International journal of cancer. Supplement = Journal international du cancer. Supplement最新文献

A bispecific monoclonal antibody (bs-MAb) (OC/TR) was produced in large quantities for the intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment of ovarian cancer. The bs-MAb recognizes the folate-binding protein on ovarian cancer cells on the one hand and the CD3 activation site on T lymphocytes on the other. T lymphocytes were expanded ex vivo, targeted with OC/TR in vitro and administered to the i.p. cavity in the presence of soluble OC/TR. All patients developed human anti-mouse-antibodies (HAMA). In the Dutch study, 2 complete remissions (CR) were seen, 2 partial regressions (PR), I stable disease (SD) and I progressive disease (PD). In the Italian study 3 CR, I PR, I SD and 2 PD were seen.

It is well established that soluble CD4 (sCD4) inhibits HIV infection in vitro, regardless of the virus strain or genetic variant. Most effective molecules, thus far, based on sCD4 are those in which CD4 is combined with immunoglobulin constant regions (CD4-IgG or CD4-IgM). Such molecules maintained HIV-gp120 specificity mediated by CD4 and also antibody effector functions such as complement activation, Fc receptor binding, long serum half-life or transport across the placental barrier. We have now developed sCD4 molecules which are even more potent anti-HIV reagents. These molecules are based on the principle of bispecific antibodies and they have properties capable of retargeting cytotoxic T lymphocytes onto HIV-infected cells and inducing efficient killing. CD4 combined with anti-human CD3 (FvCD3) single-chain combining site has been produced (CD4-FvCD3-JANUSIN). This molecule shows the expected biological activities, namely, binding to the 2 ligands, human CD3 and gp120, also efficiently retargeting CTLs of any specificity onto HIV-infected cells. In addition, several advantages over classical bispecific antibodies can be achieved: only one polypeptide, not a mixture containing the desired product, is produced, thus simplifying the purification process. In addition, Janusin designs do not contain the Ig Fc portion, which could mediate illegitimate retargeting of T-cells. In addition to CD4-FvCD3-JANUSIN, receptor-Fv, Fv-Fv or ligand-Fv Janusins can be produced.

Numerous in vitro studies have shown that T lymphocytes can be targeted towards any target cell by using bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) with specificity of the CD3/TCR complex and a target cell antigen. We have produced bsAbs directed against the membrane expressed idiotype of the murine B cell lymphomas BCLI and 38C13, and murine CD3 complex. The dual specificity of the hybrid-hybridoma produced monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) could be demonstrated by flow cytometry, the induction of T cell proliferation, the induction of IL2 secretion by polyclonal T cells, and redirected lysis of the relevant target cells. Immunotherapy of tumor bearing animals demonstrated that bsAbs could efficiently target T cells towards the tumor cells, that tumor cell--T cell bridging is established in vivo, and that both T cell subsets contribute to tumor regression resulting in long-term survival and cure of the lymphomas.

One of the major problems in clinical immunity is that neoplastic and virally infected cells are insufficiently immunogenic to trigger an immune response. During the past several years, our laboratory has explored the use of T-cell-specific reagents including monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and staphylococcal enterotoxins to amplify immune responses. This report summarizes our efforts to augment immunity with these agents.

Subtractive cloning and screening yielded a cDNA clone corresponding to a molecule expressed in activated T cells, called CTLA-4. At the protein level, CTLA-4, a single-V-domain member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, was found very homologous to the lymphocyte activation molecule CD28. In particular, the hinge region included the hexamer MYPPPY, completely conserved for both molecules and in mice and humans. By immunizing mice with a human CTLA-4 peptide, an anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody (MAb) was obtained, which enabled to establish the MW of the protein (26 and 40 kDa under reduced and non-reduced conditions respectively) and its preliminary tissue distribution. Also, CTLA-4 and CD28 were very similar at the message and at the gene structure level. The corresponding genes had previously been found to co-map on mouse chromosome IC and on human chromosome 2q33. We show that they can be found on the same yeast artificial chromosomes bearing human genomic DNA, and that they are 25 to 150 kb apart. These marked homologies and gene proximity strongly suggest that CTLA-4 and CD28 are the direct products of a duplication event, and raise the question of the function of CTLA-4.

Chemically conjugated bispecific (anti-cell surface antigen, anti-hapten) Fab'-Fab antibodies (Bs-MAbs) have been used to target 125I-, 111In- and 99mTc-labeled haptens to cell sub-sets. In vitro, bivalent haptens were found to bind more strongly than their monovalent analogs to the Bs-MAbs bound to ("ordered" on) the cell surface, or than to free ("disordered") Bs-MAbs: they are selective for cell-bound Bs-MAbs. In tumor-grafted nude mice models, the sequential injections of microgram amounts of Bs-MAb, and 1 day later, of microC amounts of bivalent haptens permits to sharply delineate small tumors (using a gamma camera), hours after injection. Further, the isotope biodistribution was found to be at least 3 times more selective for the tumor than that obtained with directly labeled anti-CEA F(ab)'2 or with monovalent haptens. This better in vivo selectivity of the 2-step targeting of bivalent haptens was also demonstrated in a pharmacokinetic study using therapeutic amounts of reagents. In primary-colon-carcinoma patients, a similar comparative immunoscintigraphy study confirmed the better selectivity of bivalent hapten targeting over direct targeting, on the basis of image quality and ex vivo tissue counting. In patients with medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, bivalent hapten targeting allowed us to confirm tumor extension and to find occult lesions. Interestingly, radio-immunoguided surgery was necessary to resect these small lesions. These experimental results, together with technological and theoretical considerations, suggest that Bs-MAb-mediated targeting of isotopes (or other agents) is one of the major ways to increase the clinical performance of MAb-based targeting diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

It has been well established that bispecific antibodies containing anti-T-cell receptor MAbs crosslinked to anti-tumor MAbs induce T cells to lyse tumor cells, as measured in a 51Cr-release assay. Such lysis requires direct attachment between target and cytotoxic cells and most probably involves the exocytosis of cytolytic substances into the cell:cell interface. In addition, targeted T cells mediate a second activity, the secretion into the medium of factors that can block the growth of bound tumor cells and unbound bystander cells. In order to test how targeted effector cells mediate anti-tumor effects in vivo, we are currently developing a totally syngeneic murine system in which murine T cells are targeted against mouse mammary tumors. The system allows us to treat both primary tumors and tumor transplants, using a mammary-tumor-virus antigen as the entity that is specifically recognized on the tumor cells.

We have generated cytotoxic T-cell hybridomas expressing chimeric T-cell receptors (cTCR) with an antibody-type specificity for the TNP hapten. Transfectants expressing the cTCR genes could mediate specific lysis of haptenated tumor cell lines of various types and secrete IL-2 upon stimulation with TNP modified cells. In a previous report, we showed that double-gene transfectants expressing either VHC alpha and VLC beta or VHC beta and VLC alpha could be activated by TNP-modified stimulator cells or TNP proteins immobilized on plastic. Single-chain transfectants (expressing VHC alpha or VHC beta alone) could be mainly activated by TNP-cells. We now report that transfection of chimeric VHC alpha gene into an alpha-chain-defective mutant restores the surface expression of the TCR/CD3 complex. In parallel, such transfectants regained the ability to respond to mitogen and anti-CD3 antibodies and responded weakly to TNP cells. Double gene transfectants, bearing 2 complementary chimeric chains, expressed high amounts of cTCR on their surface, sufficient to acquire sound anti-TNP reactivity. Cells expressing the VHC beta gene only were not functional and had no detectable surface TCR chains. Taken together, our results suggest that chimeric VHC alpha chains can pair with endogenous V beta C beta chains, but that there is preferential association between complementary chimeric chains, resulting in higher functional expression of the chimeric TCR.

Natural-killer (NK) cells are large granular lymphocytes involved in host defense against tumor cells and virally-infected cells. In addition to natural cytotoxicity, NK cells can effect antibody-dependent cytotoxicity mediated by CD16 (Fc gamma RIIIA alpha). It has recently been shown that CD16 is associated with disulfide-linked dimers composed of 2 homologous sub-units, zeta and gamma. These transducing molecules are also associated with other multimeric cell-surface receptors such as the T-cell antigen receptor (CD3:TCR) complex (zeta and gamma) and the high-affinity Fc receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon RI) expressed on basophils and mast cells (gamma). These results show that distinct cell-surface receptors utilize common transducing sub-units, and emphasize the homology between the CD16, Fc epsilon RI and CD3:TCR complexes. However within the lymphoid cells, the gamma-gamma homodimer is preferentially expressed in NK cells and cytotoxic T cells, suggesting that specific combinations of these transducing dimers might sub-serve distinct signal-transducing functions, and contribute to lymphocyte heterogeneity.