Multiple antibodies targeting tumor-specific mutations redirect immune cells to inhibit tumor growth and increase survival in experimental animal models.

BACKGROUND: T cell therapy for cancer involves genetic introduction of a target-binding feature into autologous T cells, ex vivo expansion and single large bolus administration back to the patient. These reprogrammed T cells can be highly effective in killing cells, but tumor heterogeneity results in regrowth of cells that do not sufficiently express the single antigen being targeted. We describe a cell-based therapy that simultaneously targets multiple tumor-specific antigens. METHODS: High-affinity polyclonal rabbit antibodies were generated against nine different surface-related tumor-specific mutations on B16F10 cells. Unsorted splenic effector cells from syngeneic mice were incubated with a cocktail of the nine anti-B16F10 antibodies. These 'armed' effector cells were used to treat mice previously inoculated with B16F10 melanoma cells. RESULTS: The cocktail of nine antibodies resulted in dense homogeneous binding to histological sections of B16F10 cells. Five treatments with the armed effector cells and PD1 inhibition inhibited tumor growth and improved survival. Shortening the interval of the five treatments from every three days to every day increased survival. Arming effector cells with the four antibodies showing best binding to B16F10 cells even further increased survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that ex vivo arming a mixed population of immune effector cells with antibodies targeting multiple tumor-specific mutated proteins in conjunction with PD1 inhibition delayed tumor growth and prolonged survival in mice inoculated with an aggressive melanoma. A remarkably low total antibody dose of less than 5 µg was sufficient to accomplish tumor inhibition. Scaling up to clinical level may be feasible.

Calorimetric investigation of phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated peptide ligand binding to the human Grb7-SH2 domain.

Grb7 is a member of the Grb7 family of proteins, which also includes Grb10 and Grb14. All three proteins have been found to be overexpressed in certain cancers and cancer cell lines. In particular, Grb7 (along with the receptor tyrosine kinase erbB2) is overexpressed in 20-30% of breast cancers. In general, growth factor receptor bound (Grb) proteins bind to activated membrane-bound receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs; e.g., the epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR) through their Src homology 2 (SH2) domains. In particular, Grb7 binds to erbB2 (a.k.a. EGFR2) and may be involved in cell signaling pathways that promote the formation of metastases and inflammatory responses. In previous studies, we reported the solution structure and the backbone relaxation behavior of the Grb7-SH2/erbB2 peptide complex. In this study, isothermal titration calorimetry studies have been completed by measuring the thermodynamic binding parameters of several phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated peptides representative of natural Grb7 receptor ligands as well as ligands developed through combinatorial peptide screening methods. The entirety of these calorimetric studies is interpreted in an effort to describe the specific ligand binding characteristics of the Grb7 protein.

Combination treatment with Grb7 peptide and Doxorubicin or Trastuzumab (Herceptin) results in cooperative cell growth inhibition in breast cancer cells.

Grb7 has potential importance in the progression of cancer. We have previously identified a novel peptide that binds to the SH2 domain of Grb7 and inhibits its association with several different receptor tyrosine kinases. We have synthesised the Grb7 peptide, G7-18NATE, with two different cell penetrating peptides, Penetratin and Tat. In this study, we have shown that both Penetratin- and Tat-conjugated G7-18NATE peptides are able to inhibit the proliferation of SK-BR-3, ZR-75-30, MDA-MB-361 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. There was no significant effects on breast cancer MCF-7cells, non-malignant MCF 10A or 3T3 cells. In addition, there was no significant inhibition of proliferation by Penetratin or Tat alone or by their conjugates with arbitrary peptide sequence in any of the cell lines tested. We determined the EC50 of G7-18NATE-P peptide for SK-BR-3 cell proliferation to be 7.663 x 10(-6) M. Co-treatment of G7-18NATE-P peptide plus Doxorubicin in SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells resulted in an additional inhibition of proliferation, resulting in 56 and 84% decreases in the Doxorubicin EC50 value in the presence of 5 x 10(-6) and 1.0 x 10(-5) M G7-18NATE-P peptide, respectively. Importantly, the co-treatment with Doxorubicin and the delivery peptide did not change the Doxorubicin EC50. Since Grb7 associates with ErbB2, we assessed whether the peptide inhibitor would have a combined effect with a molecule that targets ErbB2, Herceptin. Co-treatment of Herceptin plus 1.0 x 10(-5) M G7-18NATE-P peptide in SK-BR-3 cells resulted in a 46% decrease in the Herceptin EC50 value and no decrease following the co-treatment with Herceptin and penetratin alone. This Grb7 peptide has potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent alone, in combination with traditional chemotherapy, or in combination with other targeting molecules.

Activation of a rel-A/CEBP-beta-related transcription factor heteromer by PGG-glucan in a murine monocytic cell line.

PGG-Glucan is a soluble beta-glucan immunomodulator that enhances a variety of leukocyte microbicidal activities without activating inflammatory cytokines. Although several different cell surface receptors for soluble (and particulate) beta-glucans have been described, the signal transduction pathway(s) used by these soluble ligands have not been elucidated. Previously we reported that PGG-Glucan treatment of mouse BMC2.3 macrophage cells activates a nuclear factor kappa-B-like (NF-kappaB) transcription factor complex containing subunit p65 (rel-A) attached to an unidentified cohort. In this study, we identify the cohort to be a non-rel family member: a CCAAT enhancer-binding protein-beta (C/EBP-beta)-related molecule with an apparent size of 48 kDa, which is a different protein than the previously identified C/EBP-beta p34 also present in these cells. C/EBP-beta is a member of the bZIP family whose members have previously been shown to interact with rel family members. This rel/bZIP heteromer complex activated by PGG-Glucan is different from the p65/p50 rel/rel complex induced in these cells by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Thus, our data demonstrate that PGG-Glucan uses signal transduction pathways different from those used by LPS, which activates leukocyte microbicidal activities and inflammatory cytokines. We further show that heteromer activation appears to use protein kinase C (PKC) and protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) pathways, but not mitogen-activated protein kinase p38. Inhibitor kappa-B-alpha (IkappaB-alpha) is associated with the heteromer; this association decreases after PGG-Glucan treatment. These data are consistent with a model whereby treatment of BMC2.3 cells with PGG-Glucan activates IkappaB-alpha via PKC and/or PTK pathways, permitting translocation of the rel-A/CEBP-beta heteromer complex to the nucleus and increases its DNA-binding affinity.

Cloning and characterization of a family of cDNAs from human histiocyte macrophage cells encoding an arginine-rich basic protein related to the 70 kD U1-snRNP splicing factor.

This paper describes the cloning and characterization of five cDNA members of a novel family of mRNAs, termed hm-1, isolated from human U937 macrophage cells. Two family members (clones 46 and 11) show complete mRNA features [including ribosome binding sites (RBS), polyadenylation signals, and poly(A) tails], and encode the same protein (designated HM-1), but differ substantially in their 5' untranslated regions. The three other cDNAs (clones 20, 60, and 38) appear to represent partial cDNAs. The protein sequences deduced from the five hm-1 cDNAs are identical (some truncated), except for one Trp --> Cys substitution. Full-length HM-1 is 246 amino acids long, has a predicted MW of 29431, is rich in arginine residues, has a pI of 10.25, and a mean hydrophobicity index of -1.23. HM-1 contains no obvious hydrophobic N-terminal cleavable signal sequence, and no potential N-glycosylation sites, but does contain three highly conserved motifs present in U1-70K splicing factors, and contains numerous C-terminal Arg/Asp and Arg/Glu dipeptides characteristic of "RD" family members that function as regulators of mRNA splicing. Northern hybridizations indicate that hm-1 is a family of mRNAs differentially expressed in a variety of human tissues.

PGG-Glucan activates NF-kappaB-like and NF-IL-6-like transcription factor complexes in a murine monocytic cell line.

PGG-Glucan (Betafectin) is a novel soluble beta-glucan immunomodulator that enhances leukocyte microbicidal activities without inducing inflammatory cytokines. Although several different receptors for soluble and particulate beta-glucans have been described, the signal transduction pathway(s) used by soluble beta-glucans have not been elucidated. We report that in a murine monocytic cell line (BMC2.3) PGG-Glucan activates nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB)-like and NF-interleukin-6 (IL-6)-like transcription factors. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that PGG-Glucan activation of the factors is time- and concentration-dependent. The NF-kappaB-like complex includes subunit p65 (rel-A) as one of its components, but apparently not p50 (kappaB1), p52 (kappaB2), p68 (rel-B), or p75 (C-rel) family members. The NF-IL-6-like complex contains subunit C/EBP-beta (NF-IL-6alpha) as one of its components, but apparently not C/EBP-alpha or C/EBP-delta (NF-IL-6beta). As expected, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activated p65/p50 NF-kappaB and C/EBP-beta NF-IL-6 complexes, increased the nuclear titer of p65 and p50 antigens, and increased cytokine (IL-1beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha) mRNA production. In contrast, PGG-Glucan increased the nuclear titer of p65, but apparently not p50, and did not induce cytokine mRNA production. These data demonstrate that PGG-Glucan utilizes signal transduction pathways different from those used by LPS. The data suggest that activation of the PGG-Glucan-stimulated factors is not sufficient to stimulate cytokine mRNA transcription.