The Bispecific Tumor Antigen-Conditional 4-1BB x 5T4 Agonist, ALG.APV-527, Mediates Strong T-Cell Activation and Potent Antitumor Activity in Preclinical Studies.

4-1BB (CD137) is an activation-induced costimulatory receptor that regulates immune responses of activated CD8 T and natural killer cells, by enhancing proliferation, survival, cytolytic activity, and IFNγ production. The ability to induce potent antitumor activity by stimulating 4-1BB on tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells makes 4-1BB an attractive target for designing novel immuno-oncology therapeutics. To minimize systemic immune toxicities and enhance activity at the tumor site, we have developed a novel bispecific antibody that stimulates 4-1BB function when co-engaged with the tumor-associated antigen 5T4. ALG.APV-527 was built on the basis of the ADAPTIR bispecific platform with optimized binding domains to 4-1BB and 5T4 originating from the ALLIGATOR-GOLD human single-chain variable fragment library. The epitope of ALG.APV-527 was determined to be located at domain 1 and 2 on 4-1BB using X-ray crystallography. As shown in reporter and primary cell assays in vitro, ALG.APV-527 triggers dose-dependent 4-1BB activity mediated only by 5T4 crosslinking. In vivo, ALG.APV-527 demonstrates robust antitumor responses, by inhibiting growth of established tumors expressing human 5T4 followed by a long-lasting memory immune response. ALG.APV-527 has an antibody-like half-life in cynomolgus macaques and was well tolerated at 50.5 mg/kg. ALG.APV-527 is uniquely designed for 5T4-conditional 4-1BB-mediated antitumor activity with potential to minimize systemic immune activation and hepatotoxicity while providing efficacious tumor-specific responses in a range of 5T4-expressing tumor indications as shown by robust activity in preclinical in vitro and in vivo models. On the basis of the combined preclinical dataset, ALG.APV-527 has potential as a promising anticancer therapeutic for the treatment of 5T4-expressing tumors.

CD137 (4-1BB) costimulation of CD8+ T cells is more potent when provided in cis than in trans with respect to CD3-TCR stimulation.

CD137 (4-1BB; TNFSR9) is an activation-induced surface receptor that through costimulation effects provide antigen-primed T cells with augmented survival, proliferation and effector functions as well as metabolic advantages. These immunobiological mechanisms are being utilised for cancer immunotherapy with agonist CD137-binding and crosslinking-inducing agents that elicit CD137 intracellular signaling. In this study, side-by-side comparisons show that provision of CD137 costimulation in-cis with regard to the TCR-CD3-ligating cell is superior to that provided in-trans in terms of T cell activation, proliferation, survival, cytokine secretion and mitochondrial fitness in mouse and human. Cis ligation of CD137 relative to the TCR-CD3 complex results in more intense canonical and non-canonical NF-κB signaling and provides a more robust induction of cell cycle and DNA damage repair gene expression programs. Here we report that the superiority of cis versus trans CD137-costimulation is readily observed in vivo and is relevant for understanding the immunotherapeutic effects of CAR T cells and CD137 agonistic therapies currently undergoing clinical trials, which may provide costimulation either in cis or in trans.

APVO210: A Bispecific Anti-CD86-IL-10 Fusion Protein (ADAPTIR™) to Induce Antigen-Specific T Regulatory Type 1 Cells.

IL-10 is a potent immunosuppressive cytokine that promotes the differentiation of tolerogenic dendritic cells (DC-10), and the subsequent induction of antigen-specific T regulatory type 1 (Tr1) cells, which suppress immune responses. However, IL-10 acts on multiple cell types and its effects are not solely inhibitory, therefore, limiting its use as immunomodulant. APVO210 is a bispecific fusion protein composed of an anti-CD86 antibody fused with monomeric IL-10 (ADAPTIR™ from Aptevo Therapeutics). APVO210 specifically induces IL-10R signaling in CD86+ antigen-presenting cells, but not in T and B cells. In this study, we tested whether APVO210 promotes the differentiation of tolerogenic DC-10 and the differentiation of antigen-specific CD4+ Tr1 cells in vitro. We compared the effect of APVO210 with that of recombinant human (rh) IL-10 on the in vitro differentiation of DC-10, induction of alloantigen-specific anergic CD4+ T cells, enrichment in CD49b+LAG3+ Tr1 cells mediating antigen-specific suppression, and stability upon exposure to inflammatory cytokines. APVO210 induced the differentiation of tolerogenic DC (DC-A210) that produced high levels of IL-10, expressed CD86, HLA-G, and intermediate levels of CD14 and CD16. These DC-A210 induced alloantigen-specific anergic T-cell cultures (T-alloA210) that were enriched in CD49b+ LAG3+ Tr1 cells, produced high levels of IL-10, and had suppressive properties. The phenotype and high IL-10 production by DC-A210, and the alloantigen-specific anergy of T-alloA210 were preserved upon exposure to the inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α. The effects of APVO210 were comparable to that of dimeric rh IL-10. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that APVO210 drives the differentiation of tolerogenic DC and functional alloantigen-specific Tr1 cells in vitro. Since APVO210 specifically targets CD86+ cells, we hypothesize that it will specifically target CD86+ DC to induce Tr1 cells in vivo, and mediate antigen-specific immunological tolerance by induction of tolerogenic DC and Tr1 cells.

MOR209/ES414, a Novel Bispecific Antibody Targeting PSMA for the Treatment of Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Treatment of metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) remains a highly unmet medical need and current therapies ultimately result in disease progression. Immunotherapy is a rapidly growing approach for treatment of cancer but has shown limited success to date in the treatment of mCRPC. We have developed a novel humanized bispecific antibody, MOR209/ES414, built on the ADAPTIR (modular protein technology) platform, to redirect T-cell cytotoxicity toward prostate cancer cells by specifically targeting T cells through CD3ε to prostate cancer cells expressing PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen). In vitro cross-linking of T cells with PSMA-expressing tumor cells by MOR209/ES414 triggered potent target-dependent tumor lysis and induction of target-dependent T-cell activation and proliferation. This activity occurred at low picomolar concentrations of MOR209/ES414 and was effective at low T-effector to tumor target cell ratios. In addition, cytotoxic activity was equivalent over a wide range of PSMA expression on target cells, suggesting that as few as 3,700 PSMA receptors per cell are sufficient for tumor lysis. In addition to high sensitivity and in vitro activity, MOR209/ES414 induced limited production of cytokines compared with other bispecific antibody formats. Pharmacokinetic analysis of MOR209/ES414 demonstrated a serum elimination half-life in NOD/SCID γ (NSG) mice of 4 days. Administration of MOR209/ES414 in murine xenograft models of human prostate cancer significantly inhibited tumor growth, prolonged survival, and decreased serum prostate-specific antigen levels only in the presence of adoptively transferred human T cells. On the basis of these preclinical findings, MOR209/ES414 warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic for the treatment of CRPC. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(9); 2155-65. ©2016 AACR.

Regulation of GATA-3 expression during CD4 lineage differentiation.

GATA-3 is necessary for the development of MHC class II-restricted CD4 T cells, and its expression is increased during positive selection of these cells. TCR signals drive this upregulation, but the signaling pathways that control this process are not well understood. Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, we show that GATA-3 upregulation during thymocyte-positive selection is the result of additive inputs from the Ras/MAPK and calcineurin pathways. This upregulation requires the presence of the transcription factor c-Myb. Furthermore, we show that TH-POK can also upregulate GATA-3 in double-positive thymocytes, suggesting the existence of a positive feedback loop that contributes to lock in the initial commitment to the CD4 lineage during differentiation.

Duration of the initial TCR stimulus controls the magnitude but not functionality of the CD8+ T cell response.

CD8+ T cells only require a brief stimulation with antigen in vitro to divide and differentiate into effector and memory cells upon transfer in vivo. The efficiency of clonal expansion and the functional characteristics of memory cells derived from briefly stimulated cells are poorly defined. We developed a system that allowed us to examine programming entirely in vivo. This was achieved by rapidly killing peptide-pulsed DCs carrying a diphtheria toxin receptor transgene with timed injections of diphtheria toxin without altering the course of an accompanying infection. The magnitude of clonal expansion, but not the functionality of the effector cells, correlated directly with the duration of antigen exposure. Furthermore, memory T cells were capable of mounting a secondary response, regardless of the length of antigen encounter during the primary response. These results indicate that the duration of initial antigen encounter influences the magnitude of the primary response, but does not program responsiveness during the secondary challenge.

Analysis of T-cell development by using short interfering RNA to knock down protein expression.

We have applied RNA interference (RNAi) technology to the analysis of genes involved in T-cell development, combining a reaggregate fetal thymic organ culture (rFTOC) system with retroviral delivery of short interfering RNA (siRNA) hairpins. The process involves the isolation of murine fetal liver or fetal thymocytes, infection with retroviral particles carrying the construct of interest, followed by reaggregation of the transduced precursors with fetal thymic stroma into lobes. Subsequently, individual lobes are harvested and analyzed for development at various time points. These reaggregate cultures recapitulate most features of T-cell development in vivo, including pre-TCR selection and expansion, positive selection of CD4 and CD8 T cells, and negative selection. In our hands, the combination of retroviral delivery of RNAi and rFTOCs is a quick alternative to conventional knockouts for the analysis of gene function during T-cell development. This chapter describes the methods we have developed to knock down gene expression in T-cell precursors, using retroviral delivery of siRNA hairpins.

GATA-3 expression is controlled by TCR signals and regulates CD4/CD8 differentiation.

GATA-3 is expressed at higher levels in CD4 than in CD8 SP thymocytes. Here we show that upregulation of GATA-3 expression in DP thymocytes is triggered by TCR stimulation, and the extent of upregulation correlates with the strength of the TCR signal. Overexpression of GATA-3 or a partial GATA-3 agonist during positive selection inhibits CD8 SP cell development but is not sufficient to divert class I-restricted T cell precursors to the CD4 lineage. Conversely, expression of the GATA-3 antagonist ROG or of a GATA-3 siRNA hairpin markedly enhances development of CD8 SP cells and reduces CD4 SP development. We propose that GATA-3 contributes to linking the TCR signal strength to the differentiation program of CD4 and CD8 thymocytes.

A Notch so simple influence on T cell development.

T cell precursors undergo a series of developmental choices that progressively narrow their ability to give rise to different cell lineages. Evidence accumulated in the last few years suggests that Notch occupies a central place among the signal transduction pathways that regulate many of these choices, including the T/B, alphabeta/gammadelta and CD4/CD8 lineage decisions. Nevertheless the mechanisms by which Notch exerts its effects are not well understood, and in some cases the physiologic role is unclear. In this review we try to present succinctly the experiments and highlight the areas of controversy.

The Ras/MAPK cascade and the control of positive selection.

Immature double positive (DP) thymocytes bearing a T cell receptor (TCR) that interacts with self-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules receive signals that induce either their differentiation (positive selection) or apoptosis (negative selection). Furthermore, those cells that are positively selected develop into two different lineages, CD4 or CD8, depending on whether their TCRs bind to MHC class II or I, respectively. Positive selection therefore involves rescue from the default fate (death), lineage commitment, and progression to the single positive (SP) stage. These are probably temporally distinct events that may require both unique and overlapping signals. Work in the past several years has started to unravel the signaling networks that control these processes. One of the first pathways identified as important for positive selection was Ras and its downstream effector, the Erk mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. In this review we examine the factors that connect the TCR to the Ras/Erk cascade in DP thymocytes, as well as what we know about the downstream effectors of the Ras/Erk cascade important for positive selection. We also consider the possible role of this cascade in CD4/CD8 lineage development, and the possible interactions of the Ras/Erk cascade with Notch during these cell fate determination processes.

Definition of regulatory network elements for T cell development by perturbation analysis with PU.1 and GATA-3.

PU.1 and GATA-3 are transcription factors that are required for development of T cell progenitors from the earliest stages. Neither one is a simple positive regulator for T lineage specification, however. When expressed at elevated levels at early stages of T cell development, each of these transcription factors blocks T cell development within a different, characteristic time window, with GATA-3 overexpression initially inhibiting at an earlier stage than PU.1. These perturbations are each associated with a distinct spectrum of changes in the regulation of genes needed for T cell development. Both transcription factors can interfere with expression of the Rag-1 and Rag-2 recombinases, while GATA-3 notably blocks PU.1 and IL-7Ralpha expression, and PU.1 reduces expression of HES-1 and c-Myb. A first-draft assembly of the regulatory targets of these two factors is presented as a provisional gene network. The target genes identified here provide insight into the basis of the effects of GATA-3 or PU.1 overexpression and into the regulatory changes that distinguish the developmental time windows for these effects.

Constitutive expression of PU.1 in fetal hematopoietic progenitors blocks T cell development at the pro-T cell stage.

The essential hematopoietic transcription factor PU.1 is expressed in multipotent thymic precursors but downregulated during T lineage commitment. The significance of PU.1 downregulation was tested using retroviral vectors to force hematopoietic precursors to maintain PU.1 expression during differentiation in fetal thymic organ culture. PU.1 reduced thymocyte expansion and blocked development at the pro-T cell stage. PU.1-expressing cells could be rescued by switching to conditions permissive for macrophage development; thus, the inhibition depends on both lineage and developmental stage. An intact DNA binding domain was required for these effects. PU.1 expression can downregulate pre-Talpha, Rag-1, and Rag-2 in a dose-dependent manner, and higher PU.1 levels induce Mac-1 and Id-2. Thus, downregulation of PU.1 is specifically required for progression in the T cell lineage.