Patent Application
20230050972
Fibrosis is a process of scarring that manifests itself in many tissues in the body, typically as a result of inflammation or tissue damage. Increased production of extracellular matrix results in organ failure and, often, death. Diseases associated with fibrosis account for approximately 45% of all deaths in industrialized nations (Wynn, T. A., 2008, J Pathol. 214:199-210). One such disease is Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). SSc is a complex autoimmune disease with a chronic progressive course and high interpatient variability. It is characterized by inflammation, vascular dysfunction and fibrosis. Fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs results in irreversible scarring and ultimately organ failure, accounting for high mortality. There is currently no approved targeted therapy with disease-modifying potential.
The present disclosure provides novel, function-blocking antibodies against type I collagen receptor integrin alpha 11 beta 1 (α11β1). The present disclosure also provides use of such antibodies to treat fibrotic disorders and/or cancers.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-443. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising a CDR sequence encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-207, 209, 211, 213, 216, 218, 220, 223, 225, 228, 233, 234, 236, 240, 241, 245, 247, 253, 255, 257, 259, 261, 265, 267, 269, 271, 275, 277, 279, 281, 283, 287, 289, 291, 293, 296, 300, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 325, 327, 329, 334, 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, 348, 351, 353, 355, 358, 360, 361, 364, 366, 368, 369, 374, 376, 377, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 387, 389, 392, 393, 396, 398, 400, 402, 405, 408, 411, 413-435, or 436-443. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising CDR1, CDR2, and CDR3 encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-206, or 413-435. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-114, 207-311 or 436-442, and 312-435 or 443. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises a CDR sequence encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-114, 207, 209, 211, 213, 216, 218, 220, 223, 225, 228, 233, 234, 236, 240, 241, 245, 247, 253, 255, 257, 259, 261, 265, 267, 269, 271, 275, 277, 279, 281, 283, 287, 289, 291, 293, 296, 300, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 325, 327, 329, 334, 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, 348, 351, 353, 355, 358, 360, 361, 364, 366, 368, 369, 374, 376, 377, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 387, 389, 392, 393, 396, 398, 400, 402, 405, 408, 411, 413-435, or 436-443. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises one or more CDR sequences encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-114, or 413-434. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises CDR1, CDR2, and CDR3 encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-114 or 413-434.
In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, is a monoclonal antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, is a humanized antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, reduces interaction of α11β1 with collagen in human α11β1-expressing cells. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, competes with an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, described herein.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a nucleic acid, comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, described herein. In some embodiments, a nucleic acid sequence comprises a sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-102.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a vector comprising a nucleic acid described herein.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a host cell comprising a nucleic acid described herein or a vector described herein.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of producing an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising culturing a host cell described herein under conditions suitable for expression of the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of treating a subject having or at risk of a fibrotic disorder, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, described herein. In some embodiments, a fibrotic disorder is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), chronic kidney disease, diabetic cardiomyopathy, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD/NASH), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or systemic sclerosis.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of treating a subject having or at risk of cancer, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, described herein. In some embodiments, the cancer is one or more of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, adrenocortical carcinoma, acute myeloid leukemia, bladder urothelial carcinoma, invasive breast carcinoma, cervical squamous cell carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal adenocarcinoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma multiforme, liver hepatocellular carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, skin cutaneous melanoma, mesothelioma, ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, prostate adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, stomach adenocarcinoma, testicular germ cell tumors, thymoma, thyroid carcinoma, uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma, uterine carcinosarcoma, uveal melanoma, kidney renal clear cell carcinoma, kidney chromophobe, and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma.
The present teachings described herein will be more fully understood from the following description of various illustrative embodiments, when read together with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings described below are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.
The present disclosure is based, in part, on the discovery of novel antibodies that selectively bind to α11β1. The disclosure also relates to nucleic acids encoding said antibodies and methods of use in the treatment of fibrosis and diseases comprising a fibrotic component.
Fibrosis is a process of scarring that manifests itself in many tissues in the body, typically as a result of inflammation or tissue damage. Increased production of extracellular matrix results in organ failure and, often, death. Diseases associated with fibrosis account for approximately 45% of all deaths in industrialized nations (Wynn, T. A., 2008, J Pathol. 214:199-210). One such disease is Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). SSc is a complex autoimmune disease with a chronic progressive course and high interpatient variability. It is characterized by inflammation, vascular dysfunction and fibrosis. Fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs results in irreversible scarring and ultimately organ failure, accounting for high mortality. There is currently no approved targeted therapy with disease-modifying potential.
The cells responsible for producing extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue repair (and in fibrosis) are a specialized type of fibroblasts called myofibroblasts (MF). Although mechanisms of fibrosis have been extensively studied, this complex process is far from well understood. In order to focus on the most important drivers of fibrosis, published patient-derived datasets (SSc patient data and normal controls) were interrogated using an in-house derived novel data analysis methodology. This analysis lead to the identification of the type I collagen-binding integrin alpha 11 beta 1 (α11β1) as one of the top targets for modulating fibrosis.
To this date, there are no truly disease-modifying therapeutics for fibrosis. Two of the approved therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), nintedanib and pirfenidone, work poorly and do not modify the disease, and there is no approved therapy for systemic sclerosis (SSc) to date. In some embodiments, a fibrotic disorder is or comprises idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), chronic kidney disease, diabetic cardiomyopathy, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD/NASH), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or systemic sclerosis (SSc). In some embodiments, a fibrotic disorder is or comprises atrial fibrosis, endomyocardial fibrosis, arthrofibrosis, mediastinal fibrosis, myelofibrosis, progressive massive fibrosis, retroperitoneal fibrosis or skeletal muscle fibrosis.
One clinical feature of the tumor microenvironment is the interaction between tumor and stroma, which mainly relies on various integrins that interact with ECM components as well as growth factors. Such interaction can influence tumor survival, progression and eventually metastasis. α11β1 has been reported to be overexpressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) of metastatic tumors, and its expression has been correlated with aggressive tumors in patients. For example, integrin α11 was overexpressed in the stroma of most head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) and correlated positively with alpha smooth muscle actin expression (Parajuli et al., J. Oral Pathol. Med. 46:267-275 (2017)). Integrin α11 was also overexpressed by CAFs in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) stroma (Schnittert et al., FASEB J. 33:6609-6621 (2019)). In addition, integrin α11β1 overexpression in the tumor stroma has been associated with tumor growth and metastatic potential of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and high expression of ITGA11 (gene encoding integrin alpha-11 in humans) was associated with lower recurrence-free survival in all NSCLC patients; the same study showed that all overexpression in lung cancer cell lines resulted in increased migration and invasion (Ando et al., Cancer Sci. 111:200-208 (2020)).
Integrins are a large family of type I transmembrane heterodimeric glycoprotein receptors and act as major receptors for cell adhesion. The integrin family of receptors plays key roles in modulating signal transduction pathways that control cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. There are 18 α and 8 β subunits, which combine to form 24 integrin heterodimers. Each integrin receptor comprises two non-covalently bound subunits, α and β. Integrins α1β1, α2β1, α10β1, and α11β1 are the primary collagen receptors. α and β subunits are transmembrane proteins with large, modular, extracellular domains, single transmembrane helices, and short cytoplasmic regions, which mediate cytoskeletal interactions. Extracellular domain of integrins are generally large, approximately 80-150 kDa structures. The extracellular domains can be seen as comprising a headpiece connected to two legs (see
Integrins can exist in three different conformations: 1) a resting, low affinity state (bent conformation,
As cell surface receptors, integrins sense the stiffness of the surrounding matrix, triggering the cells to further produce and remodel connective tissue, which can perpetuate a fibrotic phenotype. Many integrins are overexpressed in fibrosis, but it is not clear which alpha subunit is sufficient for fibrosis to occur. α11β1 integrin is specifically expressed on a subset of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts (i.e., terminal scar producing cells). Recent literature has provided strong evidence that α11β1 is one of the main drivers of a fibrotic phenotype in cardiac tissue, liver, lungs and kidney (Romaine, A. et. al. Overexpression of integrin alpha 11 induces cardiac fibrosis in mice. Acta Physiol February 2018, 222(2); Bansal, R. et. al. Integrin alpha 11 in the regulation of the myofibroblast phenotype: implications for fibrotic diseases. Exp Mol Med. 2017 November 17:49(11)). Blocking α11β1 function may inhibit myofibroblast differentiation and extracellular matrix deposition (i.e., the major event in scar formation) and blocking α11β1 function may provide a mechanism for local, injury-specific attenuation of fibrosis which could fundamentally change fibrotic microenvironment and modify disease progression in all diseases that have a fibrotic component.
In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, of the present disclosure reduces interaction of α11β1 with collagen in human α11β1-expressing cells. In some embodiments, reducing interaction of α11β1 with collagen in human α11β1-expressing cells comprises an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, interacting with α11β1 that is in a resting, low affinity state (bent conformation). In some embodiments, reducing interaction of α11β1 with collagen in human α11β1-expressing cells comprises an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, interacting with α11β1 that is in an extended, intermediate affinity state. In some embodiments, reducing interaction of α11β1 with collagen in human α11β1-expressing cells comprises an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, interacting with α11β1 that is in an extended, high affinity state.
The term “antibody” is used herein in the broadest sense and encompasses various antibody structures, including but not limited to monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal antibodies, multispecific antibodies (e.g., bispecific antibodies), and/or antibody fragments (preferably those fragments that exhibit the desired antigen-binding activity). An antibody described herein can be an immunoglobulin, heavy chain antibody, light chain antibody, LRR-based antibody, or other protein scaffold with antibody-like properties, as well as other immunological binding moiety known in the art, including, e.g., a Fab, Fab′, Fab′2, Fab2, Fab3, F(ab′)2, Fd, Fv, Feb, scFv, SMIP, antibody, diabody, triabody, tetrabody, minibody, maxibody, tandab, DVD, BiTe, TandAb, or the like, or any combination thereof. The subunit structures and three-dimensional configurations of different classes of antibodies are known in the art.
A “monoclonal antibody” or “mAb” refers to an antibody obtained from a population of substantially homogeneous antibodies, i.e., the individual antibodies comprising the population are identical and/or bind the same epitope, except for possible variant antibodies (e.g., containing naturally occurring mutations or arising during production of a monoclonal antibody preparation), such variants generally being present in minor amounts. In contrast to polyclonal antibody preparations, which typically include different antibodies directed against different determinants (epitopes), each monoclonal antibody of a monoclonal antibody preparation is directed against a single determinant on an antigen.
An “antigen-binding fragment” refers to a portion of an intact antibody that binds the antigen to which the intact antibody binds. An antigen-binding fragment of an antibody includes any naturally occurring, enzymatically obtainable, synthetic, or genetically engineered polypeptide or glycoprotein that specifically binds an antigen to form a complex. Exemplary antibody fragments include, but are not limited to, Fv, Fab, Fab′, Fab′-SH, F(ab′)2; diabodies; linear antibodies; single-chain antibody molecules (e.g. scFv or VHH or VH or VL domains only); and multispecific antibodies formed from antibody fragments. In some embodiments, the antigen-binding fragments of the antibodies described herein are scFvs. As with full antibody molecules, antigen-binding fragments may be mono-specific or multispecific (e.g., bispecific). A multispecific antigen-binding fragment of an antibody may comprise at least two different variable domains, wherein each variable domain is capable of specifically binding to a separate antigen or to a different epitope of the same antigen.
A “multispecific antibody” refers to an antibody comprising at least two different antigen binding domains that recognize and specifically bind to at least two different antigens. A “bispecific antibody” is a type of multispecific antibody and refers to an antibody comprising two different antigen binding domains that recognize and specifically bind to at least two different antigens.
A “different antigen” may refer to different and/or distinct proteins, polypeptides, or molecules; as well as different and/or distinct epitopes, which epitopes may be contained within one protein, polypeptide, or other molecule.
The term “epitope” refers to an antigenic determinant that interacts with a specific antigen binding site in the variable region of an antibody molecule known as a paratope. A single antigen may have more than one epitope. Thus, different antibodies may bind to different areas of an antigen and may have different biological effects. The term “epitope” also refers to a site of an antigen to which B and/or T cells respond. It also refers to a region of an antigen that is bound by an antibody. Epitopes may be defined as structural or functional. Functional epitopes are generally a subset of the structural epitopes and have those residues that directly contribute to the affinity of the interaction. Epitopes may also be conformational, that is, composed of non-linear amino acids. In certain embodiments, epitopes may include determinants that are chemically active surface groupings of molecules such as amino acids, sugar side chains, phosphoryl groups, or sulfonyl groups, and, in certain embodiments, may have specific three-dimensional structural characteristics, and/or specific charge characteristics.
As used herein, “selective binding”, “selectively binds” “specific binding”, or “specifically binds” refers, with respect to an antigen binding moiety and an antigen target, preferential association of an antigen binding moiety to an antigen target and not to an entity that is not the antigen target. A certain degree of non-specific binding may occur between an antigen binding moiety and a non-target. In some embodiments, an antigen binding moiety selectively binds an antigen target if binding between the antigen binding moiety and the antigen target is greater than 2-fold, greater than 5-fold, greater than 10-fold, or greater than 100-fold as compared with binding of the antigen binding moiety and a non-target. In some embodiments, an antigen binding moiety selectively binds an antigen target if the binding affinity is less than about 10−5 M, less than about 10−6 M, less than about 10−7 M, less than about 10−8 M, or less than about 10−9 M.
In some embodiments, antibodies or fragments thereof that selectively bind to an identical epitope or overlapping epitope that will often cross-compete for binding to an antigen. Thus, in some embodiments, the disclosure provides an antibody or fragment thereof that cross-competes with an exemplary antibody or fragment thereof as disclosed herein. In some embodiments, to “cross-compete”, “compete”, “cross-competition”, or “competition” means antibodies or fragments thereof compete for the same epitope or binding site on a target. Such competition can be determined by an assay in which the reference antibody or fragment thereof prevents or inhibits specific binding of a test antibody or fragment thereof, and vice versa. Numerous types of competitive binding assays can be used to determine if a test molecule competes with a reference molecule for binding. Examples of assays that can be employed include solid phase direct or indirect radioimmunoassay (RIA), solid phase direct or indirect enzyme immunoassay (EIA), sandwich competition assay (see, e.g., Stahli et al. (1983) Methods in Enzymology 9:242-253), solid phase direct biotin-avidin EIA (see, e.g., Kirkland et al., (1986) J. Immunol. 137:3614-9), solid phase direct labeled assay, solid phase direct labeled sandwich assay, Luminex (Jia et al. “A novel method of Multiplexed Competitive Antibody Binning for the characterization of monoclonal antibodies” J. Immunological Methods (2004) 288, 91-98) and surface plasmon resonance (Song et al. “Epitope Mapping of Ibalizumab, a Humanized Anti-CD4 Monoclonal Antibody with Anti-HIV-1 Activity in Infected Patients” J. Virol. (2010) 84, 6935-42). Usually, when a competing antibody or fragment thereof is present in excess, it will inhibit binding of a reference antibody or fragment thereof to a common antigen by at least 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, or 75%. In some instances, binding is inhibited by at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more.
An antibody can be an immunoglobulin molecule of four polypeptide chains, e.g., two heavy (H) chains and two light (L) chains. In some embodiments, a light chain is a lambda light chain. In some embodiments, a light chain is a kappa light chain. A heavy chain can include a heavy chain variable domain and a heavy chain constant domain. A heavy chain constant domain can include CH1, hinge, CH2, CH3, and in some instances CH4 regions. A light chain can include a light chain variable domain and a light chain constant domain. A light chain constant domain can include a CL.
A heavy chain variable domain of a heavy chain and a light chain variable domain of a light chain can typically be further subdivided into regions of variability, termed complementarity determining regions (CDRs), interspersed with regions that are more conserved, termed framework regions (FR). Such heavy chain and light chain variable domains can each include three CDRs and four framework regions, arranged from amino-terminus to carboxyl-terminus in the following order: FR1, CDR1, FR2, CDR2, FR3, CDR3, FR4, one or more of which can be engineered as described herein. The CDRs in a heavy chain are designated “CDRH1”, “CDRH2”, and “CDRH3”, respectively, and the CDRs in a light chain are designated “CDRL1”, “CDRL2”, and “CDRL3”.
There are five major classes of antibodies: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM, and several of these may be further divided into subclasses (isotypes), e.g., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA1, and IgA2. The heavy chain constant domains that correspond to the different classes of immunoglobulins are called α, δ, ε, γ, and μ, respectively.
Exemplary Antibodies
The present disclosure provides antibodies that can include various heavy chains and light chains described herein. In some embodiments, an antibody comprises two heavy chains and light chains. In some embodiments, the present disclosure encompasses an antibody including at least one heavy chain and/or light chain as disclosed herein, at least one heavy chain and/or light chain framework domain as disclosed herein, at least one heavy chain and/or light chain CDR domain as disclosed herein, and/or any heavy chain and/or light chain constant domain as disclosed herein.
In some embodiments, an antibody disclosed herein is a homodimeric monoclonal antibody. In some embodiments, an antibody disclosed herein is a heterodimeric antibody. In some embodiments, an antibody is, e.g., a typical antibody or a diabody, triabody, tetrabody, minibody, maxibody, tandab, DVD, BiTe, scFv, TandAb scFv, Fab, Fab2, Fab3, F(ab′)2, or the like, or any combination thereof.
The present disclosure provides, among other things, an anti-integrin alpha 11 beta 1 (α11β1) antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof. In some embodiments, an α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-443. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises a CDR sequence encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-207, 209, 211, 213, 216, 218, 220, 223, 225, 228, 233, 234, 236, 240, 241, 245, 247, 253, 255, 257, 259, 261, 265, 267, 269, 271, 275, 277, 279, 281, 283, 287, 289, 291, 293, 296, 300, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 325, 327, 329, 334, 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, 348, 351, 353, 355, 358, 360, 361, 364, 366, 368, 369, 374, 376, 377, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 387, 389, 392, 393, 396, 398, 400, 402, 405, 408, 411, 413-435, or 436-443. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises CDR1, CDR2, and CDR3 encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-206, or 413-435. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-114, 207-311 or 436-442, and 312-435 or 443. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises a CDR sequence encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-114, 207, 209, 211, 213, 216, 218, 220, 223, 225, 228, 233, 234, 236, 240, 241, 245, 247, 253, 255, 257, 259, 261, 265, 267, 269, 271, 275, 277, 279, 281, 283, 287, 289, 291, 293, 296, 300, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 325, 327, 329, 334, 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, 348, 351, 353, 355, 358, 360, 361, 364, 366, 368, 369, 374, 376, 377, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 387, 389, 392, 393, 396, 398, 400, 402, 405, 408, 411, 413-435, or 436-443. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises one or more CDR sequences encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-114, or 413-434. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises CDR1, CDR2, and CDR3 encompassed within any one of SEQ ID NO: 103-114, or 413-434. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, is a monoclonal antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof. In some embodiments, an anti-α11 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, is a humanized antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof. In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, reduces interaction of α11β1 with collagen in human α11β1-expressing cells. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, that competes with an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-443. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, that competes with an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-443.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising a heavy chain provided herein and a light chain provided herein. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising a heavy chain variable domain provided herein and a light chain variable region provided herein. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising a specific combination of heavy chain variable domain and light chain variable domain. For example, in some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprises a combination of heavy chain variable domain and light chain variable domain selected from Table 1.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising between 1 and 30 (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, or more) additions, deletions, or substitutions relative to an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, wherein the anti-α11β1 antibody comprises an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-158, 413, 414 and 421-434 and, e.g., the antibody or fragment selectively binds α11β1. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising between 1 and 30 additions, deletions, or substitutions relative to an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, wherein the anti-α11β1 antibody comprises an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-114, 413, 414 and 421-434 and, e.g., the antibody or fragment selectively binds α11β1. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-158, 413, 414 and 421-434 and, e.g., the antibody or fragment selectively binds α11β1. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identity to an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-114, 413, 414 and 421-434 and, e.g., the antibody or fragment selectively binds α11β1.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising between 1 and 90 (e.g., between 1 and 50, e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more) additions, deletions, or substitutions relative to an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, wherein the anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof comprises an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 159-206 and 415-420 and, e.g., the antibody or fragment selectively binds α11β1. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 159-206 and 415-420 and, e.g., the antibody or fragment selectively binds α11β1.
In some embodiments, the disclosure provides an antibody or fragment thereof that selectively binds α11β1, wherein the antibody or fragment comprises one or more CDR sequences depicted in the list of exemplary sequences provided herein. For example, in some embodiments, an antibody or fragment thereof comprises one or more CDRs from SEQ ID NOs: 103-114. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides an antibody or fragment thereof that selectively binds α11β1, wherein the antibody or fragment comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identical to one or more CDRs from SEQ ID NOs: 103-114. In some embodiments, an antibody or fragment comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identity to one of SEQ ID NOs: 103-114, wherein the antibody comprises one or more CDRs depicted in one of SEQ ID NOs: 103-114. For example, the antibody or fragment comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 103, wherein the antibody comprises one or more CDRs (e.g., 1, 2, or 3 CDRs) depicted in SEQ ID NO:103.
In some embodiments, the disclosure provides an antibody or fragment thereof that selectively binds α11β1, wherein the antibody or fragment comprises one or more CDR sequences depicted in the list of exemplary sequences provided herein. For example, in some embodiments, an antibody or fragment thereof comprises one or more CDRs from SEQ ID NOs: 103-207, 209, 211, 213, 216, 218, 220, 223, 225, 228, 233, 234, 236, 240, 241, 245, 247, 253, 255, 257, 259, 261, 265, 267, 269, 271, 275, 277, 279, 281, 283, 287, 289, 291, 293, 296, 300, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 325, 327, 329, 334, 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, 348, 351, 353, 355, 358, 360, 361, 364, 366, 368, 369, 374, 376, 377, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 387, 389, 392, 393, 396, 398, 400, 402, 405, 408, 411, 413-435, or 436-443. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides an antibody or fragment thereof that selectively binds α11β1, wherein the antibody or fragment comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identical to one or more CDRs from SEQ ID NOs: 103-207, 209, 211, 213, 216, 218, 220, 223, 225, 228, 233, 234, 236, 240, 241, 245, 247, 253, 255, 257, 259, 261, 265, 267, 269, 271, 275, 277, 279, 281, 283, 287, 289, 291, 293, 296, 300, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 325, 327, 329, 334, 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, 348, 351, 353, 355, 358, 360, 361, 364, 366, 368, 369, 374, 376, 377, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 387, 389, 392, 393, 396, 398, 400, 402, 405, 408, 411, 413-435, or 436-443. In some embodiments, an antibody or fragment comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identity to one of SEQ ID NOs: 103-207, 209, 211, 213, 216, 218, 220, 223, 225, 228, 233, 234, 236, 240, 241, 245, 247, 253, 255, 257, 259, 261, 265, 267, 269, 271, 275, 277, 279, 281, 283, 287, 289, 291, 293, 296, 300, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 325, 327, 329, 334, 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, 348, 351, 353, 355, 358, 360, 361, 364, 366, 368, 369, 374, 376, 377, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 387, 389, 392, 393, 396, 398, 400, 402, 405, 408, 411, 413-435, or 436-443, wherein the antibody comprises one or more CDRs depicted in one of SEQ ID NOs: 103-207, 209, 211, 213, 216, 218, 220, 223, 225, 228, 233, 234, 236, 240, 241, 245, 247, 253, 255, 257, 259, 261, 265, 267, 269, 271, 275, 277, 279, 281, 283, 287, 289, 291, 293, 296, 300, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 325, 327, 329, 334, 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, 348, 351, 353, 355, 358, 360, 361, 364, 366, 368, 369, 374, 376, 377, 379, 380, 381, 383, 384, 385, 387, 389, 392, 393, 396, 398, 400, 402, 405, 408, 411, 413-435, or 436-443. For example, the antibody or fragment comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 103, wherein the antibody comprises one or more CDRs (e.g., 1, 2, or 3 CDRs) depicted in SEQ ID NO:103.
The present disclosure provides, among other things, methods of making an anti-α11β1 antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof. Methods of making antibodies are known in the art. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides methods of producing an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising culturing a host cell comprising a nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-102 under conditions suitable for expression of the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof.
Exemplary Nucleotide Sequences
The present disclosure includes nucleotide sequences encoding one or more heavy chains, heavy chain variable domains, heavy chain framework regions, heavy chain CDRs, heavy chain constant domains, light chains, light chain variable domains, light chain framework regions, light chain CDRs, light chain constant domains, or other immunoglobulin-like sequences, antibodies, or binding molecules disclosed herein. In some embodiments, such nucleotide sequences may be present in a vector. In some embodiments such nucleotides may be present in the genome of a cell, e.g., a cell of a subject in need of treatment or a cell for production of an antibody, e.g. a mammalian cell for production of a an antibody.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-206. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, comprising an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 103-114. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-102. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a vector comprising a nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-102. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a host cell comprising a nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-102. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a vector comprising a nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-102.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99% sequence identity a nucleic acid sequence selected from a group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1-102.
The binding properties of an antibody described herein to α11β1 can be measured by methods known in the art, e.g., one of the following methods: BIACORE analysis, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), x-ray crystallography, sequence analysis and scanning mutagenesis. The binding interaction of an antibody and α11β1 can be analyzed using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). SPR or Biomolecular Interaction Analysis (BIA) detects bio-specific interactions in real time, without labeling any of the interactants. Changes in the mass at the binding surface (indicative of a binding event) of the BIA chip result in alterations of the refractive index of light near the surface. The changes in the refractivity generate a detectable signal, which are measured as an indication of real-time reactions between biological molecules. Methods for using SPR are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,640; Raether (1988) Surface Plasmons Springer Verlag; Sjolander and Urbaniczky (1991) Anal. Chem. 63:2338-2345; Szabo et al. (1995) Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 5:699-705 and on-line resources provide by BIAcore International AB (Uppsala, Sweden). Additionally, a KinExA® (Kinetic Exclusion Assay) assay, available from Sapidyne Instruments (Boise, Id.) can also be used.
Information from SPR can be used to provide an accurate and quantitative measure of the equilibrium dissociation constant (KD), and kinetic parameters, including Kon and Koff, for the binding of an antibody to α11β1. Such data can be used to compare different molecules. Information from SPR can also be used to develop structure-activity relationships (SAR). Variant amino acids at given positions can be identified that correlate with particular binding parameters, e.g., high affinity.
In certain embodiments, an antibody described herein exhibits high affinity for binding α11β1. In various embodiments, KD of an antibody as described herein for α11β1 is less than about 10−4, 10−5, 10−6, 10−7, 10−8, 10−9, 10−10, 10−11, 10−12, 10−13, 10−14, or 10−15 M. In certain instances, KD of an antibody as described herein for α11β1 is between 0.001 and 1 nM, e.g., 0.001 nM, 0.005 nM, 0.01 nM, 0.05 nM, 0.1 nM, 0.5 nM, or 1 nM.
In some embodiments, one or more anti-α11β1 antibodies described herein are used in a method of treating one or more disorders described herein, e.g., one or more fibrotic disorders and/or one or more cancers. In some embodiments, the method comprises administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, described herein. In some embodiments, a fibrotic disorder is or comprises idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), chronic kidney disease, diabetic cardiomyopathy, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD/NASH), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or systemic sclerosis. In some embodiments, a fibrotic disorder is or comprises atrial fibrosis, endomyocardial fibrosis, arthrofibrosis, mediastinal fibrosis, myelofibrosis, progressive massive fibrosis, retroperitoneal fibrosis or skeletal muscle fibrosis.
In some embodiments, one or more anti-α11β1 antibodies described herein are used in a method of treating cancer, such as one or more of the following: head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, adrenocortical carcinoma, acute myeloid leukemia, bladder urothelial carcinoma, invasive breast carcinoma, cervical squamous cell carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal adenocarcinoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma multiforme, liver hepatocellular carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, skin cutaneous melanoma, mesothelioma, ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, prostate adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, stomach adenocarcinoma, testicular germ cell tumors, thymoma, thyroid carcinoma, uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma, uterine carcinosarcoma, uveal melanoma, kidney renal clear cell carcinoma, kidney chromophobe, and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma.
In some embodiments, an anti-α11β1 antibody described herein is administered in combination with one or more additional therapeutic agents, such as a chemotherapeutic agent or an oncolytic therapeutic agent. “Combination therapy”, as used herein, refers to those situations in which two or more different pharmaceutical agents are administered in overlapping regimens so that the subject is simultaneously exposed to both agents. When used in combination therapy, two or more different agents may be administered simultaneously or separately. Administration in combination can include simultaneous administration of the two or more agents in the same dosage form, simultaneous administration in separate dosage forms, and separate administration. That is, two or more agents can be formulated together in the same dosage form and administered simultaneously. Alternatively, two or more agents can be simultaneously administered, wherein the agents are present in separate formulations. In another alternative, a first agent can be administered just followed by one or more additional agents. In the separate administration protocol, two or more agents may be administered a few minutes apart, or a few hours apart, or a few days apart.
As used herein, the term “chemotherapeutic agent” or “oncolytic therapeutic agent” (e.g., anti-cancer drug, e.g., anti-cancer therapy, e.g., immune cell therapy) has its art-understood meaning referring to one or more pro-apoptotic, cytostatic and/or cytotoxic agents, and/or hormonal agents, for example, specifically including agents utilized and/or recommended for use in treating one or more diseases, disorders or conditions associated with undesirable cell proliferation. In some embodiments, a chemotherapeutic agent and/or oncolytic therapeutic agent may be or comprise platinum compounds (e.g., cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin), alkylating agents (e.g., cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, chlorambucil, nitrogen mustard, thiotepa, melphalan, busulfan, procarbazine, streptozocin, temozolomide, dacarbazine, and bendamustine), antitumor antibiotics (e.g., daunorubicin, doxorubicin, idarubicin, epirubicin, mitoxantrone, bleomycin, mytomycin C, plicamycin, and dactinomycin), taxanes (e.g., paclitaxel and docetaxel), antimetabolites (e.g., 5-fluorouracil, cytarabine, premetrexed, thioguanine, floxuridine, capecitabine, and methotrexate), nucleoside analogues (e.g., fludarabine, clofarabine, cladribine, pentostatin, and nelarabine), topoisomerase inhibitors (e.g., topotecan and irinotecan), hypomethylating agents (e.g., azacitidine and decitabine), proteosome inhibitors (e.g., bortezomib), epipodophyllotoxins (e.g., etoposide and teniposide), DNA synthesis inhibitors (e.g., hydroxyurea), vinca alkaloids (e.g., vicristine, vindesine, vinorelbine, and vinblastine), tyrosine kinase inhibitors (e.g., imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib, sorafenib, and sunitinib), nitrosoureas (e.g., carmustine, fotemustine, and lomustine), hexamethylmelamine, mitotane, angiogenesis inhibitors (e.g., thalidomide and lenalidomide), steroids (e.g., prednisone, dexamethasone, and prednisolone), hormonal agents (e.g., tamoxifen, raloxifene, leuprolide, bicaluatmide, granisetron, and flutamide), aromatase inhibitors (e.g., letrozole and anastrozole), arsenic trioxide, tretinoin, nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitors (e.g., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, salicylates, aspirin, piroxicam, ibuprofen, indomethacin, naprosyn, diclofenac, tolmetin, ketoprofen, nabumetone, and oxaprozin), selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, or any combination thereof.
In certain embodiments, chemotherapeutic agents and/or oncolytic therapeutic agents for anti-cancer treatment comprise biological agents such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, CAR T-cells, antibodies, antigens, therapeutic vaccines (e.g., made from a patient's own tumor cells or other substances such as antigens that are produced by certain tumors), immune-modulating agents (e.g., cytokines, e.g., immunomodulatory drugs or biological response modifiers), checkpoint inhibitors or other immunologic agents. In certain embodiments, immunologic agents include immunoglobins, immunostimulants (e.g., bacterial vaccines, colony stimulating factors, interferons, interleukins, therapeutic vaccines, vaccine combinations, viral vaccines) and/or immunosuppressive agents (e.g., calcineurin inhibitors, interleukin inhibitors, TNF alpha inhibitors). In certain embodiments, hormonal agents include agents for anti-androgen therapy (e.g., Ketoconazole, ABiraterone, TAK-700, TOK-OOl, Bicalutamide, Nilutamide, Flutamide, Enzalutamide, ARN-509).
Additional chemotherapeutic agents and/or oncolytic therapeutic agents include immune checkpoint therapeutics (e.g., pembrolizumab, nivolumab, ipilimumab, atezolizumab, avelumab, durvalumab, tremelimumab, or cemiplimab), other monoclonal antibodies (e.g., rituximab, cetuximab, panetumumab, tositumomab, trastuzumab, alemtuzumab, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, bevacizumab, catumaxomab, denosumab, obinutuzumab, ofatumumab, ramucirumab, pertuzumab, nimotuzumab, lambrolizumab, pidilizumab, siltuximab, BMS-936559, RG7446/MPDL3280A, MEDI4736), antibody-drug conjugates (e.g., brentuximab vedotin (ADCETRIS®, Seattle Genetics); ado-trastuzumab emtansine (KADCYLA®, Roche); Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Wyeth); CMC-544; SAR3419; CDX-011; PSMA-ADC; BT-062; and IMGN901 (see, e.g., Sassoon et al., Methods Mol. Biol. 1045:1-27 (2013); Bouchard et al., Bioorganic Med. Chem. Lett. 24: 5357-5363 (2014)), or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, combined administration of an anti-α11β1 antibody and an additional therapeutic agent results in an improvement in cancer to an extent that is greater than one produced by either the anti-α11β1 antibody or the additional therapeutic agent alone. The difference between the combined effect and the effect of each agent alone can be a statistically significant difference. In some embodiments, the combined effect can be a synergistic effect. In some embodiments, combined administration of an anti-α11β1 antibody and an additional therapeutic agent allows administration of the additional therapeutic agent at a reduced dose, at a reduced number of doses, and/or at a reduced frequency of dosage compared to a standard dosing regimen, e.g., an approved dosing regimen for the additional therapeutic agent.
In some embodiments, treatment methods described herein are performed on subjects for whom other treatments of the medical condition have failed or have had less success in treatment through other means. Additionally, the treatment methods described herein can be performed in conjunction with one or more additional treatments of the medical condition. For instance, the method can comprise administering a cancer regimen, e.g., non-myeloablative chemotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy, and/or radiation, prior to, substantially simultaneously with, or after the administration of an anti-α11β1 antibody described herein, or composition thereof.
In various embodiments, an antibody described herein can be incorporated into a pharmaceutical composition. Such a pharmaceutical composition can be useful, e.g., for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases, e.g., fibrotic disorders. Pharmaceutical compositions can be formulated by methods known to those skilled in the art (such as described in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 17th edition, ed. Alfonso R. Gennaro, Mack Publishing Company, Easton, Pa. (1985)).
In some embodiments, a pharmaceutical composition can be formulated to include a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include, without limitation, any and all solvents, dispersion media, coatings, antibacterial and antifungal agents, isotonic and absorption delaying agents, and the like that are physiologically compatible. Compositions of the present invention can include a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, e.g., an acid addition salt or a base addition salt.
In some embodiments, a composition including an antibody as described herein, e.g., a sterile formulation for injection, can be formulated in accordance with conventional pharmaceutical practices using distilled water for injection as a vehicle. For example, physiological saline or an isotonic solution containing glucose and other supplements such as D-sorbitol, D-mannose, D-mannitol, and sodium chloride may be used as an aqueous solution for injection, optionally in combination with a suitable solubilizing agent, such as, for example, an alcohol such as ethanol and/or a polyalcohol such as propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol, and/or a nonionic surfactant such as polysorbate 80™ or HCO-50.
As disclosed herein, a pharmaceutical composition may be in any form known in the art. Such forms include, e.g., liquid, semi-solid and solid dosage forms, such as liquid solutions (e.g., injectable and infusible solutions), dispersions or suspensions, tablets, pills, powders, liposomes and suppositories.
Selection or use of any particular form may depend, in part, on the intended mode of administration and therapeutic application. For example, compositions containing a composition intended for systemic or local delivery can be in the form of injectable or infusible solutions. Accordingly, compositions can be formulated for administration by a parenteral mode (e.g., intravenous, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, or intramuscular injection). As used herein, parenteral administration refers to modes of administration other than enteral and topical administration, usually by injection, and include, without limitation, intravenous, intranasal, intraocular, pulmonary, intramuscular, intraarterial, intrathecal, intracapsular, intraorbital, intracardiac, intradermal, intrapulmonary, intraperitoneal, transtracheal, subcutaneous, subcuticular, intraarticular, subcapsular, subarachnoid, intraspinal, epidural, intracerebral, intracranial, intracarotid and intrasternal injection and infusion.
Route of administration can be parenteral, for example, administration by injection, transnasal administration, transpulmonary administration, or transcutaneous administration. Administration can be systemic or local by intravenous injection, intramuscular injection, intraperitoneal injection, or subcutaneous injection.
In some embodiments, a pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can be formulated as a solution, microemulsion, dispersion, liposome, or other ordered structure suitable for stable storage at high concentration. Sterile injectable solutions can be prepared by incorporating a composition described herein in the required amount in an appropriate solvent with one or a combination of ingredients enumerated above, as required, followed by filter sterilization. Generally, dispersions are prepared by incorporating a composition described herein into a sterile vehicle that contains a basic dispersion medium and the required other ingredients from those enumerated above. In the case of sterile powders for the preparation of sterile injectable solutions, methods for preparation include vacuum drying and freeze-drying that yield a powder of a composition described herein plus any additional desired ingredient (see below) from a previously sterile-filtered solution thereof. The proper fluidity of a solution can be maintained, for example, by the use of a coating such as lecithin, by the maintenance of the required particle size in the case of dispersion and by the use of surfactants. Prolonged absorption of injectable compositions can be brought about by including in the composition a reagent that delays absorption, for example, monostearate salts, and gelatin.
A pharmaceutical composition can be administered parenterally in the form of an injectable formulation comprising a sterile solution or suspension in water or another pharmaceutically acceptable liquid. For example, the pharmaceutical composition can be formulated by suitably combining the therapeutic molecule with pharmaceutically acceptable vehicles or media, such as sterile water and physiological saline, vegetable oil, emulsifier, suspension agent, surfactant, stabilizer, flavoring excipient, diluent, vehicle, preservative, binder, followed by mixing in a unit dose form required for generally accepted pharmaceutical practices. The amount of active ingredient included in a pharmaceutical preparation is such that a suitable dose within the designated range is provided. Non-limiting examples of oily liquid include sesame oil and soybean oil, and may be combined with benzyl benzoate or benzyl alcohol as a solubilizing agent. Other items that may be included are a buffer such as a phosphate buffer, or sodium acetate buffer, a soothing agent such as procaine hydrochloride, a stabilizer such as benzyl alcohol or phenol, and an antioxidant. A formulated injection can be packaged in a suitable ampule.
In various embodiments, subcutaneous administration can be accomplished by means of a device, such as a syringe, a prefilled syringe, an auto-injector (e.g., disposable or reusable), a pen injector, a patch injector, a wearable injector, an ambulatory syringe infusion pump with subcutaneous infusion sets, or other device for combining with antibody drug for subcutaneous injection.
An injection system of the present disclosure may employ a delivery pen as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,341. Pen devices, most commonly used for self-delivery of insulin to patients with diabetes, are well known in the art. Such devices can comprise at least one injection needle (e.g., a 31 gauge needle of about 5 to 8 mm in length), are typically prefilled with one or more therapeutic unit doses of a therapeutic solution, and are useful for rapidly delivering solution to a subject with as little pain as possible. One medication delivery pen includes a vial holder into which a vial of a therapeutic or other medication may be received. The pen may be an entirely mechanical device or it may be combined with electronic circuitry to accurately set and/or indicate the dosage of medication that is injected into the user. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,891. In some embodiments, the needle of the pen device is disposable and the kits include one or more disposable replacement needles. Pen devices suitable for delivery of any one of the presently featured compositions are also described in, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,277,099; 6,200,296; and 6,146,361, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. A microneedle-based pen device is described in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,556,615, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. See also the Precision Pen Injector (PPI) device, MOLLY™, manufactured by Scandinavian Health Ltd.
In some embodiments, a composition described herein can be therapeutically delivered to a subject by way of local administration. As used herein, “local administration” or “local delivery,” can refer to delivery that does not rely upon transport of the composition or agent to its intended target tissue or site via the vascular system. For example, the composition may be delivered by injection or implantation of the composition or agent or by injection or implantation of a device containing the composition or agent. In certain embodiments, following local administration in the vicinity of a target tissue or site, the composition or agent, or one or more components thereof, may diffuse to an intended target tissue or site that is not the site of administration.
In some embodiments, a composition can be formulated for storage at a temperature below 0° C. (e.g., −20° C. or −80° C.). In some embodiments, the composition can be formulated for storage for up to 2 years (e.g., one month, two months, three months, four months, five months, six months, seven months, eight months, nine months, 10 months, 11 months, 1 year, 1½ years, or 2 years) at 2-8° C. (e.g., 4° C.). Thus, in some embodiments, the compositions described herein are stable in storage for at least 1 year at 2-8° C. (e.g., 4° C.).
In some embodiments, a pharmaceutical composition can be formulated as a solution. In some embodiments, a composition can be formulated, for example, as a buffered solution at a concentration suitable for storage at 2-8° C. (e.g., 4° C.).
Compositions including one or more antibodies as described herein can be formulated in immunoliposome compositions. Such formulations can be prepared by methods known in the art. Liposomes with enhanced circulation time are disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,556.
In certain embodiments, compositions can be formulated with a carrier that will protect the compound against rapid release, such as a controlled release formulation, including implants and microencapsulated delivery systems. Biodegradable, biocompatible polymers can be used, such as ethylene vinyl acetate, polyanhydrides, polyglycolic acid, collagen, polyorthoesters, and polylactic acid. Many methods for the preparation of such formulations are known in the art. See, e.g., J. R. Robinson (1978) “Sustained and Controlled Release Drug Delivery Systems,” Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York.
In some embodiments, administration of an antibody as described herein is achieved by administering to a subject a nucleic acid encoding the antibody. Nucleic acids encoding a therapeutic antibody described herein can be incorporated into a gene construct to be used as a part of a gene therapy protocol to deliver nucleic acids that can be used to express and produce antibody within cells. Expression constructs of such components may be administered in any therapeutically effective carrier, e.g. any formulation or composition capable of effectively delivering the component gene to cells in vivo. Approaches include insertion of the subject gene in viral vectors including recombinant retroviruses, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, lentivirus, and herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), or recombinant bacterial or eukaryotic plasmids. Viral vectors can transfect cells directly; plasmid DNA can be delivered with the help of, for example, cationic liposomes (lipofectin) or derivatized, polylysine conjugates, gramicidin S, artificial viral envelopes or other such intracellular carriers, as well as direct injection of the gene construct or CaPO4 precipitation (see, e.g., WO04/060407). Examples of suitable retroviruses include pLJ, pZIP, pWE and pEM which are known to those skilled in the art (see, e.g., Eglitis et al. (1985) Science 230:1395-1398; Danos and Mulligan (1988) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:6460-6464; Wilson et al. (1988) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:3014-3018; Armentano et al. (1990) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87:6141-6145; Huber et al. (1991) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:8039-8043; Ferry et al. (1991) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:8377-8381; Chowdhury et al. (1991) Science 254:1802-1805; van Beusechem et al. (1992) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89:7640-7644; Kay et al. (1992) Human Gene Therapy 3:641-647; Dai et al. (1992) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89:10892-10895; Hwu et al. (1993) J Immunol 150:4104-4115; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,868,116 and 4,980,286; and PCT Publication Nos. WO89/07136, WO89/02468, WO89/05345, and WO92/07573). Another viral gene delivery system utilizes adenovirus-derived vectors (see, e.g., Berkner et al. (1988) BioTechniques 6:616; Rosenfeld et al. (1991) Science 252:431-434; and Rosenfeld et al. (1992) Cell 68:143-155). Suitable adenoviral vectors derived from the adenovirus strain Ad type 5 d1324 or other strains of adenovirus (e.g., Ad2, Ad3, Ad7, etc.) are known to those skilled in the art. Yet another viral vector system useful for delivery of the subject gene is the adeno-associated virus (AAV). See, e.g., Flotte et al. (1992) Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 7:349-356; Samulski et al. (1989) J Virol 63:3822-3828; and McLaughlin et al. (1989) J Virol 62:1963-1973.
In some embodiments, the compositions provided herein are present in unit dosage form, which unit dosage form can be suitable for self-administration. Such a unit dosage form may be provided within a container, typically, for example, a vial, cartridge, prefilled syringe or disposable pen. A doser such as the doser device described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,855, may also be used, for example, with an injection system as described herein.
A suitable dose of a composition described herein, which dose is capable of treating or preventing a disorder in a subject, can depend on a variety of factors including, e.g., the age, sex, and weight of a subject to be treated and the particular inhibitor compound used. For example, a different dose of one composition including an antibody as described herein may be required to treat a subject with a fibrotic disorder as compared to the dose of a different formulation of that antibody. Other factors affecting the dose administered to the subject include, e.g., the type or severity of the disorder. Other factors can include, e.g., other medical disorders concurrently or previously affecting the subject, the general health of the subject, the genetic disposition of the subject, diet, time of administration, rate of excretion, drug combination, and any other additional therapeutics that are administered to the subject. It should also be understood that a specific dosage and treatment regimen for any particular subject can also be adjusted based upon the judgment of the treating medical practitioner.
A composition described herein can be administered as a fixed dose, or in a milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) dose. In some embodiments, the dose can also be chosen to reduce or avoid production of antibodies or other host immune responses against one or more of the antigen-binding molecules in the composition. Exemplary dosages of an antibody, such as a composition described herein, include, e.g., 0.0001 to 100 mg/kg, 0.01 to 5 mg/kg, 1-1000 mg/kg, 1-100 mg/kg, 0.5-50 mg/kg, 0.1-100 mg/kg, 0.5-25 mg/kg, 1-20 mg/kg, and 1-10 mg/kg of the subject body weight. For example dosages can be 0.1 mg/kg, 0.3 mg/kg, 0.5 mg/kg, 1.0 mg/kg, 2.0 mg/kg, 3.0 mg/kg, 4.0 mg/kg, 5.0 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg body weight or within the range of 1-20 mg/kg body weight. An exemplary treatment regime entails administration once per week, once every two weeks, once every three weeks, once every four weeks, once a month, once every 3 months or once every three to 6 months, or with a short administration interval at the beginning (such as once per week to once every three weeks), and then an extended interval later (such as once a month to once every three to 6 months).
A pharmaceutical solution can include a therapeutically effective amount of a composition described herein. Such effective amounts can be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art based, in part, on the effect of the administered composition, or the combinatorial effect of the composition and one or more additional active agents, if more than one agent is used. A therapeutically effective amount of a composition described herein can also vary according to factors such as the disease state, age, sex, and weight of the individual, and the ability of the composition (and one or more additional active agents) to elicit a desired response in the individual, e.g., amelioration of at least one condition parameter, e.g., amelioration of at least one symptom of a fibrotic disorder. For example, a therapeutically effective amount of a composition described herein can inhibit (lessen the severity of or eliminate the occurrence of) and/or prevent a particular disorder, and/or any one of the symptoms of the particular disorder known in the art or described herein. A therapeutically effective amount is also one in which any toxic or detrimental effects of the composition are outweighed by the therapeutically beneficial effects.
Suitable human doses of any of the compositions described herein can further be evaluated in, e.g., Phase I dose escalation studies. See, e.g., van Gurp et al. (2008) Am J Transplantation 8(8):1711-1718; Hanouska et al. (2007) Clin Cancer Res 13(2, part 1):523-531; and Hetherington et al. (2006) Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 50(10): 3499-3500.
Toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of compositions can be determined by known pharmaceutical procedures in cell cultures or experimental animals (e.g., animal models of any of the fibrotic disorders described herein). These procedures can be used, e.g., for determining the LD50 (the dose lethal to 50% of the population) and the ED50 (the dose therapeutically effective in 50% of the population). The dose ratio between toxic and therapeutic effects is the therapeutic index and it can be expressed as the ratio LD50/ED50. A composition described herein that exhibits a high therapeutic index is preferred. While compositions that exhibit toxic side effects may be used, care should be taken to design a delivery system that targets such compounds to the site of affected tissue and to minimize potential damage to normal cells and, thereby, reduce side effects.
Those of skill in the art will appreciate that data obtained from cell culture assays and animal studies can be used in formulating a range of dosage for use in humans. Appropriate dosages of compositions described herein lie generally within a range of circulating concentrations of the compositions that include the ED50 with little or no toxicity. The dosage may vary within this range depending upon the dosage form employed and the route of administration utilized. For a composition described herein, the therapeutically effective dose can be estimated initially from cell culture assays. A dose can be formulated in animal models to achieve a circulating plasma concentration range that includes the IC50 (i.e., the concentration of the antibody which achieves a half-maximal inhibition of symptoms) as determined in cell culture. Such information can be used to more accurately determine useful doses in humans. Levels in plasma may be measured, for example, by high performance liquid chromatography. In some embodiments, e.g., where local administration (e.g., to the eye or a joint) is desired, cell culture or animal modeling can be used to determine a dose required to achieve a therapeutically effective concentration within the local site.
All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described herein.
The disclosure is further illustrated by the following examples. The examples are provided for illustrative purposes only. They are not to be construed as limiting the scope or content of the disclosure in any way.
Rat Immunization
Wistar rats were immunized with recombinant human α11β1 protein. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to test an immune response against target human and mouse proteins. Subsequently, cell fusion (by electro fusion) was performed with animals that produced a good immune response. All fused cells were plated in a 96-well plate and supernatants were screened by ELISA against soluble human and mouse α11β1. Positive clones were counter-screened against human α1β1, α2β1 and α10β1. Clones that specifically bound to human and mouse α11β1 and did not bind to α1β1, α2β1 and α10β1 were selected, subcloned, expanded and cryopreserved. Purified antibodies were then generated from the selected clones and heavy chain and light chain variable domain sequences were obtained from each purified antibody.
Rabbit Immunization
Rabbits were immunized employing a cell-based monoclonal antibody platform. Two rabbits were immunized with recombinant human α11β1 protein. Splenocytes from the immunized rabbits were sorted and selected against human β1, in order to reduce the number of β1-specific B cell clones. Sorted splenocytes were then cultured for approximately 1 week and culture supernatants were screened for binding to human α11β1. Top results were sequenced and subsequently rabbit antibodies were recombinantly produced using a HEK cell system.
Mouse Immunization
10 mice from 5 different strains were immunized with an appropriate mixture of human α11β1, mouse α11β1 and tolerance breaking protein. Plasma titers were evaluated by ELISA against a mixture of human and mouse α11β1. Popliteal, inguinal, and iliac lymph nodes were collected. ELISA-positive anti-human/mouse α11β1 hybridomas were expanded and subjected to a secondary screen against human and mouse α11β1, control HIS protein, and a counter-screen was performed against human α11β1, α2β1 and α10β1. Supernatant IgG concentration was sufficient for functional screening. Selected hybridomas satisfying all the criteria were cloned and clonal hybridomas were confirmed by ELISA against human and mouse α11β1 and subsequently scaled-up and IgGs were purified. Heavy and light chain variable regions of selected hybridomas were then sequenced.
Phage Library Display
Phage library display was employed for generation of fully human anti-α11β1 antibodies. Fully human anti-α11β1 antibodies were discovered using single chain fragment variable (scFv) antigen-binding fragments displayed on phages (phage display library). Three rounds of selection were performed on purified human and mouse α11β1 antigen as well as deselection against α10β1, to enrich for all subunit-specific antibodies. Subsequently, optimal populations were subcloned into a bacterial soluble expression vector, recombinant antibody expression was induced and supernatant was screened for binding via ELISA assays. Antibodies with appropriate binding profiles were sequenced and subsequently converted from scFv to IgG.
0.25 μg/mL of target antigen (recombinant human or mouse α11β1) was plated in a 96-well plate over night at 4° C. Plates were washed (PBS with 0.1% Tween-20), blocked (PBS with 2% BSA and 0.05% Tween-20) for 1 hour at room temperature and incubated with a range of antibody concentrations for 1 hour at room temperature. Subsequently, plates were washed and incubated with biotinylated anti-rabbit/mouse/human IgG in a 1:1000 dilution buffer and incubated for 1 hour at room temperature. After washing the plates, Streptavidin HRP was added at 1:200 in dilution buffer and incubated for 1 hour at room temperature. Ultra TMB ELISA substrate solution was added and the plates incubated for 5 minutes on a plate shaker. The reaction was stopped by adding stop solution to each well and plates were read at 450 nm.
Antibody Binding to CHO-K1
200,000 cells (wild-type CHO-K1 cells or CHO-K1 cells expressing human α11) were incubated with each antibody at desired concentrations in FACS buffer for 30 min at 4° C. Then, the cells were washed with FACS buffer and incubated with secondary antibody at 1:100 dilution for 30 minutes at 4° C. Cells were then washed and fixed with 1% PFA in PBS for 20 minutes at room temperature; washed again and read on a cytometer in FACS buffer.
Antibody Binding to HPF/MF
Human Pulmonary Fibroblasts (ScienCell) were cultured in complete Fibroblast Growth Medium (ScienCell) until 80% confluent in T-150 flasks. Cells were washed and harvested using Accutase. Cells were seeded into T-150 flasks at 7,500 cells/cm2 in complete FGF and cultured for 72 hours. Cells were then washed and starved in serum reduced medium for 24 hours. After starvation, cells were treated with TGFβ-1 (R&D Systems) for 72 hours. Cells were harvested using Accutase and seeded in 96-well conical bottom plates. Cells were blocked with Heat Inactived Fetal Bovine Serum (Gibco) for 30 minutes at 4° C. Cells were then incubated with anti-α11 antibodies at the doses described in each figure for 30 minutes at 4° C. A human anti-α11 antibody (Creative BioLabs) was included as a positive control as well as the appropriate IgG isotype negative controls. Cells were washed twice and incubated with PE conjugated secondary antibodies specific to the IgG class of the anti-α11 antibodies being tested for 30 minutes at 4° C. Cells were washed twice and fixed in 1% PFA for 30 minutes. Cells were acquired on a FACS Verse (Benton Dickson) binding of each antibody. Data were analyzed by gating on single cells and determining the geometric Mean Fluorescence Intensity (gMFI) in the PE channel for each sample.
The affinity of antibodies for human α11β1 was measured by surface plasmon resonance assay (SPR). Affinity was measured at pH 7.6 and 25° C. with a Biacore T200 instrument. Anti-HIS antibody was immobilized on the SPR sensor surface using EDC/NHS covalent attachment. HIS-tagged human α11β1 was captured on the sensor surface and a single-cycle kinetics assay was used. Increasing concentrations of test antibody were injected in series over the sensor-bound α11β1. Dissociation was monitored for 1000 seconds. A sensor surface with only anti-HIS antibody and a series of blank injections were used to double-reference subtract the data. A 1:1 Langmuir model was fit to the data to estimate the kinetic association and dissociation constants. The affinity (equilibrium dissociation constant) of the interaction was calculated by dividing the kinetic dissociation constant by the kinetic association constant. Between injection cycles α11β1 and bound antibody were removed with an injection of 10 mM glycine at pH 1.5.
0.6×106 cells/mL were incubated with each antibody at a range of concentrations for 20 minutes at 37° C. E-Plate VIEW 96 PET plate coated with 100 ng/mL type I collagen or PBS overnight at room temperature was blocked in 3% BSA for 1 house at room temperature. After washing the plate with PBS, cell and antibody mixture was added to the wells and the plate was places into an xCelligence machine. Cell adhesion was recorded over 6 hours. The time point of maximum cell adhesion was used for comparison relative to control.
Human Pulmonary Fibroblasts (ScienCell) were cultured in complete Fibroblast Growth Medium (ScienCell) until 80% confluent. Cells were washed and harvested using Accutase. Cells were seeded onto tissue culture-treated 96 well plates at 20,000 cells/well in complete Fibroblast Growth Medium. After 24 hours, cells were washed and starved in serum reduced medium for an additional 24 hours. After starvation, cells were treated with TGFβ-1 (R&D Systems) with or without anti-α11 antibodies. A polyclonal rabbit anti-human α11 antibody was used as a positive control. Appropriate IgG isotype controls were also included. After 48 hours, cells were harvested, fixed, permeabilized and stained with AlexaFluor488 Labeled Anti-αSMA (α-smooth muscle actin) (Invitrogen). Cells were acquired on a FACS Verse (Benton Dickson) to determine expression levels of αSMA. Data were analyzed by gating on single cells and determining the geometric Mean Fluorescence Intensity (gMFI) in the FITC channel for each sample. gMFI for each sample was normalized to the untreated control and presented as % inhibition.
24-well plates were blocked with 2% BSA in PBS overnight at 37° C. The following day, the plates were washed 3 times with PBS before being used in the assay. Human CHO cell lines expressing α11 were harvested and resuspended at 1.25×106 in ExpiCHO Expression Medium (Gibco™ Cat #A2910002). The collagen gel solution was prepared by diluting 3 mg/mL stock collagen type I (Gibco™ Collagen I Rat Protein, Tail Cat #A1048301) to 1 mg/mL in the media containing the CHO cells. Sodium hydroxide was added to the solution to neutralize the pH and 400 μL of the collagen solution was added to each well of the 24-well plates. For the wells where the antibodies were included in the collagen gel solution, CHO cells were prepared at 2.5×106 and the antibodies were prepared at 2× final concentration in ExpiCHO media. The cells and antibodies were then combined 1:1 before the addition of the stock collagen type 1. The gels were allowed to polymerize for 60 minutes at 37° C. Antibodies were added to the ExpiCHO media, which was then layered on top of the polymerized gel (400 μL/well). The gels were incubated for 6 days at 37° C. before gel contraction was quantified. Images of each well were analyzed using Image J and gel contraction was determined as a percentage of the initial gel area.
Fifty-six female C.B-17 SCID mice were inoculated with A549 cells (5×106 cells/mouse) subcutaneously in the flank. Once tumor volume reached ˜100 mm3, animals were randomized amongst 7 groups of 8 mice each. Mice were then treated intraperitonealy every 3 days for a total of 7 doses with isotype controls or novel mAbs 79E3E3, 16E10 and 9G04 (2 and 20 mg/kg) or with docetaxel at 10 mg/kg every 4 days for a total of 6 doses. Tumor volumes and body weights were recorded twice a week with a gap of 2-3 days in between two measurements until any of the following conditions defined were observed: loss of 20% or more body weight; tumors that inhibit normal physiological function such as eating, drinking, and mobility; ulcerated tumors; tumor size greater than 2000 mm3 and clinical observations of prostration, paralysis, seizures and hemorrhages.
Precision-Cut Liver Slices (PCLS) were prepared from resected liver tissue and rested for 24 hours to allow the post-slicing stress period to elapse before experiments began. PCLS were cultured without exogenous challenge (Group 1), with 100 μg/mL control antibodies (Groups 2 and 3—either mouse IgG2a or rabbit IgG), or with a combination of TGF-β1 (3 ng/mL) and PDGF-ββ (50 ng/mL) (Groups 2-10). PCLS were cultured in the presence or absence of 10 μM Alk5i (Group 4) as a positive control or novel inhibitors (16E10, 79E3E3, and 9G05) at 2 escalating doses (10 and 100 μg/mL) in Groups 5-10. Each of the 10 groups included n=6 human PCLS prepared from a single human liver. PCLS culture media, including all stimuli and compounds, was refreshed and harvested at 24 hour intervals. Cell culture supernatant (n=⅔ paired wells) was collected every 24 hours and snap frozen for quantification of soluble outputs. All PCLS were harvested at 96 hours.
Tissue culture levels of markers of liver damage (lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate transaminase (AST)) and hepatocyte function/viability (albumin) were quantified on all PCLS at all time points. Albumin secretion was quantified by ELISA as a marker of PCLS integrity and function. Levels of collagen 1a1, IL-6, hyaluronic acid and Timp-1 in the cell culture supernatants were quantified using R&D Duoset ELISA kits.
Total RNA extraction from PCLS was performed on all samples. RNeasy Mini kits (Qiagen) were used for RNA extraction. RNA was reverse-transcribed to cDNA and used in qPCR to measure transcript levels of Col1a1, αSMA, TIMP-1, TGF-β1, IL-6 and β-actin/GAPDH.
Antibody discovery was performed by immunizing rats and rabbits with recombinant human α11β1, and by immunizing mice with both human and mouse α11β1. 51 novel anti-human α11β1 monoclonal antibodies were generated (24 rabbit, 7 rat and 20 mouse). Heavy chain and light chain variable region sequences were determined for the mouse and rat antibodies, while full heavy chain and light chain sequences were determined for the rabbit antibodies.
ELISA results illustrating exemplary binding of selected mouse monoclonal antibodies to recombinant human α11β1 are shown in
22 Data was also collected to determine whether antibodies of interest bind to the I domain of α11β1. An in-house generated I domain of α11β1 was used. The rat clones 79E3E3, 8H8E9 and 6E5C11 exhibited high, medium, and low binding, respectively, as determined by ELISA. Mouse antibodies 10-F23, 10-L15, 7-O8, 6-A12, 9-G05 and 9-E16 and rabbit antibodies 7-H-12 and 2-D3 were also tested for binding against the in-house generated α11031 domain.
α11β1 belongs to a family of collagen receptors and has a relatively high homology to them. Therefore, the novel antibodies of this invention were counter-screened against α1β1, α2β1 and/or α10β1. Table 2 includes results of cross-reactivity to the other receptors.
Since integrins are large, transmembrane receptors that exist in different conformational shapes, experiments were performed to confirm that the novel antibodies also bound cell-expressed α11β1. A CHO-K1 cell line that endogenously expressed high levels of the β1 subunit was engineered to stably express human α11 (CHO-K1 hu α11).
Binding EC50 was estimated using data from Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) performed with CHO-K1 hu α11β1 cells. The results are shown in Table 3. Four out of six mAbs tested had EC50 results in the low nanomolar range (8-P20, 8-G15, 8-J17, 8-l14), while the remaining two mAbs were not as potent (9-G05 and 9-E16; both I domain binders).
As shown in
Binding to a physiologically relevant primary human cell type was also tested. Human pulmonary fibroblasts (HPF) and TGFβ treatment were used to induce a fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT), giving rise to myofibroblasts (MF). While HPFs do not express α11β1, significant expression of α11β1 is exhibited by MFs. Additionally, HPFs express α11 and α2β1, other collagen binding receptors, which means that HPFs can be to test cross-reactivity of antibodies of interest. Selected mAbs were assessed for binding to HPFs and MFs, and as shown in
Myofibroblasts are responsible for secreting fibrotic matrix, so blocking and/or reducing MF accumulation is an important step for treating and/or preventing fibrosis. This can be achieved by using anti-α11β1 antibodies to inhibit the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition. Typical functional inhibitors of a receptor block ligand binding, and while preventing the binding of α11β1 to type I collagen is a desired feature of anti-α11β1 antibodies, it may not be necessary for therapeutic efficacy. Unlike many other receptors, integrins are able to perform both “outside-in” (canonical, ligand-mediated) signaling and also “inside-out” signaling. Therefore, it might be possible for an antibody to bind α11β1 in a way that affects the structure of α11 in a way that prevents inside-out signaling and FMT, but does not affect the ability of α11β1 to bind type I collagen. For this reason, both mAbs that block ligand binding and those that do not were included these studies.
A CHO-K1 hu α11 cell line was used to assess the ability of mAbs to block α11β1-mediated binding to type I collagen. As shown in
In addition to the binding abilities described above, it is important for an anti-α11β1 antibody to inhibit the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT). It is now appreciated that myofibroblasts are a heterogeneous cell population, existing in different activation states, with the main function of producing and contracting collagen extracellular matrix (ECM). FMT is a multi-step event that is controlled by a changing mechanical environment in tissues undergoing repair. TGFβ is one of the potent factors that potentiates this process and alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA) is one of the main markers that becomes overexpressed when fibroblasts are undergoing the transition to becoming myofibroblasts. The presence of αSMA enhances fibroblast contraction and guides myofibroblast activation through an intracellular feedback loop. Because αSMA is the main molecular marker of myofibroblasts, the ability of the novel anti-α11β1 mAbs to inhibit αSMA expression in TGFβ-induced FMT was tested.
As shown in
Cell-mediated contraction of CD collagen I gels is a process previously shown to be α11β1-mediated, and a more recent study showed that α11β1-mediated downstream signaling was indispensable for gel contraction to occur. Selected exemplary antibodies were tested for the ability to inhibit cell-mediated 3D gel contraction because this ability is directly linked to the functionality of the exemplary antibodies.
As can be seen in
Previous studies have shown growth of A549 cell xenografts in α11 knockout SCID mice to be significantly impeded compared to wild-type mice. In this example, studies were performed to determine if inhibition of α11β1 function with mAb results in xenograft growth inhibition. As shown in
Precision-Cut Liver Slices (PCLS) from human liver tissue are physiologically and structurally representative of the tissue architecture and testing therapeutic targets in human PCLS allow for assessment of their effectiveness and relevance to the clinical situation, overcoming the limitations of in vivo rodent models and in vitro 2D cell culture methods. Tissue bioreactor technology maintains viability and functionality of PCLS from human liver tissue for at least 6 days in vitro.
As shown in
ATGGATTGGTTGTGGAACTTGCTATTCCTGATGGTAGTTGCCCAAAGTGCTCAAGCACAG
GCCAACATATGCGGATGATTTCAAACAACGGTTTGTCTTCTCTTTGGAAACTTCTG
ATGGAATCACAGACGCATGTCCTCATTTCCCTTCTGCTCTGTGTATCAGGTACCTGTGGGG
ATTTGGCTTGGTACCAGCAGAAACCAGGACAGTTTCCTAAATTGCTTATCTATGGG
GCATCCAACCGGCACACTGGGGTCCCTGATCGCTTCACAGGCAGTGGATCTGGGA
ATGGAGTTGGAATTGAGCTTAATTTTTATTTTTTCTCTTTTAAAAGATGTCCAGTGTGA
CAACTATGCACCATCCATAAAGGATCGATTCACAATCTCCAGAGACAATGCCAAG
ATTTGCATTGGTTTTTACAGAGTCCTGGCAGGTCTCCGAAGCGCCTAATTTATCACG
TGTCTAATCTGGGCTCTGGAGTCCCTGACAGGTTCAGTGGCACTGGATCACTGACA
GCGCAAACTACACATTTTCCTCCCACGTTTGGAGCTGGGACCAAGCTGGAACTGA
ATGGCTGTCCTGGTGCTGTTGCTCTGCCTGGTGACATTTCCAAGCTGTGCCCTGTCCCAG
AGATTATAATTCAGCTCTCAAATCCCGACTGAGCATCAGCAGGGACACCTCCAAG
ATGGAATCACAAACTCAGGCCCTCATATCCCTGCTGCTCTGGGTATATGGTACCTGTGGG
TACTTGGCCTGGTACCAGCAGAGACCAGGGCAGTCTCCTAAACTACTGATCTACTA
TGCATCCACTAGGCAATCAGGGGTCCCTGATCGCTTCATAGGCGGTGGATCTGGGA
ATGGCTGTCCTGGTGCTGTTGCTCTGCCTGGTGACATTTCCAAGCTGTGCCCTGTCCCAG
AGATTATAATTCAACTCTCAAATCCCGACTGAGCATCAGTAGGGACACCTCCAAG
ATGGAATCACAAACTCAGGCCCTCATATCCCTGCTGCTCTGGGTATATGGTACCTGTGGG
TACTTGGCCTGGTACCAGCAGAAACCAGGGCAGTCTCCTAAACTACTGATCTACTA
TGCATCCACTAGGCAATCAGGGGTCCCTGATCGCTTCATAGGCAGTGGATCTGGGA
ATGGACTTGCGACTGACTTATGTCTTTATTGTTGCTATTTTAAAAGGTGTCTTGTGTGAG
ATGCAACATACTATGGGAAGTCTATGAAAGGCAGATTCACCATCTCAAGAGATGA
ATGAGTCCTGTCCAGTCCCTGTTTTTGCTATTGCTTTGGATTCTGGGAACCCATGGTGA
ACTGGAATCTGGGGTCCCCAACAGGTTCAGTGCCAGTGGGTCAGGAACTGATTTCA
AGTTCCCATACTCCGTACACGTTTGGGACTGGGACCAAGCTGGAACTGAAA
ATGGACATCAGGCTCAGCTTGGTTTTCCTTGTCCTTTTTATGAAAGGTGTCCAGTGTGA
CTTACTATCGAGACTCCGTGAAGGGCCGATTCACCATCTCCAGAAATAATGCAAA
ATGAAGTGGCCTGTTAGGCTGTTGGTGCTGTTCTTCTGGATTCCTGCTTCCGGGGGTGAT
CATTGGTACCTACAGAAGCCAGGCCAGTCTCCACAGCTCCTCATCAATCGGGTTTC
CAACAGATTTTCTGGGGTGCCAGACAGGTTCAGTGGCAGTGGGTCAGGGACAGATT
CAAAGTACACATTTTCCACTCACGTTCGGTTCTGGGACCAAGCTGGAGACCAAA
ATGGACATCAGGCTCAGCTTGGGTTTCCTTGTCCTTTTCATAAAAGGTGACCAGTGTGC
ACTTTCTATCGAGACTCCGTGAAGGGCCGATTTACTATCTCCAGAGACAATGCAA
ATGGCTCCAGTCCAGCTCTTAGGGCTGCTGCTGATTTGGCTCCCAGCCATGAGATGTG
CGTACACGTTTGGACCTGGGACGAAGCTGGAACTGAAA
MDWLWNLLFLMVVAQSAQAQIQLVQSGPEVKKPGESVKISCKASGYTFTDYAMNWVKQ
MESQTHVLISLLLCVSGTCGDILINQSPASLTVSAGERVTMSCKSSQSLLYSENNQDYLA
RYPFTFGSGTKLEIK
MELELSLIFIFSLLKDVQCEVQLVESGGSLVQPGGSLKLSCVASGYTFSNYWMDWVRQSP
VYPHYFDYWGQGVMVTVSS
MMSPAQFLFLLMLWIQEARGDVVMTQTPPSLSVAIGQSVSISCKSSQSLVYSDGETYLH
FPPTFGAGTKLELK
MAVLVLLLCLVTFPSCALSQVQLKESGPGLVQPSQTLSLTCTVSGFSLTSNSVSWVRQAPG
EPFDYWGQGVMVTVSS
MESQTQALISLLLWVYGTCGDIVMTQSPFSLAVSEGEMVTINCKSSQGLLSSGNQKNYLA
YPPTFGSGTKLEIK
MAVLVLLLCLVTFPSCALSQVQLRESGPGLVQPSQTLSLTCTVSGFSLTSNSVTWVRQPPG
EPFDYWGQGVMVTVSS
MESQTQALISLLLWVYGTCGDIVMTQSPLSLAVSEGETVTMNCKSSQSLFSSGNQKNYLA
YPPTFGSGTKLEIK
MDLRLTYVFIVAILKGVLCEVKLEESGGGLVQPGMSVKLSCATSGFIFSDYWMEWVRQAP
MSPVQSLFLLLLWILGTHGDVVLTQTPPTLSATIGQSVSISCRSSQSLLHSTGNTYLNWLL
MDIRLSLVFLVLFMKGVQCEVQLVESGGGLVQPGRSLKLSCAASRFTFSDYNMAWVRQA
MKWPVRLLVLFFWIPASGGDVVMTQTPVSLPVRLGGQASISCRSSQSLVHSNGNTYLHW
LTFGSGTKLETK
MDIRLSLGFLVLFIKGDQCAVQLVESGGGLVQPGRSLKLSCAASRITFTDYYMAWVRQA
DRGAQFGYWGQGTLVTVSS
MAPVQLLGLLLIWLPAMRCDIQMTQSPSFLSASVGDRVSINCKASQNVHENLNWYQQKL
SEIPARFSGSGSRTDFTLTIDPVETDDVATYYCQQSYKDPRTFGGGTKLEIK
FSGVPDRFSGSGSGTDFTLKISRVEAEDLGVYFCSQSTHVPYTFGGGTELEIK
ESGVPDRFSGSGSGTDFTLKISRVEAEDLGVYYCLQSTHFPWTFGGGTKLEIK
FSGVPDRFSGSGSGTDFTLKINRVETEDLGIYFCSQSSHVPTFGAGTKLELK
YTEYNQRFKDKATLTADRSSTTAYMQLSSLTSEDSAVYYCARSDIITTDYWGQGTTLT
TNYNQKFKGKATLTVDTSSSSAYMQLSSLTSEDSAVYYCARDDVAMDYWGQGTSVTV
QVQLVQSGAEVKKPGASVKVSCKASGYTFPDYNMDWVR
YFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHK
PSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCPPCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCV
WDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYASTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNG
KEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGF
YPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVM
HEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK*
QVQLVQSGAEVKKPGASVKVSCKASGYTFPDYNMDWVR
FPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPS
NTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCPPCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVV
VDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYASTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGK
EYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYP
SDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHE
ALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK*
QVQLVQSGAEVKKPGASVKVSCKASGYTFPDYNMDWVR
YFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHK
PSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCPPCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCV
WDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYASTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNG
KEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGF
YPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVM
HEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK*
QVQLVQSGAEVKKPGASVKVSCKASGYTFPDYNMDWVR
FPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPS
NTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCPPCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVV
VDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYASTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGK
EYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYP
SDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHE
ALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK*
SDIVMTQSPDSLAVSLGERATINCRASESVDNYGISFMHWY
LQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFN
RGEC*
SDIVLTQSPASLAVSPGQRATITCRASESVDNYGISFMHWYQ
QSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNR
GEC*
It is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof, the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the following claims.
The present application is a 35 U.S.C. § 371 national stage application of International Application Number PCT/US2020/066107, filed Dec. 18, 2020, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/951,723, filed Dec. 20, 2019; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/983,155, filed Feb. 28, 2020; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/054,717, filed Jul. 21, 2020, each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2020/066107 | 12/18/2020 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63054717 | Jul 2020 | US | |
| 62983155 | Feb 2020 | US | |
| 62951723 | Dec 2019 | US |
