Site-Specific Conjugation of Native Antibodies Using Engineered Microbial Transglutaminases.

Site-specific bioconjugation technologies are frequently employed to generate homogeneous antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and are generally considered superior to stochastic approaches like lysine coupling. However, most of the technologies developed so far require undesired manipulation of the antibody sequence or its glycan structures. Herein, we report the successful engineering of microbial transglutaminase enabling efficient, site-specific conjugation of drug-linker constructs to position HC-Q295 of native, fully glycosylated IgG-type antibodies. ADCs generated via this approach demonstrate excellent stability in vitro as well as strong efficacy in vitro and in vivo. As it employs different drug-linker structures and several native antibodies, our study additionally proves the broad applicability of this approach.

Mesenchymal stem cell contact promotes CCN1 splicing and transcription in myeloma cells.

CCN family member 1 (CCN1), also known as cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61), belongs to the extracellular matrix-associated CCN protein family. The diverse functions of these proteins include regulation of cell migration, adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and survival/apoptosis, induction of angiogenesis and cellular senescence. Their functions are partly overlapping, largely non-redundant, cell-type specific, and depend on the local microenvironment. To elucidate the role of CCN1 in the crosstalk between stromal cells and myeloma cells, we performed co-culture experiments with primary mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and the interleukin-6 (IL-6)-dependent myeloma cell line INA-6. Here we show that INA-6 cells display increased transcription and induction of splicing of intron-retaining CCN1 pre-mRNA when cultured in contact with MSC. Protein analyses confirmed that INA-6 cells co-cultured with MSC show increased levels of CCN1 protein consistent with the existence of a pre-mature stop codon in intron 1 that abolishes translation of unspliced mRNA. Addition of recombinant CCN1-Fc protein to INA-6 cells was also found to induce splicing of CCN1 pre-mRNA in a concentration-dependent manner. Only full length CCN1-Fc was able to induce mRNA splicing of all introns, whereas truncated recombinant isoforms lacking domain 4 failed to induce intron splicing. Blocking RGD-dependent integrins on INA-6 cells resulted in an inhibition of these splicing events. These findings expand knowledge on splicing of the proangiogenic, matricellular factor CCN1 in the tumor microenvironment. We propose that contact with MSC-derived CCN1 leads to splicing and enhanced transcription of CCN1 which further contributes to the translation of angiogenic factor CCN1 in myeloma cells, supporting tumor viability and myeloma bone disease.

Engineering hydrophobicity and manufacturability for optimized biparatopic antibody-drug conjugates targeting c-MET.

Optimal combinations of paratopes assembled into a biparatopic antibody have the capacity to mediate high-grade target cross-linking on cell membranes, leading to degradation of the target, as well as antibody and payload delivery in the case of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). In the work presented here, molecular docking suggested a suitable paratope combination targeting c-MET, but hydrophobic patches in essential binding regions of one moiety necessitated engineering. In addition to rational design of HCDR2 and HCDR3 mutations, site-specific spiking libraries were generated and screened in yeast and mammalian surface display approaches. Comparative analyses revealed similar positions amendable for hydrophobicity reduction, with a broad combinatorial diversity obtained from library outputs. Optimized variants showed high stability, strongly reduced hydrophobicity, retained affinities supporting the desired functionality and enhanced producibility. The resulting biparatopic anti-c-MET ADCs were comparably active on c-MET expressing tumor cell lines as REGN5093 exatecan DAR6 ADC. Structural molecular modeling of paratope combinations for preferential inter-target binding combined with protein engineering for manufacturability yielded deep insights into the capabilities of rational and library approaches. The methodologies of in silico hydrophobicity identification and sequence optimization could serve as a blueprint for rapid development of optimal biparatopic ADCs targeting further tumor-associated antigens in the future.

The KISS1 Receptor as an In Vivo Microenvironment Imaging Biomarker of Multiple Myeloma Bone Disease.

Multiple myeloma is one of the most common hematological diseases and is characterized by an aberrant proliferation of plasma cells within the bone marrow. As a result of crosstalk between cancer cells and the bone microenvironment, bone homeostasis is disrupted leading to osteolytic lesions and poor prognosis. Current diagnostic strategies for myeloma typically rely on detection of excess monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains in the urine or serum. However, these strategies fail to localize the sites of malignancies. In this study we sought to identify novel biomarkers of myeloma bone disease which could target the malignant cells and/or the surrounding cells of the tumor microenvironment. From these studies, the KISS1 receptor (KISS1R), a G-protein-coupled receptor known to play a role in the regulation of endocrine functions, was identified as a target gene that was upregulated on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osteoprogenitor cells (OPCs) when co-cultured with myeloma cells. To determine the potential of this receptor as a biomarker, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed with the KISS1R ligand, kisspeptin, conjugated with a fluorescent dye. In vitro microscopy showed binding of fluorescently-labeled kisspeptin to both myeloma cells as well as MSCs under direct co-culture conditions. Next, conjugated kisspeptin was injected into immune-competent mice containing myeloma bone lesions. Tumor-burdened limbs showed increased peak fluorescence compared to contralateral controls. These data suggest the utility of the KISS1R as a novel biomarker for multiple myeloma, capable of targeting both tumor cells and host cells of the tumor microenvironment.

Contact of myeloma cells induces a characteristic transcriptome signature in skeletal precursor cells -Implications for myeloma bone disease.

Physical interaction of skeletal precursors with multiple myeloma cells has been shown to suppress their osteogenic potential while favoring their tumor-promoting features. Although several transcriptome analyses of myeloma patient-derived mesenchymal stem cells have displayed differences compared to their healthy counterparts, these analyses insufficiently reflect the signatures mediated by tumor cell contact, vary due to different methodologies, and lack results in lineage-committed precursors. To determine tumor cell contact-mediated changes on skeletal precursors, we performed transcriptome analyses of mesenchymal stem cells and osteogenic precursor cells cultured in contact with the myeloma cell line INA-6. Comparative analyses confirmed dysregulation of genes which code for known disease-relevant factors and additionally revealed upregulation of genes that are associated with plasma cell homing, adhesion, osteoclastogenesis, and angiogenesis. Osteoclast-derived coupling factors, a dysregulated adipogenic potential, and an imbalance in favor of anti-anabolic factors may play a role in the hampered osteoblast differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells. Angiopoietin-Like 4 (ANGPTL4) was selected from a list of differentially expressed genes as a myeloma cell contact-dependent target in skeletal precursor cells which warranted further functional analyses. Adhesion assays with full-length ANGPTL4-coated plates revealed a potential role of this protein in INA-6 cell attachment. This study expands knowledge of the myeloma cell contact-induced signature in the stromal compartment of myelomatous bones and thus offers potential targets that may allow detection and treatment of myeloma bone disease at an early stage.

Heparin affects human bone marrow stromal cell fate: Promoting osteogenic and reducing adipogenic differentiation and conversion.

Heparins are broadly used for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis and embolism. Yet, osteoporosis is considered to be a severe side effect in up to one third of all patients on long-term treatment. However, the mechanisms underlying this clinical problem are only partially understood. To investigate if heparin affects differentiation of skeletal precursors, we examined the effects of heparin on the osteogenic and adipogenic lineage commitment and differentiation of primary human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs). Due to the known inverse relationship between adipogenesis and osteogenesis and the capacity of pre-differentiated cells to convert into the respective other lineage, we also determined heparin effects on osteogenic conversion and adipogenic differentiation/conversion. Interestingly, heparin did not only significantly increase mRNA expression and enzyme activity of the osteogenic marker alkaline phosphatase (ALP), but it also promoted mineralization during osteogenic differentiation and conversion. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of the osteogenic marker bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4) was enhanced. In addition, heparin administration partly prevented adipogenic differentiation and conversion demonstrated by reduced lipid droplet formation along with a decreased expression of adipogenic markers. Moreover, luciferase reporter assays, inhibitor experiments and gene expression analyses revealed that heparin had putative permissive effects on osteogenic signaling via the BMP pathway and reduced the mRNA expression of the Wnt pathway inhibitors dickkopf 1 (DKK1) and sclerostin (SOST). Taken together, our data show a rather supportive than inhibitory effect of heparin on osteogenic hBMSC differentiation and conversion in vitro. Further studies will have to investigate the net effects of heparin administration on bone formation versus bone resorption in vivo to unravel the molecular mechanisms of heparin-associated osteoporosis and reconcile conflicting experimental data with clinical observations.