DuoMab: a novel CrossMab-based IgG-derived antibody format for enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

High specificity accompanied with the ability to recruit immune cells has made recombinant therapeutic antibodies an integral part of drug development. Here we present a generic approach to generate two novel IgG-derived antibody formats that are based on a modification of the CrossMab technology. MoAbs harbor two heavy chains (HCs) resulting in one binding entity and one fragment crystallizable region (Fc), whereas DuoMabs are composed of four HCs harboring two binding entities and two Fc regions linked at a disulfide-bridged hinge. The latter bivalent format is characterized by avidity-enhanced target cell binding while simultaneously increasing the 'Fc-load' on the surface. DuoMabs were shown to be producible in high yield and purity and bind to surface cells with affinities comparable to IgGs. The increased Fc load directed at the surface of target cells by DuoMabs modulates their antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity competency toward target cells, making them attractive for applications that require or are modulated by FcR interactions.

Targeting key angiogenic pathways with a bispecific CrossMAb optimized for neovascular eye diseases.

Anti-angiogenic therapies using biological molecules that neutralize vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) have revolutionized treatment of retinal vascular diseases including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study reports preclinical assessment of a strategy to enhance anti-VEGF-A monotherapy efficacy by targeting both VEGF-A and angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), a factor strongly upregulated in vitreous fluids of patients with retinal vascular disease and exerting some of its activities in concert with VEGF-A. Simultaneous VEGF-A and ANG-2 inhibition was found to reduce vessel lesion number, permeability, retinal edema, and neuron loss more effectively than either agent alone in a spontaneous choroidal neovascularization (CNV) model. We describe the generation of a bispecific domain-exchanged (crossed) monoclonal antibody (CrossMAb; RG7716) capable of binding, neutralizing, and depleting VEGF-A and ANG-2. RG7716 showed greater efficacy than anti-VEGF-A alone in a non-human primate laser-induced CNV model after intravitreal delivery. Modification of RG7716's FcRn and FcγR binding sites disabled the antibodies' Fc-mediated effector functions. This resulted in increased systemic, but not ocular, clearance. These properties make RG7716 a potential next-generation therapy for neovascular indications of the eye.

The use of CrossMAb technology for the generation of bi- and multispecific antibodies.

The major challenge in the generation of bispecific IgG antibodies is enforcement of the correct heavy and light chain association. The correct association of generic light chains can be enabled using immunoglobulin domain crossover, known as CrossMAb technology, which can be combined with approaches enabling correct heavy chain association such as knobs-into-holes (KiH) technology or electrostatic steering. Since its development, this technology has proven to be very versatile, allowing the generation of various bispecific antibody formats, not only heterodimeric/asymmetric bivalent 1+1 CrossMAbs, but also tri- (2+1), tetravalent (2+2) bispecific and multispecific antibodies. Numerous CrossMAbs have been evaluated in preclinical studies, and, so far, 4 different tailor-made bispecific antibodies based on the CrossMAb technology have entered clinical studies. Here, we review the properties and activities of bispecific CrossMAbs and give an overview of the variety of CrossMAb-enabled antibody formats that differ from heterodimeric 1+1 bispecific IgG antibodies.

Heavy and light chain pairing of bivalent quadroma and knobs-into-holes antibodies analyzed by UHR-ESI-QTOF mass spectrometry.

The quadroma antibody represents the first attempt to produce a bispecific heterodimeric IgG antibody by somatic fusion of 2 hybridoma cells each expressing monoclonal antibodies with distinctive specificities. However, because of random heavy and light chain pairing, the desired functional bispecific antibody represents only a small fraction of the protein produced. Subsequently, the knobs-into-holes (KiH) approach was developed to enforce correct heavy chain heterodimerization. Assuming equimolar expression of 4 unmodified chains comprising 2 heavy and 2 light chains, the statistical distribution of all paired combinations can be calculated. With equimolar expression as the goal, we transfected HEK cells with 1:1:1:1 plasmid ratios and analyzed the protein A affinity-purified antibodies from the quadroma and KiH approaches qualitatively and quantitatively with regard to the estimated relative amounts of the products using electrospray quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Our results show that all expected species are formed, and that, within the methodological limits, the species distribution in the mixtures corresponds approximately to the statistical distribution.

A novel angiopoietin-2 selective fully human antibody with potent anti-tumoral and anti-angiogenic efficacy and superior side effect profile compared to Pan-Angiopoietin-1/-2 inhibitors.

There is increasing experimental evidence for an important role of Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) in tumor angiogenesis and progression. In addition, Ang-2 is up-regulated in many cancer types and correlated with poor prognosis. To investigate the functional role of Ang-2 inhibition in tumor development and progression, we generated novel fully human antibodies that neutralize specifically the binding of Ang-2 to its receptor Tie2. The selected antibodies LC06 and LC08 recognize both rodent and human Ang-2 with high affinity, but LC06 shows a higher selectivity for Ang-2 over Ang-1 compared to LC08 which can be considered an Ang-2/Ang-1 cross-reactive antibody. Our data demonstrate that Ang-2 blockade results in potent tumor growth inhibition and pronounced tumor necrosis in subcutaneous and orthotopic tumor models. These effects are attended with a reduction of intratumoral microvessel density and tumor vessels characterized by fewer branches and increased pericyte coverage. Furthermore, anti-Ang-2 treatment strongly inhibits the dissemination of tumor cells to the lungs. Interestingly, in contrast to the Ang-2/Ang-1 cross-reactive antibody LC08 that leads to a regression of physiological vessels in the mouse trachea, the inhibition with the selective anti-Ang-2 antibody LC06 appears to be largely restricted to tumor vasculature without obvious effects on normal vasculature. Taken together, these data provide strong evidence for the selective Ang-2 antibody LC06 as promising new therapeutic agent for the treatment of various cancers.

Progress in overcoming the chain association issue in bispecific heterodimeric IgG antibodies.

The development of bispecific antibodies has attracted substantial interest, and many different formats have been described. Those specifically containing an Fc part are mostly tetravalent, such as stabilized IgG-scFv fusions or dual-variable domain (DVD) IgGs. However, although they exhibit IgG-like properties and technical developability, these formats differ in size and geometry from classical IgG antibodies. Thus, considerable efforts focus on bispecific heterodimeric IgG antibodies that more closely mimic natural IgG molecules. The inherent chain association problem encountered when producing bispecific heterodimeric IgG antibodies can be overcome by several methods. While technologies like knobs-into-holes (KiH) combined with a common light chain or the CrossMab technology enforce the correct chain association, other approaches, e.g., the dual-acting Fab (DAF) IgGs, do not rely on a heterodimeric Fc part. This review discusses the state of the art in bispecific heterodimeric IgG antibodies, with an emphasis on recent progress.

A human neutralizing antibody specific to Ang-2 inhibits ocular angiogenesis.

OBJECTIVE: Angiogenesis, a critical contributor to ocular as well as neoplastic diseases, is stimulated by endothelial production of angiopoietin-2 (Ang2). Our objective was to determine the requirement of ocular angiogenesis for Ang2 in animal models of disease. METHODS: We developed and compared the effect of a novel human Ang2 antibody with a pan-angiopoietin strategy on angiogenesis in ocular angiogenesis in animal models of oxygen-induced retinopathy, and laser photocoagulation and confirmed its efficacy in xenografted human colorectal tumors. RESULTS: Human anti-Ang2 and anti-angiopoietin1(Ang1)/Ang2 antibodies blocked colorectal carcinoma growth in immuno-compromised mice (p < 0.001, n = 6). Injection of 1 µg of Ang2 or Ang2/Ang1 antibody-inhibited angiogenesis in models of retinal (p < 0.001, n = 6), and choroidal neovascularization (p < 0.001, n = 11-13 per group) to levels similar to that with anti-VEGF antibodies. There was no difference between Ang2 specific and Ang1/Ang2 bi-specific antibodies. In vitro, Ang2 antibodies showed no cytotoxicity and did not inhibit endothelial cell migration or proliferation. CONCLUSION: Thus, human Ang2 antibodies are potentially therapeutic agents for ocular neovascularization in models of retinal and choroidal neovascularization, in the absence of VEGF inhibition.

Immunoglobulin domain crossover as a generic approach for the production of bispecific IgG antibodies.

We describe a generic approach to assemble correctly two heavy and two light chains, derived from two existing antibodies, to form human bivalent bispecific IgG antibodies without use of artificial linkers. Based on the knobs-into-holes technology that enables heterodimerization of the heavy chains, correct association of the light chains and their cognate heavy chains is achieved by exchange of heavy-chain and light-chain domains within the antigen binding fragment (Fab) of one half of the bispecific antibody. This "crossover" retains the antigen-binding affinity but makes the two arms so different that light-chain mispairing can no longer occur. Applying the three possible "CrossMab" formats, we generated bispecific antibodies against angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and show that they can be produced by standard techniques, exhibit stabilities comparable to natural antibodies, and bind both targets simultaneously with unaltered affinity. Because of its superior side-product profile, the CrossMab(CH1-CL) was selected for in vivo profiling and showed potent antiangiogenic and antitumoral activity.

Analysis of the major proteins secreted by the human opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus under in vitro conditions.

Although secreted proteins of pathogenic microorganisms often represent potential virulence factors, so far only limited information has been available on the proteins secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus. We therefore analysed supernatant proteins after growth in different media. In serum-free cell culture medium A. fumigatus growth was limited and no protein secretion was detectable, whereas distinct protein patterns were detectable after growth in either aspergillus minimal medium (AMM) or the more complex yeast glucose medium (YG). The three major proteins secreted under these conditions were identified as the ribotoxin mitogillin, a chitosanase and the aspergillopepsin i. Mitogillin and chitosanase were secreted in AMM, whereas aspergillopepsin i was especially prominent after growth in YG. When the AMM cultures reached stationary phase, seven additional major proteins were detectable. Two of them were identified as the chitinase chiB1 and a beta(1-3) endoglucanase. Conditioned medium containing mitogillin and chitosanase did not have a detectable cytotoxic effect on A549 and Vero cells. Using recombinant mitogillin and chitosanase we detected anti-chitosanase and antimitogillin antibodies in sera of patients suffering from invasive aspergillosis or aspergilloma, but not in control sera of healthy individuals. This suggests that chitosanase, like mitogillin, is expressed during infection and might therefore be of diagnostic relevance.

Nicalin and its binding partner Nomo are novel Nodal signaling antagonists.

Nodals are signaling factors of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) superfamily with a key role in vertebrate development. They control a variety of cell fate decisions required for the establishment of the embryonic body plan. We have identified two highly conserved transmembrane proteins, Nicalin and Nomo (Nodal modulator, previously known as pM5), as novel antagonists of Nodal signaling. Nicalin is distantly related to Nicastrin, a component of the Alzheimer's disease-associated gamma-secretase, and forms a complex with Nomo. Ectopic expression of both proteins in zebrafish embryos causes cyclopia, a phenotype that can arise from a defect in mesendoderm patterning mediated by the Nodal signaling pathway. Accordingly, downregulation of Nomo resulted in an increase in anterior axial mesendoderm and the development of an enlarged hatching gland. Inhibition of Nodal signaling by ectopic expression of Lefty was rescued by reducing Nomo levels. Furthermore, Nodal- as well as Activin-induced signaling was inhibited by Nicalin and Nomo in a cell-based reporter assay. Our data demonstrate that the Nicalin/Nomo complex antagonizes Nodal signaling during mesendodermal patterning in zebrafish.

A combination of different mass spectroscopic techniques for the analysis of dynamic changes of histone modifications.

The N-terminal tails of the histones are subject to many enzyme-mediated post-translational modifications, such as lysine acetylation, lysine and arginine methylation, serine phosphorylation, poly-ADP ribosylation and the attachment of the small peptide ubiquitin. These modifications, singly or in combination, are thought to generate an epigenetic code that specifies different patterns of gene activity. We present a detailed study on the mapping of histone post-translational modifications using a combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis of peptides generated by protease cleavage of individual histones isolated from different developmental stages. Due to their high content in basic amino acid residues and in order to be able to quantitatively compare two different samples we developed a chemical derivatization protocol. This strategy enabled us to determine the primary sequence of the peptides and to unambiguously assign specific modifications. This method is generally applicable to histone samples from various sources and can be used to study changes of modification patterns during early embryonic development or tissue differentiation and regeneration.

The N-terminus of Drosophila SU(VAR)3-9 mediates dimerization and regulates its methyltransferase activity.

In most eukaryotes, the histone methyltransferase SU(VAR)3-9 and its orthologues play a major role in the function of centromeric heterochromatin. Although the methyltransferase domain is required for the formation of a fully functional centromere, mutations within other regions of the gene such as the N-terminus also have a strong impact on its in vivo function. To analyze the contribution of the N-terminus on the methyltransferase activity, we have expressed the full-length Drosophila SU(VAR)3-9 (dSU(VAR)3-9) together with various N-terminal deletions in Escherichia coli and analyzed the structural and enzymatic properties of the purified recombinant enzymes. Full-length dSU(VAR)3-9 specifically methylates lysine 9 within histone H3 on peptides, on intact histones, and, to a lesser extent, on nucleosomes. A detailed analysis of the reaction products shows that dSU(VAR)3-9 adds two methyl groups to an unmethylated H3 tail peptide in a nonprocessive manner. The full-length enzyme elutes with an apparent molecular weight of 160 kDa from a gel filtration column, which indicates the formation of a dimer. This property is dependent on an intact N-terminus. In contrast to the full-length enzymes, proteins lacking the N-terminus fail to dimerize, and show a 10-fold lower specific activity and a linear dependence of methyltransferase activity on enzyme concentration. A N-terminal peptide containing amino acids 1-152 of dSU(VAR)3-9 is sufficient to mediate this interaction in vitro. The dimerization of dSU(VAR)3-9 and the subsequent increase of its methyltransferase activity provide a starting point to understand the molecular details of the formation of heterochromatic structures in vivo.

Differential effects of Parkinson's disease-associated mutations on stability and folding of DJ-1.

Mutations in the PARK7/DJ-1 gene cause autosomal-recessive Parkinson's disease. In some patients the gene is deleted. The molecular basis of disease in patients with point mutations is less obvious. We have investigated the molecular properties of [L166P]DJ-1 and the novel variant [E64D]DJ-1. When transfected into non-neuronal and neuronal cell lines, steady-state expression levels of [L166P]DJ-1 were dramatically lower than wild-type [WT]DJ-1 and [E64D]DJ-1. Cycloheximide and pulse-chase experiments revealed that the decreased expression levels of [L166P]DJ-1 were because of accelerated protein turnover. Proteasomal degradation was not the major pathway of DJ-1 breakdown because treatment with the proteasome inhibitor MG-132 caused only minimal accumulation of DJ-1, even of the very unstable [L166P]DJ-1 mutant. Because of the structural resemblance of DJ-1 with bacterial cysteine proteases, we considered an autoproteolytic mechanism. However, neither pharmacological inhibition nor site-directed mutagenesis of the putative active site residue Cys-106 stabilized DJ-1. To gain further insight into the structural defects of DJ-1 mutants, human [WT]DJ-1 and both mutants were expressed in Escherichia coli. As in eukaryotic cells, expression levels of [L166P]DJ-1 were dramatically reduced compared with [WT]DJ-1 and [E64D]DJ-1. Circular dichroism spectrometry revealed that the solution structures of [WT]DJ-1 and [E64D]DJ-1 are rich in beta-strand and alpha-helix conformation. Alpha-helices were more susceptible to thermal denaturation than the beta-sheet, and [WT]DJ-1 was more flexible in this regard than [E64D]DJ-1. Thus, structural defects of [E64D]DJ-1 only become apparent upon denaturing conditions, whereas the L166P mutation causes a drastic defect that leads to excessive degradation.