Contribution of Antibody Hydrodynamic Size to Vitreal Clearance Revealed through Rabbit Studies Using a Species-Matched Fab.

We have developed a tool Fab fragment of a rabbit monoclonal antibody that is useful for early evaluation in rabbit models of technologies for long acting delivery (LAD) of proteins to the eye. Using this Fab we show that vitreal clearance can be slowed through increased hydrodynamic size. Fab (G10rabFab) and Fab' (G10rabFab') fragments of a rabbit monoclonal antibody (G10rabIgG) were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and purified using antigen-based affinity chromatography. G10rabFab retains antigen-binding upon thermal stress (37 °C) for 8 weeks in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and can be detected in rabbit tissues using an antigen-based ELISA. Hydrodynamic radius, measured using quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS), was increased through site-specific modification of the G10rabFab' free cysteine with linear methoxy-polyethylene glycol(PEG)-maleimide of 20000 or 40000 molecular weight. Pharmacokinetic studies upon intravitreal dosing in New Zealand white rabbits were conducted on the G10rabFab and PEGylated G10rabFab'. Results of single and multidose pharmacokinetic experiments yield reproducible results and a vitreal half-life for G10rabFab of 3.2 days. Clearance from the eye is slowed through increased hydrodynamic size, with vitreal half-life showing a linear dependence on hydrodynamic radius (RH). A linear dependence of vitreal half-life on RH suggests that molecule diffusivity makes an important contribution to vitreal clearance. A method for prediction of vitreal half-life from RH measurements is proposed.

Decreasing lactate level and increasing antibody production in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells (CHO) by reducing the expression of lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases.

Large-scale fed-batch cell culture processes of CHO cells are the standard platform for the clinical and commercial production of monoclonal antibodies. Lactate is one of the major by-products of CHO fed-batch culture. In pH-controlled bioreactors, accumulation of high levels of lactate is accompanied by high osmolality due to the addition of base to control pH of the cell culture medium, potentially leading to lower cell growth and lower therapeutic protein production during manufacturing. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of the substrate, pyruvate, into lactate and many factors including pyruvate concentration modulate LDH activity. Alternately, pyruvate can be converted to acetyl-CoA by pyruvate dehydrogenases (PDHs), to be metabolized in the TCA cycle. PDH activity is inhibited when phosphorylated by pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDHKs). In this study, we knocked down the gene expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHa) and PDHKs to investigate the effect on lactate metabolism and protein production. We found that LDHa and PDHKs can be successfully downregulated simultaneously using a single targeting vector carrying small inhibitory RNAs (siRNA) for LDHa and PDHKs. Moreover, our fed-batch shake flask evaluation data using siRNA-mediated LDHa/PDHKs knockdown clones showed that downregulating LDHa and PDHKs in CHO cells expressing a therapeutic monoclonal antibody reduced lactate production, increased specific productivity and volumetric antibody production by approximately 90%, 75% and 68%, respectively, without appreciable impact on cell growth. Similar trends of lower lactate level and higher antibody productivity on average in siRNA clones were also observed from evaluations performed in bioreactors.

PlGF blockade does not inhibit angiogenesis during primary tumor growth.

It has been recently reported that treatment with an anti-placenta growth factor (PlGF) antibody inhibits metastasis and primary tumor growth. Here we show that, although anti-PlGF treatment inhibited wound healing, extravasation of B16F10 cells, and growth of a tumor engineered to overexpress the PlGF receptor (VEGFR-1), neutralization of PlGF using four novel blocking antibodies had no significant effect on tumor angiogenesis in 15 models. Also, genetic ablation of the tyrosine kinase domain of VEGFR-1 in the host did not result in growth inhibition of the anti-VEGF-A sensitive or resistant tumors tested. Furthermore, combination of anti-PlGF with anti-VEGF-A antibodies did not result in greater antitumor efficacy than anti-VEGF-A monotherapy. In conclusion, our data argue against an important role of PlGF during primary tumor growth in most models and suggest that clinical evaluation of anti-PlGF antibodies may be challenging.

Human mammary cancer progression model recapitulates methylation events associated with breast premalignancy.

INTRODUCTION: We have previously identified a rare subpopulation of variant human mammary epithelial cells (vHMEC) with repressed p16INK4A that exist in disease-free women yet display premalignant properties, suggesting that they have engaged the process of malignant transformation. In order to gain insight into the molecular alterations required for vHMEC to progress to malignancy, and to characterize the epigenetic events associated with early progression, we examined the effect of oncogenic stress on the behavior of these cells. METHODS: HMEC that express p16INK4A and vHMEC that do not, were transduced with constitutively active Ha-rasV12 and subsequently exposed to serum to determine whether signals from the cellular microenvironment could cooperate with ras to promote the malignant transformation of vHMEC. Epigenetic alterations were assessed using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: vHMEC expressing Ha-rasV12 (vHMEC-ras) bypassed the classic proliferative arrest that has been previously documented in normal fibroblasts following oncogenic stress, and that we also observe here in normal HMEC. Moreover, vHMEC-ras cells exhibited many additional alterations that are observed during progression to malignancy such as the generation of chromosomal abnormalities, upregulation of telomerase activity, immortalization following exposure to serum, and anchorage-independent growth, but they did not form tumors following orthotopic injection in vivo. Associated with their early progression to malignancy was an increase in the number of genes methylated, two of which (RASSF1A and SFRP1) were also methylated in other immortalized mammary cell lines as well as in breast cancer cells and tissues. CONCLUSIONS: We have characterized a mammary progression model that recapitulates molecular and methylation alterations observed in many breast cancers. Our data suggest that concomitant methylation of RASSF1A and SFRP1 marks an early event in mammary transformation and may thus have prognostic potential.

Tumor and stromal pathways mediating refractoriness/resistance to anti-angiogenic therapies.

Identification and characterization of VEGF as an important regulator of angiogenesis, and FDA approval of the first anti-angiogenic drugs, has enabled significant advances in the therapy of cancer and neovascular age-related macular degeneration. However, similar to other therapies, inherent/acquired resistance to anti-angiogenic drugs may occur in patients, leading to disease recurrence. Recent studies in several experimental models suggest that tumor and non-tumor (stromal) cell types may be involved in the reduced responsiveness to the treatments. The present review examines the role of tumor- as well as stromal cell-derived pathways involved in tumor growth and in refractoriness to anti-VEGF therapies.

VEGF inhibition: insights from preclinical and clinical studies.

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, is required for a variety of normal proliferative processes. Furthermore, angiogenesis is well established as also playing an important role in neoplastic growth and metastasis. Numerous regulators of angiogenesis have been identified and characterized over the last few decades. Among these, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A appears especially important in several pathophysiological processes. Several VEGF inhibitors have been approved, by the US Food and Drug Administration, for the treatment of tumors or age-releted macular degeneration. This review examines the various mouse tumor models in which VEGF inhibitors have been tested and the lessons learned from these studies.

PDGF-C mediates the angiogenic and tumorigenic properties of fibroblasts associated with tumors refractory to anti-VEGF treatment.

Tumor- or cancer-associated fibroblasts (TAFs or CAFs) from different tumors exhibit distinct angiogenic and tumorigenic properties. Unlike normal skin fibroblasts or TAFs from TIB6 tumors that are sensitive to anti-VEGF treatment (TAF-TIB6), TAFs from resistant EL4 tumors (TAF-EL4) can stimulate TIB6 tumor growth even when VEGF is inhibited. We show that platelet-derived growth factor C (PDGF-C) is upregulated in TAFs from resistant tumors. PDGF-C-neutralizing antibodies blocked the angiogenesis induced by such TAFs in vivo, slowed the growth of EL4 and admixture (TAF-EL4 + TIB6) tumors, and exhibited additive effects with anti-VEGF-A antibodies. Hence, our data reveal an additional mechanism for TAF-mediated tumorigenesis and suggest that some tumors may overcome inhibition of VEGF-mediated angiogenesis through upregulation of PDGF-C.

Chapter 6. Mouse models to investigate anti-cancer effects of VEGF inhibitors.

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, is required for a variety of normal proliferative processes. Furthermore, it is well established that angiogenesis plays an important role also in neoplastic growth and metastasis. Numerous regulators of angiogenesis have been identified and characterized over the last decades. Among these, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A appears especially important in several pathophysiological processes. Several VEGF inhibitors have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of tumors or age-related macular degeneration. This chapter examines the various mouse tumor models in which VEGF inhibitors have been tested and the lessons learned from these studies.

Sustained induction of epithelial to mesenchymal transition activates DNA methylation of genes silenced in basal-like breast cancers.

The active acquisition of epigenetic changes is a poorly understood but important process in development, differentiation, and disease. Our work has shown that repression of the p16/pRb pathway in human epithelial cells, a condition common to stem cells and many tumor cells, induces dynamic epigenetic remodeling resulting in the targeted methylation of a selected group of CpG islands. We hypothesized that cells in this epigenetically plastic state could be programmed by the microenvironment to acquire epigenetic changes associated with tumorigenesis. Here, we describe an in vitro model system where epigenetically plastic cells were placed in an environment that induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and led to a program of acquired de novo DNA methylation at targeted sites. In this model, we found that repression of E-cadherin transcription preceded the subsequent acquisition of methylated CpG sites. Furthermore, the induction of EMT was accompanied by de novo methylation of several other gene promoters, including those of the estrogen receptor and Twist. These data demonstrate that signals from the microenvironment can induce phenotypic and gene expression changes associated with targeted de novo epigenetic alterations important in tumor progression, and that these alterations occur through a deterministic, rather than stochastic, mechanism. Given the dynamic epigenetic reprogramming that occurs in these cells, DNA methylation profiles observed in human tumors may reflect the history of environmental exposures during the genesis of a tumor.

Endothelium-microenvironment interactions in the developing embryo and in the adult.

The vascular endothelium is best known for its role in oxygen and nutrient delivery to the various tissues. Growing evidence supports a far more complex role in tissue homeostasis. In particular, reciprocal interactions between endothelial cells and the local microenvironment may regulate organ development and pattern formation. Such interactions appear to be important also in the adult, in normal and pathological conditions.

Genetic and epigenetic changes in mammary epithelial cells may mimic early events in carcinogenesis.

Studies of human mammary epithelial cells from healthy individuals are providing novel insights into how early epigenetic and genetic events affect genomic integrity and fuel carcinogenesis. Key epigenetic changes, such as the hypermethylation of the p16 (INK4a) promoter sequences, create a previously unappreciated preclonal phase of tumorigenesis in which a subpopulation of mammary epithelial cells are positioned for progression to malignancy (Romanov et al. , 2001, Nature , 409:633-637; Tlsty et al. , 2001, J. Mammary Gland Biol. Neoplasia , 6:235-243). These key changes precede the clonal outgrowth of premalignant lesions and occur frequently in healthy, disease-free women. Understanding more about these early events should provide novel molecular candidates for prevention and therapy of breast cancer that target the process instead of the consequences of genomic instability. This review will highlight some of the key alterations that have been studied in human mammary epithelial cells in culture and relate them to events observed in vivo and discussed in accompanying reviews in this volume.

Histologically normal human mammary epithelia with silenced p16(INK4a) overexpress COX-2, promoting a premalignant program.

Breast tissue from healthy women contains variant mammary epithelial cells (vHMEC) exhibiting p16INK4a promoter hypermethylation both in vivo and in vitro. When continuously cultured, vHMEC acquire telomeric dysfunction and produce the types of chromosomal abnormalities seen in premalignant lesions of cancer. We find that late passage vHMEC express elevated prostaglandin cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), which contributes to increased prostaglandin synthesis, angiogenic activity, and invasive ability. These data demonstrate the existence of human mammary epithelial cells with the potential to acquire multiple genomic alterations and phenotypes associated with malignant cells. Moreover, COX-2 overexpression coincides with focal areas of p16INK4a hypermethylation in vivo, creating ideal candidates as precursors to breast cancer. These putative precursors can be selectively eliminated upon exposure to COX-2 inhibitors in vitro.