Identification of PVR (CD155) and Nectin-2 (CD112) as cell surface ligands for the human DNAM-1 (CD226) activating molecule.

Human natural killer (NK) cells express a series of activating receptors and coreceptors that are involved in recognition and killing of target cells. In this study, in an attempt to identify the cellular ligands for such triggering surface molecules, mice were immunized with NK-susceptible target cells. On the basis of a functional screening, four mAbs were selected that induced a partial down-regulation of the NK-mediated cytotoxicity against the immunizing target cells. As revealed by biochemical analysis, three of such mAbs recognized molecules of approximately 70 kD. The other mAb reacted with two distinct molecules of approximately 65 and 60 kD, respectively. Protein purification followed by tryptic digestion and mass spectra analysis, allowed the identification of the 70 kD and the 65/60 kD molecules as PVR (CD155) and Nectin-2 delta/alpha (CD112), respectively. PVR-Fc and Nectin-2-Fc soluble hybrid molecules brightly stained COS-7 cells transfected with the DNAM-1 (CD226) construct, thus providing direct evidence that both PVR and Nectin-2 represent specific ligands for the DNAM-1 triggering receptor. Finally, the surface expression of PVR or Nectin-2 in cell transfectants resulted in DNAM-1-dependent enhancement of NK-mediated lysis of these target cells. This lysis was inhibited or even virtually abrogated upon mAb-mediated masking of DNAM-1 (on NK cells) or PVR or Nectin-2 ligands (on cell transfectants).

Selective targeted delivery of TNFalpha to tumor blood vessels.

We sought to enhance the selective toxicity of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) to permit its systemic use in cancer therapy. Because ligand-targeted therapeutics have proven successful in improving the selective toxicity of drugs, we prepared a fusion protein (L19mTNFalpha) composed of mouse TNFalpha and a high-affinity antibody fragment (L19 scFv) to the extradomain B (ED-B) domain of fibronectin, a marker of angiogenesis. L19mTNFalpha was expressed in mammalian cells, purified, and characterized. L19mTNFalpha was an immunoreactive and biologically active homotrimer. Radiolabeled L19mTNFalpha selectively targeted tumor neovasculature in tumor-bearing mice, where it accumulated selectively and persistently (tumor-to-blood ratio of the percentage of injected dose per gram [%ID/g] of 700, 48 hours from injection). L19mTNFalpha showed a greater anticancer therapeutic activity than both mTNFalpha and TN11mTNFalpha, a control fusion protein in which an antibody fragment, irrelevant in the tumor model used, substituted for L19. This activity was further dramatically enhanced by its combination with melphalan or the recently reported fusion protein L19-IL2. In conclusion, L19mTNFalpha allows concentrating therapeutically active doses of TNFalpha at the tumor level, thus opening new possibilities for the systemic use of TNFalpha in cancer therapy.