Generation and characterization of monospecific and bispecific hexavalent trimerbodies

MAbs. 2013 Jan-Feb;5(1):70-9. doi: 10.4161/mabs.22698. Epub 2012 Dec 5.

Abstract

Here, we describe a new class of multivalent and multispecific antibody-based reagents for therapy. The molecules, termed "trimerbodies," use a modified version of the N-terminal trimerization region of human collagen XVIII noncollagenous 1 domain flanked by two flexible linkers as trimerizing scaffold. By fusing single-chain variable fragments (scFv) with the same or different specificity to both N- and C-terminus of the trimerizing scaffold domain, we produced monospecific or bispecific hexavalent molecules that were efficiently secreted as soluble proteins by transfected mammalian cells. A bispecific anti-laminin x anti-CD3 N-/C-trimerbody was found to be trimeric in solution, very efficient at recognizing purified plastic-immobilized laminin and CD3 expressed at the surface of T cells, and remarkably stable in human serum. The bispecificity was further demonstrated in T cell activation studies. In the presence of laminin-rich substrate, the bispecific anti-laminin x anti-CD3 N-/C-trimerbody stimulated a high percentage of human T cells to express surface activation markers. These results suggest that the trimerbody platform offers promising opportunities for the development of the next-generation therapeutic antibodies, i.e., multivalent and bispecific molecules with a format optimized for the desired pharmacokinetics and adapted to the pathological context.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bispecific* / chemistry
  • Antibodies, Bispecific* / genetics
  • Antibodies, Bispecific* / immunology
  • Antibodies, Bispecific* / metabolism
  • Antibody Affinity
  • Antibody Specificity
  • CD3 Complex / immunology
  • CD3 Complex / metabolism
  • Collagen Type XVIII* / chemistry
  • Collagen Type XVIII* / genetics
  • Collagen Type XVIII* / immunology
  • Collagen Type XVIII* / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Laminin / immunology
  • Laminin / metabolism
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins* / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins* / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins* / immunology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins* / metabolism
  • Single-Chain Antibodies* / chemistry
  • Single-Chain Antibodies* / genetics
  • Single-Chain Antibodies* / immunology
  • Single-Chain Antibodies* / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bispecific
  • CD3 Complex
  • Collagen Type XVIII
  • Laminin
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Single-Chain Antibodies