IgG Binding Affinity Research Articles

Unveiling the micronutrient-immunity puzzle in inactivated COVID-19 vaccination: A comprehensive analysis of circulating micronutrient levels and humoral responses in healthy adults.

While micronutrients are crucial for immune function, their impact on humoral responses to inactivated COVID-19 vaccination remains unclear. We investigated the associations between seven key micronutrients and antibody responses in 44 healthy adults with two doses of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. Blood samples were collected pre-vaccination and 28 days post-booster. We measured circulating minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and selenium) and vitamins (A, D, and E) concentrations alongside antibody responses and assessed their associations using linear regression analyses. Our analysis revealed inverse associations between blood iron and zinc concentrations and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibody binding affinity (AUC for iron: β = -258.21, p < 0.0001; zinc: β = -17.25, p = 0.0004). Notably, antibody quality presented complex relationships. Blood selenium was positively associated (β = 18.61, p = 0.0030), while copper/selenium ratio was inversely associated (β = -1.36, p = 0.0055) with the neutralizing ability against SARS-CoV-2 virus at a 1:10 plasma dilution. There was no significant association between circulating micronutrient concentrations and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG binding affinity. These findings suggest that circulating iron, zinc, and selenium concentrations and copper/selenium ratio, may serve as potential biomarkers for both quantity (binding affinity) and quality (neutralization) of humoral responses after inactivated COVID-19 vaccination. Furthermore, they hint at the potential of pre-vaccination dietary interventions, such as selenium supplementation, to improve vaccine efficacy. However, larger, diverse studies are needed to validate these findings. This research advances the understanding of the impact of micronutrients on vaccine response, offering the potential for personalized vaccination strategies.

Inebilizumab reduces neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder risk independent of FCGR3A polymorphism.

Inebilizumab, a humanized, glycoengineered, IgG1 monoclonal antibody that depletes CD19+ B-cells, is approved to treat aquaporin 4 (AQP4) IgG-seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Inebilizumab is afucosylated and engineered for enhanced affinity to Fc receptor III-A (FCGR3A) receptors on natural killer cells to maximize antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Previously, the F allele polymorphism at amino acid 158 of the FCGR3A gene (F158) was shown to decrease IgG-binding affinity and reduce rituximab (anti-CD20) efficacy for NMOSD attack prevention. In contrast, our current findings from inebilizumab-treated NMOSD patients indicate similar clinical outcomes between those with F158 and V158 allele genotypes.

Inebilizumab Reduces Attack Risk Independent of Low Affinity IgG Fc Region Receptor III-A Gene Polymorphisms in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (P13-5.015)

Inebilizumab Reduces Attack Risk Independent of Low Affinity IgG Fc Region Receptor III-A Gene Polymorphisms in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (P13-5.015)

Anti-CD4 autoantibodies in immunological nonresponder people with HIV: cause of CD4 + T-cell depletion?

We aimed to evaluate the anti-CD4 IgG role in the poor immune recovery of immunological nonresponder people with HIV (INR). INR display low CD4 + T-cell increase despite long-term undetectable viremia. Among other factors, autologous anti-CD4 IgG-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by natural killer (NK) cells has been proposed to cause CD4 + T-cell depletion. Plasma anti-CD4 IgG levels were quantified and purified by chromatography columns for the subsequent use in a coculture of CD4 + T and NK cells. We analyzed NK cell degranulation markers (CD107a, perforin and granzyme B) and IFN-γ release, and CD4 + T-cell death. Binding affinity of anti-CD4 IgG for CD4 + T cells was also assessed. A total of 168 individuals were enrolled (INR, 56; immunological responders, 40; treatment-naive, 39; and healthy controls, 33). The highest anti-CD4 IgG levels were found in treatment-naive people with HIV (PWH), followed by participants on treatment. There were no correlations between anti-CD4 IgG levels and CD4 + T-cell counts. In a 15-participant subgroup (naive, immunological responders, and INR), anti-CD4 IgG induced a slight NK-cell expression of degranulation markers and IFN-γ; however, the percentage of CD4 + T-cell death was negligible. Consistently, no significant changes in NK cell polyfunctionality were observed. In addition, purified anti-CD4 IgG showed scarce binding affinity for CD4 + T cells. These results were similar in all analyzed participant groups. Our results suggest that autologous anti-CD4 IgG neither trigger CD4 + T-cell death by ADCC nor are responsible for CD4 + lymphocyte depletion in INR.

P 4 The impact of low affinity immunoglobulin gamma Fc region receptor III-A gene polymorphisms in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and implications for treatment outcomes: results from the N-MOmentum study

Introduction: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoantibody-mediated CNS disease. The rs396991 F176V polymorphism of the low-affinity IgG Fc region receptor III-A (FCGR3A) gene affects IgG binding affinity. The V allele is linked to poor outcomes in antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases but enhanced response to monoclonal antibody therapies. Characterize the relationship between rs396991 polymorphism, NMOSD disease activity and treatment response in N–MOmentum trial participants. Material and method: N-MOmentum had a randomized controlled period (RCP; inebilizumab 300 mg or placebo on days 1 and 15) of up to 28 weeks, followed by an open-label period (OLP). 142 participants (104 randomized to inebilizumab, 38 to placebo) consented for polymorphism genotyping via TaqMan qPCR assay. Results: Historical annualized attack rates (AAR) and change in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores from NMOSD onset to enrolment were nominally higher in rs396991 V allele participants (V; V/V or V/F genotype; n=74) than in F/F allele participants (F/F; n=68): mean (±SEM) AAR: V, 1.0 (0.8–1.3); F/F, 0.7 (0.5–0.9); EDSS score change: V, 0.6 (0.5–0.7); F/F, 0.4 (0.3–0.5). In the placebo group, the rates of attacks, new/enlarged T2 MRI lesions and NMOSD-related hospitalizations were higher in V allele (n=22) than in F/F allele participants (n=16), but not statistically significant: mean (±SEM) AAR: V, 1.3 (0.9–1.7); F/F, 0.8 (0.5–1.2); new T2 lesions: V, 4.5 (2.6–6.3); F/F, 2.1 (1.0–3.1); hospitalizations: V, 0.5 (0.2–0.8); F/F, 0.2 (0.0–0.4). At end of RCP, V-allele carriers randomized to inebilizumab (n=52) had greater median (IQR) B-cell, plasma-cell and Ig depletion than F/F homozygotes (n=52): B cells; V, 0.6 (0.1–3.2) vs F/F, 1.3 (0.5–4.2) cells/µl; plasma cells: V, 0.04 (0.02–0.2) vs F/F, 0.05 (0.03–0.2) fold change from control mean; Ig: V, 1050 (867–1284) vs F/F, 1238 (1076–1455) Ig/µl. V allele carriers also had lower attack rates and new/enlarged T2 lesions than F/F homozygotes but differences were not statistically significant: mean (±SEM): AAR: V, 0.1 (0.1–0.2); F/F, 0.3 (0.2–0.4); new T2 lesions: V, 1.4 (0.9–1.8); F/F, 1.7 (1.2–2.2). By dose 4 in the OLP, there was little difference between the subgroups in clinical metrics or B-cell depletion. Conclusion: V allele carriers may have increased NMOSD disease activity but may have greater early pharmacodynamic response to inebilizumab compared with those with the wild F/F genotype.

Successive remodeling of IgG glycans using a solid-phase enzymatic platform

The success of glycoprotein-based drugs in various disease treatments has become widespread. Frequently, therapeutic glycoproteins exhibit a heterogeneous array of glycans that are intended to mimic human glycopatterns. While immunogenic responses to biologic drugs are uncommon, enabling exquisite control of glycosylation with minimized microheterogeneity would improve their safety, efficacy and bioavailability. Therefore, close attention has been drawn to the development of glycoengineering strategies to control the glycan structures. With the accumulation of knowledge about the glycan biosynthesis enzymes, enzymatic glycan remodeling provides a potential strategy to construct highly ordered glycans with improved efficiency and biocompatibility. In this study, we quantitatively evaluate more than 30 enzymes for glycoengineering immobilized immunoglobulin G, an impactful glycoprotein class in the pharmaceutical field. We demonstrate successive glycan remodeling in a solid-phase platform, which enabled IgG glycan harmonization into a series of complex-type N-glycoforms with high yield and efficiency while retaining native IgG binding affinity.

Human Placental CD34 +-Derived Natural Killer Cells with High Affinity and Cleavage Resistant CD16 (CYNK-101) in Combination with Daratumumab for Immunotherapy Against CD38 Expressing Hematological Malignancies

Natural Killer (NK) cells are key mediators of antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) via the CD16 Fc receptor. NK cellular therapies can effectively be targeted to tumor antigens when combined with tumor specific antibodies. Celularity Inc. is developing human placental CD34 +-derived, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf, allogenic NK cells (CYNK-101) with a high IgG binding affinity and proteinase cleavage resistant CD16 variant (CD16VP) for cancer treatment. We hypothesize that expressing CD16VP augments anti-tumor ADCC activity. Reported here are the in vitro and in vivo results of evaluating CYNK-101 cytotoxicity against CD38 expressing multiple myeloma (MM) and lymphoma tumor cell lines when in combination with daratumumab, an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.Human placental CD34 + cells were transduced with lentivirus expressing CD16VP and cultured in the presence of cytokines to generate CYNK-101 cells. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of CYNK-101 against CD38 + MM (MOLP-8, LP-1, MM.1S) and lymphoma (Daudi) tumor cell lines, and normal B-cells was assessed in combination with daratumumab via flow cytometry based ADCC assays and cytokine secretion was assessed via multiplex Luminex analysis. In vivo ADCC activity of CYNK-101 was assessed using a disseminated B-cell lymphoma xenograft model in B-NDG-hIL15 mice. B-NDG-hIL15 mice lack T, B, and NK cells and are transgenic for human IL-15 to support CYNK-101 persistence and maturation. Luciferase expressing Daudi cells (3×10 6) were intravenously (IV) injected on Day 0 three days after preconditioning with a myeloablative dose of busulfan to allow for better tumor cell engraftment. CYNK-101 cells (1x10 7) and/or daratumumab (0.05 mg/kg) were IV injected on Days 7, 14 and 21. Tumor burden was assessed weekly by bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and the mice were followed for assessment of their survival (n=5 mice per group).In vitro ADCC studies indicate enhanced cytolysis of CYNK-101 in combination with daratumumab against both MM and lymphoma tumor cells compared to that of IgG control. At 24h at the effector to target (E:T) ratio of 5:1, CYNK-101 (n=5 donors) demonstrated a cytolysis of 87.6 ± 6.3% with daratumumab vs. 37.3 ± 9.5% with IgG control against MOLP-8 (p<0.001), 73.9 ± 2.5% vs. 32.1 ± 7.2% against LP-1 (p<0.001), 77.2 ± 11.5% vs. 67.4 ± 10.7% against MM.1S (p<0.001), and 54.7 ± 24.0% vs. 4.3 ± 2.6% against Daudi (p<0.01) tumor cells. Secretion of GM-CSF, IFN-γ, and TNF-α was increased in CYNK-101 co-cultured with the tumor cell lines in the presence of daratumumab for 24h (n=5 donors, p<0.05). When cocultured with mixed LP-1 and CD38 + normal B-cells, CYNK-101 in combination with daratumumab displayed specific cytotoxicity against LP-1, while sparing CD38 + normal B-cells even at an E:T ratio up to 100:1, demonstrating that CYNK-101 can distinguish CD38 + tumor cells from CD38 + normal cells. Additionally, despite expression of CD38 on CYNK-101 there was no NK fratricide observed when CYNK-101 were in combination with daratumumab.In vivo studies in the lymphoma xenograft model revealed a significant decrease in tumor burden as evidenced from bioluminescence imaging at day 28 (1 week after last CYNK-101 injection) for mice that received CYNK-101 in combination with daratumumab compared to vehicle control (p<0.001), CYNK-101 (p<0.05) and daratumumab (p<0.05). Furthermore, CYNK-101 in combination with daratumumab demonstrated an enhanced survival benefit with a median survival of 35 days versus a median survival of 28 days for the vehicle treated group (p<0.005).In summary, our results demonstrate enhanced in vitro and in vivo ADCC activities of CYNK-101 in combination with daratumumab against CD38 + hematological tumors and warrant further development of this combination therapy for these cancers. DisclosuresRaitman: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Gleason: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Rotondo: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. He: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Rousseva: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Guo: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Rana: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. van der Touw: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Ye: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Kang: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Hariri: Celularity Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Zhang: Celularity Inc.: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Ended employment in the past 24 months.

Enhancement of Binding Affinity of Anti-Hapten Polyclonal IgG Recognizing Mitragynine using Affinity Purification

Antibodies are glycoproteins found in peritoneal fluid, serum, and blood. The antibody-based assay has been used for broad applications such as immunodiagnostic and other biomedical applications. Depending on the intended application, a highly purified polyclonal antibody could be used as an alternative. Purification of antibodies from anti-sera has been proven as one of the methods to enhance the binding affinity of antibodies towards its antigen. We report herein the enhancement of the binding affinity of anti-hapten polyclonal IgG recognizing mitragynine using affinity purification. Serum from the terminal bleed of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits immunized with mitragynine conjugated with cationized– bovine serum albumin at methyl ester (C22-MG-cBSA), or aromatic ether modification (C9-MG-cBSA) were subjected to HiTrap Protein G affinity purification using fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The elution peak from chromatography fractions was analyzed using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot. Here, we report the binding of polyclonal antibodies produced from inoculation of either C22-MG-cBSA or C9-MG-cBSA immunogens of which mitragynine-ovalbumin (MG-OVA) was used as coating antigen in the ELISA assay. Non purified anti-sera from C22-MG-cBSA-inoculated rabbits showed higher titer than C9-MG-cBSA at 1/128 000 and 1/32 000 dilutions, respectively. The affinity of purified poly-IgGs from rabbits immunized with C22-MG-cBSA showed a mean Kd value of 7.965 × 10-6 μM, which was lower than those immunized with C9-MG-cBSA at mean Kd of 1.390 × 10-4 μM. In addition, the purified poly- IgGs showed higher binding towards MG-OVA than non-purified anti-sera at comparable protein concentrations. These results indicated that the higher binding affinity of purified polyclonal IgG is due to the reduced competition among polyclonal antibodies with non- IgG proteins that co-existed in the non-purified anti-sera after the affinity purification.

Epitope-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles for Rapid and Selective Detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies.

Rapid and inexpensive immunodiagnostic assays to monitor severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroconversion are essential for conducting large-scale COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance and profiling humoral responses against SARS-CoV-2 infections or immunizations. Herein, a colorimetic serological assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 IgGs in patients’ plasma was developed using short antigenic epitopes conjugated to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Four immunodominant linear B-cell epitopes, located on the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins of SARS-CoV-2, were characterized for their IgG binding affinity and used as highly specific biological motifs on the nanoparticle to recognize target antibodies. Specific bivalent binding between SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and epitope-functionalized AuNPs trigger nanoparticle aggregation, which manifests as a distinct optical transition in the AuNPs’ plasmon characteristics within 30 min of antibody introduction. Co-immobilization of two epitopes improved the assay sensitivity relative to single-epitope AuNPs with a limit of detection of 3.2 nM, commensurate with IgG levels in convalescent COVID-19-infected patients. A passivation strategy was further pursued to preserve the sensing response in human plasma medium. When tested against 35 clinical plasma samples of varying illness severity, the optimized nanosensor assay can successfully identify SARS-CoV-2 infection with 100% specificity and 83% sensitivity. As the epitopes are conserved within the circulating COVID-19 variants, the proposed platform holds great potential to serve as a cost-effective and highly specific alternative to classical immunoassays employing recombinant viral proteins. These epitope-enabled nanosensors further expand the serodiagnostic toolbox for COVID-19 epidemiological study, humoral response monitoring, or vaccine efficiency assessment.

Glycan engineering reveals interrelated effects of terminal galactose and core fucose on antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) has been identified as one of the potentially critical effector functions underlying the clinical efficacy of some therapeutic immunoglobin G1 (IgG1) antibodies. It has been well established that higher levels of afucosylated N-linked glycan structures on the Fc region enhance the IgG binding affinity to the FcγIIIa receptor and lead to increased ADCC activity. However, whether terminal galactosylation of an IgG1 impacts its ADCC activity is less understood. Here, we used a new strategy for glycan enrichment and remodeling to study the impact of terminal galactose on ADCC activity for therapeutic IgG1s. Our results indicate that the degree of influence of terminal galactose on in vitro ADCC activity depends on the presence or absence of the core fucose, which is typically linked to the first N-acetyl glucosamine residue of an N-linked glycosylation core structure. Specifically, terminal galactose on afucosylated IgG1 mAbs enhanced ADCC activity with impact coefficients (ADCC%/Gal%) more than 20, but had minimal influence on ADCC activity on fucosylated structures with impact coefficient in the range of 0.1-0.2. Knowledge gained here can be used to guide product and process development activities for biotherapeutic antibodies that require effector function for efficacy, and also highlight the complexity in modulating the immune response through N-linked glycosylation of antibodies.

Engineering High Affinity and Cleavage Resistant CD16 to Augment ADCC of Placental Hematopoietic Stem Cells-Derived Natural Killer Cells

Background: Celularity, Inc. is developing human placental hematopoietic stem cells-derived, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf, ex-vivo expanded and allogenic natural killer (PNK) cells for various hematological malignancies and solid tumors. NK cells play a central role in antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) through Fc receptor CD16 in monoclonal antibody mediated anti-tumor therapies. Two allelic forms of CD16 have been identified. The 158Val/Val form has shown to have higher IgG binding affinity compared to the 158Phe/Phe form.1 The high IgG binding allele are found in about 10-20% of the normal population.2,3 In addition, activation of NK cells induces CD16 shedding by matrix metalloprotease ADAM17 at 197Ser, thus limiting ADCC responses. A single mutation (Ser197Pro) prevents CD16 shedding and increases ADCC activity in NK cells.4 Since the antibody binding affinity and CD16 expression of PNK could vary with different donors, we hypothesize that expressing a high affinity (158Val) and proteinase cleavage resistant (197Pro) CD16 variant (CD16VP) augments anti-tumor ADCC activity. Methods: Lentivirus expressing CD16VP was used to transduce human placental CD34+ cells. After transduction, the cells were cultured in the presence of cytokines including thrombopoietin, SCF, Flt3 ligand, IL-7, IL-15 and IL-2, for 35 days to generate PNK-CD16VP cells. Non-transduced PNK cells (NT) served as a control. Expression of CD16VP was evaluated by activating cells with PMA/ionomycin to induce CD16 cleavage (CD16 shedding assay) followed by immunostaining with CD16 antibody and analyzed using flowcytometry. ADCC of PNK-CD16VP cells was assessed against Daratumumab (anti-CD38) or Rituximab (anti-CD20) opsonized lymphoma cell lines at various effector to target (E:T) ratios. IgG was used as ADCC control. In vivo anti-tumor activity was assessed in a Daudi disseminated Xenograft model in NSG mice. Luciferase-expressing Daudi cells (3x106) were intravenously (IV) administered at day 0, followed by PNK-CD16VP cells (10x106) IV at day 1 and day 3, and Daratumumab at day 3. Tumor burden in mice was monitored by Bioluminescence Imaging (BLI). Statistical differences between the groups were calculated using paired t-test using Prism. Results: Lentiviral transduction of CD16VP achieved high expression efficiency in multiple placental CD34+ donors. These cells expanded [7095 ± 2998 folds (n=8)] and differentiated into PNK cells (&amp;gt;90% CD56+CD3-) at day 35. PNK-CD16VP expressed 64.6 ± 10.3% (n=8) of CD16, while the NT expressed 12.1 ± 3.3% (n=8) CD16. PMA/ionomycin induced &amp;gt;89% shedding of CD16 in NT cells, while significantly less (&amp;lt;11%) CD16 shedding was observed in PNK-CD16VP cells. These results indicated that CD16VP was expressed and maintained throughout the culture process. In vitro ADCC assay demonstrated improved anti-tumor activity of PNK-CD16VP cells over NT cells against Daratumumab or Rituximab opsonized lymphoma cell lines. At 10:1 E:T ratio PNK-CD16VP cells elicited higher cytotoxicity compared to NT: 47 ± 13% against Daratumumab opsonized Daudi cells versus 25 ± 5% (n=5; p&amp;lt;0.05); 30 ± 13% against Daratumumab opsonized HS-Sultan cells versus 21 ± 14% (n=3; p&amp;lt;0.05); 30 ± 7% against Daratumumab opsonized Sudhl6 cells versus 16 ± 10% (n=3; p&amp;lt;0.05). Improved ADCC activities in PNK-CD16VP were also observed in other cell lines including Raji and Sudhl4 with Daratumumab and Rituximab antibodies. PNK-CD16VP were used to test anti-tumor ADCC in vivo using a disseminated Daudi Xenograft model. The preliminary data demonstrated that PNK-CD16VP combined with Daratumumab reduced BLI signal (&amp;gt;50%) compared to vehicle or Daratumumab alone at day 10 after treatment. This observation suggested that PNK-CD16VP demonstrated in vivo ADCC anti-tumor activity. Conclusions: In this study, we genetically modified PNK to express high affinity and cleavage resistant CD16 variant using lentivirus. The PNK-CD16VP cells demonstrated enhanced ADCC function against lymphoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Further development of PNK-CD16VP for immune-oncology therapeutics is warranted.

A single amino acid distorts the Fc γ receptor IIIb/CD16b structure upon binding immunoglobulin G1 and reduces affinity relative to CD16a

Therapeutic mAbs engage Fc γ receptor III (CD16) to elicit a protective cell-mediated response and destroy the target tissue. Newer drugs designed to bind CD16a with increased affinity surprisingly also elicit protective CD16b-mediated responses. However, it is unclear why IgG binds CD16a with more than 10-fold higher affinity than CD16b even though these receptors share more than 97% identity. Here we identified one residue, Gly-129, that contributes to the greater IgG binding affinity of CD16a. The CD16b variant D129G bound IgG1 Fc with 2-fold higher affinity than CD16a and with 90-fold higher affinity than the WT. Conversely, the binding affinity of CD16a-G129D was decreased 128-fold relative to WT CD16a and comparably to that of WT CD16b. The interaction of IgG1 Fc with CD16a, but not with CD16b, is known to be sensitive to the composition of the asparagine-linked carbohydrates (N-glycans) attached to the receptor. CD16a and CD16b-D129G displaying minimally processed oligomannose N-glycans bound to IgG1 Fc with about 5.2-fold increased affinity compared with variants with highly processed complex-type N-glycans. CD16b and the CD16a-G129D variant exhibited a smaller 1.9-fold affinity increase with oligomannose N-glycans. A model of glycosylated CD16b bound to IgG1 Fc determined to 2.2 Å resolution combined with a 250-ns all-atom molecular dynamics simulation showed that the larger Asp-129 residue deformed the Fc-binding surface. These results reveal how Asp-129 in CD16b affects its binding affinity for IgG1 Fc and suggest that antibodies engineered to engage CD16b with high affinity must accommodate the Asp-129 side chain.

IgG Glyco-Engineering to Improve IVIg Potency.

Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) are used in the treatment of different autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as immune thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia. One of the modes of action of IVIg is preventing phagocytosis of autoantibody-opsonized blood cells by saturation of the Fc-gamma receptors of macrophages in spleen and liver. IgG contains a fixed glycan, which is in most cases biantennary, at the asparagine residue at position 297 in the Fc tail. This glycan consists of a core structure of N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) and mannose groups, variably extended with core fucose, bisecting GlcNAc as well as terminal galactose and sialic acid. This structural glycan influences the binding affinity of IgG to Fc-gamma receptors. By glyco-engineering, we generated monoclonal IgG antibodies with different Fc-tail glycans and tested both their opsonizing and blocking capacity in a phagocytosis assay of IgG-opsonized erythrocytes with human monocyte-derived macrophages. In contrast to a lack of effect in opsono-phagocytosis, these IgG glycovariants differentially inhibited the uptake of opsonized erythrocytes. The level of bisecting GlcNAc and galactosylation had unexpectedly larger impact than core fucosylation, and suggest that targeted modifications different from the core fucose may well improve the immunomodulating efficacy of IVIg treatment.

D-Amino Acid Scan of Two Small Proteins.

A "D-scan" of two small proteins, the disulfide-rich Ecballium elaterium trypsin inhibitor II (EETI-II) and a minimized Z domain of protein A (Z33), is reported. For each protein, the stereochemistry of one amino acid at a time was inverted to generate a series of diastereomers. In much the same way an alanine scan determines necessary residues for protein function, the D-scan elucidated the critical stereocenters of the 30-residue EETI-II and the 33-residue Z33. The folding properties and activity of each variant were investigated. A total of 24 out of 30 EETI-II D-scan analogues folded to give a three-disulfide product. Of the 24 variants that folded, half were high-affinity trypsin inhibitors, and three were as active as the wild type (WT). Of these 12 active variants, most were substantially less stable to reduction than WT EETI-II (WT first reduction potential -270.0 ± 1.5 mV, WT second reduction potential -307.2 ± 1.1 mV). Similarly, ten Z33 analogues retained high binding affinity to IgG (KD < 250 nM, WT: 24 ± 1 nM) and 12 additional analogues had reduced but appreciable IgG binding affinity (KD between 250 nM and 2.5 μM). As with EETI-II, most Z33 analogues were substantially less stable than the WT (ΔG(H2O, 263 K) = 2.4 ± 1.2 kcal/mol). Collectively, our findings show that the D-scan is powerful new strategy for studying how the stereochemistry of amino acids affects the structure and function of proteins.

OR24 Recipient FCGR3A-158V homozygous genotype is associated with an increased risk of chronic lung allograft dysfunction

Aim Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) is a major obstacle in the long-term success of lung transplantation. Recipient natural killer (NK) cells substantially influence the immune response to the allografts. NK cells can respond to allograft via three distinct mechanisms: missing-self, induced-self, and antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC). NK cell ADCC is regulated by CD16 (FcRIIIa), a low-affinity cell-surface receptor for the Fc portion of IgG antibodies. CD16 is encoded byFCGR3A, which carries a functional single nucleotide polymorphism that substitutes phenylalanine (F) for valine (V) at residue 158. Despite identical levels of CD16 expression, 158V homozygotes have higher binding affinity for IgG compared with 158F homozygotes. We hypothesized that the recipients carrying high binding FCGR3A-158V variants would have worse outcome compared to the weakly binding FCGR3A-158F carriers. Methods We developed a melting curve based q-PCR method to analyze FCGR3A-V158F variants in a cohort of 252 lung transplant recipients. CLAD was determined by date of FEV1 or FVC drop to Results Numbers of recipients with FCGR3A-158 FF, VV, and VF genotypes are 107 (42%), 30 (12%) and 115 (46%), respectively. CLAD-free survival was shorter in the 158VV group (3.0 median years) than the 158FF group (6.0 median years, HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.7, P = 0.05) and VF group (5.3 median years, ns) (Figure). Conclusions We observed an association between theFCGR3A-158 VV genotype and worse CLAD-free survival. Recipients with this genotype would presumably have more NK cell-mediated ADCC activity and could be at increased risk of graft dysfunction in the context of donor-specific antibodies. Mechanistic studies and validation in other cohorts will be needed to determine the significance of this finding to lung transplant outcomes. Download : Download high-res image (64KB) Download : Download full-size image

S-layer fusion protein as a tool functionalizing emulsomes and CurcuEmulsomes for antibody binding and targeting

Selective targeting of tumor cells by nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems is highly desirable because it maximizes the drug concentration at the desired target while simultaneously protecting the surrounding healthy tissues. Here, we show a design for smart nanocarriers based on a biomimetic approach that utilizes the building principle of virus envelope structures. Emulsomes and CurcuEmulsomes comprising a tripalmitin solid core surrounded by phospholipid layers are modified by S-layer proteins that self-assemble into a two-dimensional array to form a surface layer. One significant advantage of this nanoformulation is that it increases the solubility of the lipophilic anti-cancer agent curcumin in the CurcuEmulsomes by a factor of 2700. In order to make the emulsomes specific for IgG, the S-layer protein is fused with two protein G domains. This S-layer fusion protein preserves its recrystallization characteristics, forming an ordered surface layer (square lattice with 13nm unit-by-unit distance). The GG domains are presented in a predicted orientation and exhibit a selective binding affinity for IgG.

Cynomolgus and pigtail macaque IgG subclasses: characterization of IGHG genes and computational analysis of IgG/Fc receptor binding affinity

Macaques are the most widely used experimental nonhuman primate (NHP) species. Rhesus (Macaca mulatta, Macmul), cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis, Macfas), and pigtail (Macaca nemestrina, Macnem) macaques continue to be popular models for vaccine and infectious diseases research, especially HIV infection and AIDS, and for the development of antibody-based therapeutic strategies. Increased understanding of the immune system of these species is necessary for their optimal use as models of human infections and intervention. In the past few years, the antibody/Fc receptor system has been characterized in a stepwise manner in these species. We have continued this characterization by identifying the four IG heavy gamma (IGHG) genes of Macfas and Macnem in this study. Our results show that these genes share a high degree of similarity with those from other NHP species, while presenting consistent differences when compared to human IGHG genes. Furthermore, comparison of Macfas IGHG genes with those described in other studies suggests the existence of polymorphism. Using sequence- and structure-based computational tools, we performed in silico analysis on multiple polymorphic Macfas IgG and their interactions with human IgG Fc receptors (FcγR), thus predicting that Macfas IGHG polymorphisms influence IgG protein stability and/or binding affinity towards FcγR. The presence of macaque IGHG polymorphisms and macaque/human amino acid changes at locations potentially involved in antibody functional properties indicate the need for cautious design and data interpretation of studies in these models, possibly requiring the characterization of antibody/Fc receptor interactions at the individual level.

Thermodynamic Analysis of the Binding of 2F5 (Fab and Immunoglobulin G Forms) to Its gp41 Epitope Reveals a Strong Influence of the Immunoglobulin Fc Region on Affinity

Immunotherapies and vaccines based on the induction of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (bNAbs) have become outstanding strategies against HIV-1. Diverse bNAbs recognizing different regions of the HIV-1 envelope have been identified and extensively studied. However, there is little information about the thermodynamics of binding of these bNAbs and their epitopes. We used isothermal titration calorimetry to characterize thermodynamically the interactions between bNAb2F5 (in both the IgG and Fab forms) and its functional and core epitope peptides. We found that these interactions are enthalpically driven and opposed by a negative entropy change. The highest affinity was found for 2F5 IgG for its functional epitope, indicating that additional interactions involving residues flanking the core epitope contribute strongly to higher affinity. In addition, the strong influence of the Fc region on the binding affinity suggests long-range allosteric effects within IgG. Our results provide useful information for developing new therapeutics against HIV-1 and, in a broader scope, contribute to a better understanding of antigen-antibody recognition.

Fc-gamma receptor polymorphisms as predictive and prognostic factors in patients receiving oncolytic adenovirus treatment

BackgroundOncolytic viruses have shown potential as cancer therapeutics, but not all patients seem to benefit from therapy. Polymorphisms in Fc gamma receptors (FcgRs) lead to altered binding affinity of IgG between the receptor allotypes and therefore contribute to differences in immune defense mechanisms. Associations have been identified between FcgR polymorphisms and responsiveness to different immunotherapies. Taken together with the increasing understanding that immunological factors might determine the efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy we studied whether FcgR polymorphisms would have prognostic and/or predictive significance in the context of oncolytic adenovirus treatments.Methods235 patients with advanced solid tumors were genotyped for two FcgR polymorphisms, FcgRIIa-H131R (rs1801274) and FcgRIIIa-V158F (rs396991), using TaqMan based qPCR. The genotypes were correlated with patient survival and tumor imaging data.ResultsIn patients treated with oncolytic adenoviruses, overall survival was significantly shorter if the patient had an FcgRIIIa-VV/ FcgRIIa-HR (VVHR) genotype combination (P = 0,032). In contrast, patients with FFHR and FFRR genotypes had significantly longer overall survival (P = 0,004 and P = 0,006, respectively) if they were treated with GM-CSF-armed adenovirus in comparison to other viruses. Treatment of these patients with unarmed virus correlated with shorter survival (P < 0,0005 and P = 0,016, respectively). Treating FFHH individuals with CD40L-armed virus resulted in longer survival than treatment with other viruses (P = 0,047).ConclusionsOur data are compatible with the hypothesis that individual differences in effector cell functions, such as NK cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and tumor antigen presentation by APCs caused by polymorphisms in FcgRs could play role in the effectiveness of oncolytic virotherapies. If confirmed in larger populations, FcgR polymorphisms could have potential as prognostic and predictive biomarkers for oncolytic adenovirus therapies to enable better selection of patients for clinical trials. Also, putative associations between genotypes, different viruses and survival implicate potentially important mechanistic issues.

A novel assay for detecting virus-specific antibodies triggering activation of Fcγ receptors

IgG responses are crucial in antiviral defence and instrumental for the serodiagnosis of infections. Fcγ receptors (FcγRs), which recognize the Fc-part of IgG, differ regarding their IgG binding affinity, IgG subclass preference, cellular expression profile and pathogen elimination mechanisms elicited upon activation. Assessing their activation in vitro is of fundamental importance, but technically difficult. Therefore, a novel assay for measuring antiviral IgG antibodies triggering activation of individual host Fcγ receptors was established. The assay comprises the co-cultivation of virus-infected target cells with immune IgG antibodies and mouse BW5147 hybridoma cells stably expressing chimeric FcγR–CD3ζ chain molecules consisting of the extracellular domain of human FcγRIIIA, FcγRIIA or FcγRI, respectively, fused to the transmembrane and intracellular domains of the mouse CD3ζ chain. Triggering of the chimeric FcγR receptors by immune complexes formed on the surface of IgG-opsonized virus-infected target cells resulted in FcγR activation leading to IL-2 secretion by BW5147 cells, which was quantified as a surrogate marker in an ELISA. Target cells infected with various human pathogenic viruses including herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), measles virus (MV), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or displaying human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) gp120 evoke dose-dependent IgG responses demonstrating the universal applicability of the assay. Taken together, a new reliable and simple tool for measuring antibodies triggering activation of Fcγ receptors was established. This assay will be instrumental for defining novel correlates of IgG immunity and the design of new therapeutic IgGs.