An RNA-hydrolyzing recombinant minibody prevents both influenza A virus and coronavirus in co-infection models.

With the lifting of COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions, the resurgence of common viral respiratory infections was recorded in several countries worldwide. It facilitates viral co-infection, further burdens the already over-stretched healthcare systems. Racing to find co-infection-associated efficacy therapeutic agents need to be rapidly established. However, it has encountered numerous challenges that necessitate careful investigation. Here, we introduce a potential recombinant minibody-associated treatment, 3D8 single chain variable fragment (scFv), which has been developed as a broad-spectrum antiviral drug that acts via its nucleic acid catalytic and cell penetration abilities. In this research, we demonstrated that 3D8 scFv exerted antiviral activity simultaneously against both influenza A viruses (IAVs) and coronaviruses in three established co-infection models comprising two types of coronaviruses [beta coronavirus-human coronavirus OC43 (hCoV-OC43) and alpha coronavirus-porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)] in Vero E6 cells, two IAVs [A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 H1N1 (H1N1/PR8) and A/X-31 (H3N2/X-31)] in MDCK cells, and a combination of coronavirus and IAV (hCoV-OC43 and adapted-H1N1) in Vero E6 cells by a statistically significant reduction in viral gene expression, proteins level, and approximately around 85%, 65%, and 80% of the progeny of 'hCoV-OC43-PEDV', 'H1N1/PR8-H3N2/X-31', and 'hCoV-OC43-adapted-H1N1', respectively, were decimated in the presence of 3D8 scFv. Taken together, we propose that 3D8 scFv is a promising broad-spectrum drug for treatment against RNA viruses in co-infection.

Rapid and Convenient Single-Chain Variable Fragment-Employed Electrochemical C-Reactive Protein Detection System.

Although IgG-free immunosensors are in high demand owing to ethical concerns, the development of convenient immunosensors that alternatively integrate recombinantly produced antibody fragments, such as single-chain variable fragments (scFvs), remains challenging. The low affinity of antibody fragments, unlike IgG, caused by monovalent binding to targets often leads to decreased sensitivity. We improved the affinity owing to the bivalent effect by fabricating a bivalent antibody-enzyme complex (AEC) composed of two scFvs and a single glucose dehydrogenase, and developed a rapid and convenient scFv-employed electrochemical detection system for the C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a homopentameric protein biomarker of systemic inflammation. The development of a point-of-care testing (POCT) system is highly desirable; however, no scFv-based CRP-POCT immunosensors have been developed. As expected, the bivalent AEC showed higher affinity than the single scFv and contributed to the high sensitivity of CRP detection. The electrochemical CRP detection using scFv-immobilized magnetic beads and the bivalent AEC as capture and detection antibodies, respectively, was achieved in 20 min without washing steps in human serum and the linear range was 1-10 nM with the limit of detection of 2.9 nM, which has potential to meet the criteria required for POCT application in rapidity, convenience, and hand-held detection devices without employing IgGs.

An immunocytokine consisting of a TNFR2 agonist and TNFR2 scFv enhances the expansion of regulatory T cells through TNFR2 clustering.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are lymphocytes that play a central role in peripheral immune tolerance. Tregs are promising targets for the prevention and suppression of autoimmune diseases, allergies, and graft-versus-host disease, and treatments aimed at regulating their functions are being developed. In this study, we created a new modality consisting of a protein molecule that suppressed excessive immune responses by effectively and preferentially expanding Tregs. Recent studies reported that tumor necrosis factor receptor type 2 (TNFR2) expressed on Tregs is involved in the proliferation and activation of Tregs. Therefore, we created a functional immunocytokine, named TNFR2-ICK-Ig, consisting of a fusion protein of an anti-TNFR2 single-chain Fv (scFv) and a TNFR2 agonist TNF-α mutant protein, as a new modality that strongly enhances TNFR2 signaling. The formation of agonist-receptor multimerization (TNFR2 cluster) is effective for the induction of a strong TNFR2 signal, similar to the TNFR2 signaling mechanism exhibited by membrane-bound TNF. TNFR2-ICK-Ig improved the TNFR2 signaling activity and promoted TNFR2 cluster formation compared to a TNFR2 agonist TNF-α mutant protein that did not have an immunocytokine structure. Furthermore, the Treg expansion efficiency was enhanced. TNFR2-ICK-Ig promotes its effects via scFv, which crosslinks receptors whereas the agonists transmit stimulatory signals. Therefore, this novel molecule expands Tregs via strong TNFR2 signaling by the formation of TNFR2 clustering.

Computational design of scFv anti-receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein based on antibody S230 anti-SARS-CoV-1.

Developing therapeutics such as neutralizing antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is essential to halt the Covid-19 infection. However, antibody production is expensive and relatively inaccessible to many low-income countries. Therefore, a more efficient and smaller antibody fragment, such as a single-chain variable fragment (scFv), derived from a known neutralizing antibody structure, is of interest due to the lower cost of recombinant protein production and the ability to tailor scFvs against circulating viruses. In this study, we used computational design to create an scFv based on the structure of a known neutralizing antibody, S230, for SARS-CoV-1. By analyzing the interaction of S230 with the RBD of both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, five mutations were introduced to improve the binding of the scFv to the RBD of SARS-CoV-2. These mutations were Ser32Thr, Trp99Val, Asn57Val, Lys65Glu, and Tyr106Ile. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to evaluate the stability and affinity of the designed scFv. Our results showed that the designed scFv improved binding to the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 compared to the original S230, as indicated by principal component analysis, distance analysis, and MM/GBSA interaction energy. Furthermore, a positive result in a spot test lateral flow assay of the expressed scFv against the RBD indicated that the mutations did not alter the protein's structure. The designed scFv showed a negative result when tested against human serum albumin as a negative control, indicating reasonable specificity. We hope that this study will be useful in designing a specific and low-cost therapeutic agent, particularly during early outbreaks when information on neutralizing antibodies is limited.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Structural Analyses of An Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Specific Single-Chain Fragment Variable via An In Silico Approach.

Single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies were previously constructed of variable light and heavy chains joined by a (Gly4-Ser) 3 linker. The linker was created using molecular modeling software as a loop structure. Here, we introduce a protocol forin silico analysis of a complete scFv antibody that interacts with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The homology modeling, with Pyrx of protein-protein docking and molecular dynamic simulation of the interacting scFv antibody and EGFR First, the authors used a protein structure modeling program and Python for homology modeling, and the antibody scFv structure was modeled for homology. The investigators downloaded Pyrx software as a platform in the docking study. The Molecular dynamic simulation was run using modeling software. Results show that when the MD simulation was subjected to energy minimization, the protein model had the lowest binding energy (-5.4 kcal/M). In addition, the MD simulation in this study showed that the docked EGFR-scFv antibody was stable for 20-75 ns when the movement of the structure increased sharply to 7.2 Å. In conclusion, in silicoanalysiswas performed, and the molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations of the scFv antibody proved the effectiveness of the designed immune-therapeutic drug scFv as a specific drug therapy for EGFR.

[Single chain antibody fragment display systems: a review].

Single chain antibody fragment (scFv) is a small molecule composed of a variable region of heavy chain (VH) and a variable region of light chain (VL) of an antibody, and these two chains are connected by a flexible short peptide. scFv is the smallest functional fragment with complete antigen-binding activity, which contains both the antibody-recognizing site and the antigen-binding site. Compared with other antibodies, scFv has the advantages of small molecular weight, strong penetration, low immunogenicity, and easy expression. Currently, the most commonly used display systems for scFv mainly include the phage display system, ribosome display system, mRNA display system, yeast cell surface display system and mammalian cell display system. In recent years, with the development of scFv in the field of medicine, biology, and food safety, they have also attracted much attention in the sectors of biosynthesis and applied research. This review summarizes the advances of scFv display systems in recent years in order to facilitate scFv screening and application.

Target delivery of a PD-1-TREM2 scFv by CAR-T cells enhances anti-tumor efficacy in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) -T cell therapy is an efficient therapeutic strategy for specific hematologic malignancies. However, positive outcomes of this novel therapy in treating solid tumors are curtailed by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), wherein signaling of the checkpoint programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 directly inhibits T-cell responses. Although checkpoint-targeted immunotherapy succeeds in increasing the number of T cells produced to control tumor growth, the desired effect is mitigated by the action of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the TME. Previous studies have confirmed that targeting triggering-receptor-expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) on TAMs and MDSCs enhances the outcomes of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. METHODS: We constructed carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-specific CAR-T cells for colorectal cancer (CRC)-specific antigens with an autocrine PD-1-TREM2 single-chain variable fragment (scFv) to target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, MDSCs and TAMs. RESULTS: We found that the PD-1-TREM2-targeting scFv inhibited the activation of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. In addition, these secreted scFvs blocked the binding of ligands to TREM2 receptors present on MDSCs and TAMs, reduced the proportion of MDSCs and TAMs, and enhanced T-cell effector function, thereby mitigating immune resistance in the TME. PD-1-TREM2 scFv-secreting CAR-T cells resulted in highly effective elimination of tumors compared to that achieved with PD-1 scFv-secreting CAR-T therapy in a subcutaneous CRC mouse model. Moreover, the PD-1-TREM2 scFv secreted by CAR-T cells remained localized within tumors and exhibited an extended half-life. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these results indicate that PD-1-TREM2 scFv-secreting CAR-T cells have strong potential as an effective therapy for CRC.

A structure and knowledge-based combinatorial approach to engineering universal scFv antibodies against influenza M2 protein.

BACKGROUND: The influenza virus enters the host via hemagglutinin protein binding to cell surface sialic acid. Receptor-mediated endocytosis is followed by viral nucleocapsid uncoating for replication aided by the transmembrane viral M2 proton ion channel. M2 ectodomain (M2e) is a potential universal candidate for monoclonal antibody therapy owing to its conserved nature across influenza virus subtypes and its importance in viral propagation. METHODS: The phage-displayed naive human antibody libraries were screened against the short stretch of the N-terminal 10-mer peptide (SLLTEVETPI) of the M2e. ELISA, BLI, and flow cytometry assays were used to examine scFv binding to M2e epitopes. The scFv crystal structures were determined to examine the nature of the interactions. The potencies of the scFvs against the influenza virus were demonstrated by real-time PCR and confocal microscopy imaging. RESULTS: The four unique scFv clones were obtained from the scFv phage-display antibody libraries and shown to exhibit binding with the 10-mer conserved part of the M2e and with full-length M2 protein expressed on the HEK293T cells. The crystal structure of scFv AU1 with M2e peptide showed the peptide as a dimer in the parallel beta-sheet conformation bound at the interface of two scFv CDRs. The scFv AU1 significantly restricted the release of H1N1 virus progeny from the infected A549 cells. CONCLUSION: This structural and biochemical study showcased the binding of antibody scFv molecules with M2e peptide dimer, providing the structural insights for the function effect in terms of recognizing and restricting the release of new viral particles from an infected host cell.

Maximizing protein production by keeping cells at optimal secretory stress levels using real-time control approaches.

Optimizing the production of recombinant proteins is a problem of major industrial and pharmaceutical importance. Secretion of the protein by the host cell considerably simplifies downstream purification processes. However, for many proteins, this is also the limiting production step. Current solutions involve extensive engineering of the chassis cell to facilitate protein trafficking and limit protein degradation triggered by excessive secretion-associated stress. Here, we propose instead a regulation-based strategy in which induction is dynamically adjusted to an optimal strength based on the current stress level of the cells. Using a small collection of hard-to-secrete proteins, a bioreactor-based platform with automated cytometry measurements, and a systematic assay to quantify secreted protein levels, we demonstrate that the secretion sweet spot is indicated by the appearance of a subpopulation of cells that accumulate high amounts of proteins, decrease growth, and face significant stress, that is, experience a secretion burnout. In these cells, adaptations capabilities are overwhelmed by a too strong production. Using these notions, we show for a single-chain antibody variable fragment that secretion levels can be improved by 70% by dynamically keeping the cell population at optimal stress levels using real-time closed-loop control.

Yields and product comparison between Escherichia coli BL21 and W3110 in industrially relevant conditions: anti-c-Met scFv as a case study.

INTRODUCTION: In the biopharmaceutical industry, Escherichia coli is one of the preferred expression hosts for large-scale production of therapeutic proteins. Although increasing the product yield is important, product quality is a major factor in this industry because greatest productivity does not always correspond with the highest quality of the produced protein. While some post-translational modifications, such as disulphide bonds, are required to achieve the biologically active conformation, others may have a negative impact on the product's activity, effectiveness, and/or safety. Therefore, they are classified as product associated impurities, and they represent a crucial quality parameter for regulatory authorities. RESULTS: In this study, fermentation conditions of two widely employed industrial E. coli strains, BL21 and W3110 are compared for recombinant protein production of a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) in an industrial setting. We found that the BL21 strain produces more soluble scFv than the W3110 strain, even though W3110 produces more recombinant protein in total. A quality assessment on the scFv recovered from the supernatant was then performed. Unexpectedly, even when our scFv is correctly disulphide bonded and cleaved from its signal peptide in both strains, the protein shows charge heterogeneity with up to seven distinguishable variants on cation exchange chromatography. Biophysical characterization confirmed the presence of altered conformations of the two main charged variants. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that BL21 is more productive for this specific scFv than W3110. When assessing product quality, a distinctive profile of the protein was found which was independent of the E. coli strain. This suggests that alterations are present in the recovered product although the exact nature of them could not be determined. This similarity between the two strains' generated products also serves as a sign of their interchangeability. This study encourages the development of innovative, fast, and inexpensive techniques for the detection of heterogeneity while also provoking a debate about whether intact mass spectrometry-based analysis of the protein of interest is sufficient to detect heterogeneity in a product.

Optimized immobilization of single chain variable fragment antibody onto non-toxic fluorescent nanoparticles for efficient preparation of a bioprobe.

Single-chain variable fragment antibody (scFv) is a small molecular weight antibody that can be used for both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. To visualize the interaction with the target biomolecules, scFv must be labeled with fluorescent molecules. In this study, to achieve the efficient labeling of scFv, we developed scFv-fluorescent nanoparticle conjugates to utilize scFv as bioprobes. As fluorescent carriers, cadmium-free ZnS-AgInS2/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles were used, and scFv was immobilized onto the nanoparticles via the interaction of nickel ions on nitrilotriacetic acid and hexahistidine (His-tag) fused with scFv. UV-Vis, fluorescence spectra, NMR, and dynamic laser scattering were used to characterize the scFv immobilized fluorescent nanoparticles (scFv-FNPs). The amounts of scFv on FNPs were controlled by the concentration of scFv. The scFv-FNPs that were prepared were non-toxic and selectively bound to cancer cells. The scFv-FNPs could be used as bioanalytical tools, and the immobilization method described here is a promising method for labeling biomolecules with the His-tag.

Engineered exosome-mediated messenger RNA and single-chain variable fragment delivery for human chimeric antigen receptor T-cell engineering.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Most current chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are generated by viral transduction, which induces persistent expression of CARs and may cause serious undesirable effects. Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based approaches in manufacturing CAR T cells are being developed to overcome these challenges. However, the most common method of delivering mRNA to T cells is electroporation, which can be toxic to cells. METHODS: The authors designed and engineered an exosome delivery platform using the bacteriophage MS2 system in combination with the highly expressed protein lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 isoform B on exosomes. RESULTS: The authors' delivery platform achieved specific loading and delivery of mRNA into target cells and achieved expression of specific proteins, and anti-CD3/CD28 single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) expressed outside the exosomal membrane effectively activated primary T cells in a similar way to commercial magnetic beads. CONCLUSIONS: The delivery of CAR mRNA and anti-CD3/CD28 scFvs via designed exosomes can be used for ex vivo production of CAR T cells with cancer cell killing capacity. The authors' results indicate the potential applications of the engineered exosome delivery platform for direct conversion of primary T cells to CAR T cells while providing a novel strategy for producing CAR T cells in vivo.

AAV-mediated neuronal expression of an scFv antibody selective for Aß oligomers protects synapses and rescues memory in Alzheimer models.

The accumulation of soluble oligomers of the amyloid-ß peptide (AßOs) in the brain has been implicated in synapse failure and memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease. Here, we initially show that treatment with NUsc1, a single-chain variable-fragment antibody (scFv) that selectively targets a subpopulation of AßOs and shows minimal reactivity to Aß monomers and fibrils, prevents the inhibition of long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices and memory impairment induced by AßOs in mice. As a therapeutic approach for intracerebral antibody delivery, we developed an adeno-associated virus vector to drive neuronal expression of NUsc1 (AAV-NUsc1) within the brain. Transduction by AAV-NUsc1 induced NUsc1 expression and secretion in adult human brain slices and inhibited AßO binding to neurons and AßO-induced loss of dendritic spines in primary rat hippocampal cultures. Treatment of mice with AAV-NUsc1 prevented memory impairment induced by AßOs and, remarkably, reversed memory deficits in aged APPswe/PS1ΔE9 Alzheimer's disease model mice. These results support the feasibility of immunotherapy using viral vector-mediated gene delivery of NUsc1 or other AßO-specific single-chain antibodies as a potential therapeutic approach in Alzheimer's disease.

Bacterial production and biophysical characterization of a hard-to-fold scFv against myeloid leukemia cell surface marker, IL-1RAP.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAP) is one of the most promising therapeutic targets proposed for myeloid leukemia. Antibodies (Abs) specific to IL-1RAP could be valuable tools for targeted therapy of this lethal malignancy. This study is about the preparation of a difficult-to-produce single-chain variable fragment (scFv) construct against the membrane-bound isoform of human IL-1RAP using Escherichia coli (E. coli). METHODS: Different approaches were examined for refolding and characterization of the scFv. Binding activities of antibody fragments were comparatively evaluated using cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Homogeneity and secondary structure of selected scFv preparation were analyzed using analytical size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, respectively. The activity of the selected preparation was evaluated after long-term storage, repeated freeze-thaw cycles, or following incubation with normal and leukemic serum. RESULTS: Strategies for soluble expression of the scFv failed. Even with the help of Trx, ≥ 98% of proteins were expressed as inclusion bodies (IBs). Among three different refolding methods, the highest recovery rate was obtained from the dilution method (11.2%). Trx-tag substantially enhanced the expression level (18%, considering the molecular weight (MW) differences), recovery rate (˃1.6-fold), and binding activity (˃2.6-fold increase in absorbance450nm). The produced scFv exhibited expected secondary structure as well as acceptable bio-functionality, homogeneity, and stability. CONCLUSION: We were able to produce  21 mg/L culture functional and stable anti-IL-1RAP scFv via recovering IBs by pulse dilution procedure. The produced scFv as a useful targeting agent could be used in scheming new therapeutics or diagnostics for myeloid malignancies.

Hyperstabilization of T cell microvilli contacts by chimeric antigen receptors.

T cells typically recognize their ligands using a defined cell biology-the scanning of their membrane microvilli (MV) to palpate their environment-while that same membrane scaffolds T cell receptors (TCRs) that can signal upon ligand binding. Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) present both a therapeutic promise and a tractable means to study the interplay between receptor affinity, MV dynamics and T cell function. CARs are often built using single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) with far greater affinity than that of natural TCRs. We used high-resolution lattice lightsheet (LLS) and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) imaging to visualize MV scanning in the context of variations in CAR design. This demonstrated that conventional CARs hyper-stabilized microvillar contacts relative to TCRs. Reducing receptor affinity, antigen density, and/or multiplicity of receptor binding sites normalized microvillar dynamics and synapse resolution, and effector functions improved with reduced affinity and/or antigen density, highlighting the importance of understanding the underlying cell biology when designing receptors for optimal antigen engagement.

Construction of scFv Antibodies against the Outer Loops of the Microsporidium Nosema bombycis ATP/ADP-Transporters and Selection of the Fragment Efficiently Inhibiting Parasite Growth.

Traditional sanitation practices remain the main strategy for controlling Bombyx mori infections caused by microsporidia Nosema bombycis. This actualizes the development of new approaches to increase the silkworm resistance to this parasite. Here, we constructed a mouse scFv library against the outer loops of N. bombycis ATP/ADP carriers and selected nine scFv fragments to the transporter, highly expressed in the early stages of the parasite intracellular growth. Expression of selected scFv genes in Sf9 cells, their infection with different ratios of microsporidia spores per insect cell, qPCR analysis of N. bombycis PTP2 and Spodoptera frugiperda COXI transcripts in 100 infected cultures made it possible to select the scFv fragment most effectively inhibiting the parasite growth. Western blot analysis of 42 infected cultures with Abs against the parasite ß-tubulin confirmed its inhibitory efficiency. Since the VL part of this scFv fragment was identified as a human IgG domain retained from the pSEX81 phagemid during library construction, its VH sequence should be a key antigen-recognizing determinant. Along with the further selection of new recombinant Abs, this suggests the searching for its natural mouse VL domain or "camelization" of the VH fragment by introducing cysteine and hydrophilic residues, as well as the randomization of its CDRs.

The Bottlenecks of Preparing Virus Particles by Size Exclusion for Antibody Generation.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the major etiological agent contributing to the development of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD). There are not any global available vaccines or antibody drugs against EV71 released yet. In this study, we perform the virus immunization in a cost-effective and convenient approach by preparing virus particles from size exclusion and immunization of chicken. Polyclonal yolk-immunoglobulin (IgY) was simply purified from egg yolk and monoclonal single-chain variable fragments (scFv) were selected via phage display technology with two scFv libraries containing 6.0 × 106 and 1.3 × 107 transformants. Specific clones were enriched after 5 rounds of bio-panning and four identical genes were classified after the sequence analysis. Moreover, the higher mutation rates were revealed in the CDR regions, especially in the CDR3. IgY showed specific binding activities to both EV71-infected and Coxsackievirus 16-infected cell lysates and high infectivity inhibitory activity of EV71. However, while IgY detected a 37 kDa protein, the selected scFv seemingly detected higher size proteins which could be cell protein instead of EV71 proteins. Despite the highly effective chicken antibody generation, the purity of virus particles prepared by size exclusion is the limitation of this study, and further characterization should be carried out rigorously.

A dataset comprised of binding interactions for 104,972 antibodies against a SARS-CoV-2 peptide.

The dataset presented here contains quantitative binding scores of scFv-format antibodies against a SARS-CoV-2 target peptide collected via an AlphaSeq assay that can be used in the development and benchmarking of machine learning models. Starting from three seed sequences identified from a phage display campaign using a human naïve library, four sets of 29,900 antibodies were designed in silico by creating all k = 1 mutations and random k = 2 and k = 3 mutations throughout the complementary-determining regions (CDRs). Of the 119,600 designs, 104,972 were successfully built in to the AlphaSeq library and target binding was subsequently measured with 71,384 designs resulting in a predicted affinity value for at least one of the triplicate measurements. Data include antibodies with predicted affinity measurements ranging from 37 pM to 22 mM. To our knowledge, this dataset is the largest, publicly available dataset that contains antibody sequences, antigen sequence and quantitative measurements of binding scores and provides an opportunity to serve as a benchmark to evaluate antibody-specific representation models for machine learning.

Identification of a novel fully human anti-toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST)-1 single-chain variable fragment antibody averting TSST-1-induced mitogenesis and cytokine secretion.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcal superantigens are virulence factors that help the pathogen escape the immune system and develop an infection. Toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST)-1 is one of the most studied superantigens whose role in toxic shock syndrome and some particular disorders have been demonstrated. Inhibiting TSST-1 production with antibiotics and targeting TSST-1 with monoclonal antibodies might be one of the best strategies to prevent TSST-1-induced cytokines storm followed by lethality. RESULTS: A novel single-chain variable fragment (scFv), MS473, against TSST-1 was identified by selecting an scFv phage library on the TSST-1 protein. The MS473 scFv showed high affinity and specificity for TSST-1. Moreover, MS473 could significantly prevent TSST-1-induced mitogenicity (the IC50 value: 1.5 µM) and cytokine production. CONCLUSION: Using traditional antibiotics with an anti-TSST-1 scFv as a safe and effective agent leads to deleting the infection source and preventing the detrimental effects of the toxin disseminated into the whole body.

PD-L1-directed PlGF/VEGF blockade synergizes with chemotherapy by targeting CD141+ cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a poor 5-year overall survival rate. Patients with PDAC display limited benefits after undergoing chemotherapy or immunotherapy modalities. Herein, we reveal that chemotherapy upregulates placental growth factor (PlGF), which directly activates cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) to induce fibrosis-associated collagen deposition in PDAC. Patients with poor prognosis have high PIGF/VEGF expression and an increased number of PIGF/VEGF receptor-expressing CAFs, associated with enhanced collagen deposition. We also develop a multi-paratopic VEGF decoy receptor (Ate-Grab) by fusing the single-chain Fv of atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) to VEGF-Grab to target PD-L1-expressing CAFs. Ate-Grab exerts anti-tumor and anti-fibrotic effects in PDAC models via the PD-L1-directed PlGF/VEGF blockade. Furthermore, Ate-Grab synergizes with gemcitabine by relieving desmoplasia. Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies that a CD141+ CAF population is reduced upon Ate-Grab and gemcitabine combination treatment. Overall, our results elucidate the mechanism underlying chemotherapy-induced fibrosis in PDAC and highlight a combinatorial therapeutic strategy for desmoplastic cancers.