A beta-lactamase with reduced immunogenicity for the targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics using antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy

Mol Cancer Ther. 2005 Nov;4(11):1791-800. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-05-0189.

Abstract

Antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) delivers chemotherapeutic agents in high concentration to tumor tissue while minimizing systemic drug exposure. beta-Lactamases are particularly useful enzymes for ADEPT systems due to their unique substrate specificity that allows the activation of a variety of lactam-based prodrugs with minimal interference from mammalian enzymes. We evaluated the amino acid sequence of beta-lactamase from Enterobacter cloacae for the presence of human T-cell epitopes using a cell-based proliferation assay using samples from 65 community donors. We observed a low background response that is consistent with a lack of preexposure to this enzyme. beta-Lactamase was found to contain four CD4+ T-cell epitopes. For two of these epitopes, we identified single amino acid changes that result in significantly reduced proliferative responses while retaining stability and activity of the enzyme. The beta-lactamase variant containing both changes induces significantly less proliferation in human and mouse cell assays, and 5-fold lower levels of IgG1 in mice were observed after repeat administration of beta-lactamase variant with adjuvant. The beta-lactamase variant should be very suitable for the construction of ADEPT fusion proteins, as it combines high activity toward lactam prodrugs, high plasma stability, a monomeric architecture, and a relatively low risk of eliciting an immune response in patients.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cephalosporins / pharmacology
  • Chromatography, Affinity
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Enterobacter cloacae / enzymology*
  • Enterobacter cloacae / metabolism
  • Epitopes / chemistry
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydrolysis
  • Immunoglobulin G / chemistry
  • Kinetics
  • Lactams / chemistry
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / cytology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Prodrugs / pharmacology*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Risk
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Time Factors
  • beta-Lactamases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Cephalosporins
  • Epitopes
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Lactams
  • Peptides
  • Prodrugs
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • beta-Lactamases
  • nitrocefin