ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: COBRA™ (COnditional Bispecific Redirected Activation) T-cell engagers are designed to target solid tumors as a single polypeptide chain prodrug that becomes activated by proteolysis in the tumor microenvironment. One COBRA molecule comprises seven Ig domains: three single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) recognizing a tumor target or human serum albumin (HSA), and CD3ε-binding variable fragment heavy chain (VH) and variable fragment light chain (VL) and their inactivated counterparts, VHi and VLi. Pairing of VH and VL, and VLi and VHi into single-chain variable fragments (Fv) is prevented by shortened inter-domain linkers. Instead, VH and VL are expected to interact with VLi and VHi, respectively, thus making a diabody whose binding to CD3ε on the T-cells is impaired. METHODS: We analyzed the structure of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) COBRA in solution using negative stain electron microscopy (EM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). RESULTS: We found that this EGFR COBRA forms stable monomers with a very dynamic interdomain arrangement. At most, only five domains at a time appeared ordered, and only one VH-VL pair was found in the Fv orientation. Nonenzymatic posttranslational modifications suggest that the CDR3 loops in the VL-VHi pair are exposed but are buried in the VH-VLi pair. The MMP9 cleavage rate of the prodrug when bound to recombinant EGFR or HSA is not affected, indicating positioning of the MMP9-cleavable linker away from the EGFR and HSA binding sites. CONCLUSION: Here, we propose a model for EGFR COBRA where VH and VLi form an Fv, and VL and VHi do not, possibly interacting with other Ig domains. SAXS and MMP9 cleavage analyses suggest that all COBRA molecules tested have a similar structural architecture.
ABSTRACT
Chiron has developed a novel mutant form of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelop protein, o-gp140, that is currently entering Human Phase 1 clinical trials for testing as a prophylactic HIV vaccine. The o-gp140 protein is oligomeric and the quaternary structure is thought to play an important role in its activity as an antigen. As o-gpl40 proceeds through the clinical trial process and prior to marketing approval, analytical methods that are able to demonstrate manufacturing consistency with respect to degree of oligomerization will need to be developed and validated. On-line high-performance size-exclusion chromatography, differential refractometry, and multi-angle laser light scattering analysis (HPSEC-RI-MALLS), a method commonly used to obtain the molar mass of macromolecules based on the Rayleigh-Gans-Debye approximation, was evaluated for this purpose. The results obtained demonstrated intra- and inter-day precisions to be 0.9 and 3.6% R.S.D., respectively. Accuracy was found to be equal to, or better than, 11% when comparing the known molar masses of test proteins to that of the molar masses determined by the method. Additionally, the method compared favorably to orthogonal native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation analyses. R-factor analysis was used to demonstrate that HPSEC-RI-MALLS is capable of discriminating compositional differences between o-gpl40 test lots. Based on the data presented, HPSEC-RI-MALLS may be a suitable manufacturing control method.
