The Bispecific Tumor Antigen-Conditional 4-1BB x 5T4 Agonist, ALG.APV-527, Mediates Strong T-Cell Activation and Potent Antitumor Activity in Preclinical Studies.

4-1BB (CD137) is an activation-induced costimulatory receptor that regulates immune responses of activated CD8 T and natural killer cells, by enhancing proliferation, survival, cytolytic activity, and IFNγ production. The ability to induce potent antitumor activity by stimulating 4-1BB on tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells makes 4-1BB an attractive target for designing novel immuno-oncology therapeutics. To minimize systemic immune toxicities and enhance activity at the tumor site, we have developed a novel bispecific antibody that stimulates 4-1BB function when co-engaged with the tumor-associated antigen 5T4.

The CTLA-4 x OX40 bispecific antibody ATOR-1015 induces anti-tumor effects through tumor-directed immune activation.

Background: The CTLA-4 blocking antibody ipilimumab has demonstrated substantial and durable effects in patients with melanoma. While CTLA-4 therapy, both as monotherapy and in combination with PD-1 targeting therapies, has great potential in many indications, the toxicities of the current treatment regimens may limit their use. Thus, there is a medical need for new CTLA-4 targeting therapies with improved benefit-risk profile.

Tumor-directed immunotherapy can generate tumor-specific T cell responses through localized co-stimulation.

The most important goals for the field of immuno-oncology are to improve the response rate and increase the number of tumor indications that respond to immunotherapy, without increasing adverse side effects. One approach to achieve these goals is to use tumor-directed immunotherapy, i.e.

The human agonistic CD40 antibody ADC-1013 eradicates bladder tumors and generates T-cell-dependent tumor immunity.

Purpose: Local administration of immune-activating antibodies may increase the efficacy and reduce the immune-related adverse events associated with systemic immunotherapy of cancer. Here, we report the development and affinity maturation of a fully human agonistic CD40 antibody (IgG1), ADC-1013.

Experimental Design: We have used molecular engineering to generate an agonistic antibody with high affinity for CD40.

Directed evolution of chemotaxis inhibitory protein of Staphylococcus aureus generates biologically functional variants with reduced interaction with human antibodies.

Chemotaxis inhibitory protein of Staphylococcus aureus (CHIPS) is a protein that binds and blocks the C5a receptor (C5aR) and formylated peptide receptor, thereby inhibiting the immune cell recruitment associated with inflammation. If CHIPS was less reactive with existing human antibodies, it would be a promising anti-inflammatory drug candidate. Therefore, we applied directed evolution and computational/rational design to the CHIPS gene in order to generate new CHIPS variants displaying lower interaction with human IgG, yet retaining biological function.

Identification of conformational epitopes for human IgG on Chemotaxis inhibitory protein of Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: The Chemotaxis inhibitory protein of Staphylococcus aureus (CHIPS) blocks the Complement fragment C5a receptor (C5aR) and formylated peptide receptor (FPR) and is thereby a potent inhibitor of neutrophil chemotaxis and activation of inflammatory responses. The majority of the healthy human population has antibodies against CHIPS that have been shown to interfere with its function in vitro. The aim of this study was to define potential epitopes for human antibodies on the CHIPS surface.

Purification of truncated and mutated Chemotaxis Inhibitory Protein of Staphylococcus aureus--an anti-inflammatory protein.

The Chemotaxis Inhibitory Protein of Staphylococcus aureus (CHIPS) binds and blocks the C5a receptor (C5aR) and formyl-peptide receptor (FPR). This way, CHIPS is a potent inhibitor of the immune cell recruitment associated with inflammation. Truncation of the protein and the introduction of mutations, shifts the expression towards the insoluble fraction of Escherichia coli, whereas the wild-type protein can be solubly expressed.

Limited mutagenesis increases the stability of human carboxypeptidase U (TAFIa) and demonstrates the importance of CPU stability over proCPU concentration in down-regulating fibrinolysis.

Procarboxypeptidase U [proCPU, thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), EC 3.4.17.

A novel mammalian display system for the selection of protein-protein interactions by decoy receptor engagement.

The emerging field of proteomics has created a need for new high-throughput methodologies for the analysis of gene products. An attractive approach is to develop systems that allow for clonal selection of interacting protein pairs from large molecular libraries. In this study, we have characterized a novel approach for identification and selection of protein-protein interactions, denoted SPIRE (selection of protein interactions by receptor engagement), which is based on a mammalian expression system.

Profiling of internalizing tumor-associated antigens on breast and pancreatic cancer cells by reversed genomics.

Human antibodies directed towards functionally associated tumor antigens have great potentials as adjuvant treatment in cancer therapy. Here we describe an efficient subtractive approach to select single chain Fv (scFv) antibodies, specifically binding to unknown rapidly internalizing tumor-associated antigens (TAA) on human breast and pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. After re-engineering the scFv into intact IgG molecules, these fully human antibodies displayed individual binding profiles to TAAs on breast, pancreatic, colorectal and prostate carcinomas, while showing no reactivity to lymphomas.

Pre-assembly of the extracellular domains of CD40 is not necessary for rescue of mouse B cells from anti-immunoglobulin M-induced apoptosis.

CD40 is a tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family member of central importance for the adaptive immune system. To elucidate the functional role of the different extracellular domains of CD40, we have created a set of truncated CD40 molecules where domains, or parts of domains, have been removed. These CD40 proteins, which contain a peptide tag in the N-terminal end, have been expressed in a murine B-cell line, WEHI 231.

In vitro molecular evolution of antibody genes mimicking receptor revision.

Antibody evolution in vivo proceeds mainly by stepwise improvements, accomplished by single base pair substitutions. Lately, receptor revision, i.e.

Modulation of the CD40-CD40 ligand interaction using human anti-CD40 single-chain antibody fragments obtained from the n-CoDeR phage display library.

CD40 plays a central regulatory role in the immune system and antibodies able to modulate CD40 signalling may consequently have a potential in immunotherapy, in particular for treatment of lymphomas and autoimmune disease like multiple sclerosis. As a first step to achieve this goal, we describe the selection and characterization of a novel set of fully human anti-CD40 antibody fragments (scFv) from a phage display library (n-CoDeR). In order to determine their biological potential, these antibody fragments have been analysed for their ability to promote B-cell activation, rescue from apoptosis and to block the CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) interaction.

Antibody-mediated neutralization of cytomegalovirus: modulation of efficacy induced through the IgG constant region.

Antibodies can neutralize the infectious properties of human cytomegalovirus (CMV). In vivo, the major neutralization determinants are located on glycoprotein B (gB). Recombinant human antibodies, that carry different constant regions (IgG1, IgG3 and the synthetic variant IgG3mA) against two of these epitopes were investigated for their ability to recruit the complement cascade for destruction of the virus.