Patent Grant
10253103
The present specification is being filed with a Sequence Listing in Computer Readable Form (CRF), which is entitled 14254-011-999_SEQLIST.txt of 70,497 bytes in size and was created Aug. 10, 2018; the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to the technical field of antibodies, especially relating to an antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R and fusion proteins thereof with GLP-1.
Typical symptoms of type II diabetes include the following three aspects: 1) the peripheral insulin resistance, mainly the responsiveness of bone and muscle to insulin is reduced, leading to affected glucose output of these tissues (Kahn and Goldfine, J Diabetes Complication (1993) 7:92-105; Weyer et al., J Clin Invest. (1999) 104:787-794); 2) excessive hepatic glucose production, the regulation of liver cells to the responsiveness of insulin is reduced (Kahn and Goldfine, J Diabetes Complication (1993) 7:92-105; Lam et al., Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. (2009) 11:375-378) and the excessive secretion of glucagon (Unger and Orci, Arch Intern Med. (1977) 137:482-491); and 3) disorders of pancreatic islet beta cells, at an earlier stage of a disease, an increase in beta cell proliferation and insulin secretion compensates the impact of insulin resistance on blood sugar (Bonner-Weir, Trends Endocrinol Metab. (2000) 11:375-378), but with the increase of time and the degree of insulin resistance, depletion of beta cells occurs, followed by decreased insulin secretion, thus leading to type II diabetes (DeFronzo, Diabetes. (1988) 37:667-687; Kahn et al., J Nutr. (2001) 131:354S-360S).
Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a peptide containing 30 amino acids. It is secreted from L intestinal cells in response to the intake of glucose (Orskov et al., Diabetes (1994) 43:535-539; Drucker et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1987) 84:3431-3438). After the secretion upon stimulation, GLP-1 binds to pancreatic GLP-1R (glucagon like peptide-1 receptor) to activate the downstream adenylate cyclase signaling pathway to promote the synthesis and secretion of insulin. GLP-1 secretion also reduces gastric emptying, thereby reducing the amount of glucose into the circulatory system after food digestion (Wettergren et al., Dig. Dis. Sci. (1993) 38:665-673). In mice and in patients with type I and type II diabetes, GLP-1 increases insulin secretion and reduces blood sugar concentration (Nauck et al., Diabetes. (1997) 105:187-195; Todd et al., Eur J Clin Invest. (1997) 27:533-536). Studies have shown that GLP-1 can also inhibit apoptosis of pancreatic beta cells and promote their proliferation (Perfetti et al., Endocrinology (2000) 141:4600-4605; Hui et al., Endocrinology (2003) 144:1444-1455). The feasibility and efficacy of GLP-1 for the treatment of diabetes patients have been proved clinically (Samson and Garber, Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. (2013) 20:87-97). There are also patents (U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,883 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,989,148) disclosing methods for the treatment of diabetes by using GLP-1 and its derivatives. However, GLP-1 has a short half-life in vivo and does not have good therapeutic effects.
One objective of the present invention is to provide an antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R.
The second objective of the present invention is to provide a fusion protein of an antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R with GLP-1, which can extend the half-life of GLP-1 in vivo to retain the biological activity of GLP-1. At the same time, the fusion protein formed by GLP-1 and the antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R has the molecular targeting properties provided by the antibody. Furthermore, the immunogenicity of the antibody is also lower than that of other fusion partners.
To solve the technical problems mentioned above, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.
An antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R comprises an amino acid sequence selected from:
(a) a light chain CDR3 sequence selected from:
light chain CDR3 sequences differing by no more than three amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions in total from one of L1-L13 light chain CDR3 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 46 to SEQ ID NO: 53; preferably, light chain CDR3 sequences differing by no more than two amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions in total from one of L1-L13 light chain CDR3 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 46 to SEQ ID NO: 53; and more preferably, light chain CDR3 sequences differing by one amino acid addition, substitution and/or deletion from one of L1-L13 light chain CDR3 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 46 to SEQ ID NO: 53;
(b) a heavy chain CDR3 sequence selected from:
heavy chain CDR3 sequences differing by no more than four amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions in total from one of H1-H13 heavy chain CDR3 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 20 to SEQ ID NO: 27; preferably, heavy chain CDR3 sequences differing by no more than three amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions in total from one of H1-H13 heavy chain CDR3 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 20 to SEQ ID NO: 27; more preferably, heavy chain CDR3 sequences differing by no more than two amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions in total from one of H1-H13 heavy chain CDR3 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 20 to SEQ ID NO: 27; and further preferably, heavy chain CDR3 sequences differing by one amino acid addition, substitution and/or deletion in total from one of H1-H13 heavy chain CDR3 sequences SEQ ID NO: 20 to SEQ ID NO: 27; and
(c) a light chain CDR3 sequence from (a) and a heavy chain CDR3 sequence from (b).
Preferably, the antibody further comprises one or more amino acid sequences selected from:
(a) a light chain CDR1 sequence selected from:
light chain CDR1 sequences differing by no more than three amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions from one of L1-L13 light chain CDR1 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 28 to SEQ ID NO: 37; preferably, light chain CDR1 sequences differing by no more than two amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions in total from one of L1-L13 light chain CDR1 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 28 to SEQ ID NO: 37; and more preferably, light chain CDR1 sequences differing by one amino acid addition, substitution and/or deletion from one of L1-L13 light chain CDR1 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 28 to SEQ ID NO: 37;
(b) a light chain CDR2 sequence selected from:
light chain CDR2 sequences differing by no more than two amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions from one of L1-L13 light chain CDR2 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 38 to SEQ ID NO: 45; and preferably, light chain CDR2 sequences differing by one amino acid addition, substitution and/or deletion from one of L1-L13 light chain CDR2 sequences SEQ ID NO: 38 to SEQ ID NO: 45;
(c) a heavy chain CDR1 sequence selected from:
heavy chain CDR1 sequences differing by no more than two amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions from one of H1-H13 heavy chain CDR1 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 6 to SEQ ID NO: 12; and preferably, heavy chain CDR1 sequences differing by one amino acid addition, substitution and/or deletion from one of H1-H13 heavy chain CDR1 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 6 to SEQ ID NO: 12; and
(d) a heavy chain CDR2 selected from:
heavy chain CDR2 sequences differing by no more than three amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions from one of H1-H13 heavy chain sequences: SEQ ID NO: 13 to SEQ ID NO: 19; preferably, heavy chain CDR2 sequences differing by no more than two amino acid additions, substitutions and/or deletions in total from one of H1-H13 heavy chain CDR2 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 13 to SEQ ID NO: 19; and more preferably, heavy chain CDR2 sequences differing by one amino acid addition, substitution and/or deletion from one of H1-H13 heavy chain CDR2 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 13 to SEQ ID NO: 19.
An antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R comprises an amino acid sequence selected from:
(a) one or more light chain variable regions selected from:
i. light chain CDR1 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 28 to SEQ ID NO: 37;
ii. light chain CDR2 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 38 to SEQ ID NO: 45; and
iii. light chain CDR3 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 46 to SEQ ID NO: 53;
(b) one or more heavy chain variable regions selected from:
i. heavy chain CDR1 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 6 to SEQ ID NO: 12;
ii. heavy chain CDR2 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 13 to SEQ ID NO: 19; and
iii. heavy chain CDR3 sequences: SEQ ID NO: 20 to SEQ ID NO: 27; and
(c) a light chain variable domain sequence from (a) and a heavy chain variable domain sequence from (b).
An antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R comprises an amino acid sequence selected from:
(a) a light chain variable region selected from:
i. amino acid sequences that are at least 80% identical to any of L1-L13 light chain variable region sequences: SEQ ID NO: 81, SEQ ID NO: 83, SEQ ID NO: 85, SEQ ID NO: 87, SEQ ID NO: 89, SEQ ID NO: 91, SEQ ID NO: 93, SEQ ID NO: 95, SEQ ID NO: 97, SEQ ID NO: 99, SEQ ID NO: 101, SEQ ID NO: 103, SEQ ID NO: 105; and
ii. amino acid sequences encoded by polynucleotide sequences that are at least 80% identical to any of the polynucleotide sequences encoding for L1-L13 light chain variable region sequences: SEQ ID NO: 80, SEQ ID NO: 82, SEQ ID NO: 84, SEQ ID NO: 86, SEQ ID NO: 88, SEQ ID NO: 90, SEQ ID NO: 92, SEQ ID NO: 94, SEQ ID NO: 96, SEQ ID NO: 98, SEQ ID NO: 100, SEQ ID NO: 102, SEQ ID NO: 104;
(b) a heavy chain variable domain sequence selected from:
i. amino acid sequences that are at least 80% identical to any of H1-H13 heavy chain variable region sequences: SEQ ID NO: 55, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO: 59, SEQ ID NO: 61, SEQ ID NO: 63, SEQ ID NO: 65, SEQ ID NO: 67, SEQ ID NO: 69, SEQ ID NO: 71, SEQ ID NO: 73, SEQ ID NO: 75, SEQ ID NO: 77, SEQ ID NO: 79; and
ii. an amino acid sequences encoded by polynucleotide sequences that are at least 80% identical to any of the polynucleotide sequences encoding for H1-H13 heavy chain variable region sequences: SEQ ID NO: 54, SEQ ID NO: 56, SEQ ID NO: 58, SEQ ID NO: 60, SEQ ID NO: 62, SEQ ID NO: 64, SEQ ID NO: 66, SEQ ID NO: 68, SEQ ID NO: 70, SEQ ID NO: 72, SEQ ID NO: 74, SEQ ID NO: 76, SEQ ID NO: 78; and
(c) a light chain variable region sequence from (a) and a heavy chain variable region sequence from (b).
Preferably, the antibody further comprises an amino acid sequence selected from:
(a) L1-L13 light chain variable region sequences: SEQ ID NO: 81, SEQ ID NO: 83, SEQ ID NO: 85, SEQ ID NO: 87, SEQ ID NO: 89, SEQ ID NO: 91, SEQ ID NO: 93, SEQ ID NO: 95, SEQ ID NO: 97, SEQ ID NO: 99, SEQ ID NO: 101, SEQ ID NO: 103, SEQ ID NO: 105;
(b) H1-H13 heavy chain variable region sequences: SEQ ID NO: 55, SEQ ID NO: 57, SEQ ID NO: 59, SEQ ID NO: 61, SEQ ID NO: 63, SEQ ID NO: 65, SEQ ID NO: 67, SEQ ID NO: 69, SEQ ID NO: 71, SEQ ID NO: 73, SEQ ID NO: 75, SEQ ID NO: 77, SEQ ID NO: 79; and
(c) a light chain variable region sequence from (a) and a heavy chain variable region sequence from (b).
Preferably, the combination (c) of a light chain variable region sequence (a) and a heavy chain variable region sequence (b) is selected from L1H1, L2H2, L3H3, L4H4, L5H5, L6H6, L7H7, L8H8, L9H9, L10H10, L11H11, L12H12, L13H13.
Preferably, the antibody also comprises an amino acid sequence selected from:
(a) light chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 106;
(b) light chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 107;
(c) heavy chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 108;
(d) heavy chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 109;
(e) light chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 106 and heavy chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 108;
(f) light chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 107 and heavy chain constant region amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO 108;
(g) light chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 106 and heavy chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 109; and
(h) light chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 107 and heavy chain constant region amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NO 109.
Preferably, the antibody is selected from murine antibodies, human antibodies, humanized antibodies, chimeric antibodies, monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal antibodies, recombinant antibodies, antigen-binding antibody fragments, single-chain antibodies, double-chain antibodies, triple-chain antibodies, tetra-chain antibodies, Fab fragments, F(fa′)x fragments, domain antibodies, IgD antibodies, IgE antibodies, IgM antibodies, IgG1 antibodies, IgG2 antibodies, IgG3 antibodies, and IgG4 antibodies.
A GLP-1 fusion protein comprising GLP-1 and an antibody of the present invention, wherein GLP-1 comprises an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO:127.
Preferably, GLP-1 is fused with the light chain and/or heavy chain of the antibody of the present invention via N′—R1-L-R2-C′, N′—R2-L-R1-C′ or N′—R2-R1r-C′;
wherein L is a peptide linker sequence, comprising a full-length, partial or repeated amino acid sequence selected from LK1-LK3 amino acid sequences: SEQ ID NO: 110, SEQ ID NO: 111, SEQ ID NO: 112;
R1 is an amino acid sequence of GLP-1;
R1r is a reverse amino acid sequence of GLP-1;
R2 is an amino acid sequence of the light chain or heavy chain of the antibody of the present invention;
C′ represents the hydroxyl terminal of the GLP-1 fusion protein polypeptide chain;
N′ represents the amino terminal of the GLP-1 fusion protein polypeptide chain.
A polynucleotide encodes a GLP-1 fusion protein of the present invention.
A vector comprises a polynucleotide of the present invention.
A host cell comprises a vector of the present invention.
A pharmaceutical composition comprises a GLP-1 fusion protein of the present invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
Use of a pharmaceutical composition comprising or based on an antibody or GLP-1 fusion protein of the present invention in the preparation of a medicament for preventing or treating non-insulin-dependent diabetes is disclosed.
Given that the key role of GLP-1R plays in the use of glucagon like peptide-1 for the regulation and control of blood glucose levels in type II diabetes patients, and that its significant therapeutic characteristic is the ability of stimulating insulin secretion without the associated risk of hypoglycaemia. GLP-1 is fused with an antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R in the present invention, thereby prolonging the half-life of GLP-1 in vivo to retain the biological activity of GLP-1. At the same time, the fusion protein formed by GLP-1 and the antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R has the molecular targeting properties provided by the antibody. Furthermore, the immunogenicity of the antibody is also lower than that of other fusion partners.
The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: GLP-1 is capable of fusing with an antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R, thus prolonging the half-life of GLP-1 in vivo to retain the biological activity of GLP-1. At the same time, the fusion protein formed by GLP-1 and the antibody specifically binding to GLP-1R has the molecular targeting properties provided by the antibody. Furthermore, the immunogenicity of the antibody is also lower than that of other fusion partners.
The present invention is directed to the disadvantage that GLP-1 is quickly removed by dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP-IV) in vivo and has insufficient efficacy, and applies antibodies of GLP-1R to fuse with GLP-1 so as to enhance the half-life and biological activity of GLP-1. Antibodies used for the fusion do not hinder the binding of GLP-1 with receptors, can specifically facilitate the biological activity of GLP-1R, and due to their high affinity to receptors and stability, are capable of enhancing the long lasting local concentrations of GLP-1 around the receptors and thereby significantly increasing its effective time and potency for binding to the receptor. At the same time, the fusion with the antibody increases the steric hindrance for DPP-IV to recognize or capture GLP-1, thus reducing the elimination rate of GLP-1 in vivo and increasing the effective time of GLP-1. According to literature reports (Lin and Wang, J of Molecular Modeling (2009) 15:53-65), the release of the articulation state between the N-terminal extracellular region of GLP-1R and the transmembrane region thereof is an essential step for GLP-1 to enter the binding site to GLP-1R and become biologically active. As described in the present invention, the binding of the antibody to GLP-1R is largely involved in the N-terminal extracellular region of the receptor, and the binding thereof to the receptor helps the release of said articulation state and can facilitate the access of GLP-1. Accordingly, the fusion of GLP-1 with the antibody targeting GLP-1R increases the half-life and affinity potency of GLP-1 to result a stronger biological activity, and thus is an important innovation superior to the GLP-1 therapy. More importantly, some of the antibodies themselves used in the present invention have the biological characteristics of enhancing GLP-1 activation of GLP-1R in the presence of GLP-1. Because of some of the reasons above, the GLP-1 fusion protein in the present invention may be a more effective activator of GLP-1R than GLP-1.
It is a common concern that the repetitive administration of a fusion protein for a long time may elicit antigenicity. This is especially a concern in the case of GLP-1 fusion protein therapy, because once a patient is diagnosed with diabetes, the patient is to receive a life-long treatment for the disease. In addition, if the Fc parts of the immune globulin retain undesirable effector function, the Fc fusion protein therapy can be a concern. Via computer-assisted 3D structure prediction of an immune globulin, and antibody sequence optimization and humanization, the identified specific GLP-1 fusion proteins no longer have effector function and thus have reduced risk of inducing immune response after repeated and long-term administration. As discussed in the present invention, the amino acid of GLP-1 moiety is preferably fused with light and heavy chains of the antibodies through glycine and serine rich peptide linker. Because of having smaller side chains, glycine and serine enable the peptide linker sequence considerably flexible, reducing the rigidity between GLP-1 and the corresponding positions of the antibody, thus GLP-1 can interact with GLP-1R freely. At the same time, the presence of the peptide linker separates GLP-1 from the antibody, thus avoiding the interaction of the two domains. The glycine and serine appear alternately to avoid excessive repetition, in order not to introduce undesirable immunogenicity to the fusion protein, however, the peptide linker inevitably increases the immunogenicity of the fusion protein in vivo, and it is of great importance to select the length of the peptide linker so as to balance structure flexibility and immunogenicity. Accordingly, the present invention provides three different lengths of peptide linkers for fusion. At the same time, the present invention provides different ways of linking GLP-1 with the antibody by using peptide linkers for fusion, and the patterns of the formed GLP-1 fusion proteins would include:
1) a fusion protein with GLP-1 and a light chain linked in the form of N′—R1-L-R2-C′;
2) a fusion protein with GLP-1 and a light chain linked in the form of N′—R2-L-R1-C′;
3) a fusion protein with GLP-1 and a light chain linked in the form of N′—R2-L-R1r-C′;
4) a fusion protein with GLP-1 and a heavy chain linked in the form of N′—R1-L-R2-C′;
5) a fusion protein with 1) and 4) at the same time;
6) a fusion protein with 2) and 4) at the same time;
7) a fusion protein with 3) and 4) at the same time.
Within the scope of the present invention, the DNA encoding the GLP-1 is linked to full length/variable region/fragment light chain or full length/variable region/full length heavy chain DNA of said antibody, via the DNA encoding the peptide linker sequence, forming a fused light chain or fused heavy chain DNA, furthermore, at the 5′ end of the light chain DNA, the DNA encoding the signal peptide is also introduced to form a gene based on which the mutant/wild type GLP-1 can be linked to antibody sequences. In the present invention, the GLP-1 sequences obtained by the method of gene synthesis are linked to the peptide linker as well as antibody light or heavy chain DNA through the method of PCR. The light or heavy chain variable region sequences of the antibodies to GLP-1R are obtained from specific hybridoma cells through the method of PCR followed by being linked to the constant region DNA of specific antibody subtype. The constant region DNA of the wild type antibody subtype can be obtained from a specific clone library and used as the basis of sequence optimization. After cloned into an expression vector, genes used for expressing the fusion protein described herein are used for producing and expressing the fusion proteins. After the light chain and heavy chain expression vectors are paired during expression, the DNA carrying the genes are co-transfected or transformed into a host cell. The promoter is induced by optimal adaption. The transformants or genes for amplifying desired sequences are cultured in a proper medium at an appropriate pH and temperature. DNA is usually introduced by commonly used methods, such as CaPO4, electroporation, and PEI etc.
The suitable host cells, suitable for the expression of the nucleic acid within the vector described herein, include higher eukaryotic cells, and the examples of mammalian host cell line for expression include Chinese hamster ovary cell line (CHO) and human embryonic kidney cell (HEK293, or HEK293 cell line cultured in a suspension), and the signal peptide at the N-terminal of the light chain guides the secretion of recombinant fusion proteins from the mammalian host cell line. The vector for expression or cloning carries the selection marker that enables its continuously replication in host cells and is used to screen cells capable of integrating the fusion protein encoding nucleic acid, and promoter that effectively links with the fusion protein encoding sequence and guides mRNA synthesis. One example is to use a vector carrying antibiotics resistance and Hepatitis B virus and simian virus promoter (SV40) to select CHO host cells stably expressing the fusion proteins.
After host cell lines have expressed fusion proteins, the present invention adopts an affinity chromatographic method to purify the part secreted thereby in the cell culture supernatant. In an example of the invention, the fusion protein fused with full-length antibody is captured by a protein G affinity chromatography column and then eluted from the chromatography column by low pH followed by collection. Mild elution conditions help to prevent denaturing of the protein.
The fusion protein of the present invention can be formulated with one or more excipients. The fusion protein of the present invention can be combined with a pharmaceutically acceptable buffer having adjusted pH that provides acceptable stability and is suitable for administration (such as parenteral administration). Optionally, one or more pharmaceutically acceptable antimicrobial reagents may be added. Preferred pharmaceutically acceptable antimicrobial reagents are m-cresol and phenol. One or more pharmaceutically acceptable salt solution can be added to adjust the ionic strength or tension. One or more excipients may be added to further adjust the isotonicity of the formulation. Glycerin is an example of excipients for adjusting the isotonicity. “Pharmaceutically acceptable” means being suitable for administration to human or other animals, and therefore free of toxic ingredients or undesirable pollutants and not interfere with the activity of the active compounds therein.
The fusion protein of the invention can be prepared in a solution preparation or in a lyophilized powder that can be reconstituted with appropriate diluent. Lyophilized dosage form is one of the formulation types in which the fusion protein is stable, with or without the buffering capacity to maintain the pH over its intended in-use shelf-life of the reconstituted product. The solution comprising fusion proteins discussed herein is preferably isotonic before lyophilization to enable the formation of an isotonic solution after reconstitution.
A pharmaceutically acceptable salt form of the fusion proteins of the present invention is within the scope of the present invention. Commonly employed acids to form acid addition salts are inorganic acids, such as hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, sulfuric acid, and phosphoric acid; and organic acids such as p-toluenesulfonic acid, methanesulfonic acid, oxalic acid, p-bromophenyl-sulfonic acid, carbonic acid, succinic acid, citric acid, benzoic acid, and acetic acid. Preferable acid addition salts are those formed with inorganic acids, such as hydrochloric acid and hydrobromic acid.
Base addition salts include those derived from inorganic bases, such as ammonium, base or alkali earth metal hydroxide, carbonate, and bicarbonate. Such bases useful in preparing the salt solution of the present invention thus include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, and the like.
The fusion proteins of the present invention have biological activity. Biological activity refers to the ability of the fusion proteins to bind and activate the GLP-1R in vivo and stimulate stress response. Responses include but not limited to, increased secretion of insulin, suppression of secretion of glucagon, inhibition of appetite, weight loss, induction of satiety, inhibition of apoptosis, and induction of pancreatic beta cell proliferation and pancreatic beta cell differentiation. A number of representative GLP-1 fusion proteins are tested for in vitro and in vivo activities. First, step 4 (
Administration of the fusion protein may be via any route known to be effective by the physician of ordinary skill. Peripheral parenteral administration is one of such methods. Parenteral administration is commonly understood in medical literature as the injection of a dosage form into the body with a sterile syringe or other mechanical device such as an infusion pump. Peripheral parenteral routes include intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intraperitoneal routes of administration.
The fusion proteins of the present invention can also be administrated by oral, rectal, nasal, or lower respiratory routes, which are non-parenteral routes. Of these non-parenteral routes, the lower respiratory route and the oral route are preferred.
The fusion proteins of the present invention can be used to treat a wide variety of diseases and conditions. The fusion proteins of the present invention primarily exert their biological effects by acting at GLP-1R. Subjects with diseases and/or conditions that respond favorably to GLP-1R stimulation or to the administration of GLP-1 compounds can therefore be treated with the GLP-1 fusion proteins of the present invention. These subjects are referred to as subjects “in need of treatment with GLP-1 compounds” or “in need of GLP-1R stimulation”. Included are subjects with non-insulin dependent diabetes, insulin dependent diabetes, stroke (see WO 00/16797), myocardial infarction (see WO 98/08531), obesity (see WO 98/19698), catabolic changes after surgery (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,753), functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (see WO 99/64060). Also included are subjects requiring prophylactic treatment with a GLP-1 compound, e.g., subjects at risk of developing non-insulin dependent diabetes (see WO 00/07617). Subjects with impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, subjects whose body weight is about 25% above normal body weight for the subject's height and body fluid, subjects with a partial pancreatectomy, subjects having one or both parents with non-insulin dependent diabetes, subjects who have had gestational diabetes and subjects who have had acute or chronic pancreatitis are at risk of developing non-insulin dependent diabetes. An effective amount of the fusion proteins described herein is the dosage which results in a desired therapeutic and/or prophylactic effect without causing unacceptable side-effects when administrated to a subject in need of GLP-1 receptor stimulation. A “desired therapeutic effect” includes one or more of the followings: an amelioration of the symptom(s) associated with the disease or condition; a delay in the onset of symptoms associated with the disease or condition; increased longevity compared with the absence of the treatment; and better quality of life compared with that in the absence of the treatment. An “effective amount” of the GLP-1 fusion proteins for the treatment of diabetes is the amount that would result in better control of blood glucose concentration compared with that in the absence of the treatment, thereby resulting in a delay in the onset of diabetic complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy or kidney diseases. An “effective amount” of the GLP-1 fusion protein for the prevention of diabetes is the amount that would delay, compared with that in the absence of treatment, the onset of elevated blood glucose levels that requires treatment with anti-hyperglycaemic drugs such as sulfonyl urea, thiazolidinedione, insulin and/or bisguanidine. The dosage of fusion proteins effective to normalize a patient's blood glucose will depend on a number of factors, among which are included, without limitation, the subject's sex, weight and age, the severity of inability to regulate blood glucose, the route of administration and bioavailability, the pharmacokinetic profile of the fusion protein, the potency, and the formulation. Doses may be in the range of 0.01 to 1 mg/kg body weight, preferably in the range of 0.05 to 0.5 mg/kg body weight. It is preferable that the fusion proteins of the present invention are administered either once a week or twice a week. Depending on the disease to be treated, it may be necessary to administrate the fusion protein more frequently such as three or more times per week.
Through the following specific embodiments in combination with the figures, the technical solutions of the present invention are further illustrated.
In this invention, unless referred specifically, the employed raw materials, equipments and the like can all be purchased from the market or are commonly used in the art. The methods of the following embodiments, if not indicated specifically, are all conventional methods in the art.
Step 1: Construction of Stable Antigen Cell Line for Immunization
CHO-DHFR minus cells are transferred into a 6-well plate and transfected with the pYS plasmid carrying hGLP-1R gene (see SEQ ID NO: 113 for the nucleotide sequence, and see SEQ ID NO: 114 for the amino acid sequence) after 24 hr culture. The medium is changed before transfection, and it is carried out by following the recommended transfection conditions provided by the manufacturer of Lipofectamine 2000 (Invitrogen). 48 hr after transfection, the medium of the culture is replaced by the complete medium containing 10 nM MTX. The medium is changed every 3 days for about two weeks, until stable clones appear. The dispersed cell colonies are detached from the plate and collected. After cells grow to about 50% confluence, gradually increasing concentrations of MTX (up to a concentration of 10 μM MTX) are added for pressure selection. The constructed stable cell lines are tested by FACS analysis using antibodies (Abcam) against hGLP-1R to identify cell clones after pressure selection. There is a lot of hGLP-1R expression in the selected CHO-DHFR-hGLP-1R cell membranes after MTX selection. Finally six high-expression and stable cell lines of hGLP-1R are identified through subcloning.
Step 2: Preparation of Antibodies
Freund's adjuvant emulsified CHO-DHFR-hGLP-1R whole-cells are used at 2×106 cells/mouse dosage for subcutaneous injection into BALB/c mice (6-8 weeks). After 2 weeks, the immunity of the mice is boosted with incomplete Freund's adjuvant emulsified immunogen, and then once a week. The blood samples are collected from the clipped tail end and centrifuged to collect the serum for detecting the serum titers by FACS analysis. After the acceptable antibody titers are achieved, the mice are sacrificed and their spleen cells are harvested under aseptic condition. SP2/0 cells are collected at the logarithmic phase of growth with 3 min centrifugation at 2000 rpm. The precipitation is resuspended with serum-free culture medium, then centrifuged and resuspended for a second time, and counted. Spleen cells and SP2/0 cells are mixed at ratio of SP2/0 cells:spleen cells ≥1:1, followed by 3 rounds of washing-centrifugation. After the precipitation from the last centrifugation is detached, 1 ml of the PEG-1350 (pre-warmed to 37° C.) is added drop wise (finished in 30 s), after pipette-mixing for 1 min, 30 ml (pre-warmed to 37° C.) serum-free medium (Invitrogen) is added slowly to terminate the PEG fusion. After 5 min centrifugation at 1500 rpm, the cell pellets are resuspended and RPMI1640 (Invitrogen) containing HAT (sarcine, amethopterin and thymidine; Invitrogen) and 20% FBS (Bioind) is added as the fusion culture medium. 20000 spleen cells and 5000 feeder layer cells in 100 μl volume are plated into each well of 96-well plates. Fused hybridoma cells and feeder layer cells are co-cultured in 96-well plates with HAT selection to get rid of the non-fused cells. After 10 days, the supernatant of the hybridoma cells in the culture plates is collected for ELISA test.
Step 3: ELISA Screening of the Whole Cells
CHO-DHFR-hGLP-1R cells over-expressing hGLP-1R and CHO-DHFR minus cells not expressing hGLP-1R, were separately transferred into a 96-well plate, and kept growing to 90% confluent. The supernatant of the culture medium is removed and attached cells are washed twice with PBS, then 100 μl 100% methanol is added to fix the cells for 10 min at 4° C. then 100 μl freshly made 0.6% H2O2-PBS is added, and after incubation at room temperature for 20 min, the cells are washed twice with PBS. After blocking with PBS-1% BSA solution, the hybridoma supernatant is added and incubated for 90 min at 4° C. After several washes, 100 μl of the secondary antibody GxM-HRP-Fc (Sigma-Aldrich) (5000-times diluted) is added into each well and incubated at 37° C. for 0.5 hr. After washing for five times, 100 μl of TMB chromogenic substrate is added into each well and incubated at 37° C. for 15 min, and then 2M H2SO4 is added to terminate the reaction for reading of OD450 values. Positive control is the mouse serum after immunization; negative control is the cell culture supernatant. Hybridoma clones secreting anti-hGLP-1R antibody are screened and the stable secretory cell lines against hGLP-1R are obtained after cloning. Lastly, antibody supernatant secreted by hybridoma is verified by FACS analysis.
Step 4: Flow Analysis (FACS) of the Supernatant of the Positive Hybridoma Cells
PBS containing 10 mM EDTA is used to detach and collect 105 CHO DHFR-hGLP-1R cells into a 1.5 ml EP tube. The supernatant is removed after centrifugation and the negative control sample is resuspended with a loading buffer (PBS, 2% FBS). For positive control, 200 μl antibody supernatant is added to resuspend the cells with incubation at room temperature; the cells are then centrifuged at 1500 rpm to remove the supernatant, washed with loading buffer and centrifuged again. The cells are resuspended with addition of FITC labeled goat anti-mouse fluorescent antibody at 1:50 dilution (BD Pharmingen, 200 μl/well) and incubated at room temperature for 30 min in the dark. Supernatant is removed after centrifugation, cells are washed with loading buffer, centrifuged again and resuspended with loading buffer for analysis. The hybridoma supernatant and CHO-DHFR-hGLP-1R cells have specific binding: gray peak and dotted line peak are negative controls; the solid line peak (marked with *), corresponding to the hybridoma supernatant, moves to the right obviously (
Step 5: Cloning and Subcloning of Antibody Genes
Hybridoma cells secreting antibody are collected. Hybridoma mRNA is extracted according to the manufacturer protocol of QIAGEN mRNA extraction kit. Then the extracted mRNA is transcribed reversely into cDNA. The reverse transcription primers are specific primers for the light and heavy chain constant regions of mouse, with the heavy chain reverse transcription primer being (5′-TTTGGRGGGAAGATGAAGAC-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 115), the light chain reverse transcription primers being (5′-TTAACACTCTCCCCTGTTGAA-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 116) and (5′-TTAACACTCATTCCTGTTGAA-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 117). RT-PCR reaction conditions are as following: 25° C. for 5 min, 50° C. for 60 min, and 70° C. for 15 min. Reversely transcribed cDNA is diluted with 0.1 mM TE to 500 μl, added into the ultrafiltration centrifuge tube (Amicon Ultra-0.5) and centrifuged at 2000 g for 10 min. The filtrate is removed, 500 μl of 0.1 mM TE is added and centrifuged at 2000 g for 10 min. The filtrate is removed and the preparation tube is placed in inversion to the new centrifugal tube, and centrifuged at 2000 g for 10 min to obtain the purified cDNA. 10 μl of purified cDNA serves as the template. Add 4 μl 5× tailing buffer, 4 μl dATP (1 mM) and 10 U terminal transferase (Promega), mix uniformly and incubate at 37° C. for 5 min and at 65° C. for 5 min. The PolyA tail cDNA is used as templates and PCR is performed to amplify light and heavy chain variable region genes of antibodies. Upstream primers are all OligodT, with heavy chain downstream primers being (5′-TGGACAGGGATCCAGAGTTCC-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 118) and (5′-TGGACAGGGCTCCATAGTTCC-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 119), and light chain downstream primer being (5′-ACTCGTCCTTGGTCAACGTG-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 120). The PCR reaction conditions are as following: 95° C. for 5 min; 95° C. 30 s, 56° C. for 30 s, 72° C. for 1 min, 40 cycles; and 72° C. for 7 min. The PCR products are connected to the PMD 18-T vector for sequencing. The resulting sequences of the light and heavy chain variable regions of the antibody after sequencing are listed in the attached Sequence Listing.
PCR primers are designed based on the sequenced DNA sequences of the antibody, thus the complete light chain, heavy chain signal peptides and variable domains and mouse IgG1 constant region are connected with expression vector pTM5.
Step 6: Transient Expression of Anti-GLP-1R Antibodies in HEK293 Suspension Host Cell Line
The suspension HEK293 or CHO expressing cell line are inoculated to a shaker flask, and after 24 hr rotation at 37° C., the cells are ready for transfection. Polyethylenimine (PEI) is used as a transfection reagent during transfection, and its mixture with DNA is added into the cell culture. The mixing optimization ratio of PEI to DNA is 1:1 to 5:1. PEI/DNA mixture treated cells is rotated for more than 96 hr at 37° C. to express the antigen binding protein, meanwhile 0.5% of tryptone is added into the cell culture as the source of amino acids required by expression, and finally the cell supernatant is collected for the purification and separation of the antigen binding protein.
Step 7: Antibody Humanization and Optimization
First of all, the sequences of light and heavy chain variable regions of the screened mouse antibody are aligned with the homologous antibodies, using NCBI online antibody variable region sequence alignment tool (Ig Blast) to search the germline gene sequences of a humanized antibody (Ig Germline Gene sequence) homologous to the selected antibodies variable region sequence for humanization, and the humanized gene sequence with highest homology except CDR sequences is used as template for CDR grafting to get the humanized antibody variable region sequences and to synthesize humanized antibody light and heavy chain genes. According to the sequence, PCR primers are designed and at the 5′ end and 3′ end of the synthetic sequence, appropriate restriction enzyme sites are introduced. By PCR, the humanized antibody variable regions are amplified and then combined with the human IgG2 or IgG4 constant region sequence to obtain the whole recombinant humanized antibody sequence. The expression of the recombinant antibodies is achieved according to step 6, and its affinity towards GLP-1R is verified by FACS analysis as described in step 4. The best humanized antibody candidate retaining affinity towards GLP-1R is selected from the group thereof, and by means of site-specific mutagenesis, its variable region sequence is further improved for better affinity towards GLP-1R.
Step 8: Cloning and Subcloning of Genes of the Humanized Fusion Protein of GLP-1
Optimized humanized antibody is fused with GLP-1 or its derivative sequence, at the N-terminal and C-terminal of the light chains, to form the GLP-1 fusion protein, and the sequences of the two are connected by a peptide linker sequence (LK). Nucleotide sequence of the signal peptide-GLP-1 peptide linker is synthesized by Genscript Biotechnology CO., LTD. Using the synthetic gene as the template, PCR amplifies the sequence of the part “signal peptide-GLP1-linker”, with PCR upstream primer being (5′-CCACCATGGACTTTGGGCTGAGC-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 121), PCR downstream primer being (5′-AGAGCCGGTGGCAGAGCCAG-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 122). The PCR reaction conditions are as following: 95° C. for 5 min; 95° C. for 30 s, 56° C. for 30 s, 72° C. for 30 s, 35 cycles; 72° C. for 7 min. In addition, using the nucleotide sequence of the humanized antibody as template, the sequence of the antibody part of the fusion protein sequence is amplified.
The PCR upstream primer is (5′-CTGGCTCTGCCACCGGCTCTGCCATCCAGATGACCCAGTCTCC-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 123) and the PCR downstream primer is (5′-ACACTCTCCCCTGTTGAAGCTC-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 124). The PCR reaction conditions are as following: 95° C. for 5 min; 95° C. for 30 s, 56° C. for 30 s, 72° C. for 1 min, 35 cycles; 72° C. for 7 min. Then through overlapping PCR, the part “signal peptide-GLP-1-peptide linker” of the nucleic acid sequence of the fusion protein is connected with the antibody part, introducing two restriction enzyme sites Nhe1 and Not1 to both ends of the primers, and thus complete fusion protein sequence and the expression vector pTM5 are linked together. Overlapping PCR upstream primer is (5′-CCGGCTAGCCACCATGGACTTTGGGCTGAGC-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 125) and the downstream primer is (5′-AGTGCGGCCGCTCAACACTCTCCCCTGTTGAAGCTC-3′) (SEQ ID NO: 126). The PCR reaction conditions are as following: 95° C. for 5 min; 95° C. for 30 s, 56° C. for 30 s, 72° C. for 1 min, 35 cycles; 72° C. for 7 min. The PCR products are connected to the PTM5 vector and then are confirmed by sequencing.
Step 9: Transient Expression of GLP-1 Fusion Protein in HEK293 Suspension Host Cell Line
HEK293 suspension cells are inoculated into a shaker flask and the culture medium is changed before transfection. The vectors containing fusion protein light/heavy chain gene at the concentration of 0.5 to 1.5 μg/ml based on the total amount of DNA are mixed with 1.5 to 7.5 μg/ml of polyethylenimine (PEI), and after standing for 15-25 minutes the mixture is added into the cell culture medium. After 24 hr, 0.5-1% of Trypton N1 is added into the cell culture medium. The supernatants containing the secreted GLP-1 fusion protein are harvested after culturing for 5-10 days.
Step 10: Stable Expression of GLP-1 Fusion Protein in CHO Suspension Host Cell Line.
CHO suspension cells are inoculated into a 6-well plate, and the transfection of the expression vector of the fusion protein is implemented by the transfection conditions in step 1. After 48 hr, 300 mg/ml of hygromycin (heavy chain) and 6 mg/ml puromycin (light chain) are added for co-selection. After apoptosis occurred in quantity (mortality rate >90%), antibiotic concentration is gradually reduced to allow the remaining cells to recover and transferred into a shaker flask for culture expansion, then the expression of the antibody in the supernatant is confirmed. Afterwards, half of antibiotic concentrations in medium is maintained to allow the stable expression of GLP-1 fusion protein of the cells.
Step 11: Purification and Preparation of GLP-1 Fusion Protein from the Cell Culture Supernatant
Cells are removed from the culture after centrifugation, and the supernatant runs through G protein coupled affinity chromatography column. The expressed GLP-1 fusion protein is eluted from the chromatography column using eluent with pH around 2.5-3.5. The low pH value of the eluent is neutralized immediately with the neutralized buffer provided in the elution tube. The protein solution is collected after elution and is then dialyzed against PBS.
Step 12: Reporter Gene Assay Test of GLP-1 Fusion Protein for its Function In Vitro Activation of GLP-1R (See
The CHO-DHFR minus cells co-expressing hGLP1R-CRE-Luciferase are inoculated into a 96-well cell culture plate with 20000 cells per well, and cultured at 37° C. overnight. The next day the culture supernatant is removed. The cell surfaces are washed twice with serum free medium and residual liquid is removed as well, then adding 100 μl serum free medium for dilution and purification of antibodies or GLP-1 and incubated at 37° C. for 4 hr. After the stimulation, 100 μl Bright Glo chemiluminescence substrate of Promega is added. Finally the cell lysates are transferred into a white 96-well plate, and the relative luminous intensity is recorded in SpectraMax L microplate reader of Molecular Devices.
Step 13: Glucose Tolerance Test of Fasting ICR Mice.
Glucose tolerance of mice in vein is determined to evaluate the efficacy of the GLP-1 fusion proteins (preferably, antibody GLP-1 (A8G)-LK-L13H13) disclosed in the present patent. There are four groups of mice, and each group contains at least three to five mice. Group I is the control group, received an intraperitoneal injection of same volume of PBS. Group II received a single intraperitoneal injection of 15 μg per mouse. Group III received a single intraperitoneal injection of 5 μg per mouse. After injection, mice are fasted for 6-16 hr, and after the fasting is complete, the blood samples of mice are taken to determine the basal blood glucose concentration. Then the mice are forced with a gavage of glucose at the concentration of 1.5 g/kg, and 15, 30, 60 and 90 min after the gavage, the blood samples are taken to determine blood glucose concentration, as shown in
Step 14: Glucose Tolerance Test of GLP-1 Fusion Protein in Mice (C57BL) for Long-Term (40 hr) Efficacy.
Glucose tolerance of mice in vein is determined to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the GLP-1 fusion proteins (preferably, antibody GLP-1 (A8G)-LK-L13H13) disclosed in the present patent. There are two groups of mice, and each group contains at least three to five mice. Group I is the control group, received an intraperitoneal injection of same volume of PBS. Group II received a single intraperitoneal injection of 15 μg per mouse. 24 hr after injection, mice are fasted for 16 hr, and after the fasting is complete, the blood samples of mice are taken to determine the basal blood glucose concentration. Then the mice are forced with a gavage of glucose at the concentration of 1.5 g/kg, and 15, 30, 60 and 90 min after the gavage, the blood samples are taken to determine blood glucose concentration, as shown in
Step 15: Study on the Long-Term (72 hr) Effects of a GLP-1 Fusion Protein on Lowering the Blood Glucose Concentration of Type II Diabetic Mice (Db/Db Mice).
The blood glucose concentration of type II diabetic mice are determined at different time points to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the GLP-1 fusion proteins (preferably, antibody GLP-1 (A8G)-LK-L13H13) disclosed in the present patent in lowering the blood glucose concentration of type II diabetic mice. There are two groups of mice, and each group contains at least six mice. Before the start of the injection, the blood samples of mice are taken to determine the basal blood glucose concentration. Later, Group I (the control group), received an intraperitoneal injection of same volume of PBS. Group II received a single intraperitoneal injection of the GLP-1 fusion protein at a concentration of 10 nmol/kg. 1, 4, 6, 24, 48 and 72 hr after injection, the blood samples thereof are taken respectively to determine the blood glucose concentration of the two groups of mice, as shown in
Step 16: Study on the Long-Term (120 hr) Effects of a GLP-1 Fusion Protein on the Reduction of the Daily Food Intake in Type II Diabetic Mice (Db/Db Mice).
The food intake changes of type II diabetic mice are determined to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the GLP-1 fusion proteins (preferably, antibody GLP-1 (A8G)-LK-L13H13) disclosed in the present patent in reducing the food intake level of type II diabetic mice. This step is carried out along with step 15 on the same batch of mice in synchronization. There are two groups of mice, and each group contains at least six mice. From 3 days before the injection of step 15 to 5 days after injection (120 hr), every morning and at the same time, the daily food intake of each group of mice was weighed, as shown in
The examples set forth above are provided to give those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to make and use the claimed embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of what is disclosed herein. Modifications that are obvious to persons of skill in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 1 0350640 | Aug 2013 | CN | national |
This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/911,715, which is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/CN2014/083568, filed Aug. 1, 2014, which claims the benefit of the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 201310350640.0, filed Aug. 13, 2013; the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 14911715 | US | |
| Child | 16102552 | US |
