The NHance® Mutation-Equipped Anti-MET Antibody ARGX-111 Displays Increased Tissue Penetration and Anti-Tumor Activity in Advanced Cancer Patients.

Dysregulation of MET signaling has been implicated in tumorigenesis and metastasis. ARGX-111 combines complete blockade of this pathway with enhanced tumor cell killing and was investigated in 24 patients with MET-positive advanced cancers in a phase 1b study at four dose levels (0.3-10 mg/kg). ARGX-111 was well tolerated up to 3 mg/kg (MTD). Anti-tumor activity was observed in nearly half of the patients (46%) with a mean duration of treatment of 12 weeks. NHance® mutations in the Fc of ARGX-111 increased affinity for the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) at acidic pH, stimulating transcytosis across FcRn-expressing cells and radiolabeled ARGX-111 accumulated in lymphoid tissues, bone and liver, organs expressing FcRn at high levels in a biodistribution study using human FcRn transgenic mice. In line with this, we observed, in a patient with MET-amplified (>10 copies) gastric cancer, diminished metabolic activity in multiple metastatic lesions in lymphoid and bone tissues by 18F-FDG-PET/CT after two infusions with 0.3 mg/kg ARGX-111. When escalated to 1 mg/kg, a partial response was reached. Furthermore, decreased numbers of CTC (75%) possibly by the enhanced tumor cell killing witnessed the modes of action of the drug, warranting further clinical investigation of ARGX-111.

VEGFR-1/Flt-1 inhibition increases angiogenesis and improves muscle function in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is characterized by structural degeneration of muscle, which is exacerbated by localized functional ischemia due to loss of nitric oxide synthase-induced vasodilation. Treatment strategies aimed at increasing vascular perfusion have been proposed. Toward this end, we have developed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind to the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) and its soluble splice variant isoform (sFlt-1) leading to increased levels of free VEGF and proangiogenic signaling. The lead chimeric mAb, 21B3, had high affinity and specificity for both human and mouse sFlt-1 and inhibited VEGF binding to sFlt-1 in a competitive manner. Proof-of-concept studies in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy showed that intravenous administration of 21B3 led to elevated VEGF levels, increased vascularization and blood flow to muscles, and decreased fibrosis after 6-12 weeks of treatment. Greater muscle strength was also observed after 4 weeks of treatment. A humanized form of the mAb, 27H6, was engineered and demonstrated a comparable pharmacologic effect. Overall, administration of anti-Flt-1 mAbs in mdx mice inhibited the VEGF:Flt-1 interaction, promoted angiogenesis, and improved muscle function. These studies suggest a potential therapeutic benefit of Flt-1 inhibition for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Dual anti-idiotypic purification of a novel, native-format biparatopic anti-MET antibody with improved in vitro and in vivo efficacy.

Bispecific antibodies are of great interest due to their ability to simultaneously bind and engage different antigens or epitopes. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to assemble, produce and/or purify them. Here we present an innovative dual anti-idiotypic purification process, which provides pure bispecific antibodies with native immunoglobulin format. Using this approach, a biparatopic IgG1 antibody targeting two distinct, HGF-competing, non-overlapping epitopes on the extracellular region of the MET receptor, was purified with camelid single-domain antibody fragments that bind specifically to the correct heavy chain/light chain pairings of each arm. The purity and functionality of the anti-MET biparatopic antibody was then confirmed by mass spectrometry and binding experiments, demonstrating its ability to simultaneously target the two epitopes recognized by the parental monoclonal antibodies. The improved MET-inhibitory activity of the biparatopic antibody compared to the parental monoclonal antibodies, was finally corroborated in cell-based assays and more importantly in a tumor xenograft mouse model. In conclusion, this approach is fast and specific, broadly applicable and results in the isolation of a pure, novel and native-format anti-MET biparatopic antibody that shows superior biological activity over the parental monospecific antibodies both in vitro and in vivo.

Structural Mimicry of Receptor Interaction by Antagonistic Interleukin-6 (IL-6) Antibodies.

Interleukin 6 plays a key role in mediating inflammatory reactions in autoimmune diseases and cancer, where it is also involved in metastasis and tissue invasion. Neutralizing antibodies against IL-6 and its receptor have been approved for therapeutic intervention or are in advanced stages of clinical development. Here we describe the crystal structures of the complexes of IL-6 with two Fabs derived from conventional camelid antibodies that antagonize the interaction between the cytokine and its receptor. The x-ray structures of these complexes provide insights into the mechanism of neutralization by the two antibodies and explain the very high potency of one of the antibodies. It effectively competes for binding to the cytokine with IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) by using side chains of two CDR residues filling the site I cavities of IL-6, thus mimicking the interactions of Phe(229) and Phe(279) of IL-6R. In the first antibody, a HCDR3 tryptophan binds similarly to hot spot residue Phe(279) Mutation of this HCDR3 Trp residue into any other residue except Tyr or Phe significantly weakens binding of the antibody to IL-6, as was also observed for IL-6R mutants of Phe(279) In the second antibody, the side chain of HCDR3 valine ties into site I like IL-6R Phe(279), whereas a LCDR1 tyrosine side chain occupies a second cavity within site I and mimics the interactions of IL-6R Phe(229).

Substrate Recognition and Activity Regulation of the Escherichia coli mRNA Endonuclease MazF.

Escherichia coli MazF (EcMazF) is the archetype of a large family of ribonucleases involved in bacterial stress response. The crystal structure of EcMazF in complex with a 7-nucleotide substrate mimic explains the relaxed substrate specificity of the E. coli enzyme relative to its Bacillus subtilis counterpart and provides a framework for rationalizing specificity in this enzyme family. In contrast to a conserved mode of substrate recognition and a conserved active site, regulation of enzymatic activity by the antitoxin EcMazE diverges from its B. subtilis homolog. Central in this regulation is an EcMazE-induced double conformational change as follows: a rearrangement of a crucial active site loop and a relative rotation of the two monomers in the EcMazF dimer. Both are induced by the C-terminal residues Asp-78-Trp-82 of EcMazE, which are also responsible for strong negative cooperativity in EcMazE-EcMazF binding. This situation shows unexpected parallels to the regulation of the F-plasmid CcdB activity by CcdA and further supports a common ancestor despite the different activities of the MazF and CcdB toxins. In addition, we pinpoint the origin of the lack of activity of the E24A point mutant of EcMazF in its inability to support the substrate binding-competent conformation of EcMazF.

Depleting MET-Expressing Tumor Cells by ADCC Provides a Therapeutic Advantage over Inhibiting HGF/MET Signaling.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor MET represent validated targets for cancer therapy. However, HGF/MET inhibitors being explored as cancer therapeutics exhibit cytostatic activity rather than cytotoxic activity, which would be more desired. In this study, we engineered an antagonistic anti-MET antibody that, in addition to blocking HGF/MET signaling, also kills MET-overexpressing cancer cells by antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). As a control reagent, we engineered the same antibody in an ADCC-inactive form that is similarly capable of blocking HGF/MET activity, but in the absence of any effector function. In comparing these two antibodies in multiple mouse models of cancer, including HGF-dependent and -independent tumor xenografts, we determined that the ADCC-enhanced antibody was more efficacious than the ADCC-inactive antibody. In orthotopic mammary carcinoma models, ADCC enhancement was crucial to deplete circulating tumor cells and to suppress metastases. Prompted by these results, we optimized the ADCC-enhanced molecule for clinical development, generating an antibody (ARGX-111) with improved pharmacologic properties. ARGX-111 competed with HGF for MET binding, inhibiting ligand-dependent MET activity, downregulated cell surface expression of MET, curbing HGF-independent MET activity, and engaged natural killer cells to kill MET-expressing cancer cells, displaying MET-specific cytotoxic activity. ADCC assays confirmed the cytotoxic effects of ARGX-111 in multiple human cancer cell lines and patient-derived primary tumor specimens, including MET-expressing cancer stem-like cells. Together, our results show how ADCC provides a therapeutic advantage over conventional HGF/MET signaling blockade and generates proof-of-concept for ARGX-111 clinical testing in MET-positive oncologic malignancies.

Camelid Ig V genes reveal significant human homology not seen in therapeutic target genes, providing for a powerful therapeutic antibody platform.

Camelid immunoglobulin variable (IGV) regions were found homologous to their human counterparts; however, the germline V repertoires of camelid heavy and light chains are still incomplete and their therapeutic potential is only beginning to be appreciated. We therefore leveraged the publicly available HTG and WGS databases of Lama pacos and Camelus ferus to retrieve the germline repertoire of V genes using human IGV genes as reference. In addition, we amplified IGKV and IGLV genes to uncover the V germline repertoire of Lama glama and sequenced BAC clones covering part of the Lama pacos IGK and IGL loci. Our in silico analysis showed that camelid counterparts of all human IGKV and IGLV families and most IGHV families could be identified, based on canonical structure and sequence homology. Interestingly, this sequence homology seemed largely restricted to the Ig V genes and was far less apparent in other genes: 6 therapeutically relevant target genes differed significantly from their human orthologs. This contributed to efficient immunization of llamas with the human proteins CD70, MET, interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6, resulting in large panels of functional antibodies. The in silico predicted human-homologous canonical folds of camelid-derived antibodies were confirmed by X-ray crystallography solving the structure of 2 selected camelid anti-CD70 and anti-MET antibodies. These antibodies showed identical fold combinations as found in the corresponding human germline V families, yielding binding site structures closely similar to those occurring in human antibodies. In conclusion, our results indicate that active immunization of camelids can be a powerful therapeutic antibody platform.

Four individually druggable MET hotspots mediate HGF-driven tumor progression.

Activation of MET by HGF plays a key role in tumor progression. Using a recently developed llama platform that generates human-like immunoglobulins, we selected 68 different antibodies that compete with HGF for binding to MET. HGF-competing antibodies recognized 4 distinct hotspots localized in different MET domains. We identified 1 hotspot that coincides with the known HGF ß chain binding site on blades 2-3 of the SEMA domain ß-propeller. We determined that a second and a third hotspot lie within blade 5 of the SEMA domain and IPT domains 2-3, both of which are thought to bind to HGF α chain. Characterization of the fourth hotspot revealed a region across the PSI-IPT 1 domains not previously associated with HGF binding. Individual or combined targeting of these hotspots effectively interrupted HGF/MET signaling in multiple cell-based biochemical and biological assays. Selected antibodies directed against SEMA blades 2-3 and the PSI-IPT 1 region inhibited brain invasion and prolonged survival in a glioblastoma multiforme model, prevented metastatic disease following neoadjuvant therapy in a triple-negative mammary carcinoma model, and suppressed cancer cell dissemination to the liver in a KRAS-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer model. These results identify multiple regions of MET responsible for HGF-mediated tumor progression, unraveling the complexity of HGF-MET interaction, and provide selective molecular tools for targeting MET activity in cancer.

Energetic basis of uncoupling folding from binding for an intrinsically disordered protein.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are proteins that lack a unique three-dimensional structure in their native state. Many have, however, been found to fold into a defined structure when interacting with specific binding partners. The energetic implications of such behavior have been widely discussed, yet experimental thermodynamic data is scarce. We present here a thorough thermodynamic and structural study of the binding of an IDP (antitoxin CcdA) to its molecular target (gyrase poison CcdB). We show that the binding-coupled folding of CcdA is driven by a combination of specific intramolecular interactions that favor the final folded structure and a less specific set of intermolecular contacts that provide a desolvation entropy boost. The folded structure of the bound IDP appears to be defined largely by its own amino acid sequence, with the binding partner functioning more as a facilitator than a mold to conform to. On the other hand, specific intermolecular interactions do increase the binding affinity up to the picomolar range. Overall, this study shows how an IDP can achieve very strong and structurally well-defined binding and it provides significant insight into the molecular forces that enable such binding properties.

Alternative interactions define gyrase specificity in the CcdB family.

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules are small operons associated with stress response of bacteria. F-plasmid CcdB(F) was the first TA toxin for which its target, gyrase, was identified. Plasmidic and chromosomal CcdBs belong to distinct families. Conserved residues crucial for gyrase poisoning activity of plasmidic CcdBs are not conserved among these families. Here we show that the chromosomal CcdB(Vfi) from Vibrio fischeri is an active gyrase poison that interacts with its target via an alternative energetic mechanism. Changes in the GyrA14-binding surface of the Vibrio and F-plasmid CcdB family members illustrate neutral drift where alternative interactions can be used to achieve the same functionality. Differences in affinity between V. fischeri and F-plasmid CcdB for gyrase and their corresponding CcdA antitoxin possibly reflect distinct roles for TA modules located on plasmids and chromosomes.

Structural and thermodynamic characterization of Vibrio fischeri CcdB.

CcdB(Vfi) from Vibrio fischeri is a member of the CcdB family of toxins that poison covalent gyrase-DNA complexes. In solution CcdB(Vfi) is a dimer that unfolds to the corresponding monomeric components in a two-state fashion. In the unfolded state, the monomer retains a partial secondary structure. This observation correlates well with the crystal and NMR structures of the protein, which show a dimer with a hydrophobic core crossing the dimer interface. In contrast to its F plasmid homologue, CcdB(Vfi) possesses a rigid dimer interface, and the apparent relative rotations of the two subunits are due to structural plasticity of the monomer. CcdB(Vfi) shows a number of non-conservative substitutions compared with the F plasmid protein in both the CcdA and the gyrase binding sites. Although variation in the CcdA interaction site likely determines toxin-antitoxin specificity, substitutions in the gyrase-interacting region may have more profound functional implications.

Rejuvenation of CcdB-poisoned gyrase by an intrinsically disordered protein domain.

Toxin-antitoxin modules are small regulatory circuits that ensure survival of bacterial populations under challenging environmental conditions. The ccd toxin-antitoxin module on the F plasmid codes for the toxin CcdB and its antitoxin CcdA. CcdB poisons gyrase while CcdA actively dissociates CcdB:gyrase complexes in a process called rejuvenation. The CcdA:CcdB ratio modulates autorepression of the ccd operon. The mechanisms behind both rejuvenation and regulation of expression are poorly understood. We show that CcdA binds consecutively to two partially overlapping sites on CcdB, which differ in affinity by six orders of magnitude. The first, picomolar affinity interaction triggers a conformational change in CcdB that initiates the dissociation of CcdB:gyrase complexes by an allosteric segmental binding mechanism. The second, micromolar affinity binding event regulates expression of the ccd operon. Both functions of CcdA, rejuvenation and autoregulation, are mechanistically intertwined and depend crucially on the intrinsically disordered nature of the CcdA C-terminal domain.

Sequence-specific 1H, 15N and 13C resonance assignments of the 23.7-kDa homodimeric toxin CcdB from Vibrio fischeri.

CcdB is the toxic component of a bacterial toxin-antitoxin system. It inhibits DNA gyrase (a type II topoisomerase), and its toxicity can be neutralized by binding of its antitoxin CcdA. Here we report the sequential backbone and sidechain (1)H, (15)N and (13)C resonance assignments of CcdB(Vfi) from the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri. The BMRB accession number is 16135.

Driving forces of gyrase recognition by the addiction toxin CcdB.

Gyrase, an essential bacterial topoisomerase, is the target of several antibiotics (e.g. quinolones) as well as of bacterial toxin CcdB. This toxin, encoded by Escherichia coli toxin-antitoxin module ccd, poisons gyrase by causing inhibition of both transcription and replication. Because the molecular driving forces of gyrase unfolding and CcdB-gyrase binding were unknown, the nature of the CcdB-gyrase recognition remained elusive. Therefore, we performed a detailed thermodynamic analysis of CcdB binding to several fragments of gyrase A subunit (GyrA) that contain the CcdB-binding site. Binding of CcdB to the shorter fragments was studied directly by isothermal titration calorimetry. Its binding to the longer GyrA59 fragment in solution is kinetically limited and was therefore investigated via urea induced unfolding of the GyrA59-CcdB complex and unbound GyrA59 and CcdB, monitored by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Model analysis of experimental data, in combination with the relevant structural information, indicates that CcdB binding to gyrase is an enthalpic process driven mainly by specific interactions between CcdB and the highly stable dimerization domain of the GyrA. The dissection of binding energetics indicates that CcdB-gyrase recognition is accompanied by opening of the tower and catalytic domain of GyrA. Such extensive structural rearrangements appear to be crucial driving forces for the functioning of the ccd toxin-antitoxin module.

Purification and crystallization of Vibrio fischeri CcdB and its complexes with fragments of gyrase and CcdA.

The ccd toxin-antitoxin module from the Escherichia coli F plasmid has a homologue on the Vibrio fischeri integron. The homologue of the toxin (CcdB(Vfi)) was crystallized in two different crystal forms. The first form belongs to space group I23 or I2(1)3, with unit-cell parameter a = 84.5 A, and diffracts to 1.5 A resolution. The second crystal form belongs to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 58.5, b = 43.6, c = 37.5 A, beta = 110.0 degrees, and diffracts to 1.7 A resolution. The complex of CcdB(Vfi) with the GyrA14(Vfi) fragment of V. fischeri gyrase crystallizes in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 53.5, b = 94.6, c = 58.1 A, and diffracts to 2.2 A resolution. The corresponding mixed complex with E. coli GyrA14(Ec) crystallizes in space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 130.1, b = 90.8, c = 58.1 A, beta = 102.6 degrees, and diffracts to 1.95 A. Finally, a complex between CcdB(Vfi) and part of the F-plasmid antitoxin CcdA(F) crystallizes in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 46.9, b = 62.6, c = 82.0 A, and diffracts to 1.9 A resolution.

Crystallization of the C-terminal domain of the addiction antidote CcdA in complex with its toxin CcdB.

CcdA and CcdB are the antidote and toxin of the ccd addiction module of Escherichia coli plasmid F. The CcdA C-terminal domain (CcdAC36; 36 amino acids) was crystallized in complex with CcdB (dimer of 2 x 101 amino acids) in three different crystal forms, two of which diffract to high resolution. Form II belongs to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 37.6, b = 60.5, c = 83.8 A and diffracts to 1.8 A resolution. Form III belongs to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 41.0, b = 37.9, c = 69.6 A, beta = 96.9 degrees, and diffracts to 1.9 A resolution.