Bispecific antibody simultaneously targeting PD1 and HER2 inhibits tumor growth via direct tumor cell killing in combination with PD1/PDL1 blockade and HER2 inhibition.

Immune checkpoint blockade has shown significant clinical benefit in multiple cancer indications, but many patients are either refractory or become resistant to the treatment over time. HER2/neu oncogene overexpressed in invasive breast cancer patients associates with more aggressive diseases and poor prognosis. Anti-HER2 mAbs, such as trastuzumab, are currently the standard of care for HER2-overexpressing cancers, but the response rates are below 30% and patients generally suffer relapse within a year. In this study we developed a bispecific antibody (BsAb) simultaneously targeting both PD1 and HER2 in an attempt to combine HER2-targeted therapy with immune checkpoint blockade for treating HER2-positive solid tumors. The BsAb was constructed by fusing scFvs (anti-PD1) with the effector-functional Fc of an IgG (trastuzumab) via a flexible peptide linker. We showed that the BsAb bound to human HER2 and PD1 with high affinities (EC50 values were 0.2 and 0.14 nM, respectively), and exhibited potent antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the BsAb exhibited both HER2 and PD1 blockade activities and was effective in killing HER2-positive tumor cells via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. In addition, the BsAb could crosslink HER2-positive tumor cells with T cells to form PD1 immunological synapses that directed tumor cell killing without the need of antigen presentation. Thus, the BsAb is a new promising approach for treating late-stage metastatic HER2-positive cancers.

Tumor-targeting anti-EGFR x anti-PD1 bispecific antibody inhibits EGFR-overexpressing tumor growth by combining EGFR blockade and immune activation with direct tumor cell killing.

We developed a strategy to combine conventional targeted therapy with immune checkpoint blockade using a tumor-targeting bispecific antibody (BsAb) to treat solid tumors. The BsAb was designed to simultaneously engage a tumor-associated antigen, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and programed cell death protein 1 (PD1). In addition to its direct anti-tumor activity via EGFR inhibition, the BsAb mediated efficient antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and activated T cell antitumor im munity through blockade of PD1 from interacting with its counterpart, programed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1). Further, the BsAb exhibited a potent direct tumor cell killing activity in the presence of PBMC, most likely, via activating and, at the same time, physically engaging T cells with tumor cells. Taken together, we here illustrate a new strategy in the design and production of novel BsAbs with enhanced therapeutic efficacy through both direct tumor growth inhibition and T cell activation via tumor-targeted immune checkpoint blockade.

[Identification of a fibrinolytic enzyme producing Bacillus pseudomycoides and purification and characterization of the enzyme].

OBJECTIVE: To purify a single fibrinolytic enzyme from Bacillus pseudomycoides B-60 and to determine its N-terminal sequence and to characterize the fibrinolytic enzyme. METHODS: We examined the fibrinolytic enzyme activity by fibrin plate and purified fibrinolytic enzyme by ammonium sulfate fractional precipitation and DEAE anion exchange chromatography. RESULTS: Obtained a single protein fraction with fibrinolytic activity (BpFE) from B. pseudomycoides B-60. It appeared as a single band in the SDS-PAGE with a relative molecular weight of 34 kDa. The fibrinolytic activity of the protein was stable at 4-50 degrees C and at pH 5-10. The activity sharply decreased above 50 degrees C, and the total loss of activity at pH 3.0. The enzymatic activity was slightly enhanced by the ions of Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, whereas strongly inhibited by Cu2+ ion. Phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) could completely inhibit its activity. In addition, the activity improved when the protein was enzymatically hydrolyzed using trypsin and pepsin. The first 15 amino acids of the N-terminal sequence of the enzyme were determined to be VTGTNAVGTGKGVLG. The partial amino acids sequence alignment study of the enzyme from B-60 strain with bacillolysin, neutral protease and hydrolase which were from B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, B. anthracis and Lactobacillus sp. was carried out, and there is a 100% homogeneity between them. CONCLUSION: We obtained a single fibrinolytic enzyme. Through its N-terminal sequence alignment study, a plasmin with high homogeneity to this protein was not found yet. This provided a basis for further study of new thrombolytic drugs.