Antibody Subclasses Research Articles

Oral immunization of mice with Omp31-loaded N-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles induces high protection against Brucella melitensis infection.

Brucellosis is a group of closely associated zoonotic bacterial illnesses caused by members of the genus Brucella. B. melitensis Omp31 is a promising candidate for a subunit vaccine against brucellosis. This study surveyed the immunogenicity of Omp31 alone and with incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (Omp31-IFA) and N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC/Omp31) nanoparticles (NPs), as well as the effect of Omp31 immunization route on immunological responses and protection. After expression and purification, the recombinant Omp31 (rOmp31) was loaded onto TMC NPs by ionic gelation. The particle size, loading efficiency and in vitro release of the NPs were examined. Omp31-IFA was administered intraperitoneally, while TMC/Omp31 NPs were administered orally and intraperitoneally. According to the antibody subclasses and cytokine profile, intraperitoneal immunization by Omp31-IFA and TMC/Omp31 NPs induced T helper 1 (Th1) and Th1–Th2 immune responses, respectively. On the other hand, oral immunization with TMC/Omp31 NPs elicited a mixed Th1–Th17 immune response. Data obtained from the cell proliferation assay showed that vaccination with Omp31 stimulated a vigorous antigen-specific cell proliferative response, which could be further increased after oral immunization with TMC/Omp31 NPs. Vaccinated groups of mice when challenged with B. melitensis 16M were found to be significantly protected in the orally administered group in comparison with the intraperitoneally immunized mice. Results of this study indicated that the reason for high protection after oral vaccination can be via elicited Th17 response.

Glutaraldehyde Cross-linking of HIV-1 Env Trimers Skews the Antibody Subclass Response in Mice.

Well-ordered soluble HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) spike mimetics such as Native Flexibly Linked (NFL) trimers display high homogeneity, desired antigenicity, and high in vitro stability compared to previous generation soluble HIV-1 Env trimers. Glutaraldehyde (GLA) cross-linking was shown to further increase the thermostability of clade C 16055 NFL trimers and enhance the induction of tier 2 autologous neutralizing antibodies in guinea pigs. Here, we investigated if GLA fixation affected other aspects of the Env-specific immune response by performing a comparative immunogenicity study in C57BL/6 mice with non-fixed and GLA-fixed 16055 NFL trimers administered in AbISCO-100 adjuvant. We detected lower Env-specific binding antibody titers and increased skewing toward Th2 responses in mice immunized with GLA-fixed trimers compared to mice immunized with unfixed trimers, as shown by a higher Env-specific IgG1:IgG2b antibody subclass ratio. These results suggest that the presence of GLA adducts on Env influences the quality of the induced antibody response.

Identification of immune biomarkers related to disease progression and treatment efficacy in human visceral leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a potentially fatal disease, in which the treatment based on chemotherapy is considered toxic. The cure of disease is associated with the life-long Th1-type immunity against the infection. The Th1-related cytokines production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) seems to be crucial for host control of parasite load and clinical cure. In the current study, we used five proteins (IgE-dependent histamine-releasing factor [HRF], LiHyD, LiHyV, LiHyT and LiHyp6) recently shown to be antigenic and/or immunogenic in the canine VL, aiming to evaluate the antigen-specific antibody levels and cytokine production in PBMCs culture supernatants collected from VL patients before and after anti-VL treatment. In the results, when PBMCs were exposed to rHRF, rLiHyD and rLiHyT, higher IFN-γ and lower IL-10 levels were observed in all patients that were treated and clinically cured. Analysis of specific antibody subclasses was in line with in vitro cellular response, since a higher IgG2 production was found in the treated and cured patients, when compared to the IgG1 subclass levels. In addition, evaluating the diagnostic efficacy of the recombinant molecules, the rHRF, rLiHyD and rLiHyT proteins showed the best results in the serology assays to identify all VL patients, as well as these antigens were not recognized by antibodies in sera from non-infected subjects or those with leishmaniasis-related diseases. Our results corroborate the view that clinical cure of VL is associated with a sustained Th1-related response, and indicate the potential use of rHRF, rLiHyD and rLiHyT as immune biomarkers of VL treatment.

Effects of N-Glycan Composition on Structure and Dynamics of IgG1 Fc and Their Implications for Antibody Engineering

Immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), a subclass of human serum antibodies, is the most widely used scaffold for developing monoclonal antibodies to treat human diseases. The composition of asparagine(N)297-linked glycans can modulate the binding affinity of IgG1 Fc to Fc γ receptors, but it is unclear how the structural modifications of N-glycan termini, which are distal from the binding interface, contribute to the affinity. Through atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of a series of sequentially truncated high-mannose IgG1 Fc glycoforms, we found that the C′E loop and the Cγ2-Cγ3 orientation are highly dynamic, and changes in N-glycan composition alter their conformational ensembles. High-mannose glycoform preferentially samples conformations that are more competent to FcγRIIIa binding, compared to the truncated glycoforms, suggesting a role of IgG1 Fc N-glycan in optimizing the interface with the Fc receptor for efficient binding. The trajectory analyses also reveal that the N-glycan has large amplitude motions and the carbohydrate moiety interconverts between Fc-bound and unbound forms, enabling enzymatic modification of the glycan termini.

Effect of Surfactants on Mechanical, Thermal, and Photostability of a Monoclonal Antibody.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of commonly used surfactants (at 0.01% w/v concentration) on mechanical, thermal, and photostability of a monoclonal antibody (MAb1) of IgG1 sub-class and to evaluate the minimum concentration of surfactant (Polysorbate 80) required in protecting MAb1 from mechanical stress. Surfactants evaluated were non-ionic surfactants, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 20, Pluronic F-68 (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block polymer), Brij 35 (polyoxyethylene lauryl ether), Triton X-100, and an anionic surfactant, Caprylic acid (1-Heptanecarboxylic acid). After evaluating effect of surfactants and determining stabilizing effect of Polysorbate 80 against mechanical stress without compromising thermal and photostability of MAb1, the minimum concentration of Polysorbate 80 required for mechanical stability was further examined. Polysorbate 80 concentration was varied from 0 to 0.02%. Mechanical stability was evaluated by agitation of MAb1 at 300 rotations per minute at room temperature for 72h. Samples were analyzed for purity by SEC-HPLC, turbidity by absorbance at 350nm, visible particles by visual inspection, and sub-visible particles by light obscuration technique on a particle analyzer. All non-ionic surfactants tested showed a similar effect in protecting against mechanical stress and did not exhibit any significant negative effect on thermal and photostability. However, Caprylic acid had a slightly negative effect on mechanical and photostability when compared to the non-ionic surfactants or sample without surfactant. This work demonstrated that polysorbate 80 is better than other surfactants tested and that a concentration of at least 0.005% (w/v) Polysorbate 80 is needed to protect MAb1 against mechanical stress.

Abstract 23: Antibody targeting of ADAM8 for treatment of triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) accounts for 25% of breast cancer deaths. Current therapeutic options are restricted to chemotherapy (CT) and radiation, which fail to block disease progression. Recently, we identified the cell surface protein ADAM8 as a critical driver of TNBC tumor growth and of metastasis in half of all breast cancers (EMBO Mol. Med. 6:278, 2014). Elevated ADAM8 levels correlate with poor breast cancer patient outcome. One third of TNBC patient samples have high ADAM8 levels, while it is undetectable in normal breast tissue. ADAM8 Metalloproteinase (MP) and Disintegrin (DI) domains promote angiogenesis needed for tumor growth, and cancer cell adhesion to and invasion through the endothelium needed for dissemination, respectively. Using a prototype reagent in mice, we validated a unique antibody-based strategy that simultaneously targets ADAM8 MP/DI activities as an effective therapeutic intervention in TNBC. Our group has now prepared a panel of pre-clinical, highly specific anti-human ADAM8 mouse monoclonal antibodies (ADPs) of either IgG1 or IgG2 subclass with dual MP/DI antagonist activity. The top 6 ADPs bind ADAM8 with low dissociation constants of 1.3 x 10-9 M to 7.23 x 10-8 M. The 4 most effective inhibitory ADPs in cell-based assays were screened in a single-dose efficacy study (10 mg/kg 3x/wk) against pre-existing MDA-MB-231 cell-derived tumors (50-75 mm3). ADP2 and ADP13 treatment resulted in significant tumor volume reduction, of 47% and 52%, respectively. Dose-response curves are in progress. ADP13 was also tested in a neo-adjuvant model for its ability to reduce metastases. Antibody treatment was initiated as above and continued for 6 weeks after tumors were resected at a volume of ~200 mm3. Metastases in dissected organs were examined using biophotonic imaging. ADP13 substantially decreased metastasis to multiple organs. Lastly, a neo-adjuvant survival experiment was performed, as above, except that following surgical resection of tumors mice were treated for 12 weeks. Recurrence at the primary site was assessed using palpation. Mice were sacrificed when recurrent tumors reached 900 mm3. ADP13 treatment resulted in significantly improved disease-free survival (P=0.05) and overall survival (P=0.03). More recently, we noted that ADAM8 regulates miRNAs associated with resistance to CT and showed that ADAM8 inhibition sensitizes TNBC cells to Cisplatin, Paclitaxel, and Doxorubicin. In vivo testing of a combinatorial anti-ADAM8 + CT approach is in progress and may present a promising strategy for early entry into the clinic. Conclusions: A new anti-ADAM8 antibody therapeutic shows efficacy against TNBC tumor growth and dissemination, and improves survival in pre-clinical testing. We hypothesize that addition of an anti-ADAM8 antibody to current CT standards of care will enhance tumor killing, reduce metastasis, and increase survival of patients with ADAM8-expressing TNBC. Citation Format: Sonia G. Das, Stefania Pianetti, Gail E. Sonenshein, Nora D. Mineva. Antibody targeting of ADAM8 for treatment of triple-negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 23. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-23

Seroconversion to Lutzomyia intermedia LinB-13 as a biomarker for developing cutaneous leishmaniasis

Sand flies inject saliva while feeding in the vertebrate host and anti-saliva antibodies can be used as biomarkers of exposure to Leishmania vectors. We expressed recombinant salivary proteins from Lutzomyia intermedia, a vector of Leishmania braziliensis, and evaluated the seroreactivity in exposed individuals in search for exposure markers. We found a strong correlation among positive serology to recombinant proteins LinB-13, 26, 15, 21 and to salivary proteins: rLinB-13 was the top performing molecule; IgG4 was the most predominant antibody subclass and antibodies to rLinB-13 did not cross react with Lu. longipalpis salivary proteins. By evaluating a cohort of contacts of CL patients, we confirmed that rLinB-13, an antigen 5-related protein, is a marker of exposure to Lu. intermedia with high degree of accuracy. In a 5-year follow up, we determined that individuals who developed CL presented higher anti-rLinB13 IgG responses, before the appearance of clinical symptoms. They also presented a lower frequency of cellular responses to the parasite (DTH). Our results show that seroconversion to a salivary molecule, rLinB-13, is a marker of risk for CL development caused by Leishmania braziliensis. This highlight the possibility of developing tools based on vector molecules to manage the disease in endemic areas.

High Throughput Prediction Approach for Monoclonal Antibody Aggregation at High Concentration.

Characterization of the monoclonal antibody aggregation process and identification of stability factors that could be used as indicators of aggregation propensity with an emphasis on a large number of samples and low protein material consumption. Differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic light scattering and size exclusion chromatography were used as the main methodological approaches. Conformational stability, colloidal stability and aggregation kinetics were assessed for two different IgG monoclonal antibody (mAbs) subclasses. Aggregation was induced by exposing the mAbs to 55°C for 3weeks. mAb samples were prepared in different formulations and concentrations from 1mg/mL to 50mg/mL. High temperature stress of mAb samples revealed that monoclonal antibodies followed first order aggregation kinetics, which suggests that the rate-limiting step of monomer loss was unimolecular. Conformational stability of mAbs was estimated with denaturation temperature measurements. Colloidal stability was assessed with dynamic interaction parameterk D . The correlation between aggregation kinetics and colloidal and conformational stability factors was evaluated and the dynamic interaction parameter was found to be a promising predictor of aggregation propensity of monoclonal antibodies. The meaning of using an intermolecular interaction parameter for prediction of what is essentially a unimolecular process is also discussed. This work estimates the significance of different predictors of aggregation propensity at high concentrations as a part of a high throughput, low resource screening method and is a contribution towards determining protein aggregation phenomena in actual systems used for the development and production of biopharmaceuticals.

Effects of weak/non-complement-binding HLA antibodies on C1q-binding.

It is unknown under what conditions and to what extent weak/non-complement (C)-binding IgG subclasses (IgG2/IgG4) can block C1q-binding triggered by C-binding IgG subclasses (IgG1/IgG3). Therefore, we investigated in vitro C1q-binding induced by IgG subclass mixtures targeting the same HLA epitope. Various mixtures of HLA class II specific monoclonal antibodies of different IgG subclasses but identical V-region were incubated with HLA DRB1*07:01 beads and monitored for C1q-binding. The lowest concentration to achieve maximum C1q-binding was measured for IgG3, followed by IgG1, while IgG2 and IgG4 did not show appreciable C1q-binding. C1q-binding occurred only after a critical amount of IgG1/3 has bound and sharply increased thereafter. When both, C-binding and weak/non-C-binding IgG subclasses were mixed, C1q-binding was diminished proportionally to the fraction of IgG2/4. A 2- to 4-fold excess of IgG2/4 inhibited C1q-binding by 50%. Very high levels (10-fold excess) almost completely abrogated C1q-binding even in the presence of significant IgG1/3 levels that would usually lead to strong C1q-binding. In sensitized renal allograft recipients, IgG subclass constellations with ≥ 2-fold excess of IgG2/4 over IgG1/3 were present in 23/66 patients (34.8%) and overall revealed slightly decreased C1q signals. However, spiking of patient sera with IgG2 targeting a different epitope than the patient's IgG1/3 synergistically increased C1q-binding. In conclusion, if targeting the same epitope, an excess of IgG2/4 is repressing the extent of IgG1/3 triggered C1q-binding in vitro. Such IgG subclass constellations are present in about a third of sensitized patients and their net effect on C1q-binding is slightly inhibitory.

Novel enzyme immunoassay system for simultaneous detection of six subclasses of antiphospholipid antibodies for differential diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome.

: Antiphospholipid syndrome, which often complicates systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), features high occurrence of arterial and/or venous thrombosis and recurrent fetal loss. However, which antibody subclass contributes to which clinical event remains uncertain. We newly developed an up-to-date enzyme immunoassay system using the AcuStar automated analyzer (Instrumentation Laboratory, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA) for parallel detection of six subclasses of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs): anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) of IgG, IgM, and IgA and anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ2GPI) of IgG, IgM, and IgA. They were measured in 276 healthy volunteers and 138 patients with SLE: 45 with thromboembolic complications (29 arterial; 16 venous) and 93 without. Lupus anticoagulant activity in their plasma was measured according to the guidelines recommended by the Subcommittee on Lupus Anticoagulant/Phospholipid-Dependent Antibodies. aCL/β2GPI was measured with a standard ELISA kit commonly used in Japan. The positive results of IgG aCL, IgA aCL, and IgG aβ2GPI were closely associated with thromboembolic complications, whereas IgM aCL and IgM aβ2GPI were not. receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the accuracy of predicting thromboembolic complications based on the composite test results of the former three antibodies were obviously higher than by each alone. Regarding agreement with the test results of lupus anticoagulant activity, IgG aβ2GPI showed the closest match. Patients with SLE frequently possess various combinations of the six aPL subclasses, and this antibody spectrum is closely associated with thromboembolic events in these patients. This new automated enzyme immunoassay system allows simultaneous analysis of the profile of aPL subclasses for the differential diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome in its early stage.

Different Somatic Hypermutation Levels among Antibody Subclasses Disclosed by a New Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Antibody Repertoire Analysis.

A diverse antibody repertoire is primarily generated by the rearrangement of V, D, and J genes and subsequent somatic hypermutation (SHM). Class-switch recombination (CSR) produces various isotypes and subclasses with different functional properties. Although antibody isotypes and subclasses are considered to be produced by both direct and sequential CSR, it is still not fully understood how SHMs accumulate during the process in which antibody subclasses are generated. Here, we developed a new next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based antibody repertoire analysis capable of identifying all antibody isotype and subclass genes and used it to examine the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 12 healthy individuals. Using a total of 5,480,040 sequences, we compared percentage frequency of variable (V), junctional (J) sequence, and a combination of V and J, diversity, length, and amino acid compositions of CDR3, SHM, and shared clones in the IgM, IgD, IgG3, IgG1, IgG2, IgG4, IgA1, IgE, and IgA2 genes. The usage and diversity were similar among the immunoglobulin (Ig) subclasses. Clonally related sequences sharing identical V, D, J, and CDR3 amino acid sequences were frequently found within multiple Ig subclasses, especially between IgG1 and IgG2 or IgA1 and IgA2. SHM occurred most frequently in IgG4, while IgG3 genes were the least mutated among all IgG subclasses. The shared clones had almost the same SHM levels among Ig subclasses, while subclass-specific clones had different levels of SHM dependent on the genomic location. Given the sequential CSR, these results suggest that CSR occurs sequentially over multiple subclasses in the order corresponding to the genomic location of IGHCs, but CSR is likely to occur more quickly than SHMs accumulate within Ig genes under physiological conditions. NGS-based antibody repertoire analysis should provide critical information on how various antibodies are generated in the immune system.

Comparative study of therapeutic antibody candidates derived from mini-pool and clonal cell lines.

The long journey of developing a drug from initial discovery target identification to regulatory approval often leaves many patients with missed window of opportunities. Both regulatory agencies and biopharmaceutical industry continue to develop creative approaches to shorten the time of new drug development in order to deliver life-saving medicine to patients. Generally, drug substance materials to support the toxicology and early phase clinical study can only be manufactured after creating the final Master Cell Bank (MCB) of the clonally derived cell line, which normally takes 1-2 years. With recent advances in cell line development, cell culture process and analytical technologies, generating more homogeneous bulk/mini-pool population with higher productivity and acceptable quality attributes has become a norm, thereby making it possible to shorten the timeline to initiate First in Human (FIH) trial by using bulk/mini-pool generated materials to support toxicology and FIH studies. In this study, two monoclonal antibodies of different subclasses (IgG1 and IgG4) were expressed from the mini-pool cells as well as clonally derived cell lines generated from the same mini-pool. Cell growth, productivity, and product quality were compared between the materials generated from the mini-pool and clonally derived cell line. The results demonstrate the similarity of the antibody products generated from mini-pool cells and clonally derived cell lines from the same mini-pool, and strongly support the concept and feasibility of using antibody materials produced from mini-pool cultures for toxicology and FIH studies. The strategy to potentially shorten the FIH timeline is discussed. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1456-1462, 2017.

Exposure to bacterial Curli triggers antibody production and type I interferon activation in lupus patients

Abstract Infections are a major contributor to lupus disease. We have previously demonstrated that bacterial amyloid curli, produced by E.coli, can accelerate disease in mouse models of lupus. Interestingly curli incorporates extracellular DNA, which in turn can be both adjuvant and a self-antigen in lupus. Finally, uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) is responsible for the majority of urinary tract infections in SLE. Based on our previous results, we hypothesize that exposure to UPEC triggers anti-curli antibodies, and that curli can also trigger the innate immune system. We investigated 34 lupus patients who met at least 4 SLICC criteria. Results were compared to 17 age, sex and race matched healthy controls. We tested the production of anti-curli/DNA complex for both IgG and IgA subclasses. We than correlated the levels of anti-curli/DNA antibodies with clinical parameters, including anti-dsDNA antibodies and bacteriuria. Finally, we used curli/DNA complexes to stimulate PBMCs from lupus patients and controls and determined the levels by rt-PCR of IL-6 (bacterial response) and MX-1 (type I interferon (IFN I) activation). We found that lupus patients and healthy controls generated anti-curli antibodies of IgG and IgA subclasses. The levels of anti-curli antibodies significantly correlated with the levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies (p=0.029) and persistent bacteriuria (p=0.035) in lupus patients. Finally we found that curli/DNA complexes triggered production of IL-6 and MX-1 in both healthy and lupus PBMCs. Nevertheless, the expression of MX-1 was significantly higher in PBMCs from lupus patients (p=0.012). Our results show that bacterial curli/DNA is a trigger of systemic autoimmunity via activation of IFN I and production of autoantibodies.

Antibody-mediated immune exclusion of HIV.

Although approximately 90% of all HIV transmissions in humans occur through mucosal contact, the induction of mucosal anti-HIV immune responses has remained understudied. Here we summarize data demonstrating the powerful protection that is achievable at mucosal frontlines through virus-specific mucosal IgA alone or combined with IgG. Passive immunization with different monoclonal antibody subclasses but identical epitope specificity (the conserved V3-loop crown of HIV gp120) has revealed that the dimeric IgA1 (dIgA1) form with its open hinge can prevent simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) acquisition in rhesus macaques at a higher rate than dIgA2. Both dIgAs neutralized the challenge SHIV equally well. Protection was linked to better virion capture and inhibition of cell-free virus transcytosis by dIgA1. Synergistic interactions at the mucosal level between the IgG1 and dIgA2 versions of this monoclonal antibody yielded complete protection. Active vaccine strategies designed to induce mucosal IgA and systemic/mucosal IgG have given promising data. This review seeks to highlight the importance of mucosal IgAs in preventing virus acquisition. Passive immunization gave proof-of-concept for immune exclusion by mucosally administered monoclonal dIgAs. Unanswered questions remain regarding the interplay between mucosal IgA and other host immune defenses, including their induction with active immunization.

Antibody Subclass Detection Using Graphene Nanopores.

Solid-state nanopores are promising for label-free protein detection. The large thickness, ranging from several tens of nanometers to micrometers and larger, of solid-state nanopores prohibits atomic-scale scanning or interrogation of proteins. Here, a single-atom thick graphene nanopore is shown to be highly capable of sensing and discriminating between different subclasses of IgG antibodies despite their minor and subtle variation in atomic structure. Extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, rigorous statistical analysis with a total aggregate simulation time of 2.7 μs, supervised machine learning (ML), and classification techniques are employed to distinguish IgG2 from IgG3. The water flux and ionic current during IgG translocation reveal distinct clusters for IgG subclasses facilitating an additional recognition mechanism. In addition, the histogram of ionic current for each segment of IgG can provide high-resolution spatial detection. Our results show that nanoporous graphene can be used to detect and distinguish antibody subclasses with good accuracy.

Impact of antibody subclass and disulfide isoform differences on the biological activity of CD200R and βklotho agonist antibodies

Agonism of cell surface receptors by monoclonal antibodies is dependent not only on its ability to bind the target, but also to deliver a biological signal through receptors to the cell. Immunoglobulin G2 antibodies (IgG2s) are made up of a mixture of distinct isoforms (IgG2-A, -B and A/B), which differ by the disulfide connectivity at the hinge region. When evaluating panels of agonistic antibodies against CD200 receptor (CD200R) or βklotho receptor (βklotho), we noticed striking activity differences of IgG1 or IgG2 antibodies with the same variable domains. For the CD200R antibody, the IgG2 antibody demonstrated higher activity than the IgG1 or IgG4 antibody. More significantly, for βklotho, agonist antibodies with higher biological activity as either IgG2 or IgG1 were identified. In both cases, ion exchange chromatography was able to isolate the bioactivity to the IgG2-B isoform from the IgG2 parental mixture. The subclass-related increase in agonist activity was not correlated with antibody aggregation or binding affinity, but was driven by enhanced avidity for the CD200R antibody. These results add to the growing body of evidence that show that conformational differences in the antibody hinge region can have a dramatic impact on the antibody activity and must be considered when screening and engineering therapeutic antibody candidates. The results also demonstrate that the IgG1 (IgG2-A like) or the IgG2-B form may provide the most active form of agonist antibodies for different antibodies and targets.

The Preparation and Identification of a Monoclonal Antibody against Citrinin and the Development of Detection via Indirect Competitive ELISA.

Citrinin (CTN) is a hepato-nephrotoxic mycotoxin produced by fungi genera of Aspergillus, Monauscus, and Penicillium. CTN contaminates grains, fruits, juices and vegetables, and causes various toxic effects to humans and animals. It has small molecular weight, which is non-immunogenic to animals. Thus, CTN was conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ovalbumin (OVA), respectively, by amide bonds using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). Mice were immunized with CTN-BSA conjugates, and spleen cells of the immunized mice were fused with Sp2/0 myeloma cells to obtain 21H27 hybriodoma cell. Ascitic fluid of hybridoma cell was produced in mice abdomen, and purified using caprylic/ammonium sulfate precipitation method. The 21H27 anti-CTN mcAb was the IgG2a antibody subclass, and cross-reactivity results indicated that anti-CTN mcAb is specific to CTN with high affinity (2.0 × 108 L/mol). Indirect competitive ELISA (ic-ELISA) results showed that the linear range of detection was 0.01–5.96 ng/mL and the IC50 was 0.28 ng/mL with a lower detection limit (LOD) of 0.01 ng/mL. The average recovery was 93.8% ± 1.6% with a coefficient variation of 1.0%–4.3%. Hence, anti-CTN mcAb secreted by 21H27 hybridoma cell was successfully produced and can be used to detect CTN contaminated feed and foodstuffs.

Antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity: immunotherapy strategies enhancing effector NK cells.

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) is a set of mechanisms that target cells coated with IgG antibodies of the proper subclasses (IgG1 in the human) to be the prey of cell-to-cell cytolysis executed by immune cells expressing FcRIIIA (CD16A). These effectors include not only natural killer (NK) cells but also other CD16+ subsets such as monocyte/macrophages, NKT cells or γδ T cells. In cancer therapy, ADCC is exploited by antibodies that selectively recognize proteins on the surface of malignant cells. An approach to enhance antitumor activity is to act on effector cells so they are increased in their numbers or enhanced in their individual (on a cell per cell basis) ADCC performance. This enhancement can be therapeutically attained by cytokines (that is, interleukin (IL)-15, IL-21, IL-18, IL-2); immunostimulatory monoclonal antibodies (that is, anti-CD137, anti-CD96, anti-TIGIT, anti-KIR, anti-PD-1); TLR agonists or by adoptive infusions of ex vivo expanded NK cells which can be genetically engineered to become more efficient effectors. In conjunction with approaches optimizing IgG1 Fc affinity to CD16, acting on effector cells offers hope to achieve synergistic immunotherapy strategies.

THE EFFECT OF HELMINTH CO-INFECTION ON MALARIA-SPECIFIC IMMUNOGLOBULIN G RESPONSES

BackgroundMalaria and helminthiases overlap extensively in their epidemiological distributions, and co-infections are common. Helminth infection has a profound effect on the immune system such as the induction of immuno-regulatory mechanisms...

IgG antibodies to dengue enhanced for FcγRIIIA binding determine disease severity.

Dengue virus (DENV) infection in the presence of reactive, non-neutralizing immunoglobulin G (IgG) (RNNIg) is the greatest risk factor for dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Progression to DHF/DSS is attributed to antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE); however, because only a fraction of infections occurring in the presence of RNNIg advance to DHF/DSS, the presence of RNNIg alone cannot account for disease severity. We discovered that DHF/DSS patients respond to infection by producing IgGs with enhanced affinity for the activating Fc receptor FcγRIIIA due to afucosylated Fc glycans and IgG1 subclass. RNNIg enriched for afucosylated IgG1 triggered platelet reduction in vivo and was a significant risk factor for thrombocytopenia. Thus, therapeutics and vaccines restricting production of afucosylated, IgG1 RNNIg during infection may prevent ADE of DENV disease.