Immunotherapy has emerged as a transformative approach in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, addressing historically poor survival rates in advanced-stage disease. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis demonstrate remarkable efficacy in colorectal cancer with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or high microsatellite instability (MSI-H), exemplified by trials like NICHE-2 achieving exceptional pathological response rates. However, significant limitations persist, including resistance in some dMMR/MSI-H tumors, minimal efficacy in proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) tumors, and low overall response rates across most GI malignancies due to tumor heterogeneity and immune evasion mechanisms. Predictive biomarkers such as tumor mutational burden (TMB) and PD-L1 expression are crucial for optimizing patient selection, while hypermutated pMMR tumors with POLE mutations represent emerging therapeutic opportunities. In pancreatic adenocarcinoma, where survival remains dismal, combination strategies with chemotherapy and novel approaches like cancer vaccines show promise but lack transformative breakthroughs. Esophagogastric cancers benefit from ICIs combined with chemotherapy, particularly in MSI-H and HER2-positive tumors, while hepatocellular carcinoma has achieved significant progress with combinations like atezolizumab-bevacizumab and durvalumab-tremelimumab surpassing traditional therapies. Biliary tract cancers show modest improvements with durvalumab-chemotherapy combinations. Despite these advances, immunotherapy faces substantial challenges including immune-related adverse events, acquired resistance through cancer immunoediting, and the need for biomarker-driven approaches to overcome tumor microenvironment barriers. This review discusses key clinical trials, therapeutic progress, and emerging modalities including CAR T-cell therapies and combination strategies, emphasizing the critical need to address resistance mechanisms and refine precision medicine approaches to fully realize immunotherapy's potential in GI malignancies.
{"title":"Immunotherapy in GI Cancers: Lessons from Key Trials and Future Clinical Applications.","authors":"Supriya Peshin, Faizan Bashir, Naga Anvesh Kodali, Adit Dharia, Sajida Zaiter, Sakshi Singal, Nagaishwarya Moka","doi":"10.3390/antib14030058","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14030058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Immunotherapy has emerged as a transformative approach in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, addressing historically poor survival rates in advanced-stage disease. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis demonstrate remarkable efficacy in colorectal cancer with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or high microsatellite instability (MSI-H), exemplified by trials like NICHE-2 achieving exceptional pathological response rates. However, significant limitations persist, including resistance in some dMMR/MSI-H tumors, minimal efficacy in proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) tumors, and low overall response rates across most GI malignancies due to tumor heterogeneity and immune evasion mechanisms. Predictive biomarkers such as tumor mutational burden (TMB) and PD-L1 expression are crucial for optimizing patient selection, while hypermutated pMMR tumors with POLE mutations represent emerging therapeutic opportunities. In pancreatic adenocarcinoma, where survival remains dismal, combination strategies with chemotherapy and novel approaches like cancer vaccines show promise but lack transformative breakthroughs. Esophagogastric cancers benefit from ICIs combined with chemotherapy, particularly in MSI-H and HER2-positive tumors, while hepatocellular carcinoma has achieved significant progress with combinations like atezolizumab-bevacizumab and durvalumab-tremelimumab surpassing traditional therapies. Biliary tract cancers show modest improvements with durvalumab-chemotherapy combinations. Despite these advances, immunotherapy faces substantial challenges including immune-related adverse events, acquired resistance through cancer immunoediting, and the need for biomarker-driven approaches to overcome tumor microenvironment barriers. This review discusses key clinical trials, therapeutic progress, and emerging modalities including CAR T-cell therapies and combination strategies, emphasizing the critical need to address resistance mechanisms and refine precision medicine approaches to fully realize immunotherapy's potential in GI malignancies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12285940/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major pathogen that poses significant risks to immunocompromised individuals and neonates. The tegument protein pp71, encoded by the UL82 gene, plays a pivotal role in initiating viral lytic replication and evading host immune responses. Despite its clinical relevance, standardized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for pp71 remain limited, prompting the need to expand the available repertoire of antibodies targeting this critical protein.
Methods: In this study, we constructed a diverse human single-chain variable fragment (scFv) library using RNA derived from the B cells of four healthy donors. The library was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and iterative rounds of magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) were performed against recombinant pp71. Clonal enrichment was monitored using flow cytometry.
Results: Among the isolated clones, one designated ID2 exhibited high sensitivity and specificity for pp71, as demonstrated by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and biolayer interferometry (BLI).
Conclusions: Collectively, these findings establish a novel pp71-specific mAb and underscore the utility of yeast surface display combined with MACS for expanding the antibody toolkit available for CMV research and diagnostics.
{"title":"Isolation of a Monoclonal Human scFv Against Cytomegalovirus pp71 Antigen Using Yeast Display.","authors":"Kazuhisa Aoki, Rikio Yabe, Sayaka Ono, Mayumi Saeki, Yuri Tanno, Hidetaka Tanno","doi":"10.3390/antib14030057","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14030057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major pathogen that poses significant risks to immunocompromised individuals and neonates. The tegument protein pp71, encoded by the UL82 gene, plays a pivotal role in initiating viral lytic replication and evading host immune responses. Despite its clinical relevance, standardized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for pp71 remain limited, prompting the need to expand the available repertoire of antibodies targeting this critical protein.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, we constructed a diverse human single-chain variable fragment (scFv) library using RNA derived from the B cells of four healthy donors. The library was expressed in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, and iterative rounds of magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) were performed against recombinant pp71. Clonal enrichment was monitored using flow cytometry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the isolated clones, one designated ID2 exhibited high sensitivity and specificity for pp71, as demonstrated by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and biolayer interferometry (BLI).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Collectively, these findings establish a novel pp71-specific mAb and underscore the utility of yeast surface display combined with MACS for expanding the antibody toolkit available for CMV research and diagnostics.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12286267/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abeline Kapuczinski, Dorian Parisis, Nour Kassab, Julie Smet, Muhammad Soyfoo
Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) comprise a heterogeneous group of autoimmune conditions characterized by diverse clinical manifestations and autoantibody profiles, posing significant diagnostic challenges. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the diagnostic performance of automated connective tissue disease screening assays, commonly known as CTD screens, in diagnosing systemic rheumatic diseases. Eleven studies, including cohort and case-control designs, involving a total of 2384 CTD-positive patients, 8972 controls without CTD, and 679 healthy blood donors, were analyzed. The results demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 79.36% and specificity of 90.79% for Elia® CTD-screen, and a sensitivity of 87.23% and specificity of 83.56% for QuantaFlash® CTD-screen. These tests exhibited varied sensitivity across individual CTDs, with excellent specificity for distinguishing CTD patients from healthy controls. Despite their utility, CTD screens should not be solely relied upon for diagnosis due to limitations in positive predictive value, particularly in low-prevalence populations. Clinical context and expert rheumatological evaluation remain indispensable. Optimizing the use of CTD screens can enhance diagnostic efficiency, reduce unnecessary testing, and mitigate patient anxiety and healthcare costs. Further research focusing on integrating these assays with clinical evaluation is recommended.
{"title":"Diagnosis of Systemic Rheumatic Disease Using the Connective Tissue Disease Screen.","authors":"Abeline Kapuczinski, Dorian Parisis, Nour Kassab, Julie Smet, Muhammad Soyfoo","doi":"10.3390/antib14030056","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14030056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) comprise a heterogeneous group of autoimmune conditions characterized by diverse clinical manifestations and autoantibody profiles, posing significant diagnostic challenges. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the diagnostic performance of automated connective tissue disease screening assays, commonly known as CTD screens, in diagnosing systemic rheumatic diseases. Eleven studies, including cohort and case-control designs, involving a total of 2384 CTD-positive patients, 8972 controls without CTD, and 679 healthy blood donors, were analyzed. The results demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 79.36% and specificity of 90.79% for Elia<sup>®</sup> CTD-screen, and a sensitivity of 87.23% and specificity of 83.56% for QuantaFlash<sup>®</sup> CTD-screen. These tests exhibited varied sensitivity across individual CTDs, with excellent specificity for distinguishing CTD patients from healthy controls. Despite their utility, CTD screens should not be solely relied upon for diagnosis due to limitations in positive predictive value, particularly in low-prevalence populations. Clinical context and expert rheumatological evaluation remain indispensable. Optimizing the use of CTD screens can enhance diagnostic efficiency, reduce unnecessary testing, and mitigate patient anxiety and healthcare costs. Further research focusing on integrating these assays with clinical evaluation is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12286154/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a complex autoimmune disorder characterized by orbital inflammation and tissue remodeling. Teprotumumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), represents a significant breakthrough in TED treatment. This review comprehensively analyzes the therapeutic role of teprotumumab in TED management. Mechanistically, teprotumumab inhibits the IGF-1R/TSHR signaling complex, thereby reducing orbital fibroblast differentiation and inflammatory responses. Phase II and III clinical trials have demonstrated its remarkable efficacy in reducing proptosis and improving clinical activity scores, with the benefits extending to both active and chronic TED cases. Real-world studies have validated these findings further and expanded its potential applications to various clinical scenarios, including dysthyroid optic neuropathy and steroid-resistant cases. However, several challenges remain. These include treatment-related adverse effects such as hyperglycemia and hearing impairment, with emerging evidence suggesting ethnic variations in susceptibility. The high cost of treatment poses significant accessibility barriers, while limited long-term follow-up data and potential disease recurrence necessitate further investigation. This review synthesizes the current evidence to inform clinical decision-making and highlights areas requiring additional research to optimize teprotumumab's therapeutic application in TED management.
{"title":"Teprotumumab for Thyroid Eye Disease: Mechanism, Clinical Efficacy, and Current Challenges.","authors":"Yuan Zong, Shuang Qiu, Mingming Yang, Jing Zhang, Yaru Zou, Yuxin Jing, Kyoko Ohno-Matsui, Koju Kamoi","doi":"10.3390/antib14030055","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14030055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a complex autoimmune disorder characterized by orbital inflammation and tissue remodeling. Teprotumumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), represents a significant breakthrough in TED treatment. This review comprehensively analyzes the therapeutic role of teprotumumab in TED management. Mechanistically, teprotumumab inhibits the IGF-1R/TSHR signaling complex, thereby reducing orbital fibroblast differentiation and inflammatory responses. Phase II and III clinical trials have demonstrated its remarkable efficacy in reducing proptosis and improving clinical activity scores, with the benefits extending to both active and chronic TED cases. Real-world studies have validated these findings further and expanded its potential applications to various clinical scenarios, including dysthyroid optic neuropathy and steroid-resistant cases. However, several challenges remain. These include treatment-related adverse effects such as hyperglycemia and hearing impairment, with emerging evidence suggesting ethnic variations in susceptibility. The high cost of treatment poses significant accessibility barriers, while limited long-term follow-up data and potential disease recurrence necessitate further investigation. This review synthesizes the current evidence to inform clinical decision-making and highlights areas requiring additional research to optimize teprotumumab's therapeutic application in TED management.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12286191/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the long-term survival of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) in a real-world setting, and to identify key prognostic factors influencing mortality within this cohort.
Methods: This retrospective, observational cohort study analyzed 165 patients with confirmed RA who were on b/tsDMARD treatment for at least six months as of June 2017. Patient data, including demographics, disease duration, prior therapeutic regimens, and global functional status were extracted from medical records to collect data covering a seven-year follow-up period, extending from June 2017 to December 2024. Corticosteroid use was defined as continuous systemic intake during the RA activity analysis period. Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models to identify independent predictors of mortality.
Results: Over a mean follow-up of 9.4 years, the mortality rate was 13.5 deaths per 1000 treatment-years, with an overall survival rate of 87.3%. Advanced functional disability and prolonged corticosteroid use were independently associated with higher mortality risk. In subgroup analyses, chronic kidney disease significantly increased mortality among patients on TNF inhibitors. In contrast, patients who remained on their initial anti-IL6 therapy had lower mortality, though this may reflect survivor bias.
Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of long-term b/tsDMARD intervention in RA patients, with observed low mortality and high survival rates. Subgroup findings suggest the importance of comorbidity management in TNFi users and therapeutic stability in anti-IL6 users.
{"title":"Survival Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Receiving Biologic or Targeted Synthetic Therapy: Real-World Data.","authors":"Zhaklin Apostolova, Tanya Shivacheva, Tsvetoslav Georgiev","doi":"10.3390/antib14030054","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14030054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The present study aimed to evaluate the long-term survival of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) in a real-world setting, and to identify key prognostic factors influencing mortality within this cohort.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective, observational cohort study analyzed 165 patients with confirmed RA who were on b/tsDMARD treatment for at least six months as of June 2017. Patient data, including demographics, disease duration, prior therapeutic regimens, and global functional status were extracted from medical records to collect data covering a seven-year follow-up period, extending from June 2017 to December 2024. Corticosteroid use was defined as continuous systemic intake during the RA activity analysis period. Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models to identify independent predictors of mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over a mean follow-up of 9.4 years, the mortality rate was 13.5 deaths per 1000 treatment-years, with an overall survival rate of 87.3%. Advanced functional disability and prolonged corticosteroid use were independently associated with higher mortality risk. In subgroup analyses, chronic kidney disease significantly increased mortality among patients on TNF inhibitors. In contrast, patients who remained on their initial anti-IL6 therapy had lower mortality, though this may reflect survivor bias.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study highlights the importance of long-term b/tsDMARD intervention in RA patients, with observed low mortality and high survival rates. Subgroup findings suggest the importance of comorbidity management in TNFi users and therapeutic stability in anti-IL6 users.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12286266/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Since the advent of recombinant DNA technologies and leading up to the clinical approval of T cell engager blinatumomab, the modular design of therapeutic antibodies has enabled the fusion of antibody fragments with proteins of various functionalities. This has resulted in an expansive array of possible mechanisms of action and has given birth to fragment-based antibodies (fbAbs) with immune cell engager modalities. In searchable databases, the preclinical development of these antibodies has shown promise; however, clinical outcomes and restructuring efforts involving these agents have produced mixed results and uncertainties. Amid budgetary cuts in both academia and industry, critical planning and evaluation of drug R&D would be more essential than ever before. While many reviews have provided outstanding summaries of preclinical phase fbAbs and cataloged relevant clinical trials, to date, very few of the articles in searchable databases have comprehensively reviewed the details of clinical outcomes along with the underlying reasons or potential explanations for the success and failures of these fbAb drug products. To fill the gap, in this review, we seek to provide the readers with clinically driven insights, accompanied by translational and mechanistic studies, on the current landscape of fragment-based immune cell engager antibodies in treating cancer, infectious, and autoimmune diseases.
{"title":"Fragment-Based Immune Cell Engager Antibodies in Treatment of Cancer, Infectious and Autoimmune Diseases: Lessons and Insights from Clinical and Translational Studies.","authors":"Ge Yang, Mohammad Massumi","doi":"10.3390/antib14030052","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14030052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since the advent of recombinant DNA technologies and leading up to the clinical approval of T cell engager blinatumomab, the modular design of therapeutic antibodies has enabled the fusion of antibody fragments with proteins of various functionalities. This has resulted in an expansive array of possible mechanisms of action and has given birth to fragment-based antibodies (fbAbs) with immune cell engager modalities. In searchable databases, the preclinical development of these antibodies has shown promise; however, clinical outcomes and restructuring efforts involving these agents have produced mixed results and uncertainties. Amid budgetary cuts in both academia and industry, critical planning and evaluation of drug R&D would be more essential than ever before. While many reviews have provided outstanding summaries of preclinical phase fbAbs and cataloged relevant clinical trials, to date, very few of the articles in searchable databases have comprehensively reviewed the details of clinical outcomes along with the underlying reasons or potential explanations for the success and failures of these fbAb drug products. To fill the gap, in this review, we seek to provide the readers with clinically driven insights, accompanied by translational and mechanistic studies, on the current landscape of fragment-based immune cell engager antibodies in treating cancer, infectious, and autoimmune diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12286136/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexander Veber, Dennis Lenau, Polyniki Gkragkopoulou, David Kornblüh Bauer, Ingo Focken, Wulf Dirk Leuschner, Christian Beil, Sandra Weil, Ercole Rao, Thomas Langer
Recombinantly produced monoclonal antibodies (mabs) belong to the fastest growing class of biotherapeutics. In humans, antibodies are classified into five different classes: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM. Most of the therapeutic mabs used in the clinic belong to the IgG class, albeit other antibody classes, e.g., IgM, have been evaluated in clinical stages. Antibodies are composed of heavy chains paired with a light chain. In IgM and IgA, an additional chain, the J-chain, is present. Two types of light chains exist in humans: the κ-light chain and the λ-light chain. The κ-light chain predominates in humans and is used in the vast majority of therapeutic IgG. The reason for the preference of the κ-light chain in humans is not known. Our study investigates whether light-chain selection influences the productivity of the clinically validated mabs adalimumab and trastuzumab. Both mabs were expressed as IgG and IgM with a κ- or a λ-light chain in HEK293 cells. Besides comparing the expression levels of the different mabs, we also evaluated whether the passage number of the cell line has an impact on product yield. In addition, the expressions of adalimumab, trastuzumab, an anti-CD38 and an anti-PD-L1-antibody were analyzed in HEK293 and CHO cells when both the κ- and λ-light chains are present. In summary, IgG outperformed IgM variants in expression efficacy, while light-chain selection had minimal impact on the overall expression levels. The yields of all mab variants were higher in fresh cells, despite cell cultures with a high cell passage number having higher cell densities and cell numbers at the time of harvest. The incorporation of a particular light chain occurred at similar rates in HEK293 and CHO cells.
{"title":"Impact of Light-Chain Variants on the Expression of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies in HEK293 and CHO Cells.","authors":"Alexander Veber, Dennis Lenau, Polyniki Gkragkopoulou, David Kornblüh Bauer, Ingo Focken, Wulf Dirk Leuschner, Christian Beil, Sandra Weil, Ercole Rao, Thomas Langer","doi":"10.3390/antib14030053","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14030053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recombinantly produced monoclonal antibodies (mabs) belong to the fastest growing class of biotherapeutics. In humans, antibodies are classified into five different classes: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM. Most of the therapeutic mabs used in the clinic belong to the IgG class, albeit other antibody classes, e.g., IgM, have been evaluated in clinical stages. Antibodies are composed of heavy chains paired with a light chain. In IgM and IgA, an additional chain, the J-chain, is present. Two types of light chains exist in humans: the κ-light chain and the λ-light chain. The κ-light chain predominates in humans and is used in the vast majority of therapeutic IgG. The reason for the preference of the κ-light chain in humans is not known. Our study investigates whether light-chain selection influences the productivity of the clinically validated mabs adalimumab and trastuzumab. Both mabs were expressed as IgG and IgM with a κ- or a λ-light chain in HEK293 cells. Besides comparing the expression levels of the different mabs, we also evaluated whether the passage number of the cell line has an impact on product yield. In addition, the expressions of adalimumab, trastuzumab, an anti-CD38 and an anti-PD-L1-antibody were analyzed in HEK293 and CHO cells when both the κ- and λ-light chains are present. In summary, IgG outperformed IgM variants in expression efficacy, while light-chain selection had minimal impact on the overall expression levels. The yields of all mab variants were higher in fresh cells, despite cell cultures with a high cell passage number having higher cell densities and cell numbers at the time of harvest. The incorporation of a particular light chain occurred at similar rates in HEK293 and CHO cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12286288/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Domenico De Falco, Francesca Iaquinta, Doriana Pedone, Alberta Lucchese, Dario Di Stasio, Massimo Petruzzi
Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic autoimmune disease with potential overlap with Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV), particularly in erosive forms. Desmoglein 1 and 3 are transmembrane glycoproteins of desmosomes, typically involved in PV. This scoping review aims to evaluate the presence and potential pathogenetic role of anti-desmoglein 1 (Dsg1) and anti-desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) antibodies in OLP. A literature search was conducted on MEDLINE/PubMed, Ovid, and Scopus up to April 2025. Human studies reporting OLP patients with anti-Dsg1 and/or anti-Dsg3 antibodies were included. Data from 11 studies were analyzed by diagnosis, age/sex, oral site involvement, immunofluorescence, and ELISA testing. Erosive OLP was most frequently associated with anti-Dsg1/Dsg3 positivity, mainly in women aged 40-60. Immunofluorescence was positive in some cases, while the ELISA test almost consistently detected anti-Dsg1 and Dsg3 antibodies. However, in many instances, antibody titers did not reach the threshold value, despite the presence being detectable. This finding suggests that anti-Dsg1/Dsg3 antibodies may represent epiphenomena of chronic inflammation in erosive OLP, indicating an immune-serological overlap with PV but lacking direct pathogenicity. Furthermore, the role of Dsg3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma, by promoting enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix and enhance tumor invasiveness, highlights the complex functions of desmogleins beyond autoimmunity.
{"title":"Circulating Antibodies Against DSG1 and DSG3 in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Domenico De Falco, Francesca Iaquinta, Doriana Pedone, Alberta Lucchese, Dario Di Stasio, Massimo Petruzzi","doi":"10.3390/antib14020051","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14020051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic autoimmune disease with potential overlap with Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV), particularly in erosive forms. Desmoglein 1 and 3 are transmembrane glycoproteins of desmosomes, typically involved in PV. This scoping review aims to evaluate the presence and potential pathogenetic role of anti-desmoglein 1 (Dsg1) and anti-desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) antibodies in OLP. A literature search was conducted on MEDLINE/PubMed, Ovid, and Scopus up to April 2025. Human studies reporting OLP patients with anti-Dsg1 and/or anti-Dsg3 antibodies were included. Data from 11 studies were analyzed by diagnosis, age/sex, oral site involvement, immunofluorescence, and ELISA testing. Erosive OLP was most frequently associated with anti-Dsg1/Dsg3 positivity, mainly in women aged 40-60. Immunofluorescence was positive in some cases, while the ELISA test almost consistently detected anti-Dsg1 and Dsg3 antibodies. However, in many instances, antibody titers did not reach the threshold value, despite the presence being detectable. This finding suggests that anti-Dsg1/Dsg3 antibodies may represent epiphenomena of chronic inflammation in erosive OLP, indicating an immune-serological overlap with PV but lacking direct pathogenicity. Furthermore, the role of Dsg3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma, by promoting enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix and enhance tumor invasiveness, highlights the complex functions of desmogleins beyond autoimmunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189673/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lin Sun, Roman Palt, Georg Schütz, Esther Föderl-Höbenreich, Laura Brod, Antonia Hermle, Anja Lux, Herta Steinkellner, Somanath Kallolimath
Therapeutic antibodies with lambda light chains (λ-Abs) are underrepresented compared to kappa light chains (κ-Abs). Here, we evaluated two SARS-CoV-2-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that exhibit high (P5C3) and low (H4) antigen binding as κ and λ variants. mAbs expressed in glycoengineered Nicotiana benthamiana did not show differences in expression levels, glycosylation, and antigen binding, while κ-Abs exhibited slightly increased thermodynamic stability over λ-Abs. SARS-CoV-2 neutralization and IgG-FcγR immune complex studies revealed increased activities of H4 IgG1κ compared to H4 IgG1λ, with no differences observed between P5C3 variants. Our results indicate that constant light chain variability and Ab specificity contribute to Ab features, a fact that should be considered in engineering therapeutics.
{"title":"Light Chain Isotype and Antibody-Specificity Impact on Virus Neutralization.","authors":"Lin Sun, Roman Palt, Georg Schütz, Esther Föderl-Höbenreich, Laura Brod, Antonia Hermle, Anja Lux, Herta Steinkellner, Somanath Kallolimath","doi":"10.3390/antib14020050","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14020050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Therapeutic antibodies with lambda light chains (λ-Abs) are underrepresented compared to kappa light chains (κ-Abs). Here, we evaluated two SARS-CoV-2-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that exhibit high (P5C3) and low (H4) antigen binding as κ and λ variants. mAbs expressed in glycoengineered <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> did not show differences in expression levels, glycosylation, and antigen binding, while κ-Abs exhibited slightly increased thermodynamic stability over λ-Abs. SARS-CoV-2 neutralization and IgG-FcγR immune complex studies revealed increased activities of H4 IgG1κ compared to H4 IgG1λ, with no differences observed between P5C3 variants. Our results indicate that constant light chain variability and Ab specificity contribute to Ab features, a fact that should be considered in engineering therapeutics.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189767/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmad Matarneh, Meet Patel, Kinna Parikh, Amanda Karasinski, Gurwant Kaur, Vaqar Shah, Nasrollah Ghahramani, Naman Trivedi
The long-term use of immunosuppressive drugs following kidney transplantation increases the risk of life-threatening infections, malignancies, and, paradoxically, eventual allograft rejection. Therefore, achieving a balance between over-immunosuppression and under-immunosuppression is critical to optimizing patient outcomes. One promising approach is immune cell-based therapy using suppressor immune cells to modulate the immune response more precisely. Among these, regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the most extensively studied and have shown significant potential in the post-transplant setting. Tregs are broadly categorized into thymus-derived and peripherally derived subsets. Physiologically, they play key roles in maintaining immune tolerance, including in autoimmune diseases and within the tumor microenvironment. Their immunosuppressive functions are mediated through both contact-dependent and contact-independent mechanisms. Studies investigating the use of Tregs following kidney transplantation have shown encouraging results. This review summarizes the biology of Tregs and highlights current evidence supporting their role in transplant immunotherapy.
{"title":"Regulatory T Cell in Kidney Transplant: The Future of Cell Therapy?","authors":"Ahmad Matarneh, Meet Patel, Kinna Parikh, Amanda Karasinski, Gurwant Kaur, Vaqar Shah, Nasrollah Ghahramani, Naman Trivedi","doi":"10.3390/antib14020049","DOIUrl":"10.3390/antib14020049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The long-term use of immunosuppressive drugs following kidney transplantation increases the risk of life-threatening infections, malignancies, and, paradoxically, eventual allograft rejection. Therefore, achieving a balance between over-immunosuppression and under-immunosuppression is critical to optimizing patient outcomes. One promising approach is immune cell-based therapy using suppressor immune cells to modulate the immune response more precisely. Among these, regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the most extensively studied and have shown significant potential in the post-transplant setting. Tregs are broadly categorized into thymus-derived and peripherally derived subsets. Physiologically, they play key roles in maintaining immune tolerance, including in autoimmune diseases and within the tumor microenvironment. Their immunosuppressive functions are mediated through both contact-dependent and contact-independent mechanisms. Studies investigating the use of Tregs following kidney transplantation have shown encouraging results. This review summarizes the biology of Tregs and highlights current evidence supporting their role in transplant immunotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":8188,"journal":{"name":"Antibodies","volume":"14 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12189525/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}