in Introduction to the Cellular and
Molecular Biology of Cancer, L. M. Franks and N. M. Teich, eds,
Chapter 18, pp. 378-410, Oxford University Press. Oxford, 1986), in
Immunoconjugates. Antibody Conjugates in Radioimaging and Therapy
of Cancer (C. W. Vogel, ed., 3-300, Oxford University Press, N.Y.,
1987), and in Dillman, R. O. (CRC Critical Reviews in
Oncology/Hematology 1:357, CRC Press, Inc., 1984). See also Pastan
et al., Cell (1986), 47:641; Vitetta et al., Science (1987),
238:1098-1104; and Brady et al., Int. J. Rad. Oncol. Biol. Phys.
(1987), 13:1535-1544.
[0185] In certain embodiments, multivalent stably tethered
structures may be of use in treating and/or imaging normal or
diseased tissue and organs, for example using the methods described
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,126,916; 6,077,499; 6,010,680; 5,776,095;
5,776,094; 5,776,093; 5,772,981; 5,753,206; 5,746,996; 5,697,902;
5,328,679; 5,128,119; 5,101,827; and 4,735,210, each incorporated
herein by reference. Additional methods are described in U.S.
application Ser. No. 09/337,756 filed Jun. 22, 1999 and in U.S.
application Ser. No. 09/823,746, filed Apr. 3, 2001. Such imaging
can be conducted by direct labeling of the stably tethered
structure, or by a pretargeted imaging method, as described in
Goldenberg et al, "Antibody Pretargeting Advances Cancer
Radioimmunodetection and Radiotherapy," (in press, J. Clin.
Oncol.), see also U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 20050002945,
20040018557, 20030148409 and 20050014207, each incorporated herein
by reference.
[0186] Other examples of the use of immunoconjugates for cancer and
other forms of therapy have been disclosed, inter alia, in the
following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,331,647, 4,348,376, 4,361,544,
4,468,457, 4,444,744, 4,460,459, 4,460,561 4,624,846, 4,818,709,
4,046,722, 4,671,958, 4,046,784, 5,332,567, 5,443,953, 5,541,297,
5,601,825, 5,635,603, 5,637,288, 5,677,427, 5,686,578, 5,698,178,
5,789,554, 5,922,302, 6,187,287, and 6,319,500. These methods are
also applicable to the methods disclosed herein by the substitution
of the engineered antibodies and antibodies of the previous methods
with the present stably tethered structures.
[0187] In some embodiments, the stably tethered structures
disclosed and claimed herein may be of use in radionuclide therapy
or radioimmunotherapy methods (see, e.g., Govindan et al., 2005,
Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment, 4:375-91; Sharkey
and Goldenberg, 2005, J. Nucl. Med. 46:115 S-127S; Goldenberg et
al. (in press, J. Clin. Oncol.), "Antibody Pretargeting Advances
Cancer Radioimmunodetection and Radioimmunotherapy," each
incorporated herein by reference.)
[0188] In another embodiment, a radiosensitizer can be used in
combination with a naked or conjugated stably tethered structure,
antibody or antibody fragment. For example, the radiosensitizer can
be used in combination with a radiolabeled stably tethered
structure. The addition of the radiosensitizer can result in
enhanced efficacy when compared to treatment with the radiolabeled
stably tethered structure alone. Radiosensitizers are described in
D. M. Goldenberg (ed.), CANCER THERAPY WITH RADIOLABELED
ANTIBODIES, CRC Press (1995), which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
[0189] The stably tethered structures for use in any of the claimed
methods, may be associated or administered with antimicrobial
agents.
[0190] The stably tethered structure, for use in any of the claimed
methods, may be associated or administered with cytokines and
immune modulators. These cytokines and immune modulators, include,
at least, interferons of alpha, beta and gamma, and colony
stimulating factors.
[0191] The disclosed methods may also be of use for stimulating the
immune response in a patient using the stably tethered structures.
In one embodiment, the stably tethered structure may comprise an
antigen binding site (ABS) of an anti-idiotype antibody. Such a
stably tethered structure may mimic an epitope of a
tumor-associated antigen to enhance the body's immune response.
[0192] The stably tethered structure may be used for many
immunological procedures currently employing antibodies. These
procedures include the use of anti-idiotypic antibodies and epitope
conjugated antibodies to boost the immune system. See U.S. Pat.
Nos. 5,798,100; 6,090,381; and 6,132,718. Anti-idiotypic antibodies
are also employed as vaccines against cancers and infectious
diseases. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,440,416 and 6,472,511. Further, a
polyspecific trimeric or hexameric binding structure may bind
multidrug transporter proteins and overcome multidrug resistant
phenotype in cells and pathogens. The antibodies in these methods
may be replaced by the stably tethered structure disclosed
herein.
[0193] Various embodiments concern methods for treating a symptom
of an autoimmune disorder. In the method, a stably tethered
structure is administered to a patient with an autoimmune disorder,
which may be admixed with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier
before administration. The stably tethered structure of this method
should contain at least one ABS with binding specificity to a
B-cell or T-cell antigen epitope. The B cell antigen may be CD22
and the epitope may be epitope A, epitope B, epitope C, epitope D
and epitope E of CD22 and others. The B cell-associated antigen may
also be another cell antigen such as CD 19, CD20, HLA-DR and CD74.
The T-cell antigens may include CD25. In certain embodiments,
stably tethered structures of use to treat autoimmune disease may
be selected to bind to IL-17.
[0194] The ABS may contain a sequence of subhuman primate, murine
monoclonal antibody, chimeric antibody, humanized antibody, or
human origin. For example, the ABS may be of humanized LL2
(anti-CD22), humanized LL1 (anti-CD74) or humanized A20 (anti-CD20)
monoclonal antibody origin.
[0195] The administration may be parenteral with dosages from 20 to
2000 mg per dose. Administration may be repeated until a degree of
reduction in symptoms is achieved.
[0196] The patients who may be treated by the claimed methods
include any animal including humans. Preferably, the animal is a
mammal such as humans, primates, equines, canines and felines.
[0197] The stably tethered structures may be used for the treatment
of diseases that are resistant or refractory towards systemic
chemotherapy. These include various viral, fungal, bacterial and
protozoan infections, as well as particular parasitic infections.
Viral infections include those caused by influenza virus, herpes
virus, Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus, rabies virus
(Rhabdoviridae), papilloma virus, and papovavirus, all of which are
difficult to treat with systemic antibiotic/cytotoxic agents. Use
of multivalent binding structures may provide a higher avidity for
the target viruses, resulting in significantly higher therapeutic
index. Targeted radioimmunotherapy using conjugates of the stably
tethered structures that are labeled with radioisotopes (and
including boron addends activatable with thermal neutron) offers a
new approach to antiviral therapy.
[0198] Protozoans that may be treated by the methods described in
the invention include, e.g., Plasmodia (especially P. falciparum,
the malaria parasite), Toxoplasma gondii (the toxoplasmosis
infectious agent), Leishmaniae (infectious agent in leishmaniasis),
and Escherichia histolytica. Detection and treatment of malaria in
its various stages may be significantly enhanced using the stably
tethered structures. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind to
sporozoite antigens are known. However, since sporozoite antigens
are not shared by blood stage parasites, the use of such mAbs
against sporozoite antigens for targeting is limited to a
relatively short period of time in which the sporozoites are free
in the circulation, just after injection and prior to development
in the host's hepatocytes. Thus, it is preferable to use a mixture
of mAbs that can target more than one parasite stage of a protozoan
(such as P. falciparum), which may be achieved with one or more
than one stably tethered structure having multiple specificity. The
use of conjugates may offer further advantages for imaging, e.g.
with .sup.99mTc, or for therapy, e.g., with .sup.211At or an
antimalarial drug, e.g., pyrimethamine.
[0199] Toxoplasmosis is also resistant to systemic chemotherapy. It
is not clear whether mAbs that bind specifically to T. gondii, or
natural, host antibodies, can play a role in the immune response to
toxoplasmosis but, as in the case of malarial parasites,
appropriately targeted stably tethered structures may be effective
vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic agents.
[0200] Schistosomiasis, a widely prevalent helminth infection, is
initiated by free-swimming cercariae that are carried by some
freshwater snails. As in the case of malaria, there are different
stages of cercariae involved in the infectious process. Stably
tethered structures that bind to a plurality of stages of
cercariae, optionally to a plurality of epitopes on one or more
thereof, and preferably in the form of a polyspecific composite,
can be conjugated to an imaging or therapy agent for effective
targeting and enhanced therapeutic efficacy.
[0201] Stably tethered structures that bind to one or more forms of
Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease, can be
made and used for detection and treatment of this microbial
infection. Stably tethered structures which react with a
cell-surface glycoprotein or other surface antigens on
differentiation stages of the trypanosome are suitable for
directing imaging and therapeutic agents to sites of parasitic
infiltration in the body.
[0202] Another very difficult infectious organism to treat by
available drugs is the leprosy bacillus (Mycobacterium leprae).
Stably tethered structures that specifically bind to a plurality of
epitopes on the surface of M. leprae can be made and may be used,
alone or in combination, to target imaging agents and/or
antibiotic/cytotoxic agents to the bacillus.
[0203] Helminthic parasitic infections, e.g., Strongyloidosis and
Trichinosis, themselves relatively refractory towards
chemotherapeutic agents, are suitable targets for stably tethered
structures. Their diagnosis and therapy may be achieved by
appropriate stably tethered structures or conjugates that bind
specifically to one or, preferably, to a plurality of epitopes on
the parasites.
[0204] Antibodies are available or can easily be raised that
specifically bind to most of the microbes and parasites responsible
for the majority of infections in humans. Many of these have been
used previously for in vitro diagnostic purposes and may be
incorporated into stably tethered structures as components of
antibody conjugates to target diagnostic and therapeutic agents to
sites of infection. Microbial pathogens and invertebrate parasites
of humans and mammals are organisms with complex life cycles having
a diversity of antigens expressed at various stages thereof.
Therefore, targeted treatment can best be effected when stably
tethered structures which recognize antigen determinants on the
different forms are made and used in combination, either as
mixtures or as polyspecific conjugates, linked to the appropriate
therapeutic modality. The same principle applies to using the
reagents comprising stably tethered structures for detecting sites
of infection by attachment of imaging agents, e.g., radionuclides
and/or MRI enhancing agents.
[0205] Other embodiments concern methods of intraoperatively
identifying diseased tissues by administering an effective amount
of a stably tethered structure and a targetable construct where the
stably tethered structure comprises at least one antigen binding
site that specifically binds a targeted tissue and at least one
other antigen binding site that specifically binds the targetable
construct; and wherein said at least one antigen binding site is
capable of binding to a complementary binding moiety on the target
cells, tissues or pathogen or on a molecule produced by or
associated therewith.
[0206] Still other embodiments concern methods for the endoscopic
identification of diseased tissues, in a subject, by administering
an effective amount of a stably tethered structure and
administering a targetable construct. The stably tethered structure
comprises at least one antigen binding site that specifically binds
a targeted tissue and at least one antigen binding site that
specifically binds the targetable construct; and wherein said at
least one antigen binding site shows specific binding to a
complementary binding moiety on the target cells, tissues or
pathogen or on a molecule produced by or associated therewith.
[0207] An alternative method of detection of use is wireless
capsule endoscopy, using an ingested capsule camera/detector of the
type that is commercially available from, for example, Given
Imaging (Norcross Ga.). Certain embodiments concern methods for the
endoscopic identification of diseased tissues, in a subject, by
administering an effective amount of a stably tethered structure,
and administering a targetable construct. In this embodiment, the
stably tethered structure comprises at least one antigen binding
site that specifically binds a targeted tissue and at least one
antigen binding site that specifically binds the targetable
construct; and wherein said at least one antigen binding site shows
specific binding to a complementary binding moiety on the target
cells, tissues or pathogen or on a molecule produced by or
associated therewith.
[0208] Alternative embodiments concern methods for the
intravascular identification of diseased tissues, in a subject by
administering an effective amount of a stably tethered structure
and a targetable construct. The stably tethered structure comprises
at least one antigen binding site (ABS) that specifically binds a
complementary binding moiety on the target cells, tissues or
pathogen or on a molecule produced by or associated with the cell,
tissues or pathogen, and at least one ABS that specifically binds a
targetable construct. The target tissue may be a normal tissue such
as thyroid, liver, heart, ovary, thymus, parathyroid, endometrium,
bone marrow, lymph nodes or spleen.
[0209] Some embodiments concern kits for practicing the claimed
methods. The kit may include a targetable construct. The targetable
construct may be labeled by any of the agents described as suitable
for targetable constructs above. Further, the targetable construct
may be unlabeled but the kit may comprise labeling reagents to
label the targetable construct. The labeling reagents, if included,
may contain the label and a crosslinker. The kit may also contain a
stably tethered structure comprising at least one ABS specific for
the targetable construct and at least one ABS specific for a
targetable tissue. The kit may optionally contain a clearing
composition to remove stably tethered structure from
circulation.
[0210] Targets for Stably Tethered Structures
[0211] Additional disclosure concerning targets for stably tethered
structures are disclosed in provisional U.S. Patent Application
Ser. No. 60/634,076, "Methods and Compositions for Immunotherapy
and Detection of Inflammatory and Immune-dysregulatory Disease,
Infectious Disease, Pathologic Angiogenesis and Cancer," by
Goldenberg et al., filed Dec. 9, 2004, the entire text of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
[0212] In some embodiments, the stably tethered structures claimed
herein react specifically with two different targets. The different
targets may include, but are not limited to, proinflammatory
effectors of the innate immune system, coagulation factors,
complement factors and complement regulatory proteins, targets
specifically associated with an inflammatory or
immune-dysregulatory disorder, with an infectious pathogen, or with
a pathologic angiogenesis or cancer, wherein this latter class of
target is not a proinflammatory effector of the immune system or a
coagulation factor. Thus, in certain embodiments the stably
tethered structure contains at least one binding specificity
related to the diseased cell, pathologic angiogenesis or cancer, or
infectious disease, and at least one specificity to a component of
the immune system, such as a receptor or antigen of B cells, T
cells, neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages, and dendritic cells,
or modulators of coagulation, such as thrombin or tissue factor, or
proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, HMGB-1, and
MIF.
[0213] The stably tethered structure can be naked, but can also be
conjugated to a diagnostic imaging agent (e.g., isotope,
radiological contrast agent) or to a therapeutic agent, including a
radionuclide, a boron compound, an immunomodulator, a peptide a
hormone, a hormone antagonist, an enzyme, oligonucleotides, an
enzyme inhibitor, a photoactive therapeutic agent, a cytotoxic
agent, an angiogenesis inhibitor, and a combination thereof. The
binding of the stably tethered structure to a target can
down-regulate or otherwise affect an immune cell function, but the
stably tethered structure also may bind to other targets that do
not directly affect immune cell function. For example, an
anti-granulocyte antibody, such as against CD66 or CEACAM6 (e.g.,
NCA90 or NCA95), can be used to target granulocytes in infected
tissues, and can also be used to target cancers that express
CEACAM6.
[0214] In one embodiment, the therapeutic agent is an
oligonucleotide. For example, the oligonucleotide can be an
antisense oligonucleotide, or a double stranded interfering RNA
(RNAi) molecule. The oligonucleotide can be against an oncogene
like bcl-2 or p53. An antisense molecule inhibiting bcl-2
expression is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,033. It may be
conjugated to, or form the therapeutic agent portion of a stably
tethered structure. Alternatively, the oligonucleotide may be
administered concurrently or sequentially with the stably tethered
structure.
[0215] In another embodiment, the therapeutic agent is a boron
addend, and treatment entails irradiation with thermal or
epithermal neutrons after localization of the therapeutic agent.
The therapeutic agent also may be a photoactive therapeutic agent,
particularly one that is a chromogen or a dye.
[0216] In a preferred embodiment, the therapeutic agent is a
cytotoxic agent, such as a drug or toxin. Also preferred, the drug
is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen mustards,
ethylenimine derivatives, alkyl sulfonates, nitrosoureas,
gemcitabine, triazenes, folic acid analogs, anthracyclines,
taxanes, COX-2 inhibitors, pyrimidine analogs, purine analogs,
antibiotics, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, epipodophyllotoxins,
platinum coordination complexes, vinca alkaloids, substituted
ureas, methyl hydrazine derivatives, adrenocortical suppressants,
hormone antagonists, endostatin, taxols, SN38, camptothecins,
doxorubicins and their analogs, antimetabolites, alkylating agents,
antimitotics, antiangiogenic, apoptotoic agents, methotrexate,
CPT-11, and a combination thereof.
[0217] In another preferred embodiment, the therapeutic agent is a
toxin derived from a source selected from the group comprising an
animal, a plant, and a microbial source. Preferred toxins include
ricin, abrin, alpha toxin, saporin, ribonuclease (RNase), DNase I,
Staphylococcal enterotoxin-A, pokeweed antiviral protein, gelonin,
diphtherin toxin, Pseudomonas exotoxin, and Pseudomonas
endotoxins.
[0218] The therapeutic agent may be an immunomodulator, such as a
cytokine, a stem cell growth factor, a lymphotoxin, a hematopoietic
factor, a colony stimulating factor (CSF), an interferon (IFN), a
stem cell growth factor, erythropoietin, thrombopoietin and a
combination thereof said lymphotoxin is tumor necrosis factor
(TNF). The hematopoietic factor may be an interleukin (IL), the
colony stimulating factor may be a granulocyte-colony stimulating
factor (G-CSF) or granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor
(GM-CSF)), the interferon may be interferons-.alpha., .beta. or
.gamma., and the stem cell growth factor may be S1 factor.
Alternatively, the immunomodulator may comprise IL-1, IL-2, IL-3,
IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, IL-18, IL-21, interferon-.gamma.,
TNF-.alpha., or a combination thereof.
[0219] Preferred therapeutic radionuclides include beta, alpha, and
Auger emitters, with a keV range of 80-500 keV. Exemplary
therapeutic radioisotopes include .sup.32P, .sup.33P, .sup.47Sc,
.sup.125I, .sup.131I, .sup.86Y, .sup.90Y, 186Re, .sup.188Re,
.sup.189Re, .sup.64Cu, .sup.67Cu, .sup.67Ga, .sup.111In,
.sup.111Ag, .sup.142Pr, .sup.153Sm, .sup.161Tb, .sup.166Dy,
.sup.166Ho, .sup.177Lu, .sup.198Au, .sup.211At, .sup.212Pb,
.sup.212Bi, .sup.213Bi, .sup.223Ra and .sup.225Ac, and combinations
thereof. Exemplary photoactive therapeutic agents are selected from
the group comprising chromogens and dyes.
[0220] Still preferred, the therapeutic agent is an enzyme selected
from the group comprising malate dehydrogenase, staphylococcal
nuclease, delta-V-steroid isomerase, yeast alcohol dehydrogenase,
.alpha.-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, triose phosphate isomerase,
horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, asparaginase, glucose
oxidase, .beta.-galactosidase, ribonuclease, urease, catalase,
glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucoamylase and
acetylcholinesterase.
[0221] Various examples of therapeutic agent peptides are known in
the art and any such known agent may be used. Exemplary therapeutic
peptides include, but are not limited to, hormones, growth factors,
cytokines, chemokines, binding peptides, blocking peptides, toxins,
angiogenic factors, anti-angiogenic factors, antibiotics,
anti-cancer peptides, anti-viral peptides, pharmaceutical peptides,
enzymes, agonists, antagonists, hematopoietic agents such as
erythropoietin and many other clinically useful compounds.
[0222] The stably tethered structure may bind specifically to at
least one proinflammatory effector cytokine, proinflammatory
effector chemokine, or proinflammatory effector receptor.
Proinflammatory effector cytokines to which the stably tethered
structure may bind include, but are not restricted to, MIF, HMGB-1,
TNF-.alpha. (tumor necrosis factor alpha), IL-1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6,
IL-8, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17 and IL-18. Proinflammatory effector
chemokines include, but are not restricted to, CCL19, CCL21, IL-8,
MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein 1), RANTES, MIP-1A (macrophage
inflammatory protein 1A), MIP-1B (macrophage inflammatory protein
1B), ENA-78 (epithelial neutrophil activating peptide 78), IP-10,
GROB (GRO beta), and Eotaxin. Proinflammatory effector receptors
include, but are not restricted to, IL-4R, IL-6R, IL-13R, IL-15R,
IL-17R and IL-18R. The stably tethered structure also may react
specifically with at least one coagulation factor, such as tissue
factor or thrombin. The lymphokines/cytokines react with their
receptors on the immune cells to effect activation, and antibodies
can block activation by neutralizing the lymphokine/cytokine.
Alternatively, antibodies can react with the lymphokine/cytokine
receptors to block activation.
[0223] The different targets to which the stably tethered structure
binds specifically may be from the same or different classes of
effectors and coagulation factors. For example, the two or more
different targets to which the stably tethered structure binds
specifically may be selected from the same class of effectors or
coagulation factors, such as two or more different proinflammatory
effector cytokines, two or more different proinflammatory effector
chemokines, two or more different proinflammatory effector
receptors, or two or more coagulation factors. Alternatively, the
two or more different targets may be selected from different
classes of effectors and coagulation factors. For example, one
target may be a proinflammatory effector of the innate immune
system and one target may be a coagulation factor. Or the stably
tethered structure may react specifically with two different
classes of proinflammatory effectors, such as at least one
proinflammatory effector cytokine and at least one proinflammatory
effector chemokine, at least one proinflammatory effector cytokine
and at least one proinflammatory effector receptor, or at least one
proinflammatory effector chemokine and at least one proinflammatory
effector receptor. It may also be the case that the two different
targets with which the stably tethered structure reacts
specifically are more than one epitope of the same proinflammatory
effector of the innate immune system or more than one epitope of
the same coagulation factor.
[0224] Thus, "two different targets" can refer to two different
antigens, or to two different epitopes of the same antigen.
Multiple antibodies may be used against the same antigen, thus
increasing valency. For example, when targeting MIF or HMGB-1,
particularly for the treatment of sepsis, some cancers, and
atherosclerotic plaques, two antibodies binding to two identical
epitopes of the targets can be incorporated into a stably tethered
structure with another antibody having one or more binding arms to
a different antigen, such as an HLA class II invariant chain
antigen, such as CD74. The antibodies may be selected to bind to
two different antigens, e.g., antibodies to MIF and CD74;
antibodies to HMGB-1 and CD74.
[0225] When a proinflammatory effector receptor is targeted, in a
preferred embodiment the actual target may be an extracellular
domain of the proinflammatory effector receptor. In an alternative
embodiment, the stably tethered structure may comprise at least one
molecule reactive with a proinflammatory effector receptor. This
molecule may be a natural antagonist for said proinflammatory
effector receptor, or a fragment or mutant of this antagonist that
interacts specifically with the receptor. In a preferred
embodiment, the natural antagonist is the natural IL-1 receptor
antagonist, or a fragment or mutant of this antagonist.
[0226] In one embodiment, a target may be an antigen or receptor of
the adaptive immune system. In other embodiments, the target of the
stably tethered structure may occur on cells of the innate immune
system, such as granulocytes, monocytes, macrophages, dendritic
cells, and NK-cells. Other targets include platelets and
endothelial cells. Yet another group of targets is the group
consisting of C5a, LPS, IFN.gamma. and B7. A further group of
suitable targets include CD2, CD3, CD4, CD14, CD18, CD11a, CD20,
CD22, CD23, CD25, CD29, CD38, CD40L, CD52, CD64, CD83, CD147, and
CD154. The CDs are targets on immune cells, which can be blocked to
prevent an immune cell response. CD83 is particularly useful as a
marker of activated dendritic cells (Cao et al., Biochem J., Aug.
23, 2004 (Epub ahead of print); Zinser et al., J. Exp Med.
200(3):345-51 (2004)).
[0227] Certain targets are of particular interest, such as MIF,
HMGB-1, TNF-.alpha., the complement factors and complement
regulatory proteins, and the coagulation factors. MIF is a pivotal
cytokine of the innate immune system and plays an important part in
the control of inflammatory responses. Originally described as a T
lymphocyte-derived factor that inhibited the random migration of
macrophages, the protein known as macrophage migration inhibitory
factor (MIF) was an enigmatic cytokine for almost 3 decades. In
recent years, the discovery of MIF as a product of the anterior
pituitary gland and the cloning and expression of bioactive,
recombinant MIF protein have led to the definition of its critical
biological role in vivo. MIF has the unique property of being
released from macrophages and T lymphocytes that have been
stimulated by glucocorticoids. Once released, MIF overcomes the
inhibitory effects of glucocorticoids on TNF-.alpha., IL-1 beta,
IL-6, and IL-8 production by LPS-stimulated monocytes in vitro and
suppresses the protective effects of steroids against lethal
endotoxemia in vivo. MIF also antagonizes glucocorticoid inhibition
of T-cell proliferation in vitro by restoring IL-2 and IFN-gamma
production. MIF is the first mediator to be identified that can
counter-regulate the inhibitory effects of glucocorticoids and thus
plays a critical role in the host control of inflammation and
immunity. MIF is particularly useful in treating cancer,
pathological angiogenesis, and sepsis or septic shock.
[0228] HMGB-1, a DNA binding nuclear and cytosolic protein, is a
proinflammatory cytokine released by monocytes and macrophages that
have been activated by IL-1.gamma., TNF, or LPS. Via its B box
domain, it induces phenotypic maturation of DCs. It also causes
increased secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1 alpha,
IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, TNF-.alpha. and RANTES. HMGB-1 released by
necrotic cells may be a signal of tissue or cellular injury that,
when sensed by DCs, induces and/or enhances an immune reaction.
Palumbo et al. report that HMBG1 induces mesoangioblast migration
and proliferation (J Cell Biol, 164:441-449 (2004)).
[0229] HMGB-1 is a late mediator of endotoxin-induced lethality
that exhibits significantly delayed kinetics relate to TNF and
IL-1beta. Experimental therapeutics that target specific early
inflammatory mediators such as TNF and IL-1beta alone have not
proven efficacious in the clinic, but stably tethered structures
can improve response by targeting both early and late inflammatory
inflammatory mediators.
[0230] Stably tethered structures that target HMBG-1 are especially
useful in treating arthritis, particularly collagen-induced
arthritis. Stably tethered structures comprising HMBG-1 also are
useful in treating sepsis and/or septic shock. Yang et al., PNAS
USA 101:296-301 (2004); Kokkola et al., Arthritis Rheum, 48:2052-8
(2003); Czura et al., J Infect Dis, 187 Suppl 2:S391-6 (2003);
Treutiger et al., J Intern Med, 254:375-85 (2003).
[0231] TNF-.alpha. is an important cytokine involved in systemic
inflammation and the acute phase response. TNF-.alpha. is released
by stimulated monocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells.
Macrophages, T-cells and B-lymphocytes, granulocytes, smooth muscle
cells, eosinophils, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, mast cells, glial
cells, and keratinocytes also produce TNF-.alpha. after
stimulation. Its release is stimulated by several other mediators,
such as interleukin-1 and bacterial endotoxin, in the course of
damage, e.g., by infection. It has a number of actions on various
organ systems, generally together with interleukins-1 and -6. One
of the actions of TNF-.alpha. is appetite suppression; hence stably
tethered structures for treating cachexia preferably target
TNF-.alpha.. It also stimulates the acute phase response of the
liver, leading to an increase in C-reactive protein and a number of
other mediators. It also is a useful target when treating sepsis or
septic shock.
[0232] The complement system is a complex cascade involving
proteolytic cleavage of serum glycoproteins often activated by cell
receptors. The "complement cascade" is constitutive and
non-specific but it must be activated in order to function.
Complement activation results in a unidirectional sequence of
enzymatic and biochemical reactions. In this cascade, a specific
complement protein, C5, forms two highly active, inflammatory
byproducts, C5a and C5b, which jointly activate white blood cells.
This in turn evokes a number of other inflammatory byproducts,
including injurious cytokines, inflammatory enzymes, and cell
adhesion molecules. Together, these byproducts can lead to the
destruction of tissue seen in many inflammatory diseases. This
cascade ultimately results in induction of the inflammatory
response, phagocyte chemotaxis and opsonization, and cell
lysis.
[0233] The complement system can be activated via two distinct
pathways, the classical pathway and the alternate pathway. Most of
the complement components are numbered (e.g., C1, C2, C3, etc.) but
some are referred to as "Factors." Some of the components must be
enzymatically cleaved to activate their function; others simply
combine to form complexes that are active. Active components of the
classical pathway include C1q, C1r, C1s, C2a, C2b, C3a, C3b, C4a,
and C4b. Active components of the alternate pathway include C3a,
C3b, Factor B, Factor Ba, Factor Bb, Factor D, and Properdin. The
last stage of each pathway is the same, and involves component
assembly into a membrane attack complex. Active components of the
membrane attack complex include C5a, C5b, C6, C7, C8, and C9n.
[0234] While any of these components of the complement system can
be targeted by a stably tethered structure, certain of the
complement components are preferred. C3a, C4a and C5a cause mast
cells to release chemotactic factors such as histamine and
serotonin, which attract phagocytes, antibodies and complement,
etc. These form one group of preferred targets. Another group of
preferred targets includes C3b, C4b and C5b, which enhance
phagocytosis of foreign cells. Another preferred group of targets
are the predecessor components for these two groups, i.e., C3, C4
and C5. C5b, C6, C7, C8 and C9 induce lysis of foreign cells
(membrane attack complex) and form yet another preferred group of
targets.
[0235] Complement C5a, like C3a, is an anaphylatoxin. It mediates
inflammation and is a chemotactic attractant for induction of
neutrophilic release of antimicrobial proteases and oxygen
radicals. Therefore, C5a and its predecessor C5 are particularly
preferred targets. By targeting C5, not only is C5a affected, but
also C5b, which initiates assembly of the membrane-attack complex.
Thus, C5 is another preferred target. C3b, and its predecessor C3,
also are preferred targets, as both the classical and alternate
complement pathways depend upon C3b. Three proteins affect the
levels of this factor, C1 inhibitor, protein H and Factor I, and
these are also preferred targets according to the invention.
Complement regulatory proteins, such as CD46, CD55, and CD59, may
be targets to which the stably tethered structures bind.
[0236] Coagulation factors also are preferred targets, particularly
tissue factor (TF) and thrombin. TF is also known also as tissue
thromboplastin, CD142, coagulation factor III, or factor III. TF is
an integral membrane receptor glycoprotein and a member of the
cytokine receptor superfamily. The ligand binding extracellular
domain of TF consists of two structural modules with features that
are consistent with the classification of TF as a member of type-2
cytokine receptors. TF is involved in the blood coagulation
protease cascade and initiates both the extrinsic and intrinsic
blood coagulation cascades by forming high affinity complexes
between the extracellular domain of TF and the circulating blood
coagulation factors, serine proteases factor VII or factor VIIa.
These enzymatically active complexes then activate factor IX and
factor X, leading to thrombin generation and clot formation.
[0237] TF is expressed by various cell types, including monocytes,
macrophages and vascular endothelial cells, and is induced by IL-1,
TNF-.alpha. or bacterial lipopolysaccharides. Protein kinase C is
involved in cytokine activation of endothelial cell TF expression.
Induction of TF by endotoxin and cytokines is an important
mechanism for initiation of disseminated intravascular coagulation
seen in patients with Gram-negative sepsis. TF also appears to be
involved in a variety of non-hemostatic functions including
inflammation, cancer, brain function, immune response, and
tumor-associated angiogenesis. Thus, stably tethered structures
that target TF are useful not only in the treatment of
coagulopathies, but also in the treatment of sepsis, cancer,
pathologic angiogenesis, and other immune and inflammatory
dysregulatory diseases according to the invention. A complex
interaction between the coagulation pathway and the cytokine
network is suggested by the ability of several cytokines to
influence TF expression in a variety of cells and by the effects of
ligand binding to the receptor. Ligand binding (factor VIIa) has
been reported to give an intracellular calcium signal, thus
indicating that TF is a true receptor.
[0238] Thrombin is the activated form of coagulation factor II
(prothrombin); it converts fibrinogen to fibrin. Thrombin is a
potent chemotaxin for macrophages, and can alter their production
of cytokines and arachidonic acid metabolites. It is of particular
importance in the coagulopathies that accompany sepsis. Numerous
studies have documented the activation of the coagulation system
either in septic patients or following LPS administration in animal
models. Despite more than thirty years of research, the mechanisms
of LPS-induced liver toxicity remain poorly understood. It is now
clear that they involve a complex and sequential series of
interactions between cellular and humoral mediators. In the same
period of time, gram-negative systemic sepsis and its sequallae
have become a major health concern, attempts to use monoclonal
antibodies directed against LPS or various inflammatory mediators
have yielded only therapeutic failures. Stably tethered structures
that target both thrombin and at least one other target address the
clinical failures in sepsis treatment.
[0239] In other embodiments, the stably tethered structures bind to
a MHC class I, MHC class II or accessory molecule, such as CD40,
CD54, CD80 or CD86. The stably tethered structure also may bind to
a T-cell activation cytokine, or to a cytokine mediator, such as
NF-.kappa.B.
[0240] In certain embodiments, one of the two different targets may
be a cancer cell receptor or cancer-associated antigen,
particularly one that is selected from the group consisting of
B-cell lineage antigens (CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, etc.),
VEGFR, EGFR, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), placental growth
factor (P1GF), tenascin, HER-2/neu, EGP-1, EGP-2, CD25, CD30, CD33,
CD38, CD40, CD45, CD52, CD74, CD80, CD138, NCA66, CEACAM6
(carcinoembryonic antigen-related cellular adhesion molecule 6),
MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC16, IL-6, .alpha.-fetoprotein (AFP), A3,
CA125, colon-specific antigen-p (CSAp), folate receptor, HLA-DR,
human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), Ia, EL-2, insulin-like growth
factor (ILGF) and ILGF receptor, KS-1, Le(y), MAGE, necrosis
antigens, PAM-4, prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), Pr1, prostate
specific antigen (PSA), prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA),
5100, T101, TAC, TAG72, TRAIL receptors, and carbonic anhydrase
IX.
[0241] Targets associated with sepsis and immune dysregulation and
other immune disorders include MIF, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, CD74, CD83,
and C5aR. Antibodies and inhibitors against C5aR have been found to
improve survival in rodents with sepsis (Huber-Lang et al., FASEB J
2002; 16:1567-1574; Riedemann et al., J Clin Invest 2002;
110:101-108) and septic shock and adult respiratory distress
syndrome in monkeys (Hangen et al., J Surg Res 1989; 46:195-199;
Stevens et al., J Clin Invest 1986; 77:1812-1816). Thus, for
sepsis, one of the two different targets preferably is a target
that is associated with infection, such as LPS/C5a. Other preferred
targets include HMGB-1, TF, CD14, VEGF, and IL-6, each of which is
associated with septicemia or septic shock. Preferred stably
tethered structures are those that target two or more targets from
HMGB-1, TF and MIF, such as MIF/TF, and HMGB-1/TF.
[0242] In still other embodiments, one of the two different targets
may be a target that is associated with graft versus host disease
or transplant rejection, such as MIF (Lo et al., Bone Marrow
Transplant, 30(6):375-80 (2002)). One of the two different targets
also may be one that associated with acute respiratory distress
syndrome, such as IL-8 (Bouros et al., PMC Pulm Med, 4(1):6 (2004),
atherosclerosis or restenosis, such as MIF (Chen et al.,
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 24(4):709-14 (2004), asthma, such as
IL-18 (Hata et al., Int Immunol, Oct. 11, 2004 Epub ahead of
print), a granulomatous disease, such as TNF-.alpha. (Ulbricht et
al., Arthritis Rheum, 50(8):2717-8 (2004), a neuropathy, such as
carbamylated EPO (erythropoietin) (Leist et al., Science
305(5681):164-5 (2004), or cachexia, such as IL-6 and
TNF-.alpha..
[0243] Other targets include C5a, LPS, IFN-gamma, B7; CD2, CD4,
CD14, CD18, CD11a, CD11b, CD11c, CD14, CD18, CD27, CD29, CD38,
CD40L, CD52, CD64, CD83, CD147, CD154. Activation of mononuclear
cells by certain microbial antigens, including LPS, can be
inhibited to some extent by antibodies to CD18, CD11b, or CD11c,
which thus implicate .beta..sub.2-integrins (Cuzzola et al., J
Immunol 2000; 164:5871-5876; Medvedev et al., J Immunol 1998; 160:
4535-4542). CD83 has been found to play a role in giant cell
arteritis (GCA), which is a systemic vasculitis that affects
medium- and large-size arteries, predominately the extracranial
branches of the aortic arch and of the aorta itself, resulting in
vascular stenosis and subsequent tissue ischemia, and the severe
complications of blindness, stroke and aortic arch syndrome (Weyand
and Goronzy, N Engl J Med 2003; 349:160-169; Hunder and Valente,
In: Inflammatory Diseases of Blood Vessels. G. S. Hoffman and C. M.
Weyand, eds, Marcel Dekker, New York, 2002; 255-265). Antibodies to
CD83 were found to abrogate vasculitis in a SCID mouse model of
human GCA (Ma-Krupa et al., J Exp Med 2004; 199:173-183),
suggesting to these investigators that dendritic cells, which
express CD83 when activated, are critical antigen-processing cells
in GCA. In these studies, they used a mouse anti-CD83 Mab (IgG1
clone HB15e from Research Diagnostics). CD154, a member of the TNF
family, is expressed on the surface of CD4-positive T-lymphocytes,
and it has been reported that a humanized monoclonal antibody to
CD154 produced significant clinical benefit in patients with active
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (Grammar et al., J Clin Invest
2003; 112:1506-1520). It also suggests that this antibody might be
useful in other autoimmune diseases (Kelsoe, J Clin Invest 2003;
112:1480-1482). Indeed, this antibody was also reported as
effective in patients with refractory immune thrombocytopenic
purpura (Kuwana et al., Blood 2004; 103:1229-1236).
[0244] In rheumatoid arthritis, a recombinant interleukin-1
receptor antagonist, IL-1Ra or anakinra (Kineret.RTM.), has shown
activity (Cohen et al., Ann Rheum Dis 2004; 63:1062-8; Cohen, Rheum
Dis Clin North Am 2004; 30:365-80). An improvement in treatment of
these patients, which hitherto required concomitant treatment with
methotrexate, is to combine anakinra with one or more of the
anti-proinflammatory effector cytokines or anti-proinflammatory
effector chemokines (as listed above). Indeed, in a review of
antibody therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, Taylor (Curr Opin
Pharmacol 2003; 3:323-328) suggests that in addition to TNF, other
antibodies to such cytokines as IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-17 and
IL-18, are useful.
[0245] Some of the more preferred target combinations include the
following. This is a list of examples of preferred combinations,
but is not intended to be exhaustive.
TABLE-US-00001 First target Second target MIF A second
proinflammatory effector cytokine, especially HMGB-1, TNF-.alpha.,
IL-1, or IL-6 MIF Proinflammatory effector chemokine, especially
MCP-1, RANTES, MIP-1A, or MIP-1B MIF Proinflammatory effector
receptor, especially IL-6R IL- 13R, and IL-15R MIF Coagulation
factor, especially TF or thrombin MIF Complement factor, especially
C3, C5, C3a, or C5a MIF Complement regulatory protein, especially
CD46, CD55, CD59, and mCRP MIF Cancer associated antigen or
receptor HMGB-1 A second proinflammatory effector cytokine,
especially MIF, TNF-.alpha., IL-1, or IL-6 HMGB-1 Proinflammatory
effector chemokine, especially MCP-1, RANTES, MIP-1A, or MIP-1B
HMGB-1 Proinflammatory effector receptor especially MCP-1, RANTES,
MIP-1A, or MIP-1B HMGB-1 Coagulation factor, especially TF or
thrombin HMGB-1 Complement factor, especially C3, C5, C3a, or C5a
HMGB-1 Complement regulatory protein, especially CD46, CD55, CD59,
and mCRP HMGB-1 Cancer associated antigen or receptor TNF-.alpha. A
second proinflammatory effector cytokine, especially MIF, HMGB-1,
TNF-.alpha., IL-1, or IL-6 TNF-.alpha. Proinflammatory effector
chemokine, especially MCP-1, RANTES, MIP-1A, or MIP-1B TNF-.alpha.
Proinflammatory effector receptor, especially IL-6R IL- 13R, and
IL-15R TNF-.alpha. Coagulation factor, especially TF or thrombin
TNF-.alpha. Complement factor, especially C3, C5, C3a, or C5a
TNF-.alpha. Complement regulatory protein, especially CD46, CD55,
CD59, and mCRP TNF-.alpha. Cancer associated antigen or receptor
LPS Proinflammatory effector cytokine, especially MIF, HMGB-1,
TNF-.alpha., IL-1, or IL-6 LPS Proinflammatory effector chemokine,
especially MCP-1, RANTES, MIP-1A, or MIP-1B LPS Proinflammatory
effector receptor, especially IL-6R IL- 13R, and IL-15R LPS
Coagulation factor, especially TF or thrombin LPS Complement
factor, especially C3, C5, C3a, or C5a LPS Complement regulatory
protein, especially CD46, CD55, CD59, and mCRP TF or
Proinflammatory effector cytokine, especially MIF, thrombin HMGB-1,
TNF-.alpha., IL-1, or IL-6 TF or Proinflammatory effector
chemokine, especially MCP-1, thrombin RANTES, MIP-1A, or MIP-1B TF
or Proinflammatory effector receptor, especially IL-6R IL- thrombin
13R, and IL-15R TF or Complement factor, especially C3, C5, C3a, or
C5a thrombin TF or Complement regulatory protein, especially CD46,
CD55, thrombin CD59, and mCRP TF or Cancer associated antigen or
receptor thrombin
[0246] The stably tethered structure may be a mixture that contains
at least two separate antibodies and/or receptors or their ligands
that bind to the different targets. In one preferred embodiment the
targets are selected from the group consisting of proinflammatory
effectors of the innate immune system, coagulation factors,
complement factors and complement regulatory proteins, and targets
specifically associated with an inflammatory or
immune-dysregulatory disorder, with a pathologic angiogenesis or
cancer, or with an infectious disease.
[0247] The stably tethered structure may bind to a receptor or to
its target molecule, such as for LPS, IL-1, IL-10, IL-6, MIF,
HMGB1, TNF, IFN, tissue factor, thrombin, CD14, CD27, and CD134.
Many of these exist as both receptors and as soluble forms in the
blood. Binding by the stably tethered structure results in rapid
clearance from the blood, and then targeting by the second
component of the stably tethered structure to another cell, such as
a macrophage, for transport and degradation by the cell, especially
the lysosomes. This is particularly effective when the second
targeting component is against an internalizing antigen, such as
CD74, expressed by macrophages and dendritic cells. This is
consistent with the disclosure of Hansen, U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,933,
but focusing on inflammatory cytokines and other immune modulation
molecules and receptors for immune-dysregulation diseases, and
cancer antigens for the immunotherapy of these cancers.
[0248] Preferred stably tethered structures for the treatment of
cancer include antibodies to CD55 and to any of the above cancer
antigens, antibodies to CD46 and to any of the above cancer
antigens, antibodies to CD59 and to any of the above cancer
antigens, antibodies to MIF and to any of the above cancer
antigens, antibodies to NF-.kappa.B and any of the above cancer
antigens, and antibodies to IL-6 and to any of the above cancer
antigens other than IL-6.
[0249] The stably tethered structure may be used in conjunction
with one or more secondary therapeutics. This secondary therapeutic
may be one that affects a component of the innate immune system.
Alternatively, it may affect a component of the adaptive immune
system. The secondary therapeutic may also be a component that
affects coagulation, cancer, or an autoimmune disease, such as a
cytotoxic drug.
[0250] The stably tethered structure with a diagnostic or
therapeutic agent may be provided as a kit for human or mammalian
therapeutic and diagnostic use in a pharmaceutically acceptable
injection vehicle, preferably phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at
physiological pH and concentration. The preparation preferably will
be sterile, especially if it is intended for use in humans.
Optional components of such kits include stabilizers, buffers,
labeling reagents, radioisotopes, paramagnetic compounds, second
antibody for enhanced clearance, and conventional syringes,
columns, vials and the like.
Phage Display
[0251] In some alternative embodiments, binding peptides for
construction of DDD and/or AD domains may be determined by phage
display methods that are well known in the art. For example,
peptides that bind to DDD domains and that therefore may be
substituted for naturally occurring AD sequences may be identified
by phage display panning against a DDD dimer and selecting for
phage with high binding affinity. Other types of binding peptides
that are selective or specific for particular target molecules may
be detected by phage display panning against the selected
target.
[0252] Various methods of phage display and techniques for
producing diverse populations of peptides are well known in the
art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,223,409; 5,622,699 and
6,068,829, each of which is incorporated herein by reference,
disclose methods for preparing a phage library. The phage display
technique involves genetically manipulating bacteriophage so that
small peptides can be expressed on their surface (Smith and Scott,
1985, Science 228:1315-1317; Smith and Scott, 1993, Meth. Enzymol.
21:228-257).
[0253] The past decade has seen considerable progress in the
construction of phage-displayed peptide libraries and in the
development of screening methods in which the libraries are used to
isolate peptide ligands. For example, the use of peptide libraries
has made it possible to characterize interacting sites and
receptor-ligand binding motifs within many proteins, such as
antibodies involved in inflammatory reactions or integrins that
mediate cellular adherence. This method has also been used to
identify novel peptide ligands that may serve as leads to the
development of peptidomimetic drugs or imaging agents (Arap et al.,
1998a, Science 279:377-380). In addition to peptides, larger
protein domains such as single-chain antibodies may also be
displayed on the surface of phage particles (Arap et al.,
1998a).
[0254] Targeting amino acid sequences selective for a given target
molecule may be isolated by panning (Pasqualini and Ruoslahti,
1996, Nature 380:364-366; Pasqualini, 1999, The Quart. J. Nucl.
Med. 43:159-162). In brief, a library of phage containing putative
targeting peptides is administered to target molecules and samples
containing bound phage are collected. Target molecules may, for
example, be attached to the bottom of microtiter wells in a 96-well
plate. Phage that bind to a target may be eluted and then amplified
by growing them in host bacteria.
[0255] In certain embodiments, the phage may be propagated in host
bacteria between rounds of panning. Rather than being lysed by the
phage, the bacteria may instead secrete multiple copies of phage
that display a particular insert. If desired, the amplified phage
may be exposed to the target molecule again and collected for
additional rounds of panning. Multiple rounds of panning may be
performed until a population of selective or specific binders is
obtained. The amino acid sequence of the peptides may be determined
by sequencing the DNA corresponding to the targeting peptide insert
in the phage genome. The identified targeting peptide may then be
produced as a synthetic peptide by standard protein chemistry
techniques (Arap et al., 1998a, Smith et al., 1985).
Aptamers
[0256] In certain embodiments, a precursor for construct formation
may comprise an aptamer. Methods of constructing and determining
the binding characteristics of aptamers are well known in the art.
For example, such techniques are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,582,981, 5,595,877 and 5,637,459, each incorporated herein by
reference.
[0257] Aptamers may be prepared by any known method, including
synthetic, recombinant, and purification methods, and may be used
alone or in combination with other ligands specific for the same
target. In general, a minimum of approximately 3 nucleotides,
preferably at least 5 nucleotides, are necessary to effect specific
binding. Aptamers of sequences shorter than 10 bases may be
feasible, although aptamers of 10, 20, 30 or 40 nucleotides may be
preferred.
[0258] Aptamers need to contain the sequence that confers binding
specificity, but may be extended with flanking regions and
otherwise derivatized. In preferred embodiments, the binding
sequences of aptamers may be flanked by primer-binding sequences,
facilitating the amplification of the aptamers by PCR or other
amplification techniques. In a further embodiment, the flanking
sequence may comprise a specific sequence that preferentially
recognizes or binds a moiety to enhance the immobilization of the
aptamer to a substrate.
[0259] Aptamers may be isolated, sequenced, and/or amplified or
synthesized as conventional DNA or RNA molecules. Alternatively,
aptamers of interest may comprise modified oligomers. Any of the
hydroxyl groups ordinarily present in aptamers may be replaced by
phosphonate groups, phosphate groups, protected by a standard
protecting group, or activated to prepare additional linkages to
other nucleotides, or may be conjugated to solid supports. One or
more phosphodiester linkages may be replaced by alternative linking
groups, such as P(O)O replaced by P(O)S, P(O)NR.sub.2, P(O)R,
P(O)OR', CO, or CNR.sub.2, wherein R is H or alkyl (1-20C) and R'
is alkyl (1-20C); in addition, this group may be attached to
adjacent nucleotides through O or S. Not all linkages in an
oligomer need to be identical.
[0260] Methods for preparation and screening of aptamers that bind
to particular targets of interest are well known, for example U.S.
Pat. No. 5,475,096 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,163, each incorporated
by reference. The technique generally involves selection from a
mixture of candidate aptamers and step-wise iterations of binding,
separation of bound from unbound aptamers and amplification.
Because only a small number of sequences (possibly only one
molecule of aptamer) corresponding to the highest affinity aptamers
exist in the mixture, it is generally desirable to set the
partitioning criteria so that a significant amount of aptamers in
the mixture (approximately 5-50%) is retained during separation.
Each cycle results in an enrichment of aptamers with high affinity
for the target. Repetition for between three to six selection and
amplification cycles may be used to generate aptamers that bind
with high affinity and specificity to the target.
Avimers
[0261] In certain embodiments, the precursors, components and/or
complexes described herein may comprise one or more avimer
sequences. Avimers are a class of binding proteins somewhat similar
to antibodies in their affinities and specifities for various
target molecules. They were developed from human extracellular
receptor domains by in vitro exon shuffling and phage display.
(Silverman et al., 2005, Nat. Biotechnol. 23:1493-94; Silverman et
al., 2006, Nat. Biotechnol. 24:220.) The resulting multidomain
proteins may comprise multiple independent binding domains, that
may exhibit improved affinity (in some cases sub-nanomolar) and
specificity compared with single-epitope binding proteins. (Id.) In
various embodiments, avimers may be attached to, for example, AD
and/or DDD sequences for use in the claimed methods and
compositions. Additional details concerning methods of construction
and use of avimers are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent
Application Publication Nos. 20040175756, 20050048512, 20050053973,
20050089932 and 20050221384, the Examples section of each of which
is incorporated herein by reference.
Proteins and Peptides
[0262] A variety of polypeptides or proteins may be used within the
scope of the claimed methods and compositions. In certain
embodiments, the proteins may comprise antibodies or fragments of
antibodies containing an antigen-binding site. In other
embodiments, a protein or peptide may be an effector molecule, such
as an enzyme, hormone, cytokine, binding protein or toxin.
[0263] As used herein, a protein, polypeptide or peptide generally
refers, but is not limited to, a protein of greater than about 200
amino acids, up to a full length sequence translated from a gene; a
polypeptide of greater than about 100 amino acids; and/or a peptide
of from about 3 to about 100 amino acids. For convenience, the
terms "protein," "polypeptide" and "peptide" are used
interchangeably herein. Accordingly, the term "protein or peptide"
encompasses amino acid sequences comprising at least one of the 20
common amino acids found in naturally occurring proteins, or at
least one modified or unusual amino acid.
[0264] As used herein, an "amino acid residue" refers to any
naturally occurring amino acid, any amino acid derivative or any
amino acid mimic known in the art. In certain embodiments, the
residues of the protein or peptide are sequential, without any
non-amino acid interrupting the sequence of amino acid residues. In
other embodiments, the sequence may comprise one or more non-amino
acid moieties. In particular embodiments, the sequence of residues
of the protein or peptide may be interrupted by one or more
non-amino acid moieties.
[0265] Accordingly, the term "protein or peptide" encompasses amino
acid sequences comprising at least one of the 20 common amino acids
found in naturally occurring proteins, or at least one modified or
unusual amino acid, including but not limited to: 2-Aminoadipic
acid, 3-Aminoadipic acid, .beta.-alanine, .beta.-Amino-propionic
acid, 2-Aminobutyric acid, 4-Aminobutyric acid, piperidinic acid,
6-Aminocaproic acid, 2-Aminoheptanoic acid, 2-Aminoisobutyric acid,
3-Aminoisobutyric acid, 2-Aminopimelic acid, 2,4-Diaminobutyric
acid, Desmosine, 2,2'-Diaminopimelic acid, 2,3-Diaminopropionic
acid, N-Ethylasparagine, Hydroxylysine, allo-Hydroxylysine,
3-Hydroxyproline, 4-Hydroxyproline, Isodesmosine, allo-Isoleucine,
N-Methylglycine, sarcosine, N-Methylisoleucine, 6-N-Methyllysine,
N-Methylvaline, Norvaline Norleucine and Ornithine. Alternatively,
proteins or peptides may comprise one or more D-amino acids in
addition to or instead of the naturally occurring L-amino acids.
Methods of producing peptides incorporating D-amino acids are
disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
20050025709, McBride et al., filed Jun. 14, 2004.
[0266] Proteins or peptides may be made by any technique known to
those of skill in the art, including the expression of proteins,
polypeptides or peptides through standard molecular biological
techniques, the isolation of proteins or peptides from natural
sources, or the chemical synthesis of proteins or peptides. The
nucleotide and protein, polypeptide and peptide sequences
corresponding to various genes have been previously disclosed and
may be found at computerized databases known to those of ordinary
skill in the art. One such database is the National Center for
Biotechnology Information's Genbank and GenPept databases. The
coding regions for known genes may be amplified and/or expressed
using the techniques disclosed herein or as would be know to those
of ordinary skill in the art. Alternatively, various commercial
preparations of proteins, polypeptides, and peptides are known to
those of skill in the art.
[0267] Peptide Mimetics
[0268] Another embodiment for the preparation of polypeptides is
the use of peptide mimetics. Mimetics are peptide-containing
molecules that mimic elements of protein secondary structure. See,
for example, Johnson et al., "Peptide Turn Mimetics" in
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND PHARMACY, Pezzuto et al., Eds., Chapman and Hall,
New York (1993), incorporated herein by reference. The rationale
behind the use of peptide mimetics is that the peptide backbone of
proteins exists chiefly to orient amino acid side chains so as to
facilitate molecular interactions, such as those of antibody and
antigen. A peptide mimetic is expected to permit molecular
interactions similar to the natural molecule. These principles may
be used to engineer second generation molecules having many of the
natural properties of the binding peptides disclosed herein, but
with altered or improved characteristics, such as increased
absorption across the stomach or intestine and/or improved
stability or activity in vivo.
[0269] Fusion Proteins
[0270] Various embodiments may concern fusion proteins. These
molecules generally have all or a substantial portion of a peptide,
linked at the N- or C-terminus, to all or a portion of a second
polypeptide or protein. For example, fusions may employ leader
sequences from other species to permit the recombinant expression
of a protein in a heterologous host. Another useful fusion includes
the addition of an immunologically active domain, such as an
antibody epitope. Yet another useful form of fusion may include
attachment of a moiety of use for purification, such as the FLAG
epitope (Prickett et al., 1989, Biotechniques 7:580-589; Castrucci
et al., 1992, J Virol 66:4647-4653). Another use of fusion proteins
would concern construction of components of the tethered complexes
claimed herein, for example to provide a DDD sequence attached to a
first monomer and an AD sequence attached to a second monomer.
[0271] Methods of generating fusion proteins are well known to
those of skill in the art. Such proteins may be produced, for
example, by chemical attachment using bifunctional cross-linking
reagents, by de novo synthesis of the complete fusion protein, or
by attachment of a DNA sequence encoding a first protein or peptide
to a DNA sequence encoding a second peptide or protein, followed by
expression of the intact fusion protein, as exemplified in the
following Examples.
[0272] Synthetic Peptides
[0273] Proteins or peptides may be synthesized, in whole or in
part, in solution or on a solid support in accordance with
conventional techniques. Various automatic synthesizers are
commercially available and can be used in accordance with known
protocols. See, for example, Stewart and Young, (1984, Solid Phase
Peptide Synthesis, 2d. ed., Pierce Chemical Co.); Tam et al.,
(1983, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 105:6442); Merrifield, (1986, Science,
232: 341-347); and Barany and Merrifield (1979, The Peptides, Gross
and Meienhofer, eds., Academic Press, New York, pp. 1-284). Short
peptide sequences, usually from about 6 up to about 35 to 50 amino
acids, can be readily synthesized by such methods. Alternatively,
recombinant DNA technology may be employed wherein a nucleotide
sequence which encodes a peptide of interest is inserted into an
expression vector, transformed or transfected into an appropriate
host cell, and cultivated under conditions suitable for
expression.
Peptide Administration
[0274] Various embodiments of the claimed methods and/or
compositions may concern one or more peptide based stably tethered
structures to be administered to a subject. Administration may
occur by any route known in the art, including but not limited to
oral, nasal, buccal, inhalational, rectal, vaginal, topical,
orthotopic, intradermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular,
intraperitoneal, intraarterial, intrathecal or intravenous
injection.
[0275] Unmodified peptides administered orally to a subject can be
degraded in the digestive tract and depending on sequence and
structure may exhibit poor absorption across the intestinal lining.
However, methods for chemically modifying peptides to render them
less susceptible to degradation by endogenous proteases or more
absorbable through the alimentary tract are well known (see, for
example, Blondelle et al., 1995, Biophys. J. 69:604-11; Ecker and
Crooke, 1995, Biotechnology 13:351-69; Goodman and Ro, 1995,
BURGER'S MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY AND DRUG DISCOVERY, VOL. I, ed. Wollf,
John Wiley & Sons; Goodman and Shao, 1996, Pure & Appl.
Chem. 68:1303-08). Methods for preparing libraries of peptide
analogs, such as peptides containing D-amino acids; peptidomimetics
consisting of organic molecules that mimic the structure of a
peptide; or peptoids such as vinylogous peptoids, have also been
described and may be used to construct peptide based stably
tethered structures suitable for oral administration to a
subject.
[0276] In certain embodiments, the standard peptide bond linkage
may be replaced by one or more alternative linking groups, such as
CH.sub.2--NH, CH.sub.2--S, CH.sub.2--CH.sub.2, CH.dbd.CH,
CO--CH.sub.2, CHOH--CH.sub.2 and the like. Methods for preparing
peptide mimetics are well known (for example, Hruby, 1982, Life Sci
31:189-99; Holladay et al., 1983, Tetrahedron Lett. 24:4401-04;
Jennings-White et al., 1982, Tetrahedron Lett. 23:2533; Almquiest
et al., 1980, J. Med. Chem. 23:1392-98; Hudson et al., 1979, Int.
J. Pept. Res. 14:177-185; Spatola et al., 1986, Life Sci
38:1243-49; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,169,862; 5,539,085; 5,576,423,
5,051,448, 5,559,103, each incorporated herein by reference.)
Peptide mimetics may exhibit enhanced stability and/or absorption
in vivo compared to their peptide analogs.
[0277] Alternatively, peptides may be administered by oral delivery
using N-terminal and/or C-terminal capping to prevent exopeptidase
activity. For example, the C-terminus may be capped using amide
peptides and the N-terminus may be capped by acetylation of the
peptide. Peptides may also be cyclized to block exopeptidases, for
example by formation of cyclic amides, disulfides, ethers, sulfides
and the like.
[0278] Peptide stabilization may also occur by substitution of
D-amino acids for naturally occurring L-amino acids, particularly
at locations where endopeptidases are known to act. Endopeptidase
binding and cleavage sequences are known in the art and methods for
making and using peptides incorporating D-amino acids have been
described (e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
20050025709, McBride et al., filed Jun. 14, 2004, incorporated
herein by reference). In certain embodiments, peptides and/or
proteins may be orally administered by co-formulation with
proteinase- and/or peptidase-inhibitors.
[0279] Other methods for oral delivery of therapeutic peptides are
disclosed in Mehta ("Oral delivery and recombinant production of
peptide hormones," June 2004, BioPharm International). The peptides
are administered in an enteric-coated solid dosage form with
excipients that modulate intestinal proteolytic activity and
enhance peptide transport across the intestinal wall. Relative
bioavailability of intact peptides using this technique ranged from
1% to 10% of the administered dosage. Insulin has been successfully
administered in dogs using enteric-coated microcapsules with sodium
cholate and a protease inhibitor (Ziv et al., 1994, J. Bone Miner.
Res. 18 (Suppl. 2):792-94. Oral administration of peptides has been
performed using acylcarnitine as a permeation enhancer and an
enteric coating (Eudragit L30D-55, Rohm Pharma Polymers, see Mehta,
2004). Excipients of use for orally administered peptides may
generally include one or more inhibitors of intestinal
proteases/peptidases along with detergents or other agents to
improve solubility or absorption of the peptide, which may be
packaged within an enteric-coated capsule or tablet (Mehta, 2004).
Organic acids may be included in the capsule to acidify the
intestine and inhibit intestinal protease activity once the capsule
dissolves in the intestine (Mehta, 2004). Another alternative for
oral delivery of peptides would include conjugation to polyethylene
glycol (PEG)-based amphiphilic oligomers, increasing absorption and
resistance to enzymatic degradation (Soltero and Ekwuribe, 2001,
Pharm. Technol. 6:110).
[0280] In still other embodiments, peptides may be modified for
oral or inhalational administration by conjugation to certain
proteins, such as the Fc region of IgG1 (see Examples 3-7). Methods
for preparation and use of peptide-Fc conjugates are disclosed, for
example, in Low et al. (2005, Hum. Reprod. 20:1805-13) and Dumont
et al. (2005, J. Aerosol. Med. 18:294-303), each incorporated
herein by reference. Low et al. (2005) disclose the conjugation of
the alpha and beta subunits of FSH to the Fc region of IgG1 in
single chain or heterodimer form, using recombinant expression in
CHO cells. The Fc conjugated peptides were absorbed through
epithelial cells in the lung or intestine by the neonatal Fc
receptor mediated transport system. The Fc conjugated peptides
exhibited improved stability and absorption in vivo compared to the
native peptides. It was also observed that the heterodimer
conjugate was more active than the single chain form.
Cross-Linkers
[0281] In some embodiments, proteins, peptides or other
macro-molecules may be covalently cross-linked using various
cross-linking reagents known in the art, such as homo-bifunctional,
hetero-bifunctional and/or photoactivatable cross-linking reagents.
Non-limiting examples of such reagents include bisimidates;
1,5-difluoro-2,4-(dinitrobenzene); N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of
suberic acid; disuccinimidyl tartarate;
dimethyl-3,3T-dithio-bispropionimidate;
N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate;
4-(bromoaminoethyl)-2-nitrophenylazide; and 4-azidoglyoxal. In an
exemplary embodiment, a carbodiimide cross-linker, such as DCCD or
EDC, may be used to cross-link acidic residues to amino or other
groups. Such reagents may be modified to attach various types of
labels, such as fluorescent labels.
[0282] Bifunctional cross-linking reagents have been extensively
used for a variety of purposes. Homobifunctional reagents that
carry two identical functional groups proved to be highly efficient
in inducing cross-linking between identical and different
macromolecules or subunits of a macromolecule, and linking of
polypeptide ligands to their specific binding sites.
Heterobifunctional reagents contain two different functional
groups. By taking advantage of the differential reactivities of the
two different functional groups, cross-linking can be controlled
both selectively and sequentially. The bifunctional cross-linking
reagents can be divided according to the specificity of their
functional groups, e.g., amino, sulfhydryl, guanidino, indole,
carboxyl specific groups. Of these, reagents directed to free amino
groups have become especially popular because of their commercial
availability, ease of synthesis and the mild reaction conditions
under which they can be applied. A majority of heterobifunctional
cross-linking reagents contains a primary amine-reactive group and
a thiol-reactive group.
[0283] In another example, heterobifunctional cross-linking
reagents and methods of using the cross-linking reagents are
described (U.S. Pat. No. 5,889,155). The cross-linking reagents
combine a nucleophilic hydrazide residue with an electrophilic
maleimide residue, allowing coupling in one example, of aldehydes
to free thiols. The cross-linking reagent can be modified to
cross-link various functional groups.
Antibodies
[0284] Various embodiments may concern antibodies for a target. The
term "antibody" is used herein to refer to any antibody-like
molecule that has an antigen binding region, and includes antibody
fragments such as Fab', Fab, F(ab').sub.2, single domain antibodies
(DABs), Fv, scFv (single chain Fv), and the like. Techniques for
preparing and using various antibody-based constructs and fragments
are well known in the art. Means for preparing and characterizing
antibodies are also well known in the art (See, e.g., Harlowe and
Lane, 1988, Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory). Antibodies of use may also be commercially obtained
from a wide variety of known sources. For example, a variety of
antibody secreting hybridoma lines are available from the American
Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, Va.).
[0285] Production of Antibody Fragments
[0286] Some embodiments of the claimed methods and/or compositions
may concern antibody fragments. Such antibody fragments may be
obtained by pepsin or papain digestion of whole antibodies by
conventional methods. For example, antibody fragments may be
produced by enzymatic cleavage of antibodies with pepsin to provide
F(ab').sub.2 fragments. This fragment may be further cleaved using
a thiol reducing agent and, optionally, followed by a blocking
group for the sulfhydryl groups resulting from cleavage of
disulfide linkages, to produce Fab' monovalent fragments.
Alternatively, an enzymatic cleavage using papain n produces two
monovalent Fab fragments and an Fc fragment. Exemplary methods for
producing antibody fragments are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,036,945; U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,647; Nisonoff et al., 1960, Arch.
Biochem. Biophys., 89:230; Porter, 1959, Biochem. J., 73:119;
Edelman et al., 1967, METHODS IN ENZYMOLOGY, page 422 (Academic
Press), and Coligan et al. (eds.), 1991, CURRENT PROTOCOLS IN
IMMUNOLOGY, (John Wiley & Sons).
[0287] Other methods of cleaving antibodies, such as separation of
heavy chains to form monovalent light-heavy chain fragments,
further cleavage of fragments or other enzymatic, chemical or
genetic techniques also may be used, so long as the fragments bind
to the antigen that is recognized by the intact antibody. For
example, Fv fragments comprise an association of V.sub.H and
V.sub.L chains. This association can be noncovalent, as described
in Inbar et al., 1972, Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA, 69:2659.
Alternatively, the variable chains may be linked by an
intermolecular disulfide bond or cross-linked by chemicals such as
glutaraldehyde. See Sandhu, 1992, Crit. Rev. Biotech., 12:437.
[0288] Preferably, the Fv fragments comprise V.sub.H and V.sub.L
chains connected by a peptide linker. These single-chain antigen
binding proteins (sFv) are prepared by constructing a structural
gene comprising DNA sequences encoding the V.sub.H and V.sub.L
domains, connected by an oligonucleotides linker sequence. The
structural gene is inserted into an expression vector that is
subsequently introduced into a host cell, such as E. coli. The
recombinant host cells synthesize a single polypeptide chain with a
linker peptide bridging the two V domains. Methods for producing
sFv's are well-known in the art. See Whitlow et al., 1991, Methods:
A Companion to Methods in Enzymology 2:97; Bird et al., 1988,
Science, 242:423; U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778; Pack et al., 1993,
Bio/Technology, 11:1271, and Sandhu, 1992, Crit. Rev. Biotech.,
12:437.
[0289] Another form of an antibody fragment is a peptide coding for
a single complementarity-determining region (CDR). CDR peptides
("minimal recognition units") can be obtained by constructing genes
encoding the CDR of an antibody of interest. Such genes are
prepared, for example, by using the polymerase chain reaction to
synthesize the variable region from RNA of antibody-producing
cells. See Larrick et al., 1991, Methods: A Companion to Methods in
Enzymology 2:106; Ritter et al. (eds.), 1995, MONOCLONAL
ANTIBODIES: PRODUCTION, ENGINEERING AND CLINICAL APPLICATION, pages
166-179 (Cambridge University Press); Birch et al., (eds.), 1995,
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS, pages 137-185
(Wiley-Liss, Inc.).
[0290] Chimeric and Humanized Antibodies
[0291] A chimeric antibody is a recombinant protein in which the
variable regions of a human antibody have been replaced by the
variable regions of, for example, a mouse antibody, including the
complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of the mouse antibody.
Chimeric antibodies exhibit decreased immunogenicity and increased
stability when administered to a subject. Methods for constructing
chimeric antibodies are well known in the art (e.g., Leung et al.,
1994, Hybridoma 13:469).
[0292] A chimeric monoclonal antibody may be humanized by
transferring the mouse CDRs from the heavy and light variable
chains of the mouse immunoglobulin into the corresponding variable
domains of a human antibody. The mouse framework regions (FR) in
the chimeric monoclonal antibody are also replaced with human FR
sequences. To preserve the stability and antigen specificity of the
humanized monoclonal, one or more human FR residues may be replaced
by the mouse counterpart residues. Humanized monoclonal antibodies
may be used for therapeutic treatment of subjects. The affinity of
humanized antibodies for a target may also be increased by selected
modification of the CDR sequences (WO0029584A1). Techniques for
production of humanized monoclonal antibodies are well known in the
art. (See, e.g., Jones et al., 1986, Nature, 321:522; Riechmann et
al., Nature, 1988, 332:323; Verhoeyen et al., 1988, Science,
239:1534; Carter et al., 1992, Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. USA, 89:4285;
Sandhu, Crit. Rev. Biotech., 1992, 12:437; Tempest et al., 1991,
Biotechnology 9:266; Singer et al., J. Immunol., 1993,
150:2844.)
[0293] Other embodiments may concern non-human primate antibodies.
General techniques for raising therapeutically useful antibodies in
baboons may be found, for example, in Goldenberg et al., WO
91/11465 (1991), and in Losman et al., Int. J. Cancer 46: 310
(1990).
[0294] Human Antibodies
[0295] Methods for producing fully human antibodies using either
combinatorial approaches or transgenic animals transformed with
human immunoglobulin loci are known in the art (e.g., Mancini et
al., 2004, New Microbiol. 27:315-28; Conrad and Scheller, 2005,
Comb. Chem. High Throughput Screen. 8:117-26; Brekke and Loset,
2003, Curr. Opin. Phamacol. 3:544-50; each incorporated herein by
reference). Such fully human antibodies are expected to exhibit
even fewer side effects than chimeric or humanized antibodies and
to function in vivo as essentially endogenous human antibodies. In
certain embodiments, the claimed methods and procedures may utilize
human antibodies produced by such techniques.
[0296] In one alternative, the phage display technique may be used
to generate human antibodies (e.g., Dantas-Barbosa et al., 2005,
Genet. Mol. Res. 4:126-40, incorporated herein by reference). Human
antibodies may be generated from normal humans or from humans that
exhibit a particular disease state, such as cancer (Dantas-Barbosa
et al., 2005). The advantage to constructing human antibodies from
a diseased individual is that the circulating antibody repertoire
may be biased towards antibodies against disease-associated
antigens.
[0297] In one non-limiting example of this methodology,
Dantas-Barbosa et al. (2005) constructed a phage display library of
human Fab antibody fragments from osteosarcoma patients. Generally,
total RNA was obtained from circulating blood lymphocytes (Id.).
Recombinant Fab were cloned from the t, y and x chain antibody
repertoires and inserted into a phage display library (Id.). RNAs
were converted to cDNAs and used to make Fab cDNA libraries using
specific primers against the heavy and light chain immunoglobulin
sequences (Marks et al., 1991, J. Mol. Biol. 222:581-97,
incorporated herein by reference). Library construction was
performed according to Andris-Widhopf et al. (2000, In: Phage
Display Laboratory Manual, Barbas et al. (eds), 1.sup.st edition,
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. pp.
9.1 to 9.22, incorporated herein by reference). The final Fab
fragments were digested with restriction endonucleases and inserted
into the bacteriophage genome to make the phage display library.
Such libraries may be screened by standard phage display methods,
as known in the art. The skilled artisan will realize that this
technique is exemplary only and any known method for making and
screening human antibodies or antibody fragments by phage display
may be utilized.
[0298] In another alternative, transgenic animals that have been
genetically engineered to produce human antibodies may be used to
generate antibodies against essentially any immunogenic target,
using standard immunization protocols. A non-limiting example of
such a system is the XenoMouse.RTM. (e.g., Green et al., 1999, J.
Immunol. Methods 231:11-23, incorporated herein by reference) from
Abgenix (Fremont, Calif.). In the XenoMouse.RTM. and similar
animals, the mouse antibody genes have been inactivated and
replaced by functional human antibody genes, while the remainder of
the mouse immune system remains intact.
[0299] The XenoMouse.RTM. was transformed with germline-configured
YACs (yeast artificial chromosomes) that contained portions of the
human IgH and Igkappa loci, including the majority of the variable
region sequences, along accessory genes and regulatory sequences.
The human variable region repertoire may be used to generate
antibody producing B cells, which may be processed into hybridomas
by known techniques. A XenoMouse.RTM. immunized with a target
antigen will produce human antibodies by the normal immune
response, which may be harvested and/or produced by standard
techniques discussed above. A variety of strains of XenoMouse.RTM.
are available, each of which is capable of producing a different
class of antibody. Such human antibodies may be coupled to other
molecules by chemical cross-linking or other known methodologies.
Transgenically produced human antibodies have been shown to have
therapeutic potential, while retaining the pharmacokinetic
properties of normal human antibodies (Green et al., 1999). The
skilled artisan will realize that the claimed compositions and
methods are not limited to use of the XenoMouse.RTM. system but may
utilize any transgenic animal that has been genetically engineered
to produce human antibodies.
Methods of Disease Tissue Detection, Diagnosis and Imaging
[0300] Protein-Based In Vitro Diagnosis
[0301] The present invention contemplates the use of stably
tethered structures to screen biological samples in vitro and/or in
vivo for the presence of the disease-associated antigens. In
exemplary immunoassays, a stably tethered structure comprising an
antibody, fusion protein, or fragment thereof may be utilized in
liquid phase or bound to a solid-phase carrier, as described below.
In preferred embodiments, particularly those involving in vivo
administration, the antibody or fragment thereof is humanized. Also
preferred, the antibody or fragment thereof is fully human. Still
more preferred, the fusion protein comprises a humanized or fully
human antibody. The skilled artisan will realize that a wide
variety of techniques are known for determining levels of
expression of a particular gene and any such known method, such as
immunoassay, RT-PCR, mRNA purification and/or cDNA preparation
followed by hybridization to a gene expression assay chip may be
utilized to determine levels of expression in individual subjects
and/or tissues. Exemplary in vitro assays of use include RIA,
ELISA, sandwich ELISA, Western blot, slot blot, dot blot, and the
like. Although such techniques were developed using intact
antibodies, stably tethered structures that incorporate antibodies,
antibody fragments or other binding moieties may be used.
[0302] Stably tethered structures incorporating antibodies, fusion
proteins, antibody fragments and/or other binding moieties may also
be used to detect the presence of a target antigen in tissue
sections prepared from a histological specimen. Such in situ
detection can be used to determine the presence of the antigen and
to determine the distribution of the antigen in the examined
tissue. In situ detection can be accomplished by applying a
detectably-labeled structure to frozen or paraffin-embedded tissue
sections. General techniques of in situ detection are well-known to
those of ordinary skill. See, for example, Ponder, "Cell Marking
Techniques and Their Application," in MAMMALIAN DEVELOPMENT: A
PRACTICAL APPROACH 113-38 Monk (ed.) (IRL Press 1987), and Coligan
at pages 5.8.1-5.8.8.
[0303] Stably tethered structures can be detectably labeled with
any appropriate marker moiety, for example, a radioisotope, an
enzyme, a fluorescent label, a dye, a chromogen, a chemiluminescent
label, a bioluminescent label or a paramagnetic label.
[0304] The marker moiety may be a radioisotope that is detected by
such means as the use of a gamma counter or a beta-scintillation
counter or by autoradiography. In a preferred embodiment, the
diagnostic conjugate is a gamma-, beta- or a positron-emitting
isotope. A marker moiety refers to a molecule that will generate a
signal under predetermined conditions. Examples of marker moieties
include radioisotopes, enzymes, fluorescent labels,
chemiluminescent labels, bioluminescent labels and paramagnetic
labels. The binding of marker moieties to stably tethered
structures can be accomplished using standard techniques known to
the art. Typical methodology in this regard is described by Kennedy
et al., Clin. Chim. Acta 70:1 (1976), Schurs et al., Clin. Chim.
Acta 81: 1 (1977), Shih et al., Intl J. Cancer 46: 1101 (1990).
[0305] Nucleic Acid Based In Vitro Diagnosis
[0306] Stably tethered structures may, in some embodiments,
incorporated nucleic acid moieties. In particular embodiments,
nucleic acids may be analyzed to determine levels of binding,
particularly using nucleic acid amplification methods. Various
forms of amplification are well known in the art and any such known
method may be used. Generally, amplification involves the use of
one or more primers that hybridize selectively or specifically to a
target nucleic acid sequence to be amplified.
[0307] The term primer, as defined herein, is meant to encompass
any nucleic acid that is capable of priming the synthesis of a
nascent nucleic acid in a template-dependent process. Computerized
programs for selection and design of amplification primers are
available from commercial and/or public sources well known to the
skilled artisan. A number of template dependent processes are
available to amplify the marker sequences present in a given
sample. One of the best-known amplification methods is the
polymerase chain reaction (referred to as PCR), which is described
in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,195, 4,683,202 and 4,800,159.
However, other methods of amplification are known and may be
used.
[0308] In Vivo Diagnosis
[0309] Methods of diagnostic imaging with labeled peptides or MAbs
are well-known. For example, in the technique of
immunoscintigraphy, ligands or antibodies are labeled with a
gamma-emitting radioisotope and introduced into a patient. A gamma
camera is used to detect the location and distribution of
gamma-emitting radioisotopes. See, for example, Srivastava (ed.),
RADIOLABELED MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES FOR IMAGING AND THERAPY (Plenum
Press 1988), Chase, "Medical Applications of Radioisotopes," in
REMINGTON'S PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, 18th Edition, Gennaro et al.
(eds.), pp. 624-652 (Mack Publishing Co., 1990), and Brown,
"Clinical Use of Monoclonal Antibodies," in BIOTECHNOLOGY AND
PHARMACY 227-49, Pezzuto et al. (eds.) (Chapman & Hall 1993).
Also preferred is the use of positron-emitting radionuclides (PET
isotopes), such as with an energy of 511 keV, such as .sup.18F,
.sup.68Ga, .sup.64Cu, and .sup.124I. Such imaging can be conducted
by direct labeling of the stably tethered structure, or by a
pretargeted imaging method, as described in Goldenberg et al,
"Antibody Pre-targeting Advances Cancer Radioimmunodetection and
Radioimmunotherapy," (J Clin Oncol 2006; 24:823-834), see also U.S.
Patent Publication Nos. 20050002945, 20040018557, 20030148409 and
20050014207, each incorporated herein by reference.
[0310] The radiation dose delivered to the patient is maintained at
as low a level as possible through the choice of isotope for the
best combination of minimum half-life, minimum retention in the
body, and minimum quantity of isotope which will permit detection
and accurate measurement. Examples of radioisotopes that are
appropriate for diagnostic imaging include .sup.99mTc and
.sup.111In.
[0311] The stably tethered structures, or haptens or carriers that
bind to them, also can be labeled with paramagnetic ions and a
variety of radiological contrast agents for purposes of in vivo
diagnosis. Contrast agents that are particularly useful for
magnetic resonance imaging comprise gadolinium, manganese,
dysprosium, lanthanum, or iron ions. Additional agents include
chromium, copper, cobalt, nickel, rhenium, europium, terbium,
holmium, or neodymium. ligands, antibodies and fragments thereof
can also be conjugated to ultrasound contrast/enhancing agents. For
example, one ultrasound contrast agent is a liposome that comprises
a humanized IgG or fragment thereof. Also preferred, the ultrasound
contrast agent is a liposome that is gas filled.
[0312] Imaging Agents and Radioisotopes
[0313] Many appropriate imaging agents are known in the art, as are
methods for their attachment to proteins or peptides (see, e.g.,
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,021,236 and 4,472,509, both incorporated herein by
reference). Certain attachment methods involve the use of a metal
chelate complex employing, for example, an organic chelating agent
such a DTPA attached to the protein or peptide (U.S. Pat. No.
4,472,509). Proteins or peptides also may be reacted with an enzyme
in the presence of a coupling agent such as glutaraldehyde or
periodate. Conjugates with fluorescein markers are prepared in the
presence of these coupling agents or by reaction with an
isothiocyanate.
[0314] Non-limiting examples of paramagnetic ions of potential use
as imaging agents include chromium (III), manganese (II), iron
(III), iron (II), cobalt (II), nickel (II), copper (II), neodymium
(III), samarium (III), ytterbium (III), gadolinium (III), vanadium
(II), terbium (III), dysprosium (III), holmium (III) and erbium
(III), with gadolinium being particularly preferred. Ions useful in
other contexts, such as X-ray imaging, include but are not limited
to lanthanum (III), gold (III), lead (II), and especially bismuth
(III).
[0315] Radioisotopes of potential use as imaging or therapeutic
agents include astatine.sup.211, carbon.sup.14, chromium.sup.51,
chlorine.sup.36, cobalt.sup.57, cobalt.sup.58, copper.sup.62,
copper.sup.64, copper.sup.67, Eu.sup.152, fluorine.sup.18,
gallium.sup.67, gallium.sup.68, hydrogen.sup.3, iodine.sup.123,
iodine.sup.124, iodine.sup.125, iodine.sup.131, indium.sup.111,
iron.sup.52, iron.sup.59, lutetium.sup.177, phosphorus32,
phosphorus.sup.33, rhenium.sup.86, rhenium.sup.188, Sc.sup.47,
selenium.sup.75, silver.sup.111, sulphur.sup.35,
technetium.sup.94m, technetium.sup.99m, yttrium.sup.86 and
yttrium.sup.90, and zirconium.sup.89. I.sup.125 is often being
preferred for use in certain embodiments, and technetium.sup.99m
and indium.sup.111 are also often preferred due to their low energy
and suitability for long-range detection.
[0316] Radioactively labeled proteins or peptides may be produced
according to well-known methods in the art. For instance, they can
be iodinated by contact with sodium or potassium iodide and a
chemical oxidizing agent such as sodium hypochlorite, or an
enzymatic oxidizing agent, such as lactoperoxidase. Proteins or
peptides may be labeled with technetium-.sup.99m by ligand exchange
process, for example, by reducing pertechnate with stannous
solution, chelating the reduced technetium onto a Sephadex column
and applying the peptide to this column or by direct labeling
techniques, e.g., by incubating pertechnate, a reducing agent such
as SNCl.sub.2, a buffer solution such as sodium-potassium phthalate
solution, and the peptide. Intermediary functional groups which are
often used to bind radioisotopes which exist as metallic ions to
peptides include diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), DOTA,
NOTA, porphyrin chelators and ethylene diaminetetracetic acid
(EDTA). Also contemplated for use are fluorescent labels, including
rhodamine, fluorescein isothiocyanate and renographin.
[0317] In certain embodiments, the proteins or peptides may be
linked to a secondary binding ligand or to an enzyme (an enzyme
tag) that will generate a colored product upon contact with a
chromogenic substrate. Examples of suitable enzymes include urease,
alkaline phosphatase, (horseradish) hydrogen peroxidase and glucose
oxidase. Preferred secondary binding ligands are biotin and avidin
or streptavidin compounds. The use of such labels is well known to
those of skill in the art in light and is described, for example,
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,817,837; 3,850,752; 3,939,350; 3,996,345;
4,277,437; 4,275,149 and 4,366,241; each incorporated herein by
reference. These fluorescent labels are preferred for in vitro
uses, but may also be of utility in in vivo applications,
particularly endoscopic or intravascular detection procedures.
[0318] In alternative embodiments, ligands, antibodies, or other
proteins or peptides may be tagged with a fluorescent marker.
Non-limiting examples of photodetectable labels include Alexa 350,
Alexa 430, AMCA, aminoacridine, BODIPY 630/650, BODIPY 650/665,
BODIPY-FL, BODIPY-R6G, BODIPY-TMR, BODIPY-TRX,
5-carboxy-4',5'-dichloro-2',7'-dimethoxy fluorescein,
5-carboxy-2',4',5',7'-tetrachlorofluorescein, 5-carboxyfluorescein,
5-carboxyrhodamine, 6-carboxyrhodamine, 6-carboxytetramethyl amino,
Cascade Blue, Cy2, Cy3, Cy5,6-FAM, dansyl chloride, Fluorescein,
HEX, 6-JOE, NBD (7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole), Oregon Green 488,
Oregon Green 500, Oregon Green 514, Pacific Blue, phthalic acid,
terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, cresyl fast violet, cresyl
blue violet, brilliant cresyl blue, para-aminobenzoic acid,
erythrosine, phthalocyanines, azomethines, cyanines, xanthines,
succinylfluoresceins, rare earth metal cryptates, europium
trisbipyridine diamine, a europium cryptate or chelate, diamine,
dicyanins, La Jolla blue dye, allopycocyanin, allococyanin B,
phycocyanin C, phycocyanin R, thiamine, phycoerythrocyanin,
phycoerythrin R, REG, Rhodamine Green, rhodamine isothiocyanate,
Rhodamine Red, ROX, TAMRA, TET, TRIT (tetramethyl rhodamine
isothiol), Tetramethylrhodamine, Edans and Texas Red. These and
other luminescent labels may be obtained from commercial sources
such as Molecular Probes (Eugene, Oreg.), and EMD Biosciences (San
Diego, Calif.).
[0319] Chemiluminescent labeling compounds of use may include
luminol, isoluminol, an aromatic acridinium ester, an imidazole, an
acridinium salt and an oxalate ester, or a bioluminescent compound
such as luciferin, luciferase and aequorin. Diagnostic conjugates
may be used, for example, in intraoperative, endoscopic, or
intravascular tumor or disease diagnosis.
[0320] In various embodiments, labels of use may comprise metal
nanoparticles. Methods of preparing nanoparticles are known. (See
e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,054,495; 6,127,120; 6,149,868; Lee and
Meisel, J. Phys. Chem. 86:3391-3395, 1982.) Nanoparticles may also
be obtained from commercial sources (e.g., Nanoprobes Inc.,
Yaphank, N.Y.; Polysciences, Inc., Warrington, Pa.). Modified
nanoparticles are available commercially, such as Nanogold.RTM.
nanoparticles from Nanoprobes, Inc. (Yaphank, N.Y.). Functionalized
nanoparticles of use for conjugation to proteins or peptides may be
commercially obtained.
EXAMPLES
[0321] The following examples are provided to illustrate, but not
to limit the claimed invention.
Methods for Generating Non-Covalent a.sub.2b Complexes Composed of
Three Fab-Subunits
Example 1
General Strategy for Production of Modular Fab Subunits
[0322] Fab modules may be produced as fusion proteins containing
either a DDD or AD sequence. Independent transgenic cell lines are
developed for each Fab fusion protein. Once produced, the modules
can be purified if desired or maintained in the cell culture
supernatant fluid. Following production, any (Fab-DDD).sub.2 module
can be combined with any Fab-AD module to generate a bispecific
trivalent Fab (bsTF).
[0323] The plasmid vector pdHL2 has been used to produce a number
of antibodies and antibody-based constructs. See Gillies et al., J
Immunol Methods (1989), 125:191-202; Losman et al., Cancer (Phila)
(1997), 80:2660-6. The di-cistronic mammalian expression vector
directs the synthesis of the heavy and light chains of IgG. The
vector sequences are mostly identical for many different IgG-pdHL2
constructs, with the only differences existing in the variable
domain (VH and VL) sequences. Using molecular biology tools known
to those skilled in the art, these IgG expression vectors can be
converted into Fab-DDD or Fab-AD expression vectors. To generate
Fab-DDD expression vectors, the coding sequences for the hinge, CH2
and CH3 domains of the heavy chain are replaced with a sequence
encoding the first 4 residues of the hinge, a 14 residue Gly-Ser
linker and the first 44 residues of human RII.alpha. (referred to
as DDD1, FIG. 1). To generate Fab-AD expression vectors, the
sequences for the hinge, CH2 and CH3 domains of IgG are replaced
with a sequence encoding the first 4 residues of the hinge, a 15
residue Gly-Ser linker and a 17 residue synthetic AD called AKAP-IS
(referred to as AD1, FIG. 2), which was generated using
bioinformatics and peptide array technology and shown to bind
RII.alpha. dimers with a very high affinity (0.4 nM). See Alto, et
al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A (2003), 100:4445-50.
[0324] Two shuttle vectors were designed to facilitate the
conversion of IgG-pdHL2 vectors to either Fab-DDD1 or Fab-AD1
expression vectors, as described below.
Preparation of CH1
[0325] The CH1 domain was amplified by PCR using the pdHL2 plasmid
vector as a template. The left PCR primer consists of the upstream
(5') of the CH1 domain and a SacII restriction endonuclease site,
which is 5' of the CH1 coding sequence. The right primer consists
of the sequence coding for the first 4 residues of the hinge (PKSC)
followed by GGGGS with the final two codons (GS) comprising a Bam
HI restriction site.
TABLE-US-00002 5' of CH1 Left Primer (SEQ ID NO: 5)
5'GAACCTCGCGGACAGTTAAG-3' CH1 + G.sub.4S-Bam Right (SEQ ID NO: 6)
5'GGATCCTCCGCCGCCGCAGCTCTTAGGTTTCTTGTCCACCTTGGTGT TGCTGG-3'
[0326] The 410 by PCR amplimer was cloned into the pGemT PCR
cloning vector (Promega, Inc.) and clones were screened for inserts
in the T7 (5') orientation.
Construction of (G.sub.4S).sub.2DDD1
[0327] A duplex oligonucleotide, designated (G.sub.4S).sub.2DDD1,
was synthesized by Sigma Genosys (Haverhill, UK) to code for the
amino acid sequence of DDD1 preceded by 11 residues of the linker
peptide, with the first two codons comprising a BamHI restriction
site. A stop codon and an EagI restriction site are appended to the
3' end. The encoded polypeptide sequence is shown below.
TABLE-US-00003 (SEQ ID NO: 7)
GSGGGGSGGGGSHIQIPPGLTELLQGYTVEVLRQQPPDLVEFAVEYFTR LREARA
[0328] The two oligonucleotides, designated RIIA1-44 top and
RIIA1-44 bottom, that overlap by 30 base pairs on their 3' ends,
were synthesized (Sigma Genosys) and combined to comprise the
central 154 base pairs of the 174 by DDD1 sequence. The
oligonucleotides were annealed and subjected to a primer extension
reaction with Taq polymerase.
TABLE-US-00004 RIIA1-44 top (SEQ ID NO: 8)
5'GTGGCGGGTCTGGCGGAGGTGGCAGCCACATCCAGATCCCGCCGGGG
CTCACGGAGCTGCTGCAGGGCTACACGGTGGAGGTGCTGCGACAG-3' RIIA1-44 bottom
(SEQ ID NO: 9) 5'GCGCGAGCTTCTCTCAGGCGGGTGAAGTACTCCACTGCGAATTCGAC
GAGGTCAGGCGGCTGCTGTCGCAGCACCTCCACCGTGTAGCCCTG-3'
[0329] Following primer extension, the duplex was amplified by PCR
using the following primers:
TABLE-US-00005 G4S Bam-Left (SEQ ID NO: 10)
5'-GGATCCGGAGGTGGCGGGTCTGGCGGAGGT-3' 1-44 stop Eag Right (SEQ ID
NO: 11) 5'-CGGCCGTCAAGCGCGAGCTTCTCTCAGGCG-3'
[0330] This amplimer was cloned into pGemT and screened for inserts
in the T7 (5') orientation.
Construction of (G.sub.4S).sub.2-AD1
[0331] A duplex oligonucleotide, designated (G.sub.4S).sub.2-AD1,
was synthesized (Sigma Genosys) to code for the amino acid sequence
of AD1 preceded by 11 residues of the linker peptide with the first
two codons comprising a BamHI restriction site. A stop codon and an
EagI restriction site are appended to the 3' end. The encoded
polypeptide sequence is shown below.
TABLE-US-00006 (SEQ ID NO: 12) GSGGGGSGGGGSQIEYLAKQIVDNAIQQA
[0332] Two complimentary overlapping oligonucleotides, designated
AKAP-IS Top and AKAP-IS Bottom, were synthesized.
TABLE-US-00007 AKAP-IS Top (SEQ ID NO: 13)
5'GGATCCGGAGGTGGCGGGTCTGGCGGAGGTGGCAGCCAGATCGAGTA
CCTGGCCAAGCAGATCGTGGACAACGCCATCCAGCAGGCCTGACGGCC G-3' AKAP-IS
Bottom (SEQ ID NO: 14)
5'CGGCCGTCAGGCCTGCTGGATGGCGTTGTCCACGATCTGCTTGGCCA
GGTACTCGATCTGGCTGCCACCTCCGCCAGACCCGCCACCTCCGGATC C-3'
[0333] The duplex was amplified by PCR using the following
primers:
TABLE-US-00008 G4S Bam-Left (SEQ ID NO: 15)
5'-GGATCCGGAGGTGGCGGGTCTGGCGGAGGT-3' AKAP-IS stop Eag Right (SEQ ID
NO: 16) 5'-CGGCCGTCAGGCCTGCTGGATG-3'
[0334] This amplimer was cloned into the pGemT vector and screened
for inserts in the T7 (5') orientation.
Ligating DDD1 with CH1
[0335] A 190 by fragment encoding the DDD1 sequence was excised
from pGemT with BamHI and NotI restriction enzymes and then ligated
into the same sites in CH1-pGemT to generate the shuttle vector
CH1-DDD1-pGemT.
Ligating AD1 with CH1
[0336] A 110 by fragment containing the AD1 sequence was excised
from pGemT with BamHI and NotI and then ligated into the same sites
in CH1-pGemT to generate the shuttle vector CH1-AD1-pGemT.
Cloning CH1-DDD1 or CH1-AD1 into pdHL2-Based Vectors
[0337] With this modular design either CH1-DDD1 or CH1-AD1 can be
incorporated into any IgG construct in the pdHL2 vector. The entire
heavy chain constant domain is replaced with one of the above
constructs by removing the SacII/EagI restriction fragment
(CH1-CH3) from pdHL2 and replacing it with the SacII/EagI fragment
of CH1-DDD1 or CH1-AD1, which is excised from the respective pGemT
shuttle vector.
N-terminal DDD Domains
[0338] The location of the DDD or AD is not restricted to the
carboxyl terminal end of CH1. A construct was engineered in which
the DDD1 sequence was attached to the amino terminal end of the VH
domain.
Example 2
Expression Vectors
[0339] Construction of h679-Fd-AD1-pdHL2
[0340] h679-Fd-AD1-pdHL2 is an expression vector for production of
h679 Fab with AD1 coupled to the carboxyl terminal end of the CH1
domain of the Fd via a flexible Gly/Ser peptide spacer composed of
14 amino acid residues. A pdHL2-based vector containing the
variable domains of h679 was converted to h679-Fd-AD1-pdHL2 by
replacement of the SacII/EagI fragment with the CH1-AD1 fragment,
which was excised from the CH1-AD1-SV3 shuttle vector with SacII
and EagI.
Construction of C-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2
[0341] C-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2 is an expression vector for
production of a stable dimer that comprises two copies of a fusion
protein C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14, in which DDD1 is linked to hMN-14 Fab at
the carboxyl terminus of CHI via a flexible peptide spacer. The
plasmid vector hMN14(I)-pdHL2, which has been used to produce
hMN-14 IgG, was converted to C-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2 by digestion
with SacII and EagI restriction endonucleases to remove the CH1-CH3
domains and insertion of the CH1-DDD1 fragment, which was excised
from the CH1-DDD1-SV3 shuttle vector with SacII and EagI.
Construction of N-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2
[0342] N-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2 is an expression vector for
production of a stable dimer that comprises two copies of a fusion
protein N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14, in which DDD1 is linked to hMN-14 Fab at
the amino terminus of VH via a flexible peptide spacer.
[0343] The expression vector was engineered as follows. The DDD1
domain was amplified by PCR using the two primers shown below.
TABLE-US-00009 DDD1 Nco Left (SEQ ID NO: 17) 5'
CCATGGGCAGCCACATCCAGATCCCGCC-3' DDD1-G.sub.4S Bam Right (SEQ ID NO:
18) 5'GGATCCGCCACCTCCAGATCCTCCGCCGCCAGCGCGAGCTTCTCTCA
GGCGGGTG-3'
[0344] As a result of the PCR, an NcoI restriction site and the
coding sequence for part of the linker (G.sub.4S).sub.2 containing
a BamHI restriction were appended to the 5' and 3' ends,
respectively. The 170 by PCR amplimer was cloned into the pGemT
vector and clones were screened for inserts in the T7 (5')
orientation. The 194 by insert was excised from the pGemT vector
with NcoI and SalI restriction enzymes and cloned into the SV3
shuttle vector, which was prepared by digestion with those same
enzymes, to generate the intermediate vector DDD1-SV3.
[0345] The hMN-14 Fd sequence was amplified by PCR using the
oligonucleotide primers shown below.
TABLE-US-00010 hMN-14VH left G4S Bam (SEQ ID NO: 19)
5'-GGATCCGGCGGAGGTGGCTCTGAGGTCCAACTGGTGGAGAGCGG-3' CH1-C stop Eag
(SEQ ID NO: 20) 5'-CGGCCGTCAGCAGCTCTTAGGTTTCTTGTC-3'
[0346] As a result of the PCR, a BamHI restriction site and the
coding sequence for part of the linker (G.sub.4S) were appended to
the 5' end of the amplimer. A stop codon and EagI restriction site
was appended to the 3' end. The 1043 by amplimer was cloned into
pGemT. The hMN-14-Fd insert was excised from pGemT with BamHI and
EagI restriction enzymes and then ligated with DDD1-SV3 vector,
which was prepared by digestion with those same enzymes, to
generate the construct N-DDD1-hMN-14Fd-SV3.
[0347] The N-DDD1-hMN-14 Fd sequence was excised with XhoI and EagI
restriction enzymes and the 1.28 kb insert fragment was ligated
with a vector fragment that was prepared by digestion of
C-hMN-14-pdHL2 with those same enzymes. The final expression vector
is N-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14-pDHL2.
Example 3
Production and Purification of h679-Fab-AD1
[0348] The h679-Fd-AD1-pdHL2 vector was linearized by digestion
with Sal I restriction endonuclease and transfected into Sp/EEE
myeloma cells by electroporation. The di-cistronic expression
vector directs the synthesis and secretion of both h679 kappa light
chain and h679 Fd-AD1, which combine to form h679 Fab-AD1.
Following electroporation, the cells were plated in 96-well tissue
culture plates and transfectant clones were selected with 0.05
.mu.M methotrexate (MTX). Clones were screened for protein
expression by ELISA using microtitre plates coated with a
BSA-IMP-260 (HSG) conjugate and detection with HRP-conjugated goat
anti-human Fab. BIAcore analysis using an HSG (IMP-239) sensorchip
was used to determine the productivity by measuring the initial
slope obtained from injection of diluted media samples. The highest
producing clone had an initial productivity of approximately 30
mg/L. A total of 230 mg of h679-Fab-AD1 was purified from 4.5
liters of roller bottle culture by single-step 1MP-291 affinity
chromatography. Culture media was concentrated approximately
10-fold by ultrafiltration before loading onto an IMP-291-affigel
column. The column was washed to baseline with PBS and h679-Fab-AD1
was eluted with 1 M imidazole, 1 mM EDTA, 0.1 M NaAc, pH 4.5.
SE-HPLC analysis of the eluate showed a single sharp peak with a
retention time (9.63 min) consistent with a 50 kDa protein (not
shown). Only two bands, which represent the polypeptide
constituents of h679-AD1, were evident by reducing SDS-PAGE
analysis (not shown).
Example 4
Production and Purification of N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 and
C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14
[0349] The C-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2 and N-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2
vectors were transfected into Sp2/0-derived myeloma cells by
electroporation. C-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2 is a di-cistronic
expression vector, which directs the synthesis and secretion of
both hMN-14 kappa light chain and hMN-14 Fd-DDD1, which combine to
form C-DDD1-hMN-14 Fab. N-DDD1-hMN-14-pdHL2 is a di-cistronic
expression vector, which directs the synthesis and secretion of
both hMN-14 kappa light chain and N-DDD1-Fd-hMN-14, which combine
to form N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14. Each fusion protein forms a stable
homodimer via the interaction of the DDD1 domain.
[0350] Following electroporation, the cells were plated in 96-well
tissue culture plates and transfectant clones were selected with
0.05 .mu.M methotrexate (MTX). Clones were screened for protein
expression by ELISA using microtitre plates coated with WI2 (a rat
anti-id monoclonal antibody to hMN-14) and detection with
HRP-conjugated goat anti-human Fab. The initial productivity of the
highest producing C-DDD1-Fab-hMN14 Fab and N-DDD1-Fab-hMN14 Fab
clones was 60 mg/L and 6 mg/L, respectively.
Affinity Purification of N-DDD1-hMN-14 and C-DDD1-hMN-14 with
AD1-Affigel
[0351] The DDD/AD interaction was utilized to affinity purify
DDD1-containing constructs. AD1-C is a peptide that was made
synthetically consisting of the AD1 sequence and a carboxyl
terminal cysteine residue (see Example 6), which was used to couple
the peptide to Affigel following reaction of the sulfhydryl group
with chloroacetic anhydride. DDD-containing a.sub.2 structures
specifically bind to the AD1-C-Affigel resin at neutral pH and can
be eluted at low pH (e.g., pH 2.5).
[0352] A total of 81 mg of C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 was purified from 1.2
liters of roller bottle culture by single-step AD1-C affinity
chromatography. Culture media was concentrated approximately
10-fold by ultrafiltration before loading onto an AD1-C-affigel
column. The column was washed to baseline with PBS and
C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 was eluted with 0.1 M Glycine, pH 2.5. SE-HPLC
analysis of the eluate showed a single protein peak with a
retention time (8.7 min) consistent with a 107 kDa protein (not
shown). The purity was also confirmed by reducing SDS-PAGE, showing
only two bands of molecular size expected for the two polypeptide
constituents of C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 (not shown).
[0353] A total of 10 mg of N-DDD1-hMN-14 was purified from 1.2
liters of roller bottle culture by single-step AD1-C affinity
chromatography as described above. SE-HPLC analysis of the eluate
showed a single protein peak with a retention time (8.77 min)
similar to C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 and consistent with a 107 kDa protein
(not shown). Reducing SDS-PAGE showed only two bands attributed to
the polypeptide constituents of N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 (not shown).
[0354] The binding activity of C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 was determined by
SE-HPLC analysis of samples in which the test article was mixed
with various amounts of WI2. A sample prepared by mixing WI2 Fab
and C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 at a molar ratio of 0.75:1 showed three
peaks, which were attributed to unbound C-DDD1-Fab-hMN14 (8.71
min), C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 bound to one WI2 Fab (7.95 min), and
C-DDD1-Fab-hMN14 bound to two WI2 Fabs (7.37 min) (not shown). When
a sample containing WI2 Fab and C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 at a molar ratio
of 4 was analyzed, only a single peak at 7.36 minutes was observed
(not shown). These results demonstrate that hMN14-Fab-DDD1 is
dimeric and has two active binding sites. Very similar results were
obtained when this experiment was repeated with
N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14.
[0355] A competitive ELISA demonstrated that both C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14
and N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 bind to CEA with an avidity similar to hMN-14
IgG, and significantly stronger than monovalent hMN-14 Fab (not
shown). ELISA plates were coated with a fusion protein containing
the epitope (A3B3) of CEA for which hMN-14 is specific.
Example 5
Formation of a.sub.2b Complexes
[0356] Evidence for the formation of an a.sub.2b complex was first
provided by SE-HPLC analysis of a mixture containing
C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 (as a.sub.2) and h679-Fab-AD1 (as b) in an equal
molar amount. When such a sample was analyzed, a single peak was
observed having a retention time of 8.40 minutes, which is
consistent with the formation of a new protein that is larger than
either h679-Fab-AD1 (9.55 min) or C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 (8.73 min)
alone (not shown). The upfield shift was not observed when hMN-14
F(ab').sub.2 was mixed with h679-Fab-AD1 or C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 was
mixed with 679-Fab-NEM, demonstrating that the interaction is
mediated specifically via the DDD1 and AD1 domains. Very similar
results were obtained using h679-Fab-AD1 and N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 (not
shown).
[0357] BIAcore was used to further demonstrate and characterize the
specific interaction between the DD1 and AD1 fusion proteins. The
experiments were performed by first allowing either h679-Fab-AD1 or
679-Fab-NEM to bind to the surface of a high density HSG-coupled
(IMP239) sensorchip, followed by a subsequent injection of
C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 or hMN-14 F(ab').sub.2. As expected, only the
combination of h679-Fab-AD1 and C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 resulted in a
further increase in response units when the latter was injected
(not shown). Similar results were obtained using N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14
and h679-Fab-AD1 (not shown).
[0358] Equilibrium SE-HPLC experiments were carried out to
determine the binding affinity of the specific interaction between
AD1 and DDD1 present in the respective fusion proteins. The
dissociation constants (K.sub.d) for the binding of h679-Fab-AD1
with C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14, N-DDD1-hMN-14 and a commercial sample of
recombinant human RII.alpha. were found to be 15 nM, 8 nM and 30
nM, respectively.
Other Related Methods
Example 6
Generation of Di-AD1
[0359] In this example, a small polypeptide (AD1-C) having the
amino acid sequence shown below was made synthetically.
TABLE-US-00011 (SEQ ID NO: 37)
NH.sub.2-KQIEYLAKQIVDNAIQQAKGC-COOH
[0360] In AD1-C, the AD1 amino acid sequence (underlined) is
flanked by a lysine residue at N-terminus and a KGC tripeptide at
carboxyl terminus. Two lysine (K) residues were introduced to
increase solubility and a glycine (G) residue was inserted before
the C-terminal cysteine to provide added flexibility. Upon
treatment with DMSO, AD1-C was oxidized to a dimer, designated
Di-AD1, which was purified by RP-HPLC. A schematic structure of
Di-AD1 is shown below (=indicating the disulfide bridge)
TABLE-US-00012 (SEQ ID NO: 21)
NH.sub.2-KQIEYLAKQIVDNAIQQAKGC=CGKAQQIANDVIQKALYEIQK-NH.sub.2
[0361] There are a number of functional groups present in Di-AD1 or
AD 1-C that may be utilized for further modifications. For
examples, the 8 and 4 primary amino groups contained in Di-AD1 and
AD1-C, respectively, may be used to couple drugs, toxins, proteins,
or other effectors. Further, Di-AD1 and AD1-C have 2 and 1 tyrosine
residues, respectively, which may be used for radio-iodination.
Finally, AD1-C contains a free cysteine residue, which can also be
used to couple effectors or form a Di-AD1 analog containing
effectors.
Example 7
A Novel Pretargeting Approach
[0362] The method of the present invention lends itself to new
pretargeting methodologies. The following provides an example of a
pretargeting system that uses the affinity enhancement system (Le
Doussal et al., J Nucl Med (1989), 30:1358-66) without the need for
a hapten-binding antibody. A dimer of C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 or
N-Fab-DDD2-hMN-14, produced as described in Example 4, may be used
for pretargeting a tumor. The 107 kDa protein is first administered
intravenously to patients and allowed to bind CEA on tumors while
clearing from blood and normal tissues. At a later time, a divalent
peptide, such as a DOTA conjugate of Di-AD1 carrying a therapeutic
(for example, .sup.90Y) or diagnostic radioisotope (for example,
.sup.111In), is administered intravenously. The small peptide
(.about.5000 Da), while rapidly clearing from blood and normal
tissues, localizes to the tumor as it contains two AD sequences
that is expected to interact specifically with C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14
already retained by the tumor.
[0363] Cross-linking of C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 with Di-AD1 in vitro was
demonstrated by SE-HPLC. When C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 was mixed with
Di-AD1 the protein peak shifted from 8.67 min to 7.95 min,
indicating the formation of a crosslinked structure (not shown). No
such shift was observed when hMN-14 F(ab').sub.2 was mixed with
Di-AD1, demonstrating that the cross-linking is mediated by the
interaction between DDD1 and AD1. To confirm that the peak shift
was in fact due to specific cross-linking of C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14, the
complex was reduced with DTT to cleave the disulfide linkage of
Di-AD1, which resulted in the shift of the peak back to 8.67 min
(not shown).
Example 8
Affinity Purification of Either DDD or AD Fusion Proteins
[0364] Universal affinity purification systems can be developed by
production of DDD or AD proteins, which have lower affinity
docking. The DDD formed by RI.alpha. dimers binds AKAP-IS (AD1)
with a 500-fold weaker affinity (225 nM) compared to RII.alpha..
Thus, RI.alpha. dimers formed from the first 44 amino acid resides
can be produced and coupled to a resin to make an attractive
affinity matrix for purification of any AD1-containing fusion
protein.
[0365] Many lower affinity (0.1 .mu.M) AKAP anchoring domains exist
in nature. If necessary, highly predicable amino acid substitutions
can be introduced to further lower the binding affinity. A low
affinity AD can be produced either synthetically or biologically
and coupled to resin for use in affinity purification of any DDD1
fusion protein.
Methods Related to the Generation of Stably Tethered Structures
Example 9
Vectors for Producing Disulfide Stabilized Structures Composed of
Three Fab Fragments
[0366] N-DDD2-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2
[0367] N-DDD2-hMN-14-pdHL2 is an expression vector for production
of N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14, which possesses a dimerization and docking
domain sequence of DDD2 appended to the amino terminus of the Fd
(FIG. 4). The DDD2 is coupled to the V.sub.H domain via a 15 amino
acid residue Gly/Ser peptide linker. DDD2 has a cysteine residue
preceding the dimerization and docking sequences, which are
identical to those of DDD1. The fusion protein secreted is composed
of two identical copies of hMN-14 Fab held together by non-covalent
interaction of the DDD2 domains (FIG. 3B).
[0368] The expression vector was engineered as follows. Two
overlapping, complimentary oligonucleotides (DDD2 Top and DDD2
Bottom), which comprise residues 1-13 of DDD2, were made
synthetically. The oligonucleotides were annealed and
phosphorylated with T4 polynucleotide kinase (PNK), resulting in
overhangs on the 5' and 3' ends that are compatible for ligation
with DNA digested with the restriction endonucleases NcoI and PstI,
respectively.
TABLE-US-00013 DDD2 Top (SEQ ID NO: 22)
5'CATGTGCGGCCACATCCAGATCCCGCCGGGGCTCACGGAGCTGCTGC A-3' DDD2 Bottom
(SEQ ID NO: 23) 5'GCAGCTCCGTGAGCCCCGGCGGGATCTGGATGTGGCCGCA-3'
[0369] The duplex DNA was ligated with a vector fragment,
DDD1-hMN14 Fd-SV3 that was prepared by digestion with NcoI and
PstI, to generate the intermediate construct DDD2-hMN14 Fd-SV3. A
1.28 kb insert fragment, which contained the coding sequence for
DDD2-hMN14 Fd, was excised from the intermediate construct with
XhoI and EagI restriction endonucleases and ligated with
hMN14-pdHL2 vector DNA that was prepared by digestion with those
same enzymes. The final expression vector is N-DDD2-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2
(FIG. 4).
C-DDD2-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2
[0370] C-DDD2-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2 is an expression vector for
production of C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14, which possesses a dimerization and
docking domain sequence of DDD2 appended to the carboxyl terminus
of the Fd via a 14 amino acid residue Gly/Ser peptide linker (FIG.
5A). The fusion protein secreted is composed of two identical
copies of hMN-14 Fab held together by non-covalent interaction of
the DDD2 domains (FIG. 5B).
[0371] The expression vector was engineered as follows. Two
overlapping, complimentary oligonucleotides, which comprise the
coding sequence for part of the linker peptide (GGGGSGGGCG, SEQ ID
NO:38) and residues 1-13 of DDD2, were made synthetically. The
oligonucleotides were annealed and phosphorylated with T4 PNK,
resulting in overhangs on the 5' and 3' ends that are compatible
for ligation with DNA digested with the restriction endonucleases
BamHI and PstI, respectively.
TABLE-US-00014 G4S-DDD2 top (SEQ ID NO: 24)
5'GATCCGGAGGTGGCGGGTCTGGCGGAGGTTGCGGCCACATCCAGATC
CCGCCGGGGCTCACGGAGCTGCTGCA-3' G4S-DDD2 bottom (SEQ ID NO: 25)
5'GCAGCTCCGTGAGCCCCGGCGGGATCTGGATGTGGCCGCAACCTCCG
CCAGACCCGCCACCTCCG-3'
[0372] The duplex DNA was ligated with the shuttle vector
CH1-DDD1-pGemT, which was prepared by digestion with BamHI and
PstI, to generate the shuttle vector CH1-DDD2-pGemT. A 507 by
fragment was excised from CH1-DDD2-pGemT with SacII and EagI and
ligated with the IgG expression vector hMN14(I)-pdHL2, which was
prepared by digestion with SacII and EagI. The final expression
construct is C-DDD2-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2 (FIG. 6)
h679-Fd-AD2-pdHL2
[0373] h679-Fab-AD2, was designed to pair as B to N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14
or C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14. h679-Fd-AD2-pdHL2 is an expression vector for
the production of h679-Fab-AD2, which possesses an anchor domain
sequence of AD2 appended to the carboxyl terminal end of the CH1
domain via a 14 amino acid residue Gly/Ser peptide linker. AD2 has
one cysteine residue preceding and another one following the anchor
domain sequence of AD1.
[0374] The expression vector was engineered as follows. Two
overlapping, complimentary oligonucleotides (AD2 Top and AD2
Bottom), which comprise the coding sequence for AD2 and part of the
linker sequence, were made synthetically. The oligonucleotides were
annealed and phosphorylated with T4 PNK, resulting in overhangs on
the 5' and 3' ends that are compatible for ligation with DNA
digested with the restriction endonucleases BamHI and SpeI,
respectively.
TABLE-US-00015 AD2 Top (SEQ ID NO: 26)
5'GATCCGGAGGTGGCGGGTCTGGCGGATGTGGCCAGATCGAGTACCTG
GCCAAGCAGATCGTGGACAACGCCATCCAGCAGGCCGGCTGCTGAA-3' AD2 Bottom (SEQ
ID NO: 27) 5'TTCAGCAGCCGGCCTGCTGGATGGCGTTGTCCACGATCTGCTTGGCC
AGGTACTCGATCTGGCCACATCCGCCAGACCCGCCACCTCCG-3'
[0375] The duplex DNA was ligated into the shuttle vector
CH1-AD1-pGemT, which was prepared by digestion with BamHI and SpeI,
to generate the shuttle vector CH1-AD2-pGemT. A 429 base pair
fragment containing CH1 and AD2 coding sequences was excised from
the shuttle vector with SacII and EagI restriction enzymes and
ligated into h679-pdHL2 vector that prepared by digestion with
those same enzymes. The final expression vector is
h679-Fd-AD2-pdHL2.
Example 10
Production of h679-Fab-AD2
[0376] The h679-Fd-AD2-pdHL2 vector was transfected into Sp/EEE
myeloma cells by electroporation. The di-cistronic expression
vector directs the synthesis and secretion of both h679 kappa light
chain and h679 Fd-AD2, which combine to form h679-Fab-AD2. The
cysteine residues on either end of the AD provide two potentially
reactive sulfhydryl groups. Following electroporation, the cells
were plated in 96-well tissue culture plates and transfectant
clones were selected with 0.05 .mu.M methotrexate (MTX). Clones
were screened for protein expression by ELISA using microtitre
plates coated with a BSA-IMP-260 (HSG) conjugate and detection with
goat anti-human Fab-HRP. BIAcore analysis using an HSG (IMP-239)
sensorchip was used to determine the productivity by measuring the
initial slope obtained from injection of diluted media samples. The
highest producing clone had an initial productivity of
approximately 50 mg/L. A total of 160 mg of h679-Fab-AD2 was
purified from 2.9 liters of roller bottle culture by single-step
1MP-291 affinity chromatography. Culture media was concentrated
approximately 10-fold by ultrafiltration before loading onto an
IMP-291-affigel column. The column was washed to baseline with PBS
and h679-AD2 was eluted with 1 M imidazole, 1 mM EDTA, 0.1 M NaAc,
pH 4.5. SE-HPLC analysis shows a single sharp peak with a retention
time (-10 min) consistent with a 50 kDa protein (not shown). When
this material was mixed with hMN14-Fab-DDD1, only 1/3 was reactive
as evident by the observation in the SE-HPLC trace of a new peak
attributed to the binary complex (not shown). However, reduction of
the h679-Fab-AD2 with TCEP resulted in 100% activity (not shown).
This suggests that (1) an intramolecular disulfide bond may form
between the two cysteine residues of AD2, preventing association
with the DDD but also protecting the sulfhydryl groups from
reacting with other substances; and (2) the intramolecular
disulfide bridge can be broken by reduction resulting in a
DDD-reactive anchor domain with two free sufhydryl groups.
Example 11
Production of N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 as an a.sub.2 Structure
[0377] The N-DDD2-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2 vector was transfected into
Sp/EEE myeloma cells by electroporation. The di-cistronic
expression vector directs the synthesis and secretion of both
hMN-14 kappa light chain and N-DDD2-hMN-14 Fd, which combine to
form N-DDD2-hMN14 Fab. An A.sub.2 structure is expected to form by
dimerization via DDD2, resulting in two potentially reactive
sulfhydryl groups provided by the cysteine residue in each DDD2.
Following electroporation, the cells were plated in 96-well tissue
culture plates and transfectant clones were selected with 0.05
.mu.M methotrexate (MTX).
[0378] Clones were screened for protein expression by ELISA using
microtitre plates coated with WI2 (hMN-14 anti-Id) and detection
with goat anti-human Fab-HRP. The highest producing clones had an
initial productivity of approximately 10 mg/L. A total of 16 mg of
N-DDD2-hMN-14 was purified by protein L affinity chromatography
from 1.8 liters of roller bottle culture. Culture media was
concentrated approximately 10-fold by ultrafiltration before
loading onto a protein L affinity chromatography column. The column
was washed to baseline with PBS and N-DDD2-hMN14 was eluted with 1
mM EDTA, 0.1 M NaAc, pH 2.5 and immediately neutralized with
Tris-HCl. SE-HPLC analysis showed four protein peaks (not shown),
two of which were subsequently identified as a.sub.4 (7.9 min) and
a.sub.2 (8.8 min) forms of N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 and the remaining two
were the dimer and monomer of the kappa chain. This mixture showed
little binding activity with h679-Fab-AD1, unless a thiol-reducing
agent such as TCEP was added to convert most of the a.sub.4 form to
the a.sub.2 form (not shown). These data suggest that (1) a.sub.4
is formed via linking two a.sub.2 structures through the cysteines
present in the DDD2, thereby preventing association with the AD but
also protecting the sulfhydryl groups from reacting with other
substances; and (2) the intermolecular disulfide bridges can be
broken by reduction, resulting in an a.sub.2 structures with
AD-reactive DDD dimers containing two free sufhydril groups. Note
that this side-product (a.sub.4) is composed of four active Fab
subunits. Approximately 15% of the total N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 remains
in the A.sub.4 form following reduction, even with high TCEP
concentrations and long reaction times (not shown). This suggests
that other mechanisms such as domain swapping may contribute to the
formation of the a.sub.4 form, in addition to disulfide
bridging.
Example 12
Production of C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14
[0379] The C-DDD2-Fd-hMN-14-pdHL2 vector was transfected into
Sp/EEE myeloma cells by electroporation. The di-cistronic
expression vector directs the synthesis and secretion of both
hMN-14 kappa light chain and C-DDD2-Fd-hMN-14, which combine to
form C-DDD2-Fab-hMN14. Like N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14, an a.sub.2 structure
is expected to form by dimerization via DDD2, resulting in two
potentially reactive sulfhydryl groups provided by the cysteine
residue in each DDD2. Following electroporation, the cells were
plated in 96-well tissue culture plates and transfectant clones
were selected with 0.05 .mu.M methotrexate (MTX).
[0380] Clones were screened for protein expression by ELISA using
microtitre plates coated with WI2 (hMN-14 anti-Id) and detection
with goat anti-human Fab-HRP. The highest producing clones had an
initial productivity of approximately 100 mg/L, which was 10-fold
higher than that of N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14. A total of 200 mg of
C-DDD2-hMN-14 was purified by protein L affinity chromatography
from 1.8 liters of roller bottle culture as described in Example 3.
The SE-HPLC profile of the Protein L-purified C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14
(not shown) was similar to that of N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14. Two of the
four protein peaks were identified as the a.sub.4 (8.40 min) and
a.sub.2 (9.26 min) forms of C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 and the remaining two
represent dimer and monomer of the kappa chain. This mixture showed
little binding activity with h679-AD1, unless a thiol-reducing
agent such as TCEP was added to convert most of the a.sub.4 form of
to the a.sub.2 form, which then bound avidly to h679-AD1. These
data suggest that C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 is a functional equivalent of
N-DDD2-hMN-14.
Example 13
Generation of TF1
[0381] h679-Fab-AD2 was designed as a B component to pair with an
a.sub.2 component such as N-DDD2-hMN-Fab-14 or C-DDD2-hMN-14, which
when combined, would readily associate to form an a.sub.2b
structure (FIG. 7A) that might be further induced to bind
covalently via disulfide bonds (FIG. 7B). Since characterization of
N-DDD2- and AD2-constructs demonstrated that reduction of each was
necessary to achieve full DDD/AD interaction, a reduction step was
included in the process. Initially, immobilized TCEP was used as a
reducing agent to save the time required for removal of the
reducing agent. Following reduction for 1 hour at room temperature,
the TCEP-Agarose was removed by centrifugation and DMSO was added
to the reaction solution to a final concentration of 10%. The first
evidence of the existence of a covalently linked a.sub.2b complex,
henceforth referred to as TF1, was demonstrated by BIAcore
analysis.
[0382] After feasibility was established in small-scale reactions
using immobilized TCEP, a large scale preparation of TF1 was
carried out as follows. N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 (Protein L-purified) and
h679-Fab-AD2 (IMP-291-purified) were first mixed in roughly
stoichiometric concentrations in 1 mM EDTA, PBS, pH 7.4. Before the
addition of TCEP, SE-HPLC did not show any evidence of a.sub.2b
formation (not shown). Instead there were peaks representing
a.sub.4 (7.97 min; 200 kDa), a.sub.2 (8.91 min; 100 kDa) and B
(10.01 min; 50 kDa). Addition of 5 mM TCEP rapidly resulted in the
formation of the a.sub.2b complex as demonstrated by a new peak at
8.43 min, consistent with a 150 kDa protein (not shown). Apparently
there was excess B in this experiment as a peak attributed to
h679-Fab-AD2 (9.72 min) was still evident yet no apparent peak
corresponding to either a.sub.2 or a.sub.4 was observed (not
shown). After reduction for one hour, the TCEP was removed by
overnight dialysis against several changes of PBS. The resulting
solution was brought to 10% DMSO and held overnight at room
temperature.
[0383] When analyzed by SE-HPLC, the peak representing a.sub.2b
appeared to be sharper with a slight reduction of the retention
time by 0.1 min to 8.31 min (not shown), which, based on our
previous findings, indicates an increase in binding affinity. The
complex was further purified by IMP-291 affinity chromatography to
remove the kappa chain contaminants. As expected, the excess
h679-AD2 was co-purified and later removed by preparative SE-HPLC
(not shown).
[0384] TF1 is a highly stable complex. When TF1 was tested for
binding to an HSG (IMP-239) sensorchip, there was no apparent
decrease of the observed response at the end of sample injection.
In contrast, when a solution containing an equimolar mixture of
both C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 and h679-Fab-AD1 was tested under similar
conditions, the observed increase in response units was accompanied
by a detectable drop during and immediately after sample injection,
indicating that the initially formed a.sub.2b structure was
unstable. Moreover, whereas subsequent injection of WI2 gave a
substantial increase in response units for TF1, no increase was
evident for the C-DDD1/AD1 mixture.
[0385] The additional increase of response units resulting from the
binding of WI2 to TF1 immobilized on the sensorchip corresponds to
two fully functional binding sites, each contributed by one subunit
of N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14. This was confirmed by the ability of TF1 to
bind two Fab fragments of WI2 (not shown). When a mixture
containing h679-AD2 and N-DDD1-hMN14, which had been reduced and
oxidized exactly as TF1, was analyzed by BIAcore, there was little
additional binding of WI2 (not shown), indicating that a
disulfide-stabilized a.sub.2b complex such as TF1 could only form
through the interaction of DDD2 and AD2.
[0386] Two improvements to the process were implemented to reduce
the time and efficiency of the process. First, a slight molar
excess of N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 present as a mixture of a.sub.4/a.sub.2
structures was used to react with h679-Fab-AD2 so that no free
h679-Fab-AD2 remained and any a.sub.4/a.sub.2 structures not
tethered to h679-Fab-AD2, as well as light chains, would be removed
by IMP-291 affinity chromatography. Second, hydrophobic interaction
chromatography (HIC) has replaced dialysis or diafiltration as a
means to remove TCEP following reduction, which would not only
shorten the process time but also add a potential viral removing
step. N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 and 679-Fab-AD2 were mixed and reduced with
5 mM TCEP for 1 hour at room temperature. The solution was brought
to 0.75 M ammonium sulfate and then loaded onto a Butyl FF HIC
column. The column was washed with 0.75 M ammonium sulfate, 5 mM
EDTA, PBS to remove TCEP. The reduced proteins were eluted from the
HIC column with PBS and brought to 10% DMSO. Following incubation
at room temperature overnight, highly purified TF1 was isolated by
IMP-291 affinity chromatography (not shown). No additional
purification steps, such as gel filtration, were required.
Example 14
Generation of TF2
[0387] Following the successful creation of TF1, an analog
designated TF2 (FIG. 8) was also obtained by reacting
C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 with h679-Fab-AD2. TF2 has two potential
advantages over TF1. First, C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 is produced at a
10-fold higher level than N-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14. Secondly, fusion
proteins with C-terminal DDD domains exhibit a markedly stronger
CEA-binding avidity than those with N-terminal DDD domains. This is
likely attributed to the arrangement of the domains, where the
binding of the N-DDD variants may be compromised due to steric
interference.
[0388] A pilot batch of TF2 was generated with >90% yield as
follows. Protein L-purified C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 (200 mg) was mixed
with h679-Fab-AD2 (60 mg) at a 1.4:1 molar ratio. The total protein
concentration was 1.5 mg/ml in PBS containing 1 mM EDTA. Subsequent
steps involving TCEP reduction, HIC chromatography, DMSO oxidation,
and IMP-291 affinity chromatography were the same as described for
TF1. Before the addition of TCEP, SE-HPLC did not show any evidence
of a.sub.2b formation (not shown). Instead there were peaks
corresponding to a.sub.4 (8.40 min; 215 kDa), a.sub.2 (9.32 min;
107 kDa) and b (10.33 min; 50 kDa). Addition of 5 mM TCEP rapidly
resulted in the formation of a.sub.1b complex as demonstrated by a
new peak at 8.77 min (not shown), consistent with a 157 kDa protein
expected for the binary structure. TF2 was purified to near
homogeneity by IMP-291 affinity chromatography (not shown). SE-HPLC
analysis of the IMP-291 unbound fraction demonstrates the removal
of a.sub.4, a.sub.2 and free kappa chains from the product (not
shown).
[0389] Non-reducing SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that the
majority of TF2 exists as a large, covalent structure with a
relative mobility near that of IgG (not shown). The additional
bands suggest that disulfide formation is incomplete under the
experimental conditions. Reducing SDS-PAGE shows that any
additional bands apparent in the non-reducing gel are
product-related (not shown), as only bands representing the
constituent polypeptides of TF2 are evident. However, the relative
mobilities of each of the four polypeptides are too close to be
resolved. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (not shown) revealed a single
peak of 156,434 Da, which is within 99.5% of the calculated mass
(157,319 Da) of TF2.
[0390] The functionality of TF2 was determined by BIACORE as
described for TF1. TF2, C-DDD1-hMN-14+h679-AD1 (used as a control
sample of noncovalent a.sub.2b complex), or C-DDD2-hMN-14+h679-AD2
(used as a control sample of unreduced a.sub.2 and b components)
were diluted to 1 .mu.g/ml (total protein) and pass over a
sensorchip immobilized with HSG. The response for TF2 was
approximately two-fold that of the two control samples, indicating
that only the h679-Fab-AD component in the control samples would
bind to and remains on the sensorchip. Subsequent WI2 IgG
injections demonstrated that only TF2 had a DDD-Fab-hMN-14
component that was tightly associated with h679-Fab-AD as indicated
by an additional signal response. The additional increase of
response units resulting from the binding of WI2 to TF2 immobilized
on the sensorchip also corresponds to two fully functional binding
sites, each contributed by one subunit of C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14. This
was confirmed by the ability of TF2 to bind two Fab fragments of
WI2 (not shown).
[0391] The relative CEA-binding avidity of TF2 was determined by
competitive ELISA. Plates were coated (0.5 pg/well) with a fusion
protein containing the A3B3 domain of CEA, which is recognized by
hMN-14. Serial dilutions of TF1, TF2 and hMN-14 IgG were made in
quadruplicate and incubated in wells containing HRP-conjugated
hMN-14 IgG (1 nM). The data indicate that TF2 binds CEA with an
avidity that is at least equivalent to that of IgG and two-fold
stronger than TF1 (not shown). This is not surprising since
previously in a similar assay, C-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14 was found to have
a stronger CEA-binding avidity than hMN-14 IgG, which in turn bound
more avidly than N-DDD1-Fab-hMN-14. A possible explanation for the
apparent improved avidity of C-DDD-Fab-hMN-14 over the parental IgG
is that the Gly/Ser linkers in the former provide for a more
flexible molecule than IgG. Although the N-DDD variants also
possess flexible peptide linkers, the CEA binding sites are
positioned close to one another and adjacent to the DDD dimer,
resulting in reduced avidity.
Example 15
Serum stability of TF1 and TF2
[0392] TF1 and TF2 were designed to be stably tethered structures
that could be used in vivo where extensive dilution in blood and
tissues would occur. The stability of TF2 in human sera was
assessed using BIACORE. TF2 was diluted to 0.1 mg/ml in fresh human
serum, which was pooled from four donors, and incubated at
37.degree. C. under 5% CO.sub.2 for seven days. Daily samples were
diluted 1:25 and then analyzed by BIACORE using an IMP-239 HSG
sensorchip. An injection of WI2 IgG was used to quantify the amount
of intact and fully active TF2. Serum samples were compared to
control samples that were diluted directly from the stock. TF2 is
highly stable in serum, retaining 98% of its bispecific binding
activity after 7 days (not shown). Similar results were obtained
for TF1 in either human or mouse serum (not shown).
Example 16
Biodistribution of TF2 in Tumor-Bearing Mice
[0393] The biodistribution studies were performed for TF2 in female
athymic nude mice bearing s.c. human colorectal adenocarcinoma
xenografts (LS 174T). Cells were expanded in tissue culture until
enough cells had been grown to inject 50 mice s.c. with
1.times.10.sup.7 cells per mouse. After one week, tumors were
measured and mice assigned to groups of 5 mice per time-point. The
mean tumor size at the start of this study was 0.141.+-.0.044
cm.sup.3. All the mice were injected with 40 .mu.g .sup.125I-TF2
(250 pmoles, 2 .mu.Ci). They were then sacrificed and necropsied at
0.5, 2, 4, 16, 24, 48, and 72 hrs post-injection. A total of 35
mice were used in this study. Tumor as well as various tissues were
removed and placed in a .gamma.-counter to determine
percent-injected dose per gram (% ID/g) in tissue at each
time-point.
[0394] Radioiodination of .sup.125I-TF2 resulted in 2.7% unbound
isotope with a specific activity of 1.48 mCi/mg. The labeled sample
was then subjected to SE-HPLC alone and after mixing with a 20-fold
molar excess of CEA. Approximately 83% of the TF2 eluted off with a
retention time of 10.1 minutes. There was 9% aggregated material
(RT=9.03 min) and 8% low molecular weight material (RT=14.37 min)
in the labeled TF2. When mixed with CEA, 95% of the labeled TF2
shifted to a high molecular weigh species (RT=7.25 min). These
results indicated that the labeled preparation was acceptable for
administration to the tumor-bearing mice.
[0395] Table 1 presents the calculated % ID/g values in the tumors
and various tissues. Peak tumor uptake occurred at 4 h
post-injection (10.3.+-.2.1% ID/g). Between 16 and 24 h
post-injection, the amount of TF2 in the tumor is not significantly
different (5.3.+-.1.1% ID/g and 5.37.+-.0.7% ID/g), indicating that
peptide could be administered anytime between these two
time-points, depending on blood values, without impacting tumor
targeting. Uptake and clearance of TF2 from normal tissues was very
similar to what has been observed previously for TF1. Both TF1 and
TF2 appeared to favor clearance through the RES system (spleen and
liver).
[0396] The blood PK for TF2 in tumor-bearing mice were also
evaluated and found to exhibit biphasic clearance. These data were
analyzed using two-compartment analysis provided in the WinNonlin
Nonlinear Estimation Program (v. 4.1) and the parameters determined
are shown in Table 2.
Example 17
Pretargeting with TF2 in Tumor Bearing Mice
[0397] A pretargeting study was performed with TF2 in female
athymic nude mice bearing s.c. human colorectal adenocarcinoma
xenografts (LS174T). Cells were expanded in tissue culture until
enough cells had been grown to inject 55 mice s.c. with
1.times.10.sup.7 cells per mouse. After one week, tumors were
measured and mice assigned to groups of 5 mice per time-point. The
mean tumor size at the start of this study was 0.105.+-.0.068
cm.sup.3. Twenty mice were injected with 80 .mu.g .sup.125I-TF2
(500 pmoles, 2 .mu.Ci) and 16 h later administered
.sup.99mTc-IMP-245 (40 .mu.Ci, 92 ng, 50 pmoles). The mice were
sacrificed and necropsied at 0.5, 1, 4, and 24 h post-peptide
injection. In addition, 3 mice of the 24 h time-point groups were
imaged on a .gamma.-camera at 1, 4, and 24 h post-injection. As a
control, 3 additional mice received only .sup.99mTc-IMP-245 (no
pretargeting) and were imaged at 1, 4, and 24 h post-injection,
before being necropsied after the 24 h imaging session. Tumor as
well as various tissues were removed and placed in a
.gamma.-counter to determine % ID/g in tissue at each
time-point.
[0398] The % ID/g values determined for .sup.125I-TF2 and
.sup.99mTc-IMP-245 pretargeted with .sup.125I-TF2 are summarized in
Tables 3 and 4, respectively. TF2 levels remained relatively
unchanged over the first 4 h following injection of the peptide (or
20 h post-TF2 administration), ranging from 6.7.+-.1.6% ID/g at 0.5
h post-peptide injection (16.5 h post-TF2 administration) to
6.5.+-.1.5% ID/g at the 4 h time-point (20 h post-TF2 injection).
Tumor uptake values (% ID/g) of IMP-245 pretargeted with TF2 were
22.+-.3%, 30.+-.14%, 25.+-.4%, and 16.+-.3% at 0.5, 1, 4, and 24 h
post-peptide injection.
[0399] In terms of normal tissues, there was significantly less
peptide in the liver, lungs, and blood at each time-point examined
in the mice pretargeted with TF2 in comparison to the results
obtained with other pretargeting agents developed to date (Rossi,
et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2005; 11(19 Suppl): 7122s-7129s). These
data indicate that the TF2 clears efficiently through normal organs
without leaving behind any residual fragments that might bind
subsequently administered peptide.
[0400] The high tumor uptake coupled with lower levels in normal
tissues yielded excellent tumor:non-tumor (T/NT) ratios (Table 5),
thus validating TF2 as a suitable pretargeting agent for localizing
di-HSG-based effectors to CEA-producing tumors.
Example 18
Generation of TF2 Using a Glutathione Redox System
[0401] As an alternative embodiment to the methods disclosed in
Examples 13 and 14 above, a stably tethered structure such as TF1
or TF2 may be generated using a glutathione redox system to form
specific disulfide bonds linking the stably tethered structure
together.
[0402] A simplified and efficient method for generating TF2 was
accomplished as follows. The entire process was conducted at room
temperature. C-DDD2-Fab-hMN-14 (Protein L-purified) and
h679-Fab-AD2 (IMP-291-purified) were first mixed in roughly
stoichiometric concentrations in 1 mM EDTA, PBS, pH 7.4. Reduced
glutathione was added to a final concentration of 1 mM. After 30
minutes, oxidized glutathione was added to a final concentration of
2 mM. BIACORE analysis demonstrated that TF2 formation was 50%
complete 2 minutes after addition of oxidized glutathione and 100%
complete within 4 hours. TF2 was purified to near homogeneity by
IMP-291 affinity chromatography as described in Example 14
above.
Example 19
Site-Specific Pegylation of Ganulocyte Macrophage
Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF)
[0403] Recombinant human GM-CSF (14 kDa) is used clinically to
treat a variety of hematological disorders. A limitation of current
GM-SCF products is short circulating half-lives, which therefore
must be administered to patients by daily injection for optimal
effectiveness. One approach that has been used to prolong the
circulation half-lives of protein therapeutics is to modify the
protein with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to increase its effective
size. However, all present methods known for conjugating PEG to
proteins (pegylation) are not optimal, and usually require
modification of the protein of interest to achieve site-specific
coupling (Doherty et al., Bioconjugate Chem. 2005, 16: 1291-1298).
Even with such modifications, the conjugation yields are varied and
the resulting products may not be homogenous.
[0404] Site-specific pegylation of GM-CSF with quantitatively yield
can be achieved with the present invention (hereafter referred to
as the Dock-and-Lock (DNL) method or technology) as outlined below.
The DDD2 sequence is fused to the C-terminus of GM-CSF via a spacer
to produce a dimer of GM-SCF, creating a docking site for AD2,
which is conjugated to PEG to obtain PEG-AD2. The formation of
pegylated GM-CSF results by combining GM-CSF-DDD2 and PEG-AD2 under
similar conditions as described for TF2. It is noted that in
addition to prolonging the circulation half-lives, the dimeric
structure of GM-CSF in the pegylated product should be more potent
than the current monomeric form of GM-CSF. This strategy can be
applied to other cytokines (such as recombinant human IL-2),
enzymes (such as recombinant human arginase), or biologically
active peptides (such as the peptide agonist of the thrombopoietin
receptor, see Cwirta et al., Science 1997, 276: 1696-1699) or
peptide mimetics that have a need for longer circulation half-lives
to improve therapeutic efficacy.
Example 20
Novel Immunodrugs Enabled by the DNL Technology
[0405] A fusion protein as a B component that will allow the
conjugation of a cytotoxic drug of interest can be produced and
used for coupling to a targeting protein produced as an A
component, resulting in a novel type of immunodrug as outlined
below. First, a well-expressed immunoglobulin human light chain is
selected as the scafold or carrier protein, which is fused to the
AD2 sequence at its C-terminus. To prevent the formation of light
chain dimer, the terminal cysteine (which forms a disulfide linkage
with the Fd chain) is replaced with a serine. Further, at least one
N-glycosylation site (the tripeptide sequence N-X-T) is engineered
into the light chain to enable the addition of oligosaccharides,
which can be produced recombinantly in high yield, purified to
homogeneity, and used as a substrate for drug conjugation via
appropriate chemistries, for example, as described by Shih et al
for the conjugation of anthracyclin to amino-dextran (Cancer Res.
1991; 51: 4192-4198). Such drug-containing B-components can be
combined with a variety of A components comprising DDD2 linked to a
binding structure that possesses the targeting and internalization
functions. Alternatively, a drug-containing amino-dextran
derivatized with AD2 is combined with a suitable A component to
enable target specific drug therapy. Other well-expressed
recombinant molecules can also be selected as the scaffold or
carrier proteins for drug conjugation.
Example 21
Targeting of Pathogens to Neutrophils for Kill
[0406] A broad-spectrum anti-infective agent potentially useful for
treating the diseases caused by a variety of pathogens including
influenza A virus, Candida albicans, and E. coli has been reported
recently for a chemical conjugate comprising recombinant human
surfactant protein fragment D (rfhSP-D) and the Fab of an anti-CD89
antibody (Tacken et al., J. Immunol. 2004, 172: 4934-4940). The DNL
technology can be used for producing stably tethered complexes that
will also target pathogens to neutrophils for kill as follows. A
truncated fragment of hSP-D comprising the .alpha.-helical coiled
coil neck domain and the C-terminal carbohydrate recognition
domains (CRDs) is fused at the N-terminus to DDD2 to generate an A
structure that binds multivalently to a pathogen through CRDs. To
provide targeting for the FcRs on neutrophils the A structure is
linked to a B component composed of a fusion protein of anti-CD89
Fab and AD2, resulting in a stable complex composed of two CRDs of
hSP-D and one Fab of anti-CD89. Similar anti-infective agents can
be prepared by substituting human surfactant protein A (hSP-A) for
hSP-D and other antibodies such as those for CD3 and CD64.
Example 22
Multivalent, Multispecific Structures Generated with
Protein-Protein Interaction Domains not Derived from PKA and
AKAPs
[0407] Two basic strategies are envisioned. The first strategy
depends on searching and evaluating other naturally occurring
protein-protein interaction domains that may be suitable for
substituting the roles of DDD and AD. For example, the N-terminal
dimerization domain of HNF-1.alpha. may replace DDD and the
dimerization cofactor for HFN-1 (DcoH) may replace AD. The second
strategy is outlined below.
[0408] Human p53 is a modular protein consisting of discrete
functional domains. The C-terminal residues 325-355 (Scheme I) of
human p53, termed the tetramerization domain (p53tet),
spontaneously form a tetramer in solution, which is in fact a dimer
of dimers with a weak affinity (Kd .about.2 uM) between the two
dimers. However, the two monomers in each dimer are strongly
associated, with a Kd reported to be lower than 10.sup.-15 M (Brokx
et al., J. Biol. Chem. 2003; 278: 2327-2332). Fusion proteins
containing p53tet are therefore expected to form very tightly bound
dimers, as fusion proteins containing the DDD sequence of human
RII.alpha. of PKA. To ligate a second structure to the dimer of
p53tet, binding peptides for p53tet with Kd of 1 uM or lower and
containing 15 to 50 residues are selected using the yeast 2-hybrid
system or a suitable phage display libraries. The peptide with the
highest affinity (i.e. the lowest value for Kd) is derivatized with
cysteine if necessary and fused to a protein of interest, which can
be stably tethered to the dimer of p53tet.
TABLE-US-00016 Scheme I (SEQ ID NO: 28)
GEYFTLQIRGRERFEMFRELNEALELKDAQA
Production and Use of Hexavalent IgG-Based DNL Structures
(HIDS)
Example 23
Hexameric Constructs
[0409] The DNL technology described above for formation of a.sub.2b
complexes was applied to generate hexavalent IgG-based DNL
structures (HIDS). Two types of modules, which were produced as
recombinant fusion proteins, were combined to generate a variety of
HIDS. Fab-DDD2 modules were as described for use in generating
Tri-Fab structures (Rossi et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2006;
103(18): 6841-6, see Examples above). The Fab-DDD2 modules form
stable homodimers that bind to AD2-containing modules. To generate
HIDS, two types of IgG-AD2 modules were created to pair with the
Fab-DDD2 modules: C-H-AD2-IgG and N-L-AD2-IgG.
[0410] C-H-AD2-IgG modules have an AD2 peptide fused to the
carboxyl terminus (C) of the heavy (H) chain of IgG via a 9 amino
acid residue peptide linker (FIG. 9A). The DNA coding sequences for
the linker peptide (GSGGGGSGG, SEQ ID NO:29) followed by the AD2
peptide (CGQIEYLAKQIVDNAIQQAGC, SEQ ID NO:4) are coupled to the 3'
end of the CH3 (heavy chain constant domain 3) coding sequence by
standard recombinant DNA methodologies, resulting in a contiguous
open reading frame. When the heavy chain-AD2 polypeptide is
co-expressed with a light chain polypeptide, an IgG molecule is
formed possessing two AD2 peptides (FIG. 9B), which can therefore
bind two Fab-DDD2 dimers. The C-H-AD2-IgG module can be combined
with any Fab-DDD2 module to generate a wide variety of hexavalent
structures composed of an Fc fragment and six Fab fragments. If the
C-H-AD2-IgG module and the Fab-DDD2 module are derived from the
same parental monoclonal antibody (MAb) the resulting HIDS is
monospecific with 6 binding arms to the same antigen (FIG. 10). If
the modules are instead derived from two different MAbs then the
resulting HIDS are bispecific, with two binding arms for the
specificity of the C-H-AD2-IgG module and 4 binding arms for the
specificity of the Fab-DDD2 module (FIG. 11).
[0411] N-L-AD2-IgG is an alternative type of IgG-AD2 module in
which an AD2 peptide is fused to the amino terminus (N) of the
light (L) chain of IgG via a 13 amino acid residue peptide linker
(FIG. 12A). The L chain can be either Kappa (K) or Lambda (.lamda.)
and will also be represented as K in the text or Figures with the
same meaning. The DNA coding sequences for the AD2 peptide
(CGQIEYLAKQIVDNAIQQAGC, SEQ ID NO:4) followed by the linker peptide
(GGGGSGGGSGGG, SEQ ID NO:30) are coupled to the 5' end of the
coding sequence for the variable domain of the L chain (VL),
resulting in a contiguous open reading frame. When the AD2-kappa
chain polypeptide is co-expressed with a heavy chain polypeptide,
an IgG molecule is formed possessing two AD2 peptides (FIG. 12B),
which can therefore bind two Fab-DDD2 dimers. The N-L-AD2-IgG
module can be combined with any Fab-DDD2 module to generate a wide
variety of hexavalent structures composed of an Fc fragment and six
Fab fragments arranged as shown in FIG. 13.
Example 24
Creation of C-H-AD2-IgG-pdHL2 Expression Vectors
[0412] The pdHL2 mammalian expression vector has been used to
mediate the expression of many recombinant IgGs. A plasmid shuttle
vector was produced to facilitate the conversion of any IgG-pdHL2
vector into a C-H-AD2-IgG-pdHL2 vector. The gene for the Fc (CH2
and CH3 domains) was amplified using the pdHL2 vector as a template
and the oligonucleotides Fc BglII Left and Fc Bam-EcoRI Right as
primers.
TABLE-US-00017 Fc BglII Left (SEQ ID NO: 31)
5'-AGATCTGGCGCACCTGAACTCCTG-3' Fc Bam-EcoRI Right (SEQ ID NO: 32)
5'-GAATTCGGATCCTTTACCCGGAGACAGGGAGAG-3'
[0413] The amplimer was cloned in the pGemT PCR cloning vector. The
Fc insert fragment was excised from pGemT with XbaI and BamHI
restriction enzymes and ligated with AD2-pdHL2 vector that was
prepared by digestion of h679-Fab-AD2-pdHL2 with XbaI and BamHI, to
generate the shuttle vector Fc-AD2-pdHL2 (FIG. 14A).
[0414] To convert any IgG-pdHL2 expression vector (FIG. 14B) to a
C-H-AD2-IgG-pdHL2 expression vector (FIG. 14C), an 861 by
BsrGI/NdeI restriction fragment is excised from the former and
replaced with a 952 by BsrGI/NdeI restriction fragment excised from
the Fc-AD2-pdHL2 vector. BsrGI cuts in the CH3 domain and NdeI cuts
downstream (3') of the expression cassette.
Example 25
Production of C-H-AD2-hLL2 IgG
[0415] Epratuzumab, or hLL2 IgG, is a humanized anti-human CD22
MAb. An expression vector for C-H-AD2-hLL2 IgG was generated from
hLL2 IgG-pdHL2, as described in Example 24, and used to transfect
Sp2/0 myeloma cells by electroporation. Following transfection, the
cells were plated in 96-well plates and transgenic clones were
selected in media containing methotrexate. Clones were screened for
C-H-AD2-hLL2 IgG productivity by a sandwich ELISA using 96-well
microtitre plates coated with an hLL2-specific anti-idiotype MAb
and detection with peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgG. Clones
were expanded to roller bottles for protein production and
C-H-AD2-hLL2 IgG was purified from the spent culture media in a
single step using Protein-A affinity chromatography. SE-HPLC
analysis resolves two protein peaks (FIG. 15). The retention time
of the slower eluted peak (8.63 min) is similar to hLL2 IgG. The
retention time of the faster eluted peak (7.75 min) is consistent
with a .about.300 kDa protein. It was later determined that this
peak represents disulfide linked dimers of C-H-AD2-hLL2-IgG. This
dimer is reduced to the monomeric form during the DNL reaction.
SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that the purified C-H-AD2-hLL2-IgG
consists of both monomeric and disulfide-linked dimeric forms of
the module (FIG. 16). Protein bands representing these two forms
are evident by SDS-PAGE under non-reducing conditions, while under
reducing conditions all of the forms are reduced to two bands
representing the constituent polypeptides (Heavy chain-AD2 and
kappa chain). No other contaminating bands were detected.
Example 26
Production of C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG
[0416] hA20 IgG is a humanized anti-human CD20 MAb. An expression
vector for C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG was generated from hA20 IgG-pDHL2, as
described in Example 24, and used to transfect Sp2/0 myeloma cells
by electroporation. Following transfection, the cells were plated
in 96-well plates and transgenic clones were selected in media
containing methotrexate. Clones were screened for C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG
productivity by a sandwich ELISA using 96-well microtitre plates
coated with an hA20-specific anti-idiotype MAb and detection with
peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgG. Clones were expanded to
roller bottles for protein production and C--H-AD2-hA20 IgG was
purified from the spent culture media in a single step using
Protein-A affinity chromatography. SE-HPLC and SDS-PAGE analyses
gave very similar results to those obtained for C-H-AD2-hLL2 IgG in
Example 25.
Example 27
Production of N-L-AD2-hA20 IgG
[0417] A 197 by DNA duplex comprising the coding sequence for the
light chain leader peptide, AD2, a 13-residue peptide linker and
the first four residues of hA20 Vk (all in frame) was generated as
follows. Two 100-mer synthetic oligonucleotides, which overlap by
35 base-pairs, were made fully duplex by primer extension using Taq
polymerase.
TABLE-US-00018 LP-AD2-L13 Top (SEQ ID NO: 33)
CATCATGGGATGGAGCTGTATCATCCTCTTCTTGGTAGCAACAGCTACAG
GTGTCCACTCCGACGGCTGTGGCCAGATCGAGTACCTGGCCAAGCAGATC LP-AD2-L13
Bottom (SEQ ID NO: 34)
CCGCCAGACCCGCCACCTCCGGACCCTCCGCCGCCGCAGCCGGCCTGCTG
GATGGCGTTGTCCACGATCTGCTTGGCCAGGTACTCGATCTGGCCACAGC
[0418] The sequence was amplified by PCR, which appended XbaI and
PvuII restriction sites to the 5' and 3' ends, respectively. The
amplimer was cloned into pGemT.
TABLE-US-00019 LP-Left XbaI (SEQ ID NO: 35)
TCTAGACACAGGACCTCATCATGGGATGGAGCTGTA L13-VK Right PvuII (SEQ ID NO:
36) CAGCTGGATGTCACCTCCGCCAGACCCGCCACCTCC
[0419] The 197 by XbaI/PvuII fragment was excised from pGemT and
ligated with the hA20 VK shuttle vector h2B8-Vk-pBR2, which was
prepared by digestion with XbaI and PvuII. The new shuttle vector
is AD2-K-hA20-pBR2. A 536 by XbaI/Bam HI restriction fragment was
excised from AD2-K-hA20-pBR2 and ligated with hA20-IgG-pDHL2 vector
that was prepared by digestion with XbaI and Bam HI to generate the
expression vector N-L-AD2-hA20-IgG-pdHL2.
[0420] N-L-AD2-hA20-IgG-pdHL2 was used to transfect Sp2/0 myeloma
cells by electroporation. Following transfection, the cells were
plated in 96-well plates and transgenic clones were selected in
media containing methotrexate. Clones were screened for
N-L-AD2-hA20 IgG productivity by a sandwich ELISA using 96-well
microtitre plates coated with an hA20-specific anti-idiotype MAb
and detection with peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgG. Clones
were expanded to roller bottles for protein production and
N-L-AD2-hA20 IgG was purified from the spent culture media in a
single step using Protein-A affinity chromatography.
[0421] Size exclusion HPLC showed that the majority of the
N-L-AD2-hA20 IgG in the prep is in a monomeric form with a
retention time similar to IgG. Two additional peaks likely
representing disulfide linked dimeric and trimeric forms and each
accounting for approximately 15% of the total protein were also
observed (FIG. 17A). Mild reduction of the prep, as is used in the
DNL reaction, results in the conversion of the dimeric and trimeric
forms to the monomeric form (FIG. 17B). Sketches of the putative
structures for the three forms are provided in FIG. 18.
Example 28
Generation of Hex-hA20
[0422] The DNL method was used to create Hex-hA20, a monospecific
anti-CD20 HIDS, by combining C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG (see Example 26) with
hA20-Fab-DDD2. The Hex-hA20 structure contains six anti-CD20 Fab
fragments and an Fc fragment (FIG. 10). Hex-hA20 was made in four
steps.
Step 1, Combination: A 210% molar equivalent of
(hA20-Fab-DDD2).sub.2 was mixed with C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG. This molar
ratio was used because two Fab-DDD2 dimers are coupled to each
C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG molecule and an additional 10% excess of the
former ensures that the coupling reaction is complete. The
molecular weights of C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG and (hA20-Fab-DDD2).sub.2 are
168 kDa and 107 kDa, respectively. As an example, 134 mg of
hA20-Fab-DDD2 would be mixed with 100 mg of C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG to
achieve a 210% molar equivalent of the former. The mixture is
typically made in phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.4 (PBS) with 1 mM
EDTA. Step 2, Mild Reduction: Reduced glutathione (GSH) was added
to a final concentration of 1 mM and the solution is held at room
temperature (16-25.degree. C.) for 1-24 hours. Step 3, Mild
Oxidation: Following reduction, oxidized glutathione (GSSH) was
added directly to the reaction mixture to a final concentration of
2 mM and the solution was held at room temperature for 1-24 hours.
Step 4, Isolation of the DNL product: Following oxidation, the
reaction mixture was loaded directly onto a Protein-A affinity
chromatography column. The column was washed with PBS and the
Hex-hA20 was eluted with 0.1 M Glycine, pH 2.5. Since excess
hA20-Fab-DDD2 was used in the reaction, there was no unconjugated
C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG, or incomplete DNL structures containing only one
(hA20-Fab-DDD2).sub.2 moiety. The unconjugated excess hA20-Fab-DDD2
does not bind to the affinity resin; therefore, the Protein
A-purified material contains only the desirable product.
[0423] The calculated molecular weight from the deduced amino acid
sequences of the constituent polypeptides is 386 kDa. Size
exclusion HPLC analysis showed a single protein peak with a
retention time consistent with a protein structure of 375-400 kDa
(FIG. 19). SDS-PAGE analysis under non-reducing conditions shows a
cluster of high molecular weight bands indicating a large covalent
structure (FIG. 20A, lane 3). SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions
(FIG. 20B, lane 3) shows the presence of only the three expected
polypeptide chains: the AD2-fused heavy chain (HC-AD2), the
DDD2-fused Fd chain (Fd-DDD2), and the kappa chains.
Example 29
Generation of Hex-hLL2
[0424] The DNL method was used to create a monospecific anti-CD22
HIDS (Hex-hLL2) by combining C-H-AD2-hLL2 IgG (see Example 25) with
hLL2-Fab-DDD2. The DNL reaction was accomplished as described for
Hex-hA20 in Example 28.
[0425] The calculated molecular weight from the deduced amino acid
sequences of the constituent polypeptides is 386 kDa. Size
exclusion HPLC analysis showed a single protein peak with a
retention time consistent with a protein structure of 375-400 kDa
(FIG. 21). SDS-PAGE analysis under non-reducing conditions shows a
cluster of high molecular weight bands indicating a large covalent
structure (FIG. 20A, lane 4). SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions
(FIG. 20B, lane 4) shows the presence of only the three expected
polypeptide chains: HC-AD2, Fd-DDD2, and the kappa chain.
Example 30
Generation of DNL1 and DNL1C
[0426] The DNL method was used to create bispecific HIDS by
combining C-H-AD2-hLL2 IgG (see Example 25) with either
hA20-Fab-DDD2 to obtain DNL1 or hMN-14-DDD2 to obtain DNL1C. DNL1
has four binding arms for CD20 and two for CD22. As hMN-14 is a
humanized MAb to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), DNL1C has four
binding arms for CEA and two for CD22. The DNL reactions were
accomplished as described for Hex-hA20 in Example 28.
[0427] For both DNL1 and DNL1C, the calculated molecular weights
from the deduced amino acid sequences of the constituent
polypeptides are .about.386 kDa. Size exclusion HPLC analysis
showed a single protein peak with a retention time consistent with
a protein structure of 375-400 kDa for each structure (DNL1 in FIG.
22A and DNL1C in FIG. 22B). SDS-PAGE analysis under non-reducing
conditions shows a cluster of high molecular weight bands
indicating a large covalent structure (FIG. 20A, lanes 1 & 5).
SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions (FIG. 20B, lanes 1 & 5)
shows that the large covalent structures are composed solely of the
three expected polypeptides: HC-AD2, Fd-DDD2, and the kappa
chain.
Example 31
Generation of DNL2 and DNL2C
[0428] The DNL method was used to create bispecific HIDS by
combining C-H-AD2-hA20 IgG (see Example 26) with either
hLL2-Fab-DDD2 to obtain DNL2 or hMN-14-DDD2 to obtain DNL2C. DNL2
has four binding arms for CD22 and two for CD20. DNL2C has four
binding arms for CEA and two for CD20. The DNL reactions were
accomplished as described for Hex-hA20 in Example 28.
[0429] For both DNL2 and DNL2C, the calculated molecular weights
from the deduced amino acid sequences of the constituent
polypeptides are .about.386 kDa. Size exclusion. HPLC analysis
showed a single protein peak with a retention time consistent with
a protein structure of 375-400 kDa for each structure (FIG. 23).
SDS-PAGE analysis under non-reducing conditions shows a cluster of
high molecular weight bands indicating a large covalent structure
(FIG. 20A, lanes 2 & 6). SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions
(FIG. 20B, lanes 2 & 6) shows that the large covalent
structures are composed solely of the three expected polypeptides:
HC-AD2, Fd-DDD2, and the kappa chain.
Example 32
Generation of K-Hex-hA20
[0430] The DNL method was used to create a monospecific anti-CD20
HIDS (K-Hex-hA20) by combining N-L-AD2-hA20 IgG (see Example 27)
with hA20-Fab-DDD2. The DNL reaction was accomplished as described
for Hex-hA20 in Example 28.
[0431] The calculated molecular weight from the deduced amino acid
sequences of the constituent polypeptides is 386 kDa. SDS-PAGE
analysis under non-reducing conditions shows a cluster of high
molecular weight bands indicating a large covalent structure (FIG.
24, lanes 2 & 3). SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions (FIG. 24,
lane 2R & 3R) shows that the large covalent structure is
composed solely of the four expected polypeptides: Fd-DDD2,
H-chain, kappa chain, and AD2-kappa.
Example 33
Generation of DNL3
[0432] A bispecific HIDS was generated by combining N-L-AD2-hA20
IgG (see Example 27) with hLL2-Fab-DDD2. The DNL reaction was
accomplished as described for Hex-hA20 in Example 28.
[0433] The calculated molecular weight from the deduced amino acid
sequences of the constituent polypeptides is 386 kDa. Size
exclusion HPLC analysis showed a single protein peak with a
retention time consistent with a protein structure of 375-400 kDa
(FIG. 25). SDS-PAGE analysis under non-reducing conditions shows a
cluster of high molecular weight bands indicating a large covalent
structure (FIG. 24, lane 1). SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions
(FIG. 24, lane 1) shows that the large covalent structure is
composed solely of the four expected polypeptides: Fd-DDD2,
H-chain, kappa chain, and AD2-kappa.
Example 34
In Vitro Characterization of HIDS
[0434] As shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, the HIDS generated as described
in Examples 28-33 retain the binding properties of their parental
Fab/IgGs. Competitive ELISAs were used to investigate the binding
avidities of the various HIDS using either a rat anti-idiotype MAb
to hA20 (WR2) to assess the binding activity of the hA20 components
or a rat anti-idiotype MAb to hLL2 (WN) to assess the binding
activity of the hLL2 components. To assess hA20 binding, ELISA
plates were coated with hA20 IgG and the HIDS were allowed to
compete with the immobilized IgG for WR2 binding. To assess hLL2
binding, plates were coated with hLL2 IgG and the HIDS were allowed
to compete with the immobilized IgG for WN binding. The relative
amount of anti-Id bound to the immobilized IgG was detected using
peroxidase-conjugated anti-Rat IgG.
[0435] The relative CD20 binding avidities are shown in FIG. 26A.
DNL2, which has two CD20 binding groups, showed a similar binding
avidity to hA20 IgG, which also has two CD20-binding arms. DNL1,
which has four CD.sub.20-binding groups, had a stronger
(.about.4-fold) relative avidity than DNL2 or hA20 IgG. Hex-hA20,
which has six CD20-binding groups, had an even stronger
(.about.10-fold) relative avidity than hA20 IgG.
[0436] Similar findings are shown for CD22 binding in FIG. 26B.
DNL1, which has two CD20 binding groups, showed a similar binding
avidity to hLL2 IgG, which also has two CD22-binding arms. DNL2,
which has four CD22-binding groups, had a stronger (>5-fold)
relative avidity than DNL1 or hLL2 IgG. Hex-hLL2, which has six
CD22-binding groups, had an even stronger (>10-fold) relative
avidity than hLL2 IgG.
[0437] As both DNL2 and DNL3 contain two hA20 Fabs and four hLL2
Fabs, they show similar strength in binding to the same anti-id
antibody (FIG. 27).
[0438] Some of the HIDS were shown to have potent
anti-proliferative activity on lymphoma cell lines. DNL1, DNL2 and
Hex-hA20 inhibited cell growth of Daudi Burkitt Lymphoma cells in
vitro (FIG. 28). Treatment of the cells with 10 nM concentrations
was substantially more effective for the HIDS compared to rituximab
(FIG. 28A). Using a cell counting assay, the potency of DNL1 and
DNL2 was estimated to be more than 100-fold greater than that of
rituximab, while the Hex-hA20 was shown to be even more potent
(FIG. 28B). This was confirmed with an MTS proliferation assay in
which dose-response curves were generated for Daudi cells treated
with a range of concentrations of the HIDS (FIG. 29). Compared to
rituximab, the bispecific HIDS (DNL1 and DNL2) and Hex-hA20 were
>100-fold and >10000-fold more potent, respectively.
Example 35
In Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity of HIDS
[0439] The HIDS were shown to have therapeutic efficacy in vivo
using a human Burkitt Lymphoma model in mice (FIG. 30). Low doses
(12 .mu.g) of DNL2 and Hex-hA20 more than doubled the survival
times of tumor bearing mice. Treatment with higher doses (60 .mu.g)
resulted in long-term survivors.
Example 36
Comparative Effects of HIDS and Parent IgG on Lymphoma Cell
Lines
[0440] Dose-response curves for HIDS (DNL1, DNL2, Hex-hA20) versus
a parent IgG (hA20 IgG) were compared for three different lymphoma
cell lines (FIG. 31), using an MTS proliferation assay. In Daudi
lymphoma cells (FIG. 31, top panel), the bispecific structures DNL1
(not shown) and DNL2 showed >100-fold more potent
anti-proliferative activity and Hex-hA20 showed >10,000-fold
more potent activity than the parent hA20 IgG. Hex-hLL2 and the
control structures (DNL1-C and DNL2-C) had very little
anti-proliferative activity in this assay (not shown).
[0441] In Raji lymphoma cells (FIG. 31, middle panel), Hex-hA20
displayed potent anti-proliferative activity, but DNL2 showed only
minimal activity compared with hA20 IgG. In Ramos lymphoma cells
(FIG. 31, bottom panel), both DNL2 and Hex-hA20 displayed potent
anti-proliferative activity, compared with hA20 IgG. These results
show that the increased potency of HIDS relative to the parent IgGs
is not limited to particular cell lines, but rather is a general
phenomenon for cells displaying the appropriate targets.
Example 37
Effects of Cross-Linking on Efficacy of HIDS and Parent IgGs
[0442] Cross-linking of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies has been
shown to enhance their efficacy in vitro. FIG. 32 shows the effects
of cross-linking on the relative efficacies of HIDS versus parent
IgG, using an MTS assay. As shown in FIG. 32, this effect was
replicated in Daudi lymphoma cells treated with hA20 IgG
cross-linked with goat anti-human IgG Fc-specific cross-linker,
compared with non-cross-linked hA20 IgG. However, no enhancement of
anti-proliferative activity was observed with DNL2 or Hex-hA20 in
the presence of cross-linker. As discussed below, it is possible
that the Fc portion of the HIDS becomes inaccessible when four
additional Fab groups are tethered to its carboxyl termini.
Example 38
Stability in Serum
[0443] FIG. 33 shows the stability of DNL1 and DNL2 in human serum,
as determined using a bispecific ELISA assay. The protein
structures were incubated at 10 .mu.g/ml in fresh pooled human sera
at 37.degree. C. and 5% CO.sub.2 for five days. For day 0 samples,
aliquots were frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately after dilution
in serum. ELISA plates were coated with an anti-Id to hA20 IgG and
bispecific binding was detected with an anti-Id to hLL2 IgG. Both
DNL1 and DNL2 were highly stable in serum and maintained complete
bispecific binding activity.
Example 39
CDC and ADCC Activity
[0444] In vivo, anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies such as rituximab
and hA20 can utilize complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC),
antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and signal
transduction induced growth inhibition/apoptosis for tumor cell
killing. The hexavalent DNL structures (DNL1, DNL2, Hex-hA20) were
tested for CDC activity using Daudi cells in an in vitro assay.
Surprisingly, none of the hexavalent structures that bind CD.sub.20
exhibited CDC activity (FIG. 34). The parent hA20 IgG exhibited
potent CDC activity (FIG. 34), while as expected the hLL2 antibody
against CD22 showed no activity. The lack of effect of DNL2 and
Hex-hA20 was of interest, since they comprise hA20-IgG-Ad2, which
showed similar positive CDC activity to hA20 IgG (FIG. 34).
[0445] DNL1 was assayed for ADCC activity using freshly isolated
peripheral blood mononuclear cells (FIG. 35). Both rituximab and
hA20 IgG showed potent activity on Daudi cells (FIG. 35), while
DNL1 did not exhibit any detectable ADCC activity.
[0446] These data suggest that the Fc region may become
inaccessible for effector functions (CDC and ADCC) when four
additional Fab groups are tethered to its carboxyl termini.
Therefore, the hexavalent DNL structures appear to rely only on
signal transduction induced growth inhibition/apoptosis for in vivo
anti-tumor activity.
TABLE-US-00020 TABLE 1 Tumor Uptake and Tissue Clearance of
.sup.125I-TF2 in LS 174T Tumor-Bearing Nude Mice % ID/g .+-. SD
Tissue 0.5 h 2 h 4 h 16 h 24 h 48 h 72 h LS 174T 4.43 .+-. 1.13
9.19 .+-. 1.18 10.33 .+-. 2.05 5.32 .+-. 1.09 5.37 .+-. 0.72 1.69
.+-. 0.60 1.00 .+-. 0.13 Liver 11.71 .+-. 2.22 8.39 .+-. 0.86 4.24
.+-. 0.11 0.32 .+-. 0.02 0.26 .+-. 0.03 0.15 .+-. 0.02 0.12 .+-.
0.01 Spleen 22.04 .+-. 6.02 24.87 .+-. 8.22 15.39 .+-. 1.35 0.73
.+-. 0.14 0.45 .+-. 0.06 0.25 .+-. 0.08 0.21 .+-. 0.03 Kidney 13.45
.+-. 0.64 6.31 .+-. 0.48 3.88 .+-. 0.24 0.31 .+-. 0.04 0.24 .+-.
0.03 0.14 .+-. 0.02 0.11 .+-. 0.01 Lungs 9.02 .+-. 1.38 4.99 .+-.
0.62 3.91 .+-. 0.08 0.33 .+-. 0.06 0.23 .+-. 0.04 0.09 .+-. 0.00
0.06 .+-. 0.01 Blood 36.17 .+-. 3.49 15.51 .+-. 2.43 9.06 .+-. 0.93
0.68 .+-. 0.07 0.43 .+-. 0.05 0.16 .+-. 0.04 0.11 .+-. 0.03 Stomach
3.03 .+-. 0.45 26.00 .+-. 5.55 50.79 .+-. 10.83 0.85 .+-. 0.10 1.08
.+-. 0.38 0.23 .+-. 0.06 0.20 .+-. 0.03 Sm. Int. 2.21 .+-. 0.17
3.09 .+-. 0.50 2.08 .+-. 0.11 0.19 .+-. 0.03 0.18 .+-. 0.04 0.06
.+-. 0.01 0.05 .+-. 0.01 Lg. Int. 0.83 .+-. 0.03 1.38 .+-. 0.12
1.62 .+-. 0.07 0.21 .+-. 0.04 0.25 .+-. 0.05 0.07 .+-. 0.01 0.09
.+-. 0.03 Tail 3.83 .+-. 0.16 3.64 .+-. 0.95 2.79 .+-. 0.38 0.19
.+-. 0.02 0.18 .+-. 0.05 0.09 .+-. 0.02 0.06 .+-. 0.01 Tumor 0.154
.+-. 0.040 0.098 .+-. 0.055 0.114 .+-. 0.061 0.175 .+-. 0.061 0.159
.+-. 0.014 0.240 .+-. .150 0.468 .+-. 0.220 wt (g)
TABLE-US-00021 TABLE 2 Blood pharmacokinetics of TF2 in LS174T
tumor bearing mice t.sub.1/2.alpha. t.sub.1/2.beta. Cmax CL (h) (h)
(ng) (ng/h*ng) 0.58 .+-. 0.08 3.47 .+-. 0.36 31,186 .+-. 995 0.51
.+-. 0.02
TABLE-US-00022 TABLE 3 Tumor Uptake and Tissue Clearance of TF2 in
LS 174T Tumor-Bearing Nude Mice % ID/g .+-. SD Time post-TF2 16.5 h
17 h 20 h 40 h Time post -IMP245 0.5 h 1 h 4 h 24 h LS 174T 6.7
.+-. 1.6 9.0 .+-. 4.9 6.5 .+-. 1.5 3.5 .+-. 0.8 Liver 0.29 .+-.
0.03 0.35 .+-. 0.05 0.27 .+-. 0.02 0.14 .+-. 0.02 Spleen 0.49 .+-.
0.12 0.53 .+-. 0.10 0.46 .+-. 0.08 0.22 .+-. 0.06 Kidney 0.48 .+-.
0.11 0.45 .+-. 0.14 0.29 .+-. 0.06 0.14 .+-. 0.01 Lungs 0.31 .+-.
0.04 0.37 .+-. 0.09 0.24 .+-. 0.06 0.12 .+-. 0.03 Blood 0.53 .+-.
0.05 0.61 .+-. 0.16 0.44 .+-. 0.11 0.20 .+-. 0.04 Stomach 1.05 .+-.
0.13 1.78 .+-. 0.64 0.88 .+-. 0.47 0.50 .+-. 0.40 Sm. Int. 0.20
.+-. 0.02 0.27 .+-. 0.09 0.13 .+-. 0.03 0.08 .+-. 0.03 Lg. Int.
0.30 .+-. 0.10 0.47 .+-. 0.17 0.20 .+-. 0.06 0.10 .+-. 0.05 Tail
0.41 .+-. 0.13 0.26 .+-. 0.06 0.22 .+-. 0.15 0.09 .+-. 0.01 Tumor
wt (g) 0.279 .+-. 0.142 0.222 .+-. 0.113 0.362 .+-. 0.232 0.356
.+-. 0.152
TABLE-US-00023 TABLE 4 Tumor Uptake and Tissue Clearance of
.sup.99mTc-IMP-245 pretargeted with TF2 in LS 174T Tumor-Bearing
Nude Mice % ID/g .+-. SD Time post-TF2 16.5 h 17 h 20 h 40 h Time
post -IMP245 0.5 h 1 h 4 h 24 h LS 174T 21.8 .+-. 3.0 30.1 .+-.
13.7 25.0 .+-. 3.7 16.3 .+-. 2.9 Liver 0.64 .+-. 0.07 0.41 .+-.
0.06 0.23 .+-. 0.06 0.14 .+-. 0.02 Spleen 0.59 .+-. 0.07 0.30 .+-.
0.06 0.16 .+-. 0.08 0.09 .+-. 0.02 Kidney 8.7 .+-. 1.4 5.0 .+-. 0.4
2.4 .+-. 0.4 1.2 .+-. 0.2 Lungs 1.6 .+-. 0.2 0.69 .+-. 0.16 0.24
.+-. 0.05 0.10 .+-. 0.03 Blood 1.7 .+-. 0.2 0.50 .+-. 0.12 0.11
.+-. 0.02 0.04 .+-. 0.01 Stomach 0.37 .+-. 0.09 0.87 .+-. 1.28 0.09
.+-. 0.08 0.16 .+-. 0.09 Sm. Int. 0.79 .+-. 0.04 1.08 .+-. 0.22
0.25 .+-. 0.12 0.15 .+-. 0.06 Lg. Int. 0.30 .+-. 0.09 0.13 .+-.
0.03 1.9 .+-. 2.0 0.40 .+-. 0.28 Tail 2.1 .+-. 0.4 0.94 .+-. 0.45
0.45 .+-. 0.49 0.06 .+-. 0.02 Tumor wt (g) 0.279 .+-. 0.142 0.222
.+-. 0.113 0.362 .+-. 0.232 0.356 + 0.152
TABLE-US-00024 TABLE 5 T/NT ratio for the pretargeted
.sup.99mTc-peptide (IMP-245) using TF2. Time post -IMP245 0.5 h 1 h
4 h 24 h Liver 34 .+-. 4 83 .+-. 10 116 .+-. 32 115 .+-. 21 Spleen
37 .+-. 4 109 .+-. 21 170 .+-. 54 177 .+-. 30 Kidney 3 .+-. 0.4 7
.+-. 2 11 .+-. 2 14 .+-. 3 Lungs 14 .+-. 2 47 .+-. 4 106 .+-. 26
162 .+-. 24 Blood 13 .+-. 2 66 .+-. 5 237 .+-. 36 395 .+-. 26
Stomach 63 .+-. 25 169 .+-. 116 456 .+-. 271 135 .+-. 91 Sm. Int.
28 .+-. 3 35 .+-. 5 114 .+-. 47 125 .+-. 46 Lg. Int. 75 .+-. 17 241
.+-. 31 22 .+-. 14 57 .+-. 34 Tail 11 .+-. 3 37 .+-. 8 164 .+-. 135
293 .+-. 80
TABLE-US-00025 TABLE 6 Examples of Complexes Comprised of Two Types
of Antigen-Binding Subunits Target of A Target of B A B Application
CEA HSG hMN-14 h679 pRAIT; cancer imaging/therapy CEA In-DTPA
hMN-14 h734 pRAIT/cancer imaging/therapy ED-B fibronectin HSG L19
h679 pRAIT/cancer imaging/therapy ED-B fibronectin In-DTPA L19 h734
pRAIT/cancer imaging/therapy CD20 CD22 hA20 hLL2 Lymphoma and
autoimmune disease (AID) therapies CD22 CD20 hLL2 hA20 Lymphoma/AID
therapies CD19 CD20 Lymphoma/AID therapies EGFR IGFR1 Solid tumor
therapy VEGFR1/Flt-1 VEGFR2/KDR Blocking VEGF/PlGF binding; solid
tumor and angiogenesis therapies VEGFR3/Flt-4 VEGFR2/KDR Blocking
angiogenesis and solid tumor therapies CD19 CD3/TCR Lymphoma/AID
therapies CD19 CD16/Fc.gamma.RIIIa Lymphoma/AID therapies CD19
CD64/Fc.gamma.RI Lymphoma/AID therapies HER2/neu CD89/Fc.alpha.RI
Breast cancer therapy HER2/neu CD16 Breast cancer therapy HER2/neu
CD64 Breast cancer therapy HER2/neu CD3 breast cancer therapy CD30
CD64 Lymphoma therapy CD33 CD64 Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
therapy EGFR CD2 Solid tumor therapy EGFR CD64 Solid tumor therapy
EGFR CD16 Solid tumor therapy EGFR CD89 Solid tumor therapy PfMSP-1
CD3 Malaria therapy HN CD3 HN1,4 c OKT3 Tumor vaccine enhancer HN
CD28 HN1,4 c 15E8 Tumor vaccine enhancer EpCAM/17-1A CD3 Solid
tumor therapy IL-2R/Tac CD3 Lymphoma/AID therapies CA19-9 CD16
Solid tumor therapy MUC1 CD64 Solid tumor therapy HLA class II CD64
L243 Cancer therapy G.sub.D2 CD64 Neuroblastoma therapy G250 CD89
Renal cell carcinoma therapy TAG-72 CD89 hCC49 Solid tumor therapy
EpCAM Adenoviras fiber knob Retargeting viral vector- solid tumor
therapy PSMA Adenovirus fiber knob Prostate cancer therapy CEA
Adenovirus fiber knob S11 CEA-positive cancer therapy HMWMAA
Adenovirus fiber knob Melanoma therapy G250 Adenovirus fiber knob
Renal cell carcinoma therapy CD40 Adenovirus fiber knob S11 Immune
disease and cancer therapies M13 coat protein Alkaline phosphatase
Viral detection GpIIb/IIIa tPA 7E3 P4B6 Enhancing thrombolysis
TABLE-US-00026 TABLE 7 Examples of Complexes Comprised of One Type
of Antigen- Binding and One Type of Effector Subunit Target of A A
B Application CD74 hLL1 Rap (N69Q) CD74+ Cancer/AID therapies CD22
hLL2 Rap (N69Q) Lymphoma and autoimmune disease (AID) therapies
MUC1 hPAM4 Rap (N69Q) Pancreatic cancer therapy EGP-1 hRS7 Rap
(N69Q) Solid cancer therapy IGF1R hR1 Rap (N69Q) Solid tumor
therapy CD22 HLL2/RFB4 PE38 Lymphoma therapy CD30 PE38 Lymphoma
therapy CD25/Tac PE38 Lymphoma therapy Le.sup.Y PE38 Solid tumor
therapy Mesothelin PE38 Solid tumor therapy Erb-B2 PE38 Breast
cancer EpCAM PE38 Solid tumor therapy CD25 dgA Lymphoma therapy
CD30 dgA Lymphoma therapy CD19 dgA Lymphoma therapy CD22 dgA
Lymphoma therapy CD3 DT390 Graft-versus host disease CD25 PLC
Lymphoma therapy Gp240 Gelonin Melanoma therapy X Anti-X
Straptavidin ELISA X Anti-X HRP ELISA X Anti-X AP ELISA X Anti-X
GFP Reporter protein GpIIb/IIIa 7E3 tPA Enhancing thrombolysis X
Anti-X Cytokine Retargeting a cytokine X Anti-X Growth factor
Retargeting a growth factor X Anti-X Soluble receptor component
Retargeting a receptor X Anti-X Carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2) Prodrug
therapy X Anti-X penicillinamidase Prodrug therapy X Anti-X
.beta.-lactamase Prodrug therapy X Anti-X Cytosine deaminase
Prodrug therapy X Anti-X Nitroreductase Prodrug therapy p97 L49 E.
coli beta-galactosidase Prodrug therapy X Anti-X Human
carboxyesterase 2 Solid cancer therapy
TABLE-US-00027 TABLE 8 Examples of Complexes with Two Different
Types of Effector Subunits Target Target of A of B A B Application
IL-4R -- IL-4 PE38 Solid tumor therapy -- IL-4R PE38 IL-4 Solid
tumor therapy IL-4 IL-13 sIL-4R sIL-13R Asthma, allergy therapy
IL-13 IL-4 sIL-13R sIL-4R Asthma, allergy therapy VEGFR-2 --
VEGF.sub.121 Shiga-like toxin Cancer therapy VEGFR-2 VEGF.sub.121
Diptheria toxin Cancer therapy ED-B ILGF-1 Cancer therapy
fibronectin
TABLE-US-00028 TABLE 9 Examples of Complexes With One Type of
Antigen-Binding Subunit Target of A A Application X Anti-X Treating
or detecting a disease bearing the X marker CD14 Anti-CD14 Treating
septic shock CD111/nectin-1 Anti-CD111 Treating herpesvirus
infection Folate receptor .alpha. Treating filovirus infection
(e.g. Ebola and Marburg viruses) Gp120 Treating HIV-1/AIDS IL-6
Treating myeloma, arthritis and other autoimmune disease IL-5
Treating asthma IL-8 Treating general infection CD154 Treating
lupus, transplant rejection, AID IgE Treating asthma LFA-1 Treating
transplant rejection .beta.-tryptase Treating allergy, inflammation
CD105/endoglin Anti-angiogenesis GpIIb/IIa 7E3 Thrombolysis
TNF.alpha. (Humira) AID therapy TNF.alpha. (remicade) AID therapy
IgE (Xolair) Asthma therapy RSV F-protein (Synagis) RSV therapy
A1B1 of CEA hMN-15 Inhibiting adhesion/invasion/ metastasis of
solid cancers N domain of CEA hMN-15 Inhibiting adhesion/invasion/
metastasis of solid cancers
TABLE-US-00029 TABLE 10 Examples of Complexes with One Type of
Effector Subunit Target of A A Application Cytokine receptor
Cytokine Enhancing cytokine function Growth factor receptor Growth
factor Enhancing growth factor function Membrane bound receptor
Soluble receptor Enhancing the capacity components and avidity of a
soluble receptor component Blood clot tPA Enhancing the efficacy of
tPA TPO receptor TPO Enhancing the efficacy of Thrombopoietin EPO
receptor EPO Enhancing the efficacy of rHuEPO TNF.alpha.
sTNF.alpha.-R Enhancing the efficacy of Enbrel
Sequence CWU 1
1
38144PRThuman 1Ser His Ile Gln Ile Pro Pro Gly Leu Thr Glu Leu Leu
Gln Gly Tyr1 5 10 15Thr Val Glu Val Leu Arg Gln Gln Pro Pro Asp Leu
Val Glu Phe Ala 20 25 30Val Glu Tyr Phe Thr Arg Leu Arg Glu Ala Arg
Ala 35 40245PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide 2Cys Gly His Ile Gln Ile
Pro Pro Gly Leu Thr Glu Leu Leu Gln Gly1 5 10 15Tyr Thr Val Glu Val
Leu Arg Gln Gln Pro Pro Asp Leu Val Glu Phe 20 25 30Ala Val Glu Tyr
Phe Thr Arg Leu Arg Glu Ala Arg Ala 35 40
45317PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide 3Gln Ile Glu Tyr Leu Ala Lys
Gln Ile Val Asp Asn Ala Ile Gln Gln1 5 10
15Ala421PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide 4Cys Gly Gln Ile Glu Tyr Leu
Ala Lys Gln Ile Val Asp Asn Ala Ile1 5 10 15Gln Gln Ala Gly Cys
20520DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 5gaacctcgcg gacagttaag
20653DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 6ggatcctccg ccgccgcagc
tcttaggttt cttgtccacc ttggtgttgc tgg 53755PRTArtificialsynthetic
peptide 7Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser His Ile
Gln Ile1 5 10 15Pro Pro Gly Leu Thr Glu Leu Leu Gln Gly Tyr Thr Val
Glu Val Leu 20 25 30Arg Gln Gln Pro Pro Asp Leu Val Glu Phe Ala Val
Glu Tyr Phe Thr 35 40 45Arg Leu Arg Glu Ala Arg Ala 50
55892DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 8gtggcgggtc tggcggaggt
ggcagccaca tccagatccc gccggggctc acggagctgc 60tgcagggcta cacggtggag
gtgctgcgac ag 92992DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide
9gcgcgagctt ctctcaggcg ggtgaagtac tccactgcga attcgacgag gtcaggcggc
60tgctgtcgca gcacctccac cgtgtagccc tg 921030DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 10ggatccggag gtggcgggtc tggcggaggt
301130DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 11cggccgtcaa
gcgcgagctt ctctcaggcg 301229PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide 12Gly
Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gln Ile Glu Tyr1 5 10
15Leu Ala Lys Gln Ile Val Asp Asn Ala Ile Gln Gln Ala 20
251396DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 13ggatccggag
gtggcgggtc tggcggaggt ggcagccaga tcgagtacct ggccaagcag 60atcgtggaca
acgccatcca gcaggcctga cggccg 961496DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 14cggccgtcag gcctgctgga tggcgttgtc cacgatctgc
ttggccaggt actcgatctg 60gctgccacct ccgccagacc cgccacctcc ggatcc
961530DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 15ggatccggag
gtggcgggtc tggcggaggt 301622DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide
16cggccgtcag gcctgctgga tg 221728DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 17ccatgggcag ccacatccag atcccgcc
281855DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 18ggatccgcca
cctccagatc ctccgccgcc agcgcgagct tctctcaggc gggtg
551944DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 19ggatccggcg
gaggtggctc tgaggtccaa ctggtggaga gcgg 442030DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 20cggccgtcag cagctcttag gtttcttgtc
302142PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide 21Lys Gln Ile Glu Tyr Leu Ala
Lys Gln Ile Val Asp Asn Ala Ile Gln1 5 10 15Gln Ala Lys Gly Cys Cys
Gly Lys Ala Gln Gln Ile Ala Asn Asp Val 20 25 30Ile Gln Lys Ala Leu
Tyr Glu Ile Gln Lys 35 402248DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide
22catgtgcggc cacatccaga tcccgccggg gctcacggag ctgctgca
482340DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 23gcagctccgt
gagccccggc gggatctgga tgtggccgca 402473DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 24gatccggagg tggcgggtct ggcggaggtt gcggccacat
ccagatcccg ccggggctca 60cggagctgct gca 732565DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 25gcagctccgt gagccccggc gggatctgga tgtggccgca
acctccgcca gacccgccac 60ctccg 652693DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 26gatccggagg tggcgggtct ggcggatgtg gccagatcga
gtacctggcc aagcagatcg 60tggacaacgc catccagcag gccggctgct gaa
932789DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 27ttcagcagcc
ggcctgctgg atggcgttgt ccacgatctg cttggccagg tactcgatct 60ggccacatcc
gccagacccg ccacctccg 892831PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide 28Gly Glu
Tyr Phe Thr Leu Gln Ile Arg Gly Arg Glu Arg Phe Glu Met1 5 10 15Phe
Arg Glu Leu Asn Glu Ala Leu Glu Leu Lys Asp Ala Gln Ala 20 25
30299PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide 29Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser
Gly Gly1 53012PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide 30Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser
Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly1 5 103124DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 31agatctggcg cacctgaact cctg
243233DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 32gaattcggat
cctttacccg gagacaggga gag 3333100DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 33catcatggga tggagctgta tcatcctctt cttggtagca
acagctacag gtgtccactc 60cgacggctgt ggccagatcg agtacctggc caagcagatc
10034100DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 34ccgccagacc
cgccacctcc ggaccctccg ccgccgcagc cggcctgctg gatggcgttg 60tccacgatct
gcttggccag gtactcgatc tggccacagc 1003536DNAArtificialsynthetic
oligonucleotide 35tctagacaca ggacctcatc atgggatgga gctgta
363636DNAArtificialsynthetic oligonucleotide 36cagctggatg
tcacctccgc cagacccgcc acctcc 363721PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide
37Lys Gln Ile Glu Tyr Leu Ala Lys Gln Ile Val Asp Asn Ala Ile Gln1
5 10 15Gln Ala Lys Gly Cys 203810PRTArtificialsynthetic peptide
38Gly Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Gly Gly Cys Gly1 5 10
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