Proteolytic single hinge cleavage of pertuzumab impairs its Fc effector function and antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo

Breast Cancer Res. 2018 Jun 1;20(1):43. doi: 10.1186/s13058-018-0972-4.

Abstract

Background: Proteolytic impairment of the Fc effector functions of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can compromise their antitumor efficacy in the tumor microenvironment and may represent an unappreciated mechanism of host immune evasion. Pertuzumab is a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeting antibody and has been widely used in the clinic in combination with trastuzumab for treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. Pertuzumab susceptibility to proteolytic hinge cleavage and its impact on the drug's efficacy has not been previously studied.

Methods: Pertuzumab was incubated with high and low HER2-expressing cancer cells and proteolytic cleavage in the lower hinge region was detected by western blotting. The single hinge cleaved pertuzumab (scIgG-P) was purified and evaluated for its ability to mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in vitro and anti-tumor efficacy in vivo. To assess the cleavage of trastuzumab (IgG-T) and pertuzumab (IgG-P) when simultaneously bound to the same cancer cell surface, F(ab')2 fragments of IgG-T or IgG-P were combined with the intact IgG-P and IgG-T, respectively, to detect scIgG generation by western blotting.

Results: Pertuzumab hinge cleavage occurred when the mAb was incubated with high HER2-expressing cancer cells. The hinge cleavage of pertuzumab caused a substantial loss of ADCC in vitro and reduced antitumor efficacy in vivo. The reduced ADCC function of scIgG-P was restored by an anti-hinge mAb specific for a cleavage site neoepitope. In addition, we constructed a protease-resistant version of the anti-hinge mAb that restored ADCC and the cell-killing functions of pertuzumab when cancer cells exressed a potent IgG hinge-cleaving protease. We also observed increased hinge cleavage of pertuzumab when combined with trastuzumab.

Conclusion: The reduced Fc effector function of single hinge-cleaved pertuzumab can be restored by an anti-hinge mAb. The restoration effect indicated that immune function could be readily augmented when the damaged primary antibodies were bound to cancer cell surfaces. The anti-hinge mAb also restored Fc effector function to the mixture of proteolytically disabled trastuzumab and pertuzumab, suggesting a general therapeutic strategy to restore the immune effector function to protease-inactivated anticancer antibodies in the tumor microenvironment. The findings point to a novel tactic for developing breast cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords: Antibody hinge cleavage; Breast cancer; Fc effector function; HER2; Pertuzumab; Tumor invasion of humoral immunity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / administration & dosage*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / adverse effects
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / administration & dosage
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / immunology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / adverse effects
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Mice
  • Proteolysis / drug effects
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / immunology
  • Tumor Escape / drug effects*
  • Tumor Escape / immunology
  • Tumor Microenvironment / drug effects*
  • Tumor Microenvironment / immunology
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • pertuzumab