Abstract
The IgG4 isotype antibody is a potential candidate for immunotherapy when reduced effector functions are desirable. However, antigen binding fragment (Fab) arm exchange leads to functional monovalency with potentially reduced therapeutic efficacy. Mutagenesis studies suggested that the CH3 domain and not the core hinge is dominantly involved in in vivo molecular processing. This work investigated whether stabilization of the core hinge of a therapeutic IgG4 antibody by mutation of Ser228 to Pro (S228P) would be sufficient to prevent in vivo Fab arm exchange. In vitro experiments evaluated the influence of different levels of oxidation-reduction conditions in buffer and serum on Fab arm exchange (swapping) of wild-type (WT) IgG4 and IgG1 and of IgG4 S228P, which included a sterically neutral second mutation (Leu235 replaced by Glu). The objective of single-dose pharmacokinetic experiments in cynomolgus monkeys was to determine whether the mutation reduced IgG4 swapping in vivo. The results indicated that S228P mutation did not completely prevent Fab arm exchange in vitro in buffer under reducing conditions relative to IgG4 WT. The immunoassay findings were confirmed by mass spectrometry measurements. Results of the in vivo studies suggested that the therapeutic IgG4 WT antibody exchanged Fab arms with endogenous cynomolgus monkey IgG4, resulting in bispecific IgG4 antibodies with monovalency for the therapeutic target. In contrast, serum from cynomolgus monkeys dosed with the IgG4 mutant was virtually free of swapped IgG4. In conclusion, the results indicated that IgG4 swapping in vivo was markedly attenuated by S228P mutation.
Footnotes
Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at http://dmd.aspetjournals.org.
doi:10.1124/dmd.109.029751
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- mAb
- monoclonal antibody
- Fc
- fragment, crystallizable (constant part of Ig)
- FcR
- Fc receptor
- Fab
- antigen-binding fragment
- SPLE
- S228P and L235E
- redox
- oxidation reduction
- WT
- wild-type
- Ox40L
- Ox40 ligand
- IL13R
- interleukin-13 receptor
- IL1R
- interleukin-1 receptor
- BME
- β-mercaptoethanol
- PBS
- phosphate-buffered saline
- Bi
- biotin
- SA-MTP
- streptavidin-coated high-bind microtiter plates
- Dig
- digoxigenin
- HRP
- horseradish peroxidase
- ABTS
- 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)
- ELISA
- enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
- AUC0-∞
- area under curve from time 0 to infinity
- CL
- clearance
- VdSS
- volume of distribution under steady state
- t1/2β
- elimination half-life
- ADA
- anti-drug antibody.
- Received July 30, 2009.
- Accepted October 20, 2009.
- Copyright © 2010 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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