Novel interleukin-2 variants for treatment of cancer

Abstract

To provide an isolated interleukin-2 variant polypeptide.SOLUTION: Provided is an isolated interleukin-2 (IL-2) variant polypeptide, wherein the IL-2 variant polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence wherein one or more of positions R38, T41, F42, F44, E62, P65, E68, Y107, and S125 of a specific amino acid sequence has been substituted with other amino acids, and wherein the IL-2 variant polypeptide is incapable of binding to IL-2Rα and no longer preferentially activates Treg cells as compared to the polypeptide represented by the specific amino acid sequence, yet retains the ability to bind to and activate the IL-2Rβγ complex.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 947,806, filed December 13, 2019, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 861,651, filed June 14, 2019, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Interleukin 2 (IL-2) was the first growth factor described in association with T cells. Since its discovery, IL-2 has been shown to promote T cell proliferation and survival in vitro (Smith, K. A. (1988), Science. 240:1169-76) and to have the ability to boost immune responses in the context of T cells and viral infection (Blattman, J. N. et al. (2003), Nat Med. 9:540-7) and vaccines (Fishman, M. et al. (2008), J Immunother. 31:72-80; Kudo-Saito, C. et al. (2007), Cancer Immunol Immunother. 56:1897-910; Lin, C. T. et al. (2007), Immunol Lett. 114:86-93).

[0003] IL-2 is used in cancer treatment. Recombinant human IL-2 is an effective immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma and renal cancer, with durable responses seen in approximately 10% of patients. However, the optimal dose of IL-2 is limited by its short half-life and strong toxicity. In addition, IL-2 binds with greater affinity to its heterotrimeric receptor IL-2Rαβγ, leading to preferential expansion of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs), which constitutively express high levels of IL-2Rα. Expansion of Tregs is an undesirable effect of IL-2 for cancer immunotherapy. As a result, the success of cancer immunotherapy using IL-2 must address two fundamental key issues: 1) how to activate IL-2 where it is needed while minimizing side effects, and 2) how to preferentially activate effector T cells while suppressing stimulation of Tregs.

[0004] More recently, it has been found that IL-2 can be modified to selectively stimulate cytotoxic effector T cells. Various approaches have led to the generation of IL-2 variants with improved selective immunostimulatory capabilities. Some of these IL-2 variants were designed to enhance their ability to signal primarily through high affinity receptors (α, β, and γ chains) but not through intermediate affinity receptors (β and γ chains). The basic idea was to enhance signaling in T cells but not in NK cells, which was believed to be responsible for the observed toxic effects. Inventions in this field include: U.S. Patent No. 7,186,804; U.S. Patent No. 7,105,653; U.S. Patent No. 6,955,807; U.S. Patent No. 5,229,109; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050142106. It is important to note that none of these inventions are directed to variants of IL-2 that have greater therapeutic efficacy in vivo than native IL-2.

[0005] In summary, IL-2 is a highly pleiotropic cytokine that is highly involved in the biological activities of various cell populations. This property makes IL-2 a key intersection in the control of immune responses and an attractive target for therapeutic approaches and complex immunomodulation. Furthermore, receptor subunit-biased IL-2 variants can be engineered to achieve selective IL-2-mediated immunomodulation, preferentially expanding and activating Teff cells that attack cancer cells, while decreasing the expansion and activation of Treg cells. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to the generation of mutated variants of IL-2, characterized in that they are selective agonists of IL-2 activity with reduced or abolished ability to bind to IL-2Rα. In particular, these variants provide a way to overcome the limitations observed in native IL-2 therapy, which stems from its proven ability to expand native regulatory T cells in vivo. The present invention relates to polypeptides that share their primary sequence with human IL-2, except for a few mutated amino acids. The introduced mutations substantially reduce the ability of these polypeptides to stimulate Treg cells, conferring greater efficacy to IL-2. Furthermore, the introduced mutations are expected to reduce the CD25-mediated VLS and the CD25-mediated sink effect. The present invention relates to polypeptides that share their primary sequence with human IL-2, except for one to a few mutated amino acids. The invention also includes the therapeutic use of these mutant variants, either alone or in combination with vaccines, or immune checkpoint inhibitors, or tumor-associated antigen (TAA) targeted biologics, or as part of bifunctional molecular constructs, for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or infectious diseases where regulatory T cell (Treg) activity is undesirable.

[0007] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to the creation of mutant variants of IL-2, characterized by being selective agonists of IL-2 activity with optimally regulated overall potency by reducing IL-2Rβγ interaction in addition to reduced or abolished binding ability to IL-2Rα. The introduced mutations prevent overactivation of pathways, reduce undesirable "on-target" but "out-of-target" toxicity, reduce potential sinks, lower activation-induced cell exhaustion associated with lymphocyte overstimulation, and alleviate receptor-mediated IL-2 internalization, thus extending half-life in vivo and resulting in slow sustained pharmacodynamics, improving biodistribution, bioavailability, function and antitumor efficacy. The inventors of the present invention also propose that the use of IL-2 variants with reduced / abolished binding to IL-2Rα and attenuated IL-2Rβγ activity facilitates the establishment of a stoichiometric balance between cytokine and antibody arms exhibiting significantly different potencies and molecular weights, allowing optimal dosing and maintaining the function of each arm. The present invention relates to polypeptides that share the primary sequence of human IL-2, except for one or a few mutated amino acids. The invention also includes the therapeutic use of these mutated variants, either alone or in combination with a vaccine, or an immune checkpoint inhibitor, or a tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-targeted biologic, or as part of a bifunctional molecular construct, for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or an infectious disease.

[0008] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to the generation of mutated variants of IL-2, characterized by a reduced or abolished ability to bind to IL-2Rα, as well as a selective agonist of IL-2 activity with reduced IL-2Rβγ interaction. The induced mutations result in prolonged and durable pharmacodynamics and potentially pharmacokinetics. Furthermore, the induced mutations reduce cell exhaustion and activation-induced cell death, enhancing durable lymphocyte responsiveness. As a result, the induced mutations allow for less frequent dosing regimens, providing convenience of administration in the clinic. A reduction in the cost of goods is also expected. The present invention relates to polypeptides that share their primary sequence with human IL-2, except for one or a few amino acids that are mutated. The present invention also includes the therapeutic use of these mutated variants, either alone or in combination with vaccines, or immune checkpoint inhibitors, or tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-targeted biologics, or as part of a bifunctional molecular construct, for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or infectious diseases.

[0009] In one embodiment, the invention relates to the generation of mutant variants of IL-2 that are characterized by abolishing binding to IL-2Rα and being selective agonists of IL-2 activity with enhanced effector T and NK cell responses to an unexpectedly large extent compared to the wild-type counterpart. Mutations that abolish CD25 binding are expected to reduce sink to CD25 or CD25+ cells and consequently increase availability to IL-2Rβγ. Increased receptor occupancy elicits vigorous cytotoxic cell responses and strong tumor killing efficacy. The invention relates to polypeptides that share their primary sequence with human IL-2, except for one or a few mutated amino acids. The invention also includes therapeutic uses of these mutant variants for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or infectious diseases, either alone or in combination with vaccines, or immune checkpoint inhibitors, or tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-targeted biologics, or as part of bifunctional molecular constructs.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the introduced mutations reduced the ability to bind to IL-2Rα (CD25) but retained a low level of Treg response. The remaining immunoregulatory Tregs allow immune counterbalance, improving systemic tolerance and ensuring an immune balance that is not overly tilted towards cytotoxic effector cells. The fine-tuned Treg response is strong enough to maintain peripheral tolerance while still maintaining tumor killing efficacy. The present invention relates to polypeptides that share their primary sequence with human IL-2, except for one to a few amino acids that are mutated. The present invention also includes the therapeutic use of these mutated variants, either alone or in combination with vaccines, or immune checkpoint inhibitors, or tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-targeted biologics, or as part of a bifunctional molecular construct, for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or infectious diseases.

[0011] In one embodiment, the invention relates to the creation of mutated variants of IL-2 that have reduced aggregation, increased expression, improved manufacturability and suitability for development, and a combination of properties including, for example, substantially reduced ability to stimulate Treg cells, reduced receptor overactivation, reduced undesirable "on-target" but "off-target" toxicity, extended biodistribution, bioavailability, function, and pharmacodynamics that improve anti-tumor efficacy. The invention relates to polypeptides that share their primary sequence with human IL-2, except for one or a few mutated amino acids. The invention also includes therapeutic uses of these mutated variants, either alone or in combination with vaccines, or immune checkpoint inhibitors, or tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-targeted biologics, or as part of bifunctional molecular constructs, for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or infectious diseases.

[0012] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to the creation of mutated variants of IL-2 characterized by reduced severe toxicity such as vascular leak syndrome (VLS) associated with high doses of IL-2 in clinical practice for the treatment of renal cancer and melanoma. Specifically, the introduced mutations are expected to significantly reduce the binding ability to IL-2Rα (CD25), resulting in impaired binding to CD25+ pulmonary endothelial cells, preventing endothelial cell damage, and significantly reducing VLS. The present invention relates to polypeptides that share their primary sequence with human IL-2, except for one to several mutated amino acids. The present invention also includes the therapeutic use of these mutated variants to improve safety profiles, either alone or in combination with vaccines, or immune checkpoint regulators, or tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-targeted biologics, or as part of bifunctional molecular constructs, for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or infectious diseases.

[0013] The present invention allows for substantial improvements in current IL-2-based immunomodulatory strategies in the treatment of cancer. Specifically, replacement of native IL-2 with the mutation variants described herein will result in preferential stimulation of Treg cells over cytotoxic effector cells, reduced undesirable "on-target" but "off-target" toxicity, minimized cell attrition associated with overstimulation, and improved pharmacodynamics and potentially pharmacokinetics. The mutations are expected to impair binding to CD25+ pulmonary endothelial cells, resulting in reduced VLS. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant (or mutant) comprises a sequence of the IL-2 variant (or mutant) derived from the sequence of the mature human IL-2 polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:3. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant functions as an IL-2 agonist. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant functions as an IL-2 antagonist. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant comprises amino acids 9-133, 10-133, and 11-113 of SEQ ID NO:31-66, or SEQ ID NO:111-120, or SEQ ID NO:47.

[0014] In another aspect, the IL-2 variant of the invention is attached to at least one heterologous protein. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant is fused to at least one polypeptide that confers an extended half-life to the fusion molecule. Such polypeptides include IgG Fc or other polypeptides that bind to the neonatal Fc receptor, human serum albumin, or polypeptides that bind to proteins with extended serum half-life. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant is fused to an IgG Fc molecule. In various embodiments, the Fc domain is a human IgG Fc domain. In various embodiments, the Fc domain is derived from a human IgG1 heavy chain constant domain sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:6. In various embodiments, the Fc domain is an Fc domain having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:7. In various embodiments, the Fc domain is an Fc domain having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:8. In various embodiments, the Fc domain is derived from a human IgG2 heavy chain constant domain sequence. In various embodiments, the Fc domain is derived from a human IgG4 heavy chain constant domain sequence.

[0015] In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant can be linked to the N-terminus or C-terminus of the IgG Fc region.

[0016] The term "Fc" refers to a molecule or sequence that includes the sequence of a non-antigen-binding fragment of a full-length antibody, which may be in monomeric or multimeric form. The original immunoglobulin source of the native Fc is preferably of human origin and may be any immunoglobulin disclosed in the art. The native Fc is composed of monomeric polypeptides that may be linked into dimeric or multimeric forms by covalent (i.e., disulfide) and non-covalent bonds. The number of intermolecular disulfide bonds between the monomeric subunits of the native Fc molecule ranges from 1 to 4, depending on the class (e.g., IgG, IgA, IgE) or subclass (e.g., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgA1, IgGA2). One example of a native Fc is the disulfide-linked dimer resulting from papain digestion of IgG (Ellison et al., (1982), Nucleic Acids Res., 10:4071-9). The term "native Fc" as used herein refers collectively to monomeric, dimeric, and multimeric forms of the Fc domain that contains binding sites for Protein A, Protein G, various Fc receptors, and complement proteins.

[0017] In various embodiments, the term "Fc variant" refers to a molecule or sequence that has been modified from a native Fc but still contains a binding site for the salvage receptor, FcRn. Exemplary Fc variants and interactions with the salvage receptor are described in International Publication Nos. WO 97 / 34631 (published September 25, 1997) and WO 96 / 32458, which are incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, native Fc contains sites that may be removed because they confer structural features or biological activity that are not required for the fusion molecules of the present invention. That is, in various embodiments, the term "Fc variant" includes molecules or sequences that lack one or more native Fc sites or residues that affect or are involved in: (1) disulfide bond formation, (2) incompatibility with a selected host cell, (3) N-terminal heterogeneity after expression in a selected host cell, (4) glycosylation, (5) interaction with complement, (6) binding to Fc receptors other than the salvage receptor, or (7) antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

[0018] The term "Fc domain" encompasses native Fc and Fc variant molecules and sequences as defined above. As with Fc variants and native Fc, the term "Fc domain" encompasses molecules in monomeric or multimeric form, either digested from full-length antibodies or produced by recombinant gene expression or other means. In various embodiments, "Fc domain" refers to a dimer consisting of two Fc domain monomers (SEQ ID NO: 6), usually including all or part of the hinge region. In various embodiments, the Fc domain may be mutated to lack effector function. In various embodiments, each of the Fc domain monomers of the Fc domain contains amino acid substitutions in the CH2 antibody constant domain to reduce the interaction or binding between the Fc domain and the Fcγ receptor. In various embodiments, each subunit of the Fc domain contains three amino acid substitutions (L234A, L235A, and G237A) that reduce binding to activating Fc receptors and / or effector function (SEQ ID NO: 7). In various embodiments, each subunit of the Fc domain contains three amino acid substitutions (L234A, L235A and P329G) that reduce binding to activating Fc receptors and / or effector function.

[0019] In various embodiments, the Fc domain may be mutated to further increase in vivo half-life. In various embodiments, each subunit of the Fc domain contains three amino acid substitutions (M252Y, S254T, and T256E) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,921 that enhance binding to human FcRn. In various embodiments, each subunit of the Fc domain contains an amino acid substitution (N434A) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,371,826 (SEQ ID NO: 8). In various embodiments, each subunit of the Fc domain contains either the amino acid substitution M428L or N434S disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,546,543 that enhances binding to human FcRn. In various embodiments, the half-life-enhancing mutations can be combined with amino acid substitutions that reduce binding to activating Fc receptors and / or effector functions.

[0020] In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant Fc fusion protein will be monomeric, i.e., it contains only one IL-2 mutein molecule. In such an embodiment, the fusion protein contains a heterodimeric Fc linked to an IL-2 variant (e.g., Knob-Fc having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9) and a corresponding heterodimeric Fc (e.g., Hole-Fc having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10). When a heterodimer of the two Fc-containing polypeptides is formed, the resulting protein contains a monovalent IL-2 variant. In various embodiments, the heterodimeric Fc domains used to generate the monovalent IL-2 Fc fusion protein are Knob-Fc domain with reduced / eliminated effector function and extended half-life (SEQ ID NO: 134) and Hole-Fc domain with reduced / reduced effector function (SEQ ID NO: 135).

[0021] In various embodiments, the IL-2 variants of the present invention can be attached to an antibody that provides an extended half-life to the fusion molecule, such as an anti-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) antibody. Such an antibody recognizes the foreign antigen and confers a longer half-life, but has no biological function or harm in humans. The IgG class could be IgG, IgA, IgE or subclasses (e.g., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgA1, IgA2).

[0022] In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant constructs of the invention comprise a targeting moiety in the form of an antibody, antibody fragment, protein, or peptide that binds to a molecule enriched in cancer tissue, such as a tumor-associated antigen (TAA).

[0023] A TAA can be any molecule, macromolecule, combination of molecules, etc., against which an immune response is desired. A TAA can be a protein that includes multiple polypeptide subunits. For example, a protein can be a dimer, trimer, or higher order multimer. In various embodiments, two or more subunits of a protein can be connected by a covalent bond, such as a disulfide bond. In various embodiments, a subunit of a protein can be held together with non-covalent interactions. Thus, a TAA can be any peptide, polypeptide, protein, nucleic acid, lipid, carbohydrate, or small organic molecule, or any combination thereof, against which a person skilled in the art would like to induce an immune response. In various embodiments, the TAA is a peptide comprising about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, about 20, about 25, about 30, about 35, about 40, about 45, about 50, about 55, about 60, about 65, about 70, about 75, about 80, about 85, about 90, about 95, about 100, about 150, about 200, about 250, about 300, about 400, about 500, about 600, about 700, about 800, about 900, or about 1000 amino acids. In various embodiments, the peptide, polypeptide, or protein is a molecule that is typically administered to a subject by injection.

[0024] In various embodiments, tumor-specific antibodies or binding proteins serve as targeting moieties to direct IL-2 variants to disease sites, such as tumor sites, where they can stimulate a more optimal anti-tumor immune response, while avoiding the systemic toxicity of free cytokine therapy. In the case of IL-2 full agonists, IL-2-IL-2R interactions, rather than antibody-antigen targeting, may determine the localization of immune cytokines to IL-2 receptor-expressing cells rather than tumor cells at typical antibody doses. In various embodiments, the use of IL-2 variants with reduced / absent binding to IL-2Rα and attenuated potency in antibody fusion proteins facilitates the establishment of a stoichiometric balance between IL-2 and the targeting antibody, achieving optimal dosing where the antibody can achieve sufficient target occupancy while the IL-2 moiety does not cause pathway overactivation. The use of IL-2 variants with reduced / abolished binding to IL-2Rα and attenuated potency of IL-2 antibody fusion proteins may further enhance antibody-mediated tumor targeting, minimize peripheral activation and AICD, reduce antigen sinks, and facilitate tumor targeting via the antibody arm.

[0025] In various embodiments, the IL-2 variants of the invention can be conjugated to a targeting / bifunctional moiety that is an antibody, antibody fragment, protein, or peptide that targets immune checkpoint modulators.

[0026] A number of immune checkpoint protein antigens have been reported to be expressed on various immune cells, such as SIRP (expressed on macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells), CD47 (highly expressed on tumor cells and other cell types), VISTA (expressed on monocytes, dendritic cells, B cells, and T cells), CD152 (expressed on activated CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, and regulatory T cells), CD279 (expressed on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and on activated T cells (both CD4 and CD8), regulatory T cells, activated B cells, activated NK cells, allergic T cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells), CD274 (expressed on T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, vascular endothelial cells, and pancreatic islet cells), and CD223 (expressed on activated T cells, regulatory T cells, allergic T cells, NK cells, NKT cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells) (e.g., Pardoll, D., Nature Reviews, 2004). Cancer, 12:252-264, 2012). Antibodies that bind to antigens that have been identified as immune checkpoint proteins are known to those skilled in the art. For example, various anti-CD276 antibodies have been described in the art (see, for example, US Patent Publication No. 20120294796 (Johnson et al) and references cited therein). Various anti-CD272 antibodies have been described in the art (see, for example, US Patent Publication No. 20140017255 (Mataraza et al) and references cited therein). Various anti-CD152 / CTLA-4 antibodies have been described in the art (see, for example, US Patent Publication No. 20130136749 (Korman et al) and references cited therein). Various anti-LAG-3 / CD223 antibodies have been described in the art (see, for example, US Patent Publication No. 20110150892 (Thudium et al) and references cited therein). Various anti-CD279 (PD-1) antibodies have been described in the art (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,488,802 (Collins et al.) and references cited therein).A variety of anti-CD274 (PD-L1) antibodies have been described in the art (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20130122014 (Korman et al) and references cited therein). A variety of anti-TIM-3 antibodies have been described in the art (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20140044728 (Takayanagi et al) and references cited therein). A variety of anti-B7-H4 antibodies have been described in the art (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20110085970 (Terrett et al) and references cited therein). And a variety of anti-TIGIT antibodies have been described in the art (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20180169239A1 (Grogan) and references cited therein). Each of these documents is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for the specific antibodies and sequences taught therein.

[0027] In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant can be fused to an antibody, antibody fragment, or protein or peptide that exhibits binding to an immune checkpoint protein antigen present on the surface of an immune cell. In various embodiments, the immune checkpoint protein antigen is selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to, CD279 (PD-1), CD274 (PDL-1), CD276, CD272, CD152, CD223 (LAG-3), CD40, SIRPα, CD47, OX-40, GITR, ICOS, CD27, 4-1BB, TIM-3, B7-H3, B7-H4, TIGIT, and VISTA.

[0028] In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist FAP antibody or antibody fragment. In various embodiments, the antibody is a humanized antagonist FAP antibody comprising the variable domain sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 136 and 137. In various embodiments, the heterologous protein is an antibody or antibody fragment against an immune checkpoint regulator. In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist PD-1 antibody or antibody fragment. In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist PD-1 antibody comprising the variable domain sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 138 and 139, SEQ ID NOs: 140 and 141, SEQ ID NOs: 142 and 143, SEQ ID NOs: 144 and 145, or SEQ ID NOs: 146 and 147. In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist human PD-L1 antibody comprising the variable domain sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 148 and 149. In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist CTLA-4 antibody comprising the variable domain sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 150 and 151. In various embodiments, the heterologous protein is linked to the IL-2 variant by a linker and / or hinge linker peptide. The linker or hinge linker can be an artificial sequence of 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, or more amino acids (or any number in between) that has relatively little secondary structure.

[0029] In various embodiments, the heterologous protein is attached to the IL-2 variant by a rigid linker peptide of 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 or more amino acids (or any number in between) that exhibits an alpha-helical conformation and can act as a rigid spacer between the protein domains.

[0030] In another aspect, the IL-2 variant can be linked to various non-proteinaceous polymers, including but not limited to various polyols such as polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, or polyoxyalkylenes, by methods described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,640,835; 4,496,689; 4,301,144; 4,670,417; 4,791,192, or 4,179,337. In various embodiments, amino acid substitutions can be made at various positions within the IL-2 variant to facilitate the addition of polymers such as PEG. In various embodiments, such PEGylated proteins can have extended half-lives and / or reduced immunogenicity than non-PEGylated proteins.

[0031] In various embodiments, the Il-2 variants can be non-covalently or covalently linked at the N- or C-terminus to other polypeptides that bind to IgG Fc or neonatal Fcγ / receptors, to polypeptides that bind to human serum albumin, or to proteins with long serum half-lives, or to various nonproteinaceous polymers.

[0032] In another aspect, the disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising an IL-2 variant in admixture with a pharma- ceutically acceptable carrier.

[0033] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for treating cancer or cancer metastasis in a subject, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention to a subject in need thereof.In one embodiment, the subject is a human subject.In various embodiments, the cancer is selected from pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, melanoma, leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, lung cancer, prostate cancer, brain cancer, bladder cancer, head and neck cancer, and rhabdomyosarcoma.

[0034] In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for treating cancer or cancer metastasis in a subject, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention in combination with a second therapeutic method selected from the group consisting of cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, small molecule kinase inhibitor targeted therapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplantation. In various embodiments, the combination therapy can include administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an immunotherapy, including but not limited to depleting antibodies against specific tumor antigens. treatment with antibody-drug conjugates; treatment with agonistic, antagonistic, or blocking antibodies against costimulatory or co-inhibitory molecules (immune checkpoints) such as CTLA-4, PD-1, PD-L1, OX-40, CD137, TIGIT, GITR, LAG3, TIM-3, CD47, SIRPα, ICOS, and VISTA; treatment with bispecific T cell-engaging antibodies (BiTE®), such as blinatumomab; treatments involving administration of biological response modifiers, such as the TNF family, IL-1, IL-4, IL-7, IL-12, IL-15, IL-17, IL-21, IL-22, GM-CSF, IFN-α, IFN-β, and IFN-γ; treatment with any therapeutic vaccine; treatment with dendritic cell vaccines or tumor antigen peptide vaccines; treatment with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells; treatment with CAR-NK cells; treatment with tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL); treatment with adoptively transferred anti-tumor T cells (in vitro expanded and / or TCR transgenic); treatment with TALL-104 cells; treatment with immune stimulants such as the Toll-like receptor (TLR: TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9) agonists CpG and imiquimod; but are not limited to these; the above combination therapies increase tumor cell killing by effector cells, i.e., there is synergy between the IL-2 variant and immunotherapy when administered simultaneously.

[0035] In another aspect, the disclosure provides a use of an IL-2 variant for the preparation of a medicament for treating cancer.

[0036] In another aspect, the disclosure provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide encoding an IL-2 variant of the disclosure. In another aspect, the disclosure provides a vector comprising a nucleic acid as described herein. In various embodiments, the vector is an expression vector. In another aspect, the disclosure provides an isolated cell comprising a nucleic acid of the disclosure. In various embodiments, the cell is a host cell comprising an expression vector of the disclosure. In another aspect, a method of producing an IL-2 variant by culturing the host cell under conditions promoting expression of the protein or polypeptide of the disclosure is provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows the purity of exemplary IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins P-0635 (1A) and P-0704 (1B) as determined by SDS-PAGE (under non-reducing (lane 1) and reducing (lane 2) conditions) and the % monomer as assessed by SEC-HPLC. P-0635 and P-0704 share the same amino acid substitution P65R in wild-type IL-2. P-0635 contains a bivalent IL-2 variant fused to a homodimeric Fc, while P-0704 contains a monovalent IL-2 variant fused to a knob-into-hole heterodimeric Fc. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows size-exclusion chromatograms of exemplary IL-2 Fc fusion proteins P-0250 (2A), P-0318 (2B), P-0317 (2C), and P-0531 (2D) after Protein A purification. [Diagram 3] Figure 3 shows the effect of IL-2 valency on the binding strength of IL-2 Fc fusion proteins to IL-2Rα in ELISA. P-0531 and P-0689 share the same developmental compatibility-improving amino acid substitution S125I in wild-type IL-2. P-0531 contains a bivalent IL-2 variant fused to a homodimeric Fc, while P-0689 contains a monovalent IL-2 variant fused to a knob-into-hole heterodimeric Fc. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the effect of various mutations on the binding strength of IL-2 variant Fc fusions to IL-2Rα in ELISA: (4A) IL-2 variant Fc fusions containing an amino acid substitution at T41, (4B) IL-2 variant Fc fusions containing an amino acid substitution at Y107, and (4C and 4D) IL-2 variant Fc fusions containing an amino acid substitution at R38. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows the effect of IL-2 E68 substitution on the binding strength of IL-2 variant Fc fusions to IL-2Rα in ELISA. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows the effect of IL-2 E62 substitutions on the binding strength of IL-2 variant Fc fusions to IL-2Rα in ELISA. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the effect of various IL-2 P65 substitutions on the binding strength of IL-2 variant Fc fusions to IL-2Rα in ELISA. (7A-7B) IL-2 P65 substitutions resulted in enhanced binding to IL-2Rα, (7C) IL-2 P65 substitutions resulted in decreased binding to IL-2Rα, and (7D) IL-2 P65 substitutions resulted in complete loss of binding to IL-2Rα. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the effect of combinations of IL-2 amino acid substitutions on binding strength to IL-2Rα in ELISA. (8A) Effect of IL-2 F42A substitution on binding strength to IL-2Rα, (8B) combination of F42A and CD25 disrupting substitution E62F resulted in complete loss of binding to IL-2Rα, and (8C) combination of F42A and CD25 disrupting substitution P65H resulted in complete loss of binding to IL-2Rα. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the differential effects of IL-2 mutant Fc fusion proteins on dose-dependent induction of STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4+ Treg cells compared to wild-type fusion protein (P-0531) and reference protein (P-0551) in a human PBMC assay. The panel of IL-2 variants contains CD25 interfering mutations that result in enhanced, reduced or abolished binding to IL-2Rα. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows complete preservation of binding to IL-2Rβγ in ELISA for a panel of IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins compared to wild type IL-2 fusion protein P-0531 and reference protein P-0551. The panel of IL-2 variants contain CD25 interfering mutations that result in enhanced, reduced or abolished binding to IL-2Rα. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows that a panel of IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins showed comparable activity in inducing Ki67 expression in CD8+ T cells (11A) and NK cells (11B) in human PBMCs. The panel of IL-2 variants contains CD25 interfering mutations that result in enhanced, reduced or abolished binding to IL-2Rα. Wild-type IL-2 fusion protein P-0531 and reference protein P-0511 were included for comparison. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows the effect of IL-2 valency on the activity of inducing Ki67 expression in CD8+ T cells of human PBMC. P-0531 and P-0689 are bivalent and monovalent counterparts of wild-type IL-2 Fc fusion protein. P-0635 and P-0704 are bivalent and monovalent counterparts of IL-2 P65R Fc fusion. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows the effect of various IL-2Rβ / γc regulatory amino acid substitutions or N-terminal deletions on the activity of inducing pSTAT5 expression in CD4+ T cells compared to their wild-type counterparts: (13A) IL-2 mutants, (13B-13C) IL-2 mutants with an amino acid substitution at position D20, (13D) IL-2 Q126E mutation, and (13E) IL-2 mutants with an N-terminal amino acid deletion. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows the effect of IL-2Rβ or γc disrupting amino acid substitutions on binding strength to IL-2Rβγ in ELISA (14A) and the activity of inducing Ki67 expression in CD8+ T cells in human PBMCs (14B). P-0689 is a monovalent wild-type IL-2 Fc fusion protein and P-0704 is a monovalent IL-2 P65R Fc fusion that can no longer bind IL-2Rα but retains full affinity and functional activity for the dimeric IL-2Rβγ receptor. [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows the effect of various IL-2Rβ disrupting amino acid changes on the ability of IL-2 variant Fc fusions to induce Ki67 expression in CD8+ T cells (15A), NK cells (15B), and CD4+ T cells (15C) in human PBMCs. P-0704 and the reference molecule (monomeric form of P-0551) were included for comparison. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows the time-dependent effect of P-0704 on the proliferation of Treg (16A), CD8+T (16B), and NK cells (16C) in peripheral blood after a single injection in Balb / C mice. P-0704 is a monovalent IL-2 P65R Fc fusion. P-0689 is a monovalent wild-type IL-2 Fc fusion protein and was included for comparison. Blood was collected on days 3 and 5 for lymphocyte phenotyping by FACS analysis. [Figure 17] Figure 17 shows the effect of fusion format on dose-dependent induction of STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4+ Tregs (17A), CD8+ T (17B), and NK cells (17C) in human PBMC assays. P-0704 is a monovalent IL-2 P65R Fc fusion and P-0803 is an antibody fusion with the same IL-2 moiety. [Figure 18] Figure 18 shows the differential effects of IL-2 variant antibody fusion proteins on dose-dependent induction of STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4+ Treg cells (18A), CD8+ T (18B), and NK cells (18C) compared to the IL-2 differential effect variant wild type fusion protein (P-0837) in a human PBMC assay. P-0838 has an IL-2 P65Q mutation that significantly reduces its ability to bind to IL-2Rα, and P-0782 has an IL-2 P65R moiety that abolishes binding to IL-2Rα. [Figure 19]Figure 19 shows the effect of IL-2Rβ regulatory amino acid changes on the activity of IL-2 variant antibody fusions in stimulating STAT5 phosphorylation in CD8+ T (19A) and NK (19B) in human PBMCs, and in inducing Ki67 expression in CD8+ T (19C) and NK (19D) cells. All three compounds contain the P65R mutation in the IL-2 moiety, while P-0786 and P-0783 contain the additional IL-2Rβ disrupting mutations L19Q and L19H, respectively. [Figure 20] Figure 20 shows the effect of IL-2Rβ regulatory amino acid changes on the activity of IL-2 variant antibody fusions in stimulating STAT5 phosphorylation on CD4+Tregs (20A), CD8+T (20B), and NK cells (20C), and inducing Ki67 expression on CD8+T (20D) and NK cells (20E) in human PBMC assays. All three compounds P-0838, P-0790, and P-0787 contain the P65Q mutation in the IL-2 portion, and P-0790 and P-0787 contain the additional IL-2Rβ regulatory mutations L19Q and L19H, respectively. P-0837 is the wild-type IL-2 fusion counterpart. [Figure 21] Figure 21 shows the effect of IL-2Rβ regulatory amino acid changes on the activity of IL-2 variant antibody fusions in proliferating CTLL-2 cells. P-0782, P-0783, and P-0786 all contain the P65R mutation in the IL-2 moiety, while P-0786 and P-0783 contain additional IL-2R regulatory mutations L19Q and L19H, respectively. P-0837 is the wild-type IL-2 fusion counterpart. [Figure 22]Figure 22 shows minimal effects of fusion of IL-2 variants on direct binding to antibody arms in ELISA (22A) and ligand competitive inhibition (22B); similarly, the IL-2 variant human PD-1 antibody IL-2 showed similar binding to the parent antibody to cell surface expressed PD1 analyzed by FACS analysis (Figure 22C). P-0795 is a human PD-1 antagonist antibody, while P-0880, P-0803, and P-0885 have a monomeric IL-2 P65R variant covalently linked to the C-terminus of the heavy chain of P-0795. P-0803 and P-0885 share the same IL-2 P65R / S125I substitution but with different linkers ((G3S)2 and (G4S)3, respectively). P-0885 contains one additional L19Q mutation. P-0704 and P-0859 are the Fc fusion counterparts of P-0880 and P-0885, respectively. [Figure 23] Figure 23 shows the differential effects of IL-2 variant antibody fusion proteins on dose-dependent induction of STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4+Treg (23A and 23B), CD8+T (23C and 23D), and NK cells (23E and 23F) in human PBMCs. P-0803 and P-0804 are IL-2 variant human PD-1 antibody fusion proteins with P65R and L19H / P65R mutations, respectively. P-0782 is an IL-2 P65R surrogate mouse PD-1 antibody fusion, and P-0783 contains an additional L19H mutation compared to P-0782. [Figure 24] Figure 24 shows size-exclusion chromatograms of IL-2 variant human PD-1 antibody fusion proteins, P-0840 (24A), P-0841 (24B), P-0803 (24C), and P-0880 (24D) after Protein A purification. [Diagram 25]Figure 25 shows the effect of linker length of IL-2 variant antibody fusion proteins on dose-dependent induction of STAT5 phosphorylation in CD8+T (25A and 25B) and NK cells (25C and 25D) in human PBMC assays. Both P-0840 and P-0841 are IL-2 L19Q / P65Q variant human PD-1 antibody fusion proteins, with P-0840 containing a (G3S)2 linker and P-0841 having a (G4S)3 linker. Similarly, P-0803 and P-0880 are IL-2 P65R variant human PD-1 antibody fusion proteins, with P-0803 containing a (G3S)2 linker, while P-0880 has a (G4S)3 linker. [Figure 26] Figure 26 shows the effect of IL-2R regulatory amino acid changes on the activity of IL-2 variant human PD-1 antibody fusions in stimulating STAT5 phosphorylation in CD8+T (26A) and NK cells (26B) and inducing Ki67 expression in CD8+T (26C) and NK cells (26D) in human PBMCs. Three compounds, P-0880, P-0885, and P-0882, all contain the P65R mutation in the IL-2 portion, and P-0885 and P-0882 contain the additional IL-2Rβ regulatory mutations L19Q and L19H, respectively. P-0849 is the wild-type IL-2 fusion counterpart. All compounds have a (G4S)3 linker connecting the PD-1 antibody heavy chain to IL-2. [Figure 27] Figure 27 shows the time-dependent effects of IL-2 variant surrogate murine PD-1 antibody fusion proteins P-0782, P-0838, P-0781 (reference), and P-0837 on Ki67 expression in CD8+ T cells (27A), and NK cells (27B), as well as the effect on cell proliferation of CD8 (27C) and NK cells (27D) after a single injection in C57BL6 mice. Cell proliferation was expressed as fold change in cell number over baseline. P-0782 contains a P65R mutation in the IL-2 moiety, P-0838 contains a P65Q mutation, P-0781 has a reference IL-2 variant with abolished binding to IL-2Rα, and P-0837 is the wild-type IL-2 fusion counterpart. [Figure 28]Figure 28 shows the time- and dose-dependent effects of IL-2 variant surrogate mouse PD-1 antibody fusion protein P-0786 on Ki67 expression in CD8+T (28A), and NK cells (28B), as well as the effect on cell proliferation of CD8 (28C) and NK cells (28D) after a single injection in C57BL6 mice. Cell proliferation was expressed as fold change in cell number over baseline. P-0786 contains the L19Q / P65R mutation, which abolishes binding to IL-2Rα and reduces overall potency. The wild-type IL-2 fusion counterpart, P-0837, was included for comparison. [Figure 29] Figure 29 shows the time- and dose-dependent effects of IL-2 variant surrogate mouse PD-1 antibody fusion protein P-0783 on Ki67 expression in CD8+T (29A), and NK cells (29B), as well as the effect on cell proliferation of CD8 (29C) and NK cells (29D) after a single injection in C57BL6 mice. Cell proliferation was expressed as fold change in cell number over baseline. P-0783 contains the L19H / P65R mutations that abolish binding to IL-2Rα and reduce overall potency. The wild-type IL-2 fusion counterpart, P-0837, was included for comparison. [Diagram 30] Figure 30 shows the body weight change in C57BL / 6 mice administered IL-2 variant surrogate mouse PD-1 antibody fusion proteins, P-0782, P-0786, and P-0783. All compounds contain the P65R mutation in the IL-2 moiety, with P-0781 having a reference IL-2 variant that abolishes binding to IL-2Rα, and P-0786 and P-0783 containing the additional IL-2Rβ disrupting mutations L19Q and L19H, respectively. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. [Diagram 31]Figure 31 shows the antitumor efficacy (31A) and body weight change (31B) of IL-2 variant surrogate mouse PD-1 antibody fusion proteins in a subcutaneous B16F10 mouse melanoma tumor model following a Q7D repeated dosing schedule. All three antibody fusion proteins contain the IL-2 L65Q mutation that impairs binding to IL-2Rα, while P-0790 and P-0787 contain the additional L19Q and L19H mutations, respectively, to further modulate overall efficacy. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. [Diagram 32] Figure 32 shows the antitumor efficacy (32A) and body weight change (32B) of P-0787 at two doses in a subcutaneous B16F10 mouse melanoma tumor model following a Q7D repeated dosing schedule. P-0787 is an IL-2 variant surrogate mouse PD-1 antibody fusion protein and contains the L19H / P65Q mutation. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. [Diagram 33] Figure 33 shows the antitumor efficacy of IL-2 variant surrogate murine PD-1 antibody fusion proteins P-0782 and P-0786 in a subcutaneous B16F10 mouse melanoma tumor model following a Q7D repeated dosing schedule. P-0722, a surrogate murine PD-1 antibody, was included for comparison. Both P-0782 and P-0786 contain the IL-2Rα binding-loss abrogated mutation P65R, while P-0786 contains an additional L19Q mutation to modulate overall potency. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. [Diagram 34] Figure 34 shows dose-dependent inhibition of pulmonary metastatic nodules by P-0790 in a murine B16F10 lung metastasis model. (34A) Mean lung nodule count. (34B) Photograph of lungs from representative animals from each group. P-0790 is an IL-2L19Q / P65Q surrogate murine PD-1 antibody fusion protein that exhibits significantly impaired binding to IL-2Rα and modulated overall potency. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post-hoc test. *p<0.05. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] The present invention relates to polypeptides that share a primary sequence with human IL-2, except for one to several amino acid mutations. IL-2 variants contain mutations that substantially reduce the ability of these polypeptides to stimulate Treg cells, making them more effective in treating tumors. Also included are therapeutic uses of these mutated variants, either alone or in combination with vaccines, TAA targeted biologics, or immune checkpoint blockers, or as components of bifunctional molecular constructs, for the treatment of diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases in which regulatory T cell (Treg) activity is undesirable. In another aspect, the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the polypeptides of the present disclosure. Finally, the present invention relates to therapeutic uses of the polypeptides and pharmaceutical compositions of the present disclosure due to their selective modulating effect on the immune system against cancer and various infectious diseases.

[0039] definition As used herein, the terms "polypeptide", "peptide" and "protein" are used interchangeably and refer to a polymer of amino acid residues. In various embodiments, a "peptide", "polypeptide" and "protein" are amino acid chains in which the alpha carbons are linked through peptide bonds. The terminal amino acid at one end of the chain (the amino terminus) i.e. has a free amino group, while the terminal amino acid at the other end of the chain (the carboxy terminus) has a free carboxyl group. As used herein, the term "amino terminus" (abbreviated N-terminus) refers to the free alpha-amino group on the amino acid at the amino terminus of a peptide, or to the alpha-amino group of an amino acid anywhere else within the peptide (when participating in a peptide bond). Similarly, the term "carboxy terminus" refers to the free carboxyl group at the carboxy terminus of a peptide, or to the carboxyl group of an amino acid anywhere else within the peptide. Peptides also encompass virtually any polyamino acid, including but not limited to peptidomimetics, such as those in which the amino acids are linked by ethers rather than amide bonds.

[0040] Polypeptides of the present disclosure include polypeptides that have been modified in any way and for any reason, for example, to (1) reduce susceptibility to proteolysis, (2) reduce susceptibility to oxidation, (3) alter binding affinity for the purposes of protein complex formation, (4) altered binding affinity, and (5) impart or modify other physicochemical or functional properties.

[0041] An amino acid "substitution," as used herein, refers to the replacement in a polypeptide of an amino acid at a particular position in a parent polypeptide sequence with a different amino acid. Amino acid substitutions can be made using genetic or chemical techniques well known in the art. For example, a single amino acid substitution (e.g., a conservative amino acid substitution) or multiple amino acid substitutions can be made in a native sequence (e.g., in a portion of a polypeptide outside of the domains forming intermolecular contacts). A "conservative amino acid substitution" refers to the replacement of an amino acid with a functionally similar amino acid in a polypeptide. Each of the following six groups contains amino acids that are conservative substitutions for one another: 1) Alanine (A), Serine (S), and Threonine (T) 2) Aspartic acid (D) and glutamic acid (E) 3) Asparagine (N) and Glutamine (Q) 4) Arginine (R) and Lysine (K) 5) Isoleucine (I), Leucine (L), Methionine (M), and Valine (V) 6) Phenylalanine (F), Tyrosine (Y), and Tryptophan (W)

[0042] "Non-conservative amino acid substitutions" refer to the substitution of a member of one of these classes for a member of another class. In making such changes, various embodiments may take into account the hydropathic index of amino acids. Each amino acid is assigned a hydropathic index based on its hydrophobicity and charge characteristics. The respective hydropathic indices are as follows: isoleucine (+4.5); valine (+4.2); leucine (+3.8); phenylalanine (+2.8); cysteine / cystine (+2.5); methionine (+1.9); alanine (+1.8); glycine (-0.4); threonine (-0.7); serine (-0.8); tryptophan (-0.9); tyrosine (-1.3); proline (-1.6); histidine (-3.2); glutamic acid (-3.5); glutamine (-3.5); aspartic acid (-3.5); asparagine (-3.5); lysine (-3.9); and arginine (-4.5).

[0043] The importance of the amino acid hydropathic index in conferring interactive biological function to a protein is understood in the art (see, for example, Kyte et al., 1982, J. Mol. Biol., 157:105-131). It is known that certain amino acids can be substituted with other amino acids having similar hydropathic indices or hydropathic scores while retaining similar biological activity. When making changes based on hydropathic indices, various embodiments include substitutions of amino acids whose hydropathic indices are within ±2 of each other. Various embodiments include those within ±1, and various embodiments include those within ±0.5.

[0044] It is also understood in the art that, particularly where the biologically functional proteins or peptides thus produced are intended for use in the immunological embodiments disclosed herein, substitutions of similar amino acids can be made efficiently on the basis of hydrophilicity. In various embodiments, the maximum local average hydrophilicity of a protein, as controlled by the hydrophilicity of adjacent amino acids, correlates with its immunogenicity and antigenicity, i.e., correlates with the biological properties of the protein.

[0045] The following hydrophilicity values ​​have been assigned to these amino acid residues: arginine (+3.0); lysine (+3.0); aspartic acid (+3.0.+-.1); glutamic acid (+3.0.+-.1); serine (+0.3); asparagine (+0.2); glutamine (+0.2); glycine (0); threonine (-0.4); proline (-0.5.+-.1); alanine (-0.5); histidine (-0.5); cysteine ​​(-1.0); methionine (-1.3); valine (-1.5); leucine (-1.8); isoleucine (-1.8); tyrosine (-2.3); phenylalanine (-2.5), and tryptophan (-3.4). In making changes based on similar hydrophilicity values, various embodiments include substitutions of amino acids with hydrophilicity values ​​within ±2, in various embodiments within ±1, and in various embodiments within ±0.5.

[0046] Exemplary amino acid substitutions are set forth in Table 1. TIFF2025063029000002.tif184170

[0047] Those skilled in the art can use well-known techniques to determine suitable variants of the polypeptides described herein. In various embodiments, those skilled in the art can identify suitable regions of the molecule that can be altered without destroying activity by targeting regions that are not believed to be important for activity. In other embodiments, those skilled in the art can identify residues and portions of the molecule that are conserved between similar polypeptides. In further embodiments, even regions that may be important for biological activity or structure can be subject to conservative amino acid substitutions without destroying biological activity or adversely affecting polypeptide structure.

[0048] Additionally, one of skill in the art can investigate structure-function studies that identify residues in similar polypeptides that are important for activity or structure. Taking such comparisons into account, one of skill in the art can predict the importance of amino acid residues in a polypeptide that correspond to amino acid residues that are important for the activity or structure of the similar polypeptide. One of skill in the art can select chemically similar amino acid replacements for such predicted important amino acid residues.

[0049] Also, the skilled artisan can analyze the three-dimensional structure and amino acid sequence in relation to the structure of similar polypeptides. In light of such information, the skilled artisan can predict the sequence of amino acid residues of a polypeptide with respect to its three-dimensional structure. In various embodiments, the skilled artisan can select to avoid radical changes to amino acid residues predicted to be present on the surface of the polypeptide, since such residues may be involved in important interactions with other molecules. Furthermore, the skilled artisan can generate test variants containing single amino acid substitutions at each of the desired amino acid residues. The variants can then be screened using activity assays known to those skilled in the art. Such variants may be used to gather information about suitable variants. For example, if it is found that a change to a particular amino acid residue results in the destruction of activity, an undesirable reduction in activity, or inappropriate activity, variants with such changes can be avoided. In other words, based on the information gathered from such routine experiments, the skilled artisan can easily identify amino acids for which further substitutions should be avoided, alone or in combination with other mutations.

[0050] The terms "polypeptide fragment" and "truncated polypeptide" as used herein refer to a polypeptide having a deletion at the amino terminus and / or carboxy terminus compared to the corresponding full-length protein. In various embodiments, a fragment can be, for example, 5 or more, 10 or more, 25 or more, 50 or more, 100 or more, 150 or more, 200 or more, 250 or more, 300 or more, 350 or more, 400 or more, 450 or more, 500 or more, 600 or more, 700 or more, 800 or more, 900 or more, or 1000 or more amino acids in length. In various embodiments, a fragment can be, for example, 1000 or less, 900 or less, 800 or less, 700 or less, 600 or less, 500 or less, 450 or less, 400 or less, 350 or less, 300 or less, 250 or less, 200 or less, 150 or less, 100 or less, 50 or less, 25 or less, 10 or less, or 5 or less amino acids in length. The fragment may further comprise one or more additional amino acids at one or both termini, for example, an amino acid sequence derived from a different naturally occurring protein (e.g., an Fc or leucine zipper domain) or an artificial amino acid sequence (e.g., an artificial linker sequence).

[0051] The terms "polypeptide variant", "hybrid polypeptide" and "polypeptide variant" as used herein refer to a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence in which one or more amino acid residues have been inserted, deleted and / or substituted into the amino acid sequence compared to another polypeptide sequence. In various embodiments, the number of inserted, deleted or substituted amino acid residues can be, for example, at least 1, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 10, at least 25, at least 50, at least 75, at least 100, at least 125, at least 150, at least 175, at least 200, at least 225, at least 250, at least 275, at least 300, at least 350, at least 400, at least 450, or at least 500 amino acids in length. Hybrids of the present disclosure encompass fusion proteins.

[0052] A "derivative" of a polypeptide is a polypeptide that has been chemically modified, such as, for example, conjugation to another chemical moiety, such as polyethylene glycol, albumin (e.g., human serum albumin), phosphorylation, and glycosylation.

[0053] As used herein, the term "% sequence identity" is used synonymously with the term "% identity" and refers to the value of amino acid sequence identity between two or more peptide sequences, or the value of nucleotide sequence identity between two or more nucleotide sequences, when aligned using a sequence alignment program. For example, as used herein, 80% identity means the same as 80% sequence identity measured by a defined algorithm, meaning that a given sequence has at least 80% identity to another sequence of another length. In various embodiments, the % identity is selected from, for example, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 99% or more sequence identity to a given sequence. In various embodiments, the percent identity is within the range of, for example, about 60% to about 70%, about 70% to about 80%, about 80% to about 85%, about 85% to about 90%, about 90% to about 95%, or about 95% to about 99%.

[0054] As used herein, the term "% sequence identity" is used synonymously with the term "% homology" and refers to the value of amino acid sequence identity between two or more peptide sequences or the value of nucleotide sequence identity between two or more nucleotide sequences when aligned using a sequence alignment program. For example, as used herein, 80% identity means the same as 80% sequence identity measured by a defined algorithm, i.e., a homolog of a given sequence has more than 80% sequence identity over a length of the given sequence. In various embodiments, the % identity is selected from, for example, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 99% or more sequence identity to the given sequence. In various embodiments, the percent homology is within the range of, for example, about 60% to about 70%, about 70% to about 80%, about 80% to about 85%, about 85% to about 90%, about 90% to about 95%, or about 95% to about 99%.

[0055] Exemplary computer programs that can be used to determine identity between two sequences include, but are not limited to, the suite of BLAST programs publicly available on the Internet at the NCBI website, such as BLASTN, BLASTX, and TBLASTX, BLASTP, and TBLASTN. See also Altschul et al., J. Mol. Biol., 215:403-10, 1990 (with particular reference to the published default settings, i.e., parameters w=4, t=17), and Altschul et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 25:3389-3402, 1997. When evaluating a given amino acid sequence against amino acid sequences in GenBank Protein Sequences or other public databases, sequence searches are typically performed using the BLASTP program. The BLASTX program is preferred for searching nucleic acid sequences translated in all reading frames against amino acid sequences in GenBank Protein Sequences or other public databases. Both BLASTP and BLASTX are run using default parameters of open gap penalty=11.0, gap extension penalty=1.0 and utilize the BLOSUM-62 matrix.

[0056] In addition to calculating percent sequence identity, the BLAST algorithm also performs a statistical analysis of the similarity between two sequences (see, e.g., Karlin and Altschul, Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 90: pp. 5873-5787, 1993). One of the similarity measures provided by the BLAST algorithm is the smallest sum probability (P(N)), which indicates the probability that a match will occur by chance between two nucleotide sequences or two amino acid sequences. For example, a nucleic acid is considered to be similar to a reference sequence if the smallest sum probability when comparing a test nucleic acid with the reference nucleic acid is, for example, less than about 0.1, less than about 0.01, or less than about 0.001.

[0057] The term "modification", as used herein, refers to any manipulation of the peptide backbone (eg, amino acid sequence) or post-translational modification of a polypeptide (eg, glycosylation).

[0058] The term "knob-into-hole modification" as used herein refers to a modification in the interface between two immunoglobulin heavy chains at the CH3 domain. In one embodiment, the "knob-into-hole modification" comprises the amino acid substitutions T366W and optionally S354C in one antibody heavy chain and the amino acid substitutions T366S, L368A, Y407V and optionally Y349C in the other antibody heavy chain. Knob-into-hole technology is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,168; U.S. Pat. No. 7,695,936; Ridgway et al., Prot Eng, 9, 617-621 (1996); and Carter, J Immunol Meth, 248, 7-15 (2001).

[0059] The term "fusion protein," as used herein, refers to a fusion polypeptide molecule that contains two or more genes that originally encoded separate proteins, and whose components are linked to each other by peptide bonds, either directly or through a peptide linker. The term "fused," as used herein, refers to the components being linked to each other by peptide bonds, either directly or through one or more peptide linkers.

[0060] A "linker" refers to a molecule that links two other molecules, either covalently or through ionic, van der Waals, or hydrogen bonds, such as a nucleic acid molecule that hybridizes to the 5' end of one complementary sequence and to the 3' end of another complementary sequence, thereby linking two non-complementary sequences. A "cleavable linker" refers to a linker that can be degraded or otherwise cleaved to separate the two components linked by the cleavable linker. Cleavable linkers are generally cleaved by enzymes, typically peptidases, proteases, nucleases, lipases, and the like. Cleavable linkers can also be cleaved by environmental factors, such as changes in temperature, pH, and salt concentration.

[0061] The term "peptide linker" as used herein refers to a peptide containing one or more amino acids, typically about 2 to 20 amino acids. Peptide linkers are known in the art or described herein. Suitable non-immunogenic linker peptides include (G4S)n peptide linkers, (SG4)n peptide linkers, or G4(SG4)n peptide linkers. "n" is usually a number from 1 to 10, typically a number from 2 to 4.

[0062] "Pharmaceutical composition" refers to a composition suitable for pharmaceutical use in animals. A pharmaceutical composition contains a pharmacologically effective amount of an active agent and a pharma- ceutical acceptable carrier. "Pharmacologically effective amount" refers to an amount of an agent effective to obtain an intended pharmacological result. "Pharmaceutical acceptable carrier" refers to any standard pharmaceutical carrier, solvent, buffer, and excipient, such as phosphate buffered saline, 5% dextrose in water, emulsions such as oil-in-water emulsions or water-in-oil emulsions, and various types of wetting agents and / or adjuvants. Suitable pharmaceutical carriers and formulations are described in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 21st Edition, 2005, Mack Publishing Co, Easton. "Pharmaceutical acceptable salt" refers to a salt that can be incorporated into a compound for pharmaceutical use, such as metal salts (sodium salts, potassium salts, magnesium salts, calcium salts, etc.), ammonia salts, and organic amine salts.

[0063] As used herein, "treatment" (and grammatical variations thereof, such as "treat" and "treating") refers to a clinical intervention to alter the natural course of a disease in the individual being treated, and can be performed prophylactically or during the course of clinical pathology. Desirable therapeutic effects include, but are not limited to, prevention of disease onset or recurrence, alleviation of symptoms, reduction of any direct or indirect pathological consequences of the disease, prevention of metastasis, reduction in the rate of disease progression, amelioration or reduction of disease symptoms, and remission or improvement of prognosis. As used herein, "alleviating" a disease, disorder, or condition means reducing the severity and / or frequency of occurrence of symptoms of the disease, disorder, or condition. Furthermore, references to "treatment" herein encompass references to curative, symptomatic, and prophylactic treatment.

[0064] The term "effective amount" or "therapeutically effective amount" as used herein refers to an amount of a compound or composition sufficient to treat a particular disorder, condition, or disease, such as improving, alleviating, reducing, and / or delaying one or more of its symptoms. With respect to cancer, or other undesirable cell proliferation, an effective amount includes an amount sufficient to: (i) reduce the number of cancer cells; (ii) reduce tumor size; (iii) inhibit, retard, slow to some extent, preferably stop, cancer cell invasion into peripheral organs; (iv) inhibit (i.e., slow to some extent, preferably stop) tumor metastasis; (v) inhibit tumor growth; (vi) inhibit or delay tumor onset and / or recurrence; and / or (vii) relieve to some extent one or more of the symptoms associated with cancer. An effective amount can be administered in one or more administrations.

[0065] The phrases "administer" or "cause to be administered" refer to the act performed by a medical professional (e.g., physician) or a person managing the medical care of a patient, of managing and / or authorizing the administration of the agent / compound in question to a patient. Administering may include diagnosing and / or determining an appropriate treatment regimen, and / or prescribing a particular agent / compound to a patient. Such prescribing may include, for example, drafting a prescription form, annotating a medical record, and the like. Where administering is described herein, "causing to be administered" is also contemplated.

[0066] The terms "patient," "individual," and "subject" may be used interchangeably and refer to a mammal, preferably a human or non-human primate, but may also refer to domesticated mammals (e.g., dogs or cats), laboratory mammals (e.g., mice, rats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs), and agricultural mammals (e.g., horses, cows, pigs, sheep). In various embodiments, the patient may be a human (e.g., adult male, adult female, adolescent male, adolescent female, boy, girl) receiving treatment from a physician or other medical personnel in a hospital, psychiatric care facility, as an outpatient, or in other clinical settings. In various embodiments, the patient may be an immunocompromised patient or a patient with a weakened immune system, including, but not limited to, primary immunodeficiency patients, AIDS patients; cancer patients and transplant patients taking certain immunosuppressants; and patients with genetic diseases that affect the immune system (e.g., congenital agammaglobulinemia, congenital IgA deficiency). In various embodiments, the patient has an immunogenic cancer, including, but not limited to, bladder cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, and other cancers with reported high mutation rates (Lawrence et al., Nature, 499(7457):214-218, 2013).

[0067] The term "immunotherapy" refers to cancer treatments, such as, for example, treatment with depleting antibodies against specific tumor antigens; treatment with antibody-drug conjugates; treatment with agonistic, antagonistic, or blocking antibodies against costimulatory or co-inhibitory molecules (immune checkpoints), such as CTLA-4, PD-1, OX-40, CD137, GITR, LAG3, TIM-3, SIRP, CD47, and VISTA; treatment with bispecific T cell engaging antibodies (BiTEs®), such as blinatumomab; treatment with antibodies against IL-2, IL-12, IL-15, IL-21, GM-CSF, IFN-α, IFN-β, and These include, but are not limited to, treatment involving administration of biological response modifiers such as IFN-γ; treatment with therapeutic vaccines such as sipuleucel-T; treatment with dendritic cell vaccines or tumor antigen peptide vaccines; treatment with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells; treatment with CAR-NK cells; treatment with tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL); treatment with adoptively transferred anti-tumor T cells (ex vivo expanded and / or TCR transgenic T cells); treatment with TALL-104 cells; and treatment with immune stimulants such as the Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist CpG and imiquimod.

[0068] "Resistant or refractory cancer" refers to tumor cells or cancers that do not respond to previous anti-cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy. Tumor cells may be resistant or refractory from the beginning of treatment, or may become resistant or refractory during treatment. Refractory tumor cells include tumors that do not respond to the initiation of treatment, or that have a short initial response but do not respond to treatment. Refractory tumor cells also include tumors that respond to treatment with an anti-cancer therapy, but do not respond to subsequent treatments. For purposes of the present invention, refractory tumor cells also include tumors that appear to be inhibited by treatment with an anti-cancer therapy, but recur within 5 years, and in some cases 10 years or more after treatment is stopped. Anti-cancer treatments can use chemotherapy alone, radiation alone, targeted therapy alone, surgery alone, or a combination of these. For ease of explanation and not by way of limitation, it is understood that the above refractory tumor cells are interchangeable with resistant tumors.

[0069] The term "Fc domain" or "Fc region" as used herein is used to define the C-terminal region of an immunoglobulin heavy chain that includes at least a portion of the constant region. This term encompasses native sequence Fc regions and variant Fc regions. The Fc region of an IgG is composed of an IgG CH2 domain and an IgG CH3 domain. The CH3 region, as used herein, may be a native sequence CH3 domain or a variant CH3 domain (e.g., a CH3 domain in which a "protrusion" ("knob") is introduced in one chain and a corresponding "recess" ("hole") is introduced in the other chain; see U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,333, expressly incorporated herein by reference). Such variant CH3 domains may be used to facilitate heterodimerization of two non-identical immunoglobulin heavy chains as described herein. Unless otherwise specified herein, the numbering of amino acid residues in an Fc region or constant region is according to the EU numbering system.

[0070] The term "effector function" as used herein refers to the biological activity attributable to the Fc region of an immunoglobulin and varies depending on the immunoglobulin isotype. Examples of immunoglobulin effector functions include complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) by binding to C1q, binding to Fc receptors, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), cytokine secretion, antigen uptake via immune complexes by antigen-presenting cells, downregulation of cell surface receptors (e.g., B cell receptors), and B cell activation. Effector function may also refer to similar immune responses elicited by effector immune cells such as CD8 and NK cells.

[0071] The term "regulatory T cells" or "Treg cells," as used herein, refers to a special type of CD4+ T cell that can suppress the responses of other T cells (effector T cells). Treg cells are characterized by expression of CD4, the α subunit of the IL-2 receptor (CD25), and the transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) (Sakaguchi, Annu Rev Immunol, 22:531-62 (2004)), and play a critical role in the induction and maintenance of peripheral self-tolerance to antigens, including those expressed by tumors.

[0072] The term "conventional CD4+ T cells" as used herein refers to CD4+ T cells other than regulatory T cells. Conventional CD4+ T cells express CD3 and CD4. In the naive, unstimulated state, they do not express the α-subunit of the IL-2 receptor (CD25), but express the βγ-subunit of the IL-2 receptor.

[0073] The term "CD8 T cells" refers to a type of cytotoxic T lymphocyte characterized by expression of CD3 and CD8. CD8 T cells primarily express the βγ-subunit of the IL-2 receptor and play a key role in killing cancer cells, virus-infected cells, or cells that have been otherwise damaged.

[0074] The term "NK cells" refers to a type of cytotoxic lymphocyte that is important in the innate immune system. NK cells primarily express the βγ-subunit of the IL-2 receptor and provide a rapid response against virus-infected cells and tumor formation.

[0075] As used herein, "specific binding" means that the binding is selective for the antigen and can be distinguished from undesired or non-specific interactions. The binding ability of an immunoglobulin to a specific antigen can be measured through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or other methods known to those skilled in the art, such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) methods.

[0076] The term "affinity" or "binding affinity" as used herein refers to the total strength of non-covalent interactions between a single binding site of a molecule (e.g., an antibody) and its binding partner (e.g., an antigen). In general, the affinity of a molecule X to its partner Y can be expressed as a dissociation constant (KD), which is the ratio of the dissociation rate constant and the association rate constant (koff and kon, respectively). A particular method for measuring affinity is surface plasmon resonance (SPR).

[0077] The term "decreased binding," as used herein, refers to a decrease in affinity for the respective interaction, such as measured by SPR. Conversely, "increased binding" refers to an increase in binding affinity for the respective interaction.

[0078] The term "polymer," as used herein, generally includes, but is not limited to, homopolymers; copolymers, such as block copolymers, graft copolymers, random copolymers, and alternating copolymers; and terpolymers; and mixtures and modifications thereof. Furthermore, unless otherwise limited, the term "polymer" is intended to include all possible geometric configurations of the material. These configurations include, but are not limited to, isotactic, syndiotactic, and random symmetries.

[0079] "Polyethylene glycol" or "PEG" refers to a polyalkylene glycol compound or derivative thereof, with or without a conjugation agent or derivatization with a conjugated or activated moiety (e.g., an aldehyde moiety, a hydroxysuccinimidyl moiety, a hydrazide moiety, a thiol moiety, a triflate moiety, a tresylate moiety, an azirdine moiety, an oxirane moiety, an orthopyridyl disulfide moiety, a vinyl sulfone moiety, an iodoacetamide moiety, or a maleimide moiety). In various embodiments, PEG encompasses substantially linear PEG, linear PEG, branched PEG, or dendritic PEG. PEG is a well-known water-soluble polymer that is commercially available or can be made by ring-opening polymerization of ethylene glycol according to methods well known in the art (Sandler and Karo, Polymer Synthesis, Academic Press, New York, vol. 3, pp. 138-161).

[0080] "Polynucleotide" refers to a polymer composed of nucleotide units. Polynucleotides include not only natural nucleic acids such as deoxyribonucleic acid ("DNA") and ribonucleic acid ("RNA"), but also nucleic acid analogs. Nucleic acid analogs include those that contain unnatural bases, which are nucleotides that participate in bonds with other nucleotides other than natural phosphodiester bonds, and those that contain bases added through bonds other than phosphodiester bonds. That is, nucleic acid analogs include, but are not limited to, for example, phosphorothioates, phosphorodithioates, phosphorotriesters, phosphoramidates, boranophosphates, methylphosphonic acids, chiral-methylphosphonic acids, 2-O-methyl ribonucleotides, peptide-nucleic acids (PNAs), and the like. Such polynucleotides can be synthesized using automated DNA synthesizers and the like. The term "nucleic acid" typically refers to large polynucleotides. The term "oligonucleotide" typically refers to short polynucleotides, generally less than about 50 nucleotides. Where a nucleotide sequence is represented as a DNA sequence (i.e., A, T, G, C), it is understood that this also encompasses RNA sequences in which "U" is replaced with "T" (i.e., A, U, G, C).

[0081] Conventional notation is used herein to describe polynucleotide sequences. The left-hand end of a single-stranded polynucleotide sequence is the 5' end; the left-hand direction of a double-stranded polynucleotide sequence is referred to as the 5' direction. The addition of nucleotides from the 5' to the 3' direction to the nascent RNA transcript is referred to as the transcription direction. The DNA strand having the same sequence as the mRNA is referred to as the "coding strand;" the sequence on the DNA strand having the same sequence as the mRNA transcribed from the DNA and located 5' to the 5' end of the RNA transcript is referred to as the "upstream sequence;" the sequence on the DNA strand having the same sequence as the RNA and located 3' to the 3' end of the coding RNA transcript is referred to as the "downstream sequence."

[0082] "Complementary" refers to the topological compatibility, i.e., the matching of the interacting surfaces of two polynucleotides. That is, the two molecules can be described as complementary, and furthermore, the contact surface features are complementary to each other. A first polynucleotide is complementary to a second polynucleotide if the nucleotide sequence of the first polynucleotide is substantially identical to the nucleotide sequence of the polynucleotide binding partner of the second polynucleotide, or if the first polynucleotide is capable of hybridizing to the second polynucleotide under stringent hybridization conditions.

[0083] "Specific hybridization to" or "specific hybridization" or "selective hybridization to" refers to a nucleic acid molecule that preferentially binds, duplexes, or hybridizes under stringent conditions to a particular nucleotide sequence when that sequence is present in a mixture (e.g., whole cell) DNA or RNA. The term "stringent conditions" refers to conditions under which a probe will hybridize preferentially to its target material, but will hybridize to a lesser extent or not at all to other sequences. In the context of nucleic acid hybridization experiments such as Southern and Northern hybridization, "stringent hybridization" and "stringent hybridization wash conditions" are sequence-dependent and will be different under different environmental parameters. Detailed introductions to nucleic acid hybridization can be found in Tijssen, 1993, Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology--Hybridization with Nucleic Acid Probes, Part I, Chapter 2, "Overview of principles of hybridization and the strategy of nucleic acid probe assays", Elsevier, Inc., NY; Sambrook et al., 2001, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 3rd Edition, NY; and Ausubel et al. (eds.), Current Edition, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Greene Publishing Associates and Wiley Interscience, NY.

[0084] Typically, highly stringent hybridization conditions and highly stringent washing conditions are selected to be about 5°C lower than the melting temperature (Tm) of a specific sequence at a defined ionic strength and pH. Tm is the temperature (under a defined ionic strength and pH) at which 50% of the target sequence hybridizes to a perfectly matched probe. Very stringent conditions are selected to be the same as the Tm of a specific probe. An example of stringent hybridization conditions for hybridization of complementary nucleic acids having more than about 100 complementary residues on a filter in a Southern or Northern blot is 50% formalin + 1 mg heparin, 42°C, overnight hybridization run. An example of highly stringent washing conditions is 0.15M NaCl, 72°C, about 15 minutes. An example of stringent washing conditions is 0.2×SSC wash, 65°C, 15 minutes. See Sambrook et al. for a description of SSC buffer. A low stringency wash can be used prior to a high stringency wash to remove background probe signal. An example of a moderately stringent wash, for example for a duplex of more than about 100 nucleotides, is 1×SSC at 45°C for 15 minutes. An example of a low stringency wash, for example for a duplex of more than about 100 nucleotides, is 4-6×SSC at 40°C for 15 minutes. Typically, a signal-to-noise ratio of 2x (or more) than that observed for an unrelated probe in a particular hybridization assay indicates detection of specific hybridization.

[0085] "Primer" refers to a polynucleotide capable of specifically hybridizing to a designated polynucleotide template and providing a site for the initiation of synthesis of a complementary polynucleotide. Such synthesis occurs when the polynucleotide primer is placed under conditions in which synthesis is conducive, i.e., in the presence of nucleotides, a complementary polynucleotide template, and an agent for polymerization, such as DNA polymerase. Primers are typically single-stranded, but may be double-stranded. Primers are typically deoxyribonucleic acids, although a wide variety of synthetic and natural primers are useful in many applications. Primers are designed to be complementary to a template and hybridize to the template to serve as a site for initiation of synthesis, but need not exactly reflect the sequence of the template. In such cases, specific hybridization of the primer to the template depends on the stringency of the hybridization conditions. Primers can be labeled, such as with chromogenic, radioactive, or fluorescent moieties, and used as detectable moieties.

[0086] "Probe", when used in reference to a polynucleotide, refers to a polynucleotide that can specifically hybridize to a designated sequence of another polynucleotide. A probe specifically hybridizes to a complementary polynucleotide of a target, but does not necessarily reflect the exact complementary sequence of the template. In such a case, specific hybridization of the probe to the target depends on the stringency of the hybridization conditions. Probes can be labeled, such as with chromogenic, radioactive, or fluorescent moieties, and can be used as detectable moieties. A probe can also be a primer, where it provides a point of initiation for the synthesis of a complementary polynucleotide.

[0087] A "vector" is a polynucleotide that can be used to introduce another nucleic acid linked to it into a cell. One type of vector is a "plasmid," which is a linear or circular double-stranded DNA molecule into which additional nucleic acid segments can be ligated. Another type of vector is a viral vector (e.g., replication-defective retroviruses, replication-defective adenoviruses, and replication-defective adeno-associated viruses), whose viral genome can include additional DNA segments. Certain vectors are capable of autonomous replication in a host cell into which they are introduced (e.g., bacterial vectors containing a bacterial origin of replication and episomal mammalian vectors). Other vectors (e.g., non-episomal mammalian vectors) are integrated into the genome of the host cell after introduction into the host cell and are replicated along with the host genome. An "expression vector" is a type of vector that can direct the expression of a selected polynucleotide.

[0088] A "control sequence" is a nucleic acid that affects the expression (e.g., amount, timing, or location) of a nucleic acid to which it is operably linked. A control sequence may, for example, exert its effect directly on the regulated nucleic acid or through the action of one or more other molecules (e.g., a polypeptide that binds to the control sequence and / or the nucleic acid). Examples of control sequences include promoters, enhancers, and other expression control elements (e.g., polyadenylation signals). Further examples of control sequences are described, for example, in Goeddel, 1990, Gene Expression Technology: Methods in Enzymology, vol. 185, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif., and Baron et al., 1995, Nucleic Acids Res., vol. 23, pp. 3605-06. A nucleotide sequence is "operably linked" to a control sequence if the control sequence affects the expression (e.g., amount, timing, or location) of the nucleotide sequence.

[0089] A "host cell" is a cell that can be used to express the polynucleotides of the present disclosure. A host cell can be prokaryotic, e.g., E. coli, or a host cell can be eukaryotic, e.g., a unicellular eukaryote (e.g., yeast or other fungi), a plant cell (e.g., a tobacco plant cell or a tomato plant cell), an animal cell (e.g., a human cell, a monkey cell, a hamster cell, a rat cell, a mouse cell, or an insect cell), or a hybridoma. Typically, a host cell is a cultured cell that can be transformed or transfected with a polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid, allowing expression of the polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid in the host cell. The term "recombinant host cell" is sometimes used to refer to a host cell that has been transformed or transfected with a nucleic acid to be expressed. A host cell can also be a cell that contains the nucleic acid but does not express it at a desired level, unless a control sequence has been introduced into the host cell such that it is operably linked to the nucleic acid. It is understood that the term host cell refers not only to the particular subject cell, but also to the progeny and potential progeny of such a cell. Because certain modifications may occur in subsequent generations due to mutations, environmental influences, and the like, such progeny may not actually be identical to the parent cell, but are still included within the scope of the term as used herein.

[0090] The term "isolated molecule" (where the molecule is a polypeptide or polynucleotide, etc.) refers to a molecule that is (1) free from associated naturally occurring components that accompany it in the natural state, (2) substantially free from other molecules from the same species, (3) expressed by cells from a different species, or (4) not naturally occurring, based on its origin or source of derivation. That is, a molecule that is chemically synthesized or expressed in a cellular system different from the cell in which it occurs in nature will be "isolated" from its naturally occurring associated components. A molecule may be rendered substantially free of naturally occurring associated components by isolation using purification methods well known in the art. The purity or homogeneity of a molecule can be assessed by several means well known in the art. For example, the purity of a polypeptide sample can be assessed by visualization of the polypeptide by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel staining using methods well known in the art. For certain purposes, higher resolution may be obtained by using HPLC or other purification means well known in the art.

[0091] A protein or polypeptide is "substantially pure," "substantially homogeneous," or "substantially purified" when at least about 60%-75% of a sample represents a single polypeptide species. The polypeptide or protein may be monomeric or multimeric. Typically, a substantially pure polypeptide or protein will comprise about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, or about 90% (w / w) of a protein sample, usually about 95%, and preferably greater than 99% pure. Protein purity or homogeneity can be demonstrated by several means well known in the art, such as subjecting a protein sample to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by visualization of a single polypeptide band by staining the gel with staining methods well known in the art. For certain purposes, higher resolution may be obtained by using HPLC or other purification means well known in the art.

[0092] The term "label" or "labeling" as used herein refers to the incorporation of another molecule into an antibody. In one embodiment, the label is a detectable marker, such as the incorporation of a radioactively labeled amino acid or the addition of a biotinyl moiety to a polypeptide that is detectable by a marked avidin (e.g., streptavidin containing a fluorescent marker or an enzymatic activity detectable by optical or calorimetric methods). In another embodiment, the label or marker can be a therapeutic label or marker, such as a drug conjugate or a toxin. Various methods of labeling polypeptides and glycoproteins are known in the art and may be used. Examples of labels for polypeptides include, but are not limited to, radioisotopes or radionuclides (e.g., 3 H, 14 C. 15 N, 35 S, 90 Y, 99 Tc, 111 In, 125 I, 131I), fluorescent labels (e.g., FITC fluorophores, rhodamine fluorophores, lanthanide fluorophores), enzyme labels (e.g., horseradish peroxidase, β-galactosidase, luciferase, alkaline phosphatase), chemiluminescent markers, biotinyl groups, predetermined polypeptide epitopes recognized by secondary reporters (e.g., leucine zipper pair sequences, binding sites for secondary antibodies, metal binding domains, epitope labels), magnetic agents, e.g., gadolinium chelates, toxins, e.g., pertussis toxin, taxol, Cytochalasin B, gramicidin D, ethidium bromide, emetine, mitomycin, etoposide, tenoposide, vincristine, vinblastine, colchicine, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, dihydroxyanthracin dione, mitoxantrone, mithramycin, actinomycin D, 1-dehydrotestosterone, glucocorticoids, procaine, tetracaine, lidocaine, propranolol, and puromycin, and analogs or homologs thereof. In various embodiments, labels are attached by spacer arms of various lengths to reduce potential steric hindrance.

[0093] The term "heterologous" as used herein refers to a configuration or state that is not native or does not exist in nature, e.g., a configuration or state that can be achieved by replacing an existing native configuration or state with a configuration or state from another source. Similarly, expression of a protein in an organism other than the organism in which the protein is naturally expressed results in a heterologous expression system and a heterologous protein.

[0094] Aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure described herein are understood to include "consisting of" and / or "consisting essentially of" aspects and embodiments.

[0095] Any statement herein referring to "about" a value or parameter encompasses (and accounts for) the variation that is directed to the value or parameter itself. For example, a statement referring to "about X" encompasses the statement "X."

[0096] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "or," and "the" include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The aspects and modifications of the disclosure described herein are understood to include "consisting of" and / or "consisting essentially of" aspects and modifications.

[0097] IL-2 Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a classical Th1 cytokine, produced by T cells after activation via the T cell antigen receptor and the costimulatory molecule CD28. Regulation of IL-2 occurs through activation of signaling pathways and transcription factors that act on the IL-2 promoter to induce gene transcription de novo, but also involves regulation of IL-2 mRNA stability. IL-2 binds to a highly regulated multichain receptor containing α, β, and γ chains that mediate signal transduction through the Jak-STAT pathway. IL-2 delivers activation, proliferation, and differentiation signals to T, B, and NK cells. IL-2 is also important in mediating activation-induced cell death of T cells, a function that provides an essential mechanism for terminating immune responses. A commercially available nonglycosylated human recombinant IL-2 product, aldesleukin (available under the trade name PROLEUKIN® des-alanyl-1, serine-125 human interleukin-2 from Prometheus Laboratories Inc., San Diego, CA), has been approved for administration to patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and metastatic melanoma. IL-2 has also been suggested for administration in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, acute myeloid leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, breast cancer, and bladder cancer. Unfortunately, the short half-life and high toxicity limit the optimal dose of IL-2.

[0098] As used herein, the terms "native IL-2" and "native interleukin-2" refer to any naturally occurring mammalian interleukin-2 amino acid sequence, including immature or precursor forms, and mature forms, in the context of a protein or polypeptide. Non-limiting examples of GenBank accession numbers for the amino acid sequences of various native mammalian interleukin-2 species include NP_032392.1 (Mus musculus, immature form), NP_001040595.1 (Macaca mulatta, immature form), NP_000577.2 (human, precursor form), CAA01199.1 (human, immature form), AAD48509.1 (human, immature form), and AAB20900.1 (human). In various embodiments of the present invention, native IL-2 is the immature or precursor form of naturally occurring mammalian IL-2. In other embodiments, the native IL-2 is the mature form of naturally occurring mammalian IL-2. In various embodiments, the native IL-2 is the precursor form of naturally occurring human IL-2. In various embodiments, the native IL-2 is the mature form of naturally occurring human IL-2. In various embodiments, the IL-2-based domain D2 is derived from the amino acid sequence of the human IL-2 precursor sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 below: MYRMQLLSCIALSLALVTNSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFCQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 1)

[0099] In various embodiments, the IL-2 based domain D2 comprises the amino acid sequence of the human IL-2 mature wild type sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3 below, which contains a cysteine ​​to serine substitution at position 125, but does not alter binding to the IL-2 receptor compared to native IL-2: APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFSQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 3)

[0100] IL-2 variants The present invention relates to polypeptides that share a primary sequence with human IL-2, except for one to several amino acid mutations. One panel of IL-2 variants contains mutations that substantially reduce the ability of these polypeptides to stimulate Treg cells, making them more effective in treating tumors. Also included are therapeutic uses of these mutated variants, either alone or in combination with vaccines, TAA targeted biologics, or immune checkpoint blockers, or as components of bifunctional molecular constructs, for the treatment of diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases in which regulatory T cell (Treg) activity is undesirable. In another aspect, the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the polypeptides of the present disclosure. Finally, the present invention relates to therapeutic uses of the polypeptides and pharmaceutical compositions of the present disclosure, due to their selective regulatory effect on the immune system against autoimmune and inflammatory disorders or diseases such as cancer and various infectious diseases.

[0101] The present invention relates to polypeptides having an apparent molecular weight of at least 15 kD, between 100 and 500 amino acids in length, preferably 140 residues in size. These polypeptides retain a high sequence identity of more than 90% with native IL-2. At these positions, these polypeptides are mutated to introduce amino acid residues different from those at the same positions in native IL-2.

[0102] The polypeptides of the invention may be referred to as immunomodulatory polypeptides, IL-2 analogs, or IL-2 variants, among other names. These polypeptides are designed based on the three-dimensional structure of the IL-2 receptor complex (available in the PDB public database) and primarily contain mutations at positions in IL-2 that correspond to amino acids that interact with the IL-2 receptor subunit alpha.

[0103] In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant (or mutant) comprises a sequence derived from the sequence of the mature human IL-2 polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:3. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant comprises an amino acid sequence that differs from the native (or wild-type) IL-2 protein. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant interacts with an IL-2 receptor polypeptide and functions as an IL-2 agonist or antagonist. In various embodiments, an IL-2 variant that has agonist activity has superagonist activity. In various embodiments, an IL-2 variant can function as an IL-2 agonist or antagonist independent of binding to IL-2Rα. An IL-2 agonist is exemplified by equivalent or increased biological activity compared to wild-type IL-2. An IL-2 antagonist is exemplified by decreased biological activity compared to wild-type IL-2 or the ability to inhibit an IL-2 mediated response. In various embodiments, the sequence of the IL-2 variant has at least one amino acid change, e.g., a substitution or deletion, when compared to the native IL-2 sequence, which confers IL-2 agonist or IL-2 antagonist activity. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 31-66 that reduces / eliminates binding to IL-2Rα to selectively activate and proliferate effector T cells (Teff). In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 111-120 that includes mutations that modulate IL-2Rβ or γc in addition to mutations that reduce / eliminate binding to IL-2Rα to selectively activate and proliferate effector T cells with reduced potency, to reduce toxicity associated with IL-2Rβ or γc, attenuate cell wasting, and improve sustained pharmacodynamics. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variants have the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 189 (amino acids 462-586), 190 (amino acids 462-585), and 191 (amino acids 462-584) that include N-terminal deletions in addition to mutations that result in reduced / absent binding to IL-2Rα to selectively activate and proliferate effector T cells with reduced potency.In various embodiments, IL-2 variants having the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 31-66, 111-120, and amino acids 9-133, 10-133, and 11-133 of SEQ ID NO: 47 also contain an S125I amino acid substitution to improve the development suitability profile of IL-2 and corresponding fusion proteins.

[0104] Exemplary IL-2 variants with amino acid substitutions introduced into the interface with IL-2Rα are shown in Table 2. TIFF2025063029000003.tif166170TIFF2025063029000004.tif115170

[0105] A key aspect of the present invention is to improve IL-2 selectivity for cells expressing IL-2Rβγ (but not IL-2Rα) over cells expressing IL-2Rαβγ, relative to wild-type IL-2, for cancer therapy. One approach used by the inventors of the present invention is to create highly selective IL-2-Fc fusion proteins through the introduction of CD25-disrupting mutations in the cytokine component. The selection of CD25-disrupting mutations was based on inspection of the IL-2 / IL-2R co-crystal structure (PDB code 2B51). Multiple amino acid substitutions were introduced to one or two relevant residues at the interface with the IL-2 receptor α subunit, including R38, T41, F42, F44, E62, P65, E68, and Y107, with the goal of reducing or eliminating binding to IL-2Rα. These constructs also contained an S125I mutation, significantly improving their suitability for development. In addition, impaired binding of IL-2 variants to IL-2Rα+ pulmonary endothelial cells is predicted to prevent endothelial cell damage and significantly reduce VLS. Furthermore, impaired CD25 binding is predicted to reduce the CD25 antigen sink and enhance cytokine occupancy on IL-2Rβγ-expressing cells, resulting in enhanced in vivo responses and tumor killing.

[0106] Since the targeted IL-2 residues, R38, T41, F42, F44, E62, P65, E68, and Y107, are all in contact with IL-2Rα and form either hydrogen bonds / salt bridges or hydrophobic interactions with multiple IL-2Rα residues (Mathias Rickert, et al. (2005) Science 308,1477-80), it was reasoned that the IL-2 variants listed in Table 2 and similar would be expected to disrupt the interaction with IL-2Rα, resulting in IL-2 variants with reduced or abolished binding to IL-2Rα. However, it was found that mutations at different sites or different substitutions at the same site can result in dramatic differences in their effects on IL-2Rα binding, some of which could not be predicted based on a structure-based mutagenesis approach and are particularly unexpected (see Examples 4 and 5).

[0107] Furthermore, it was reasoned that IL-2Rβγ regulatory substitutions could be further incorporated to attenuate overall potency for optimal activity. Agonist-regulated potency of IL-2Rβγ could prevent overactivation of cytotoxic lymphocytes and minimize “on-target” and “out-of-target” toxicity. In addition, cell exhaustion and apoptosis induced by excessive stimulation could be minimized. Furthermore, attenuation of binding affinity of cytokine signaling molecules could decrease receptor-mediated internalization and reduce unwanted target sinks, leading to sustained receptor activation and durable pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. As a result, IL-2Rβγ regulatory substitutions could reduce toxicity and improve pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as well as therapeutic index.

[0108] Exemplary IL-2 variants with amino acid substitutions, including mutations that disrupt IL-2Rβ or γc, versus IL-2 variants with reduced / eliminated binding to IL-2Rα, are shown in Table 3. TIFF2025063029000005.tif98170

[0109] The present invention also encompasses additional modifications to the above classes of IL-2 variants, particularly those listed in Tables 2 and 3, such as the deletion of 8, or 9, or 10 N-terminal residues to the above IL-2 variants, to selectively activate and proliferate effector T cells with various levels of attenuated potency. Any additional combinatorial mutations, whether they alter its affinity for a particular component of the IL-2 receptor or improve its in vivo pharmacodynamic properties (prolonging its half-life or reducing its internalization by T cells), are within the spirit and scope of the present invention. These additional mutations may be obtained by rational design using bioinformatics tools or by using combinatorial molecular libraries of various natures (phage libraries, libraries of gene expression in yeast or bacteria). In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a fusion protein comprising any of the above immunomodulatory polypeptides linked to a carrier protein. The carrier protein can be albumin or the Fc region of a human immunoglobulin.

[0110] In various embodiments, IL-2RαSushi having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 170 is linked between IL-2 and the Fc domain using linkers of various lengths and compositions. The Fc domain can be at the N-terminus or C-terminus. The IL-2-IL-2RαSushi-Fc fusion protein has the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 171-172 and is predicted to selectively activate and proliferate effector T cells by reducing binding to IL-2Rα.

[0111] In various embodiments, IL-2 and IL-2RαSushi form a non-covalent complex. IL-2 is fused to either the N-terminus or C-terminus of the Hole-Fc chain (SEQ ID NO: 10), and IL-2RαSushi is fused to either the N-terminus or C-terminus of the Knob-Fc chain (SEQ ID NO: 9). The non-covalent C-terminal IL-2-IL-2RαSushi-Fc fusion protein has the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 173-174. TIFF2025063029000006.tif65170

[0112] Fc domain Immunoglobulins of the IgG class are the most abundant proteins in human blood. Their circulating half-life can reach as long as 21 days. Fusion proteins have been reported that combine the Fc region of IgG with domains of other proteins, such as various cytokines or receptors (see, e.g., Capon et al., Nature, vol. 337: pp. 525-531, 1989; Chamow et al., Trends Biotechnol., vol. 14: pp. 52-60, 1996; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,116,964 and 5,541,087). The prototype of a fusion protein is a homodimeric protein linked through cysteine ​​residues in the hinge region of the Fc of IgG, resulting in a molecule similar to an IgG molecule without the variable region and CH1 domain of the heavy chain and the light chain. The dimeric nature of fusion proteins containing the Fc domain can be advantageous in achieving higher order interactions (i.e., bivalent or bispecific binding) with other molecules. Due to their structural homology, Fc fusion proteins exhibit in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles comparable to those of human IgG of the similar isotype.

[0113] The term "Fc" refers to a molecule or sequence that includes the sequence of a non-antigen-binding fragment of a full-length antibody, which may be in monomeric or multimeric form. The original immunoglobulin source of native Fc is preferably of human origin and may be any immunoglobulin, with IgG1 and IgG2 being preferred. Native Fc is composed of monomeric polypeptides that may be linked into dimeric or multimeric forms by covalent (i.e., disulfide) and non-covalent bonds. The number of intermolecular disulfide bonds between the monomeric subunits of native Fc molecules ranges from 1 to 4, depending on the class (e.g., IgG, IgA, IgE) or subclass (e.g., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgA1, IgGA2). One example of a native Fc is the disulfide-linked dimer resulting from papain digestion of IgG (Ellison et al., (1982), Nucleic Acids Res., 10:4071-9). The term "native Fc" as used herein refers collectively to monomeric, dimeric, and multimeric forms of the Fc domain that contains binding sites for Protein A, Protein G, various Fc receptors, and complement proteins.

[0114] In various embodiments, the term "Fc variant" refers to a molecule or sequence that has been modified from a native Fc but still contains a binding site for the salvage receptor, FcRn. Exemplary Fc variants and interactions with the salvage receptor are described in International Publication Nos. WO 97 / 34631 (published September 25, 1997) and WO 96 / 32478, which are incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, native Fc contains sites that may be removed because they confer structural features or biological activity not required for the fusion molecules of the present invention. That is, in various embodiments, the term "Fc variant" includes molecules or sequences that lack one or more native Fc sites or residues that affect or are involved in: (1) disulfide bond formation, (2) incompatibility with a selected host cell, (3) N-terminal heterogeneity after expression in a selected host cell, (4) glycosylation, (5) interaction with complement, (6) binding to Fc receptors other than the salvage receptor, or (7) antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

[0115] The term "Fc domain" encompasses native Fc and Fc variant molecules and sequences as defined above. As with Fc variants and native Fc, the term "Fc domain" encompasses molecules in monomeric or multimeric form, either digested from full-length antibodies or produced by recombinant gene expression or other means. In various embodiments, "Fc domain" refers to a dimer consisting of two Fc domain monomers (SEQ ID NO: 6), usually including all or part of the hinge region. In various embodiments, the Fc domain may be mutated to lack effector function. In various embodiments, each of the Fc domain monomers of the Fc domain contains amino acid substitutions in the CH2 antibody constant domain to reduce the interaction or binding between the Fc domain and the Fcγ receptor. In various embodiments, each subunit of the Fc domain contains three amino acid substitutions (L234A, L235A, and G237A) that reduce binding to activating Fc receptors and / or effector function (SEQ ID NO: 7).

[0116] In various embodiments, the two Fc domain monomers of the Fc domain each contain an amino acid substitution that promotes heterodimerization of the two monomers. In various other embodiments, heterodimerization of the Fc domain monomers can be promoted by introducing different but compatible substitutions (such as a "knob-into-hole" residue pair) into the two Fc domain monomers. This "knob-into-hole" technique is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,216,805. In yet another embodiment, one Fc domain monomer contains the knob-type mutation T366W and the other Fc domain monomer contains the hole-type mutations T366S, L358A, and Y407V. In various embodiments, two Cy residues that form a stabilizing disulfide bridge (S354C on the "knob" side and Y349C on the "hole" side) have been introduced (SEQ ID NO: 9 and SEQ ID NO: 10). The use of heterodimeric Fc allows for the generation of monovalent IL-2 variants.

[0117] In various embodiments, the Fc domain sequence used to generate the dimeric IL-2 variant Fc fusion is the human IgG1-Fc domain sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7 below: DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALAPIE KTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO:7) SEQ ID NO:7 contains amino acid substitutions (underlined) that disrupt FcγR binding and C1q binding.

[0118] In various embodiments, the Fc domain sequence used to generate the dimeric IL-2 Fc fusion protein is the IgG1-Fc domain sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:8 below: DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALAPIE KTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHAHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO:106) SEQ ID NO:8 contains amino acid substitutions that disrupt FcγR binding and C1q binding (underlined) and amino acid substitutions that extend half-life (bold).

[0119] In various embodiments, the heterodimeric Fc domain sequence used to generate the monomeric IL-2 variant fusion is the Knob-Fc domain sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:9 below: DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALAPIE KTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO:9) SEQ ID NO:9 contains amino acid substitutions (underlined) that disrupt FcγR binding and C1q binding.

[0120] In various embodiments, the heterodimeric Fc domain sequence used to generate the IL-2 variant is the Hole-Fc domain sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10 below: DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALAPIE KTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPCREEMTKNQVSLSCAVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLVSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO:10) SEQ ID NO:10 contains amino acid substitutions (underlined) that disrupt FcγR binding and C1q binding.

[0121] In various embodiments, the heterodimeric Fc domain sequence used to generate the monomeric IL-2 Fc fusion protein is a Knob-Fc domain with reduced / eliminated effector function and extended half-life, having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 134 below: DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALAPIE KTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHAHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO:134) SEQ ID NO:134 contains amino acid substitutions that abolish FcγR binding, C1q binding (underlined) and extend half-life (bold).

[0122] In various embodiments, the heterodimeric Fc domain sequence used to generate the monomeric IL-2 Fc fusion protein is a Hole-Fc domain with reduced / eliminated effector function and extended half-life having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 135 below: DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALAPIE KTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPCREEMTKNQVSLSCAVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLVSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHAHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO:135) SEQ ID NO:135 contains amino acid substitutions that abolish FcγR binding, C1q binding (underlined) and extend half-life (bold).

[0123] Antibodies as targeting moieties In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant constructs of the invention comprise a targeting moiety in the form of an antibody, antibody fragment, protein, or peptide that binds to a molecule enriched in cancer tissue, such as a tumor-associated antigen (TAA).

[0124] A TAA can be any molecule, macromolecule, combination of molecules, etc., against which an immune response is desired. A TAA can be a protein that includes two or more polypeptide subunits. For example, a protein can be a dimer, trimer, or higher order multimer. In various embodiments, two or more subunits of a protein can be linked by a covalent bond, such as a disulfide bond. In various embodiments, the subunits of a protein can be held together by non-covalent interactions. Thus, a TAA can be any peptide, polypeptide, protein, nucleic acid, lipid, carbohydrate, or small organic molecule, or any combination thereof, against which a person skilled in the art desires to induce an immune response. In various embodiments, the TAA is a peptide that comprises about 5, about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, about 10, about 11, about 12, about 13, about 14, about 15, about 16, about 17, about 18, about 19, about 20, about 25, about 30, about 35, about 40, about 45, about 50, about 55, about 60, about 65, about 70, about 75, about 80, about 85, about 90, about 95, about 100, about 150, about 200, about 250, about 300, about 400, about 500, about 600, about 700, about 800, about 900, or about 1000 amino acids. In various embodiments, the peptide, polypeptide, or protein is a molecule that is typically administered to a subject by injection. In various embodiments, the tumor-specific antibody or binding protein, upon administration, functions as a targeting moiety to direct the IL-2 variant to the site of disease, such as a cancer site, where the active domain is released and can interact with its cognate receptor on diseased cells.

[0125] Any of the aforementioned markers can be used as a TAA target for the IL-2 variants of the present invention. In various embodiments, one or more TAAs, TAA variants, or TAA mutants contemplated for use in the IL-2 variant constructs and methods of the present disclosure are selected from or derived from the list shown in Table 5. TIFF2025063029000007.tif173170TIFF2025063029000008.tif217170TIFF2025063029000009.tif84170

[0126] In various embodiments, the IL-2 variants of the invention can be conjugated to a targeting / bifunctional moiety that is an antibody, antibody fragment, protein, or peptide that targets an immune checkpoint regulator.

[0127] A number of immune checkpoint protein antigens have been reported to be expressed on various immune cells, such as SIRP (expressed on macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells), CD47 (highly expressed on tumor cells and other cell types), VISTA (expressed on monocytes, dendritic cells, B cells, and T cells), CD152 (expressed on activated CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, and regulatory T cells), CD279 (expressed on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and on activated T cells (both CD4 and CD8), regulatory T cells, activated B cells, activated NK cells, allergic T cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells), CD274 (expressed on T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, vascular endothelial cells, and pancreatic islet cells), and CD223 (expressed on activated T cells, regulatory T cells, allergic T cells, NK cells, NKT cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells) (e.g., Pardoll, D., Nature Reviews, 2004). Cancer, 12:252-264, 2012). Antibodies that bind to antigens that have been identified as immune checkpoint proteins are known to those skilled in the art. For example, various anti-CD276 antibodies have been described in the art (see, for example, US Patent Publication No. 20120294796 (Johnson et al) and references cited therein). Various anti-CD272 antibodies have been described in the art (see, for example, US Patent Publication No. 20140017255 (Mataraza et al) and references cited therein). Various anti-CD152 / CTLA-4 antibodies have been described in the art (see, for example, US Patent Publication No. 20130136749 (Korman et al) and references cited therein). Various anti-LAG-3 / CD223 antibodies have been described in the art (see, for example, US Patent Publication No. 20110150892 (Thudium et al) and references cited therein). Various anti-CD279 (PD-1) antibodies have been described in the art (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,488,802 (Collins et al.) and references cited therein).A variety of anti-CD274 (PD-L1) antibodies have been described in the art (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20130122014 (Korman et al) and references cited therein). A variety of anti-TIM-3 antibodies have been described in the art (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20140044728 (Takayanagi et al) and references cited therein). A variety of anti-B7-H4 antibodies have been described in the art (see, e.g., US Patent Publication No. 20110085970 (Terrett et al) and references cited therein). Each of these references is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety with respect to the specific antibodies and sequences taught therein.

[0128] In various embodiments, the IL-2 fusion partner can be an antibody, antibody fragment, or a protein or peptide that exhibits binding to an immune checkpoint protein antigen present on the surface of an immune cell. In various embodiments, the immune checkpoint protein antigen is selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to, PD1 (CD279), PDL-1 (CD274), CD276, CD272, CD152 (CTLA-4), CD223, CD279, CD274, CD40, SIRPα, CD47, OX-40, GITR, ICOS, CD27, 4-1BB, TIM-3, B7-H3, B7-H4, TIGIT, and VISTA.

[0129] In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist FAP antibody or antibody fragment. In various embodiments, the antibody is a humanized antagonist FAP antibody comprising the variable domain sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 136 and 137. In various embodiments, the heterologous protein is an antibody or antibody fragment against an immune checkpoint regulator. In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist human TIGIT antibody. In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist PD-1 antibody or antibody fragment. In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist PD-1 antibody comprising the variable domain sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 138 and 139, SEQ ID NOs: 140 and 141, SEQ ID NOs: 142 and 143, SEQ ID NOs: 144 and 145, or SEQ ID NOs: 146 and 147. In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist human PD-L1 antibody comprising the variable domain sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 148 and 149. In various embodiments, the antibody is an antagonist human CTLA-4 antibody comprising the variable domain sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 150 and 151. In various embodiments, exemplary bifunctional IL-2 PD1 antibody fusion proteins are shown in Table 12.

[0130] Bifunctional IL-2 variant PD-1 antibody fusion protein In various embodiments, immune checkpoint blocking antibodies that avoid immunosuppressive effects in the tumor microenvironment, or immune stimulatory antibodies that enhance existing responses, are used to construct the IL-2 antibody fusion protein. Expression levels of negative immune checkpoints are particularly increased in tumor antigen-experienced exhausted T cells that infiltrate the tumor microenvironment. In various embodiments, tethering IL-2 variants to antibodies that target immune checkpoints is expected to direct IL-2 to exhausted T cells, making the tumor microenvironment immunologically hot. In various embodiments, the bifunctional IL-2 variant checkpoint inhibitor antibody fusion protein can preferentially deliver IL-2 in cis to checkpoint inhibitor expressing cells, such as tumor antigen-experienced exhausted T cells that infiltrate the tumor microenvironment, promoting selective signaling and enhancing activity at the desired tumor site. In various embodiments, the bifunctional IL-2 variant checkpoint inhibitor antibody fusion protein provides a synergistic effect by removing negative regulation, reactivating T cell function, increasing Teff cell numbers, and further enhancing the activity of the immune system against the tumor.

[0131] In various embodiments, the bifunctional IL-2 variant checkpoint inhibitor antibody fusion protein reduces systemic exposure and off-target toxicity of IL-2. In various embodiments, the use of an IL-2 variant with both reduced / eliminated binding to IL-2Rα and attenuated / modulated IL-2Rβγ activity facilitates the establishment of a stoichiometric balance between cytokine IL-2 activity and antibody activity. Attenuated IL-2 activity variants with proper antibody targeting or cis-activation in exhausted Teff cells will allow optimal dosing and maintenance of function of each arm. Furthermore, attenuated IL-2 activity variants fused to antibodies are expected to minimize peripheral activation, reduce AICD of T cells, reduce antigen sink, and promote tumor killing via antibody targeting moieties to tumor and / or immune cell sites.

[0132] In various embodiments, the IL-2 variants of the present invention can bind to a checkpoint inhibitor that is an antibody, antibody fragment, protein, or peptide that targets an immune checkpoint regulator. In various embodiments, the immune checkpoint inhibitor is an antagonist PD-1 antibody. In various embodiments, the PD-1 antibody comprises the variable domains set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 138 and 139, SEQ ID NOs: 140 and 141, SEQ ID NOs: 142 and 143, SEQ ID NOs: 144 and 145, or SEQ ID NOs: 146 and 147. In various embodiments, exemplary bifunctional IL-2 PD1 antibody fusion proteins are listed in Table 12.

[0133] Linker In various embodiments, the heterologous protein is attached to the IL-2 variant by a linker peptide and / or hinge linker peptide. The linker or hinge linker can be an artificial sequence of 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, or more amino acids (or any number in between) that has relatively little secondary structure or exhibits an alpha-helical conformation.

[0134] Peptide linkers provide covalent bonds and additional structural and / or spatial flexibility between protein domains. As known in the art, peptide linkers include flexible amino acid residues such as glycine and serine. In various embodiments, peptide linkers can include 1-100 amino acids. In various embodiments, the spacer can include a GGGSGGGS (SEQ ID NO: 18) motif. In other embodiments, the linker can include a (GGGGS) (SEQ ID NO: 21) n motif, where n is an integer between 1 and 10. In other embodiments, the linker can include amino acids other than glycine and serine. In another embodiment, the linker can include other protein motifs, including but not limited to, alpha helical conformation sequences such as AEAAAKEAAAKEAAAKA (SEQ ID NO: 16). In various embodiments, the length and composition of the linker can be adjusted to optimize activity or development suitability, including but not limited to expression levels and aggregation tendency. In another embodiment, the peptide linker can be a simple chemical bond, such as an amide bond (eg, via chemical attachment of PEG).

[0135] Exemplary peptide linkers are shown in Table 6. TIFF2025063029000010.tif123170

[0136] Polynucleotides In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide encoding the IL-2, IL-2 variant, IL-2 fusion protein, or IL-2 variant fusion protein of the present disclosure. The subject nucleic acid may be single-stranded or double-stranded. Such nucleic acid may be a DNA molecule or an RNA molecule. DNA may include, for example, cDNA, genomic DNA, synthetic DNA, PCR amplified DNA, and combinations thereof. Genomic DNA encoding IL-2 polypeptides can be obtained from genomic libraries corresponding to many species. Synthetic DNA can be obtained by chemical synthesis of overlapping oligonucleotide fragments followed by assembly of the fragments to reconstitute some or all of the coding region and flanking sequences. RNA can be obtained from a prokaryotic expression vector that directs high-level mRNA synthesis, such as a vector using a T7 promoter, and an RNA polymerase. cDNA can be obtained from a library prepared from mRNA isolated from various tissues that express IL-2. The DNA molecules of the present disclosure include not only full-length genes, but also polynucleotides and fragments thereof. The full-length gene may also include sequences encoding an N-terminal signal sequence. Such nucleic acids may be used, eg, in methods for making novel IL-2 variants.

[0137] In various embodiments, the isolated nucleic acid molecule comprises a polynucleotide as described herein and further comprises a polynucleotide encoding at least one heterologous protein as described herein. In various embodiments, the nucleic acid molecule further comprises a polynucleotide encoding a linker or hinge linker as described herein.

[0138] In various embodiments, the recombinant nucleic acid of the present disclosure may be operably linked to one or more control nucleotide sequences in an expression construct. Control sequences are art-recognized and selected to direct the expression of the IL-2 variant. That is, the term control sequence includes promoters, enhancers, and other expression control elements. Exemplary control sequences are described in Goeddel; Gene Expression Technology: Methods in Enzymology, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif. (1990). Typically, the one or more control nucleotide sequences may include, but are not limited to, promoter sequences, leader or signal sequences, ribosome binding sites, transcription start and end sequences, translation start and end sequences, and enhancer or activator sequences. Constitutive or inducible promoters known in the art are contemplated by the present disclosure. The promoter may be a naturally occurring promoter or a hybrid promoter that combines two or more promoter elements. The expression construct may be present intracellularly or episomally, such as a plasmid, or the expression construct may be inserted into a chromosome. In various embodiments, the expression vector contains a selectable marker gene to allow for the selection of transformed host cells. Selectable marker genes are well known in the art and vary depending on the host cell used.

[0139] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the subject nucleic acid is provided in an expression vector comprising a nucleotide sequence operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence encoding an IL-2 variant. The term "expression vector" refers to a plasmid, phage, virus, or vector for expressing a polypeptide from a polynucleotide sequence. Vectors suitable for expression in a host cell are readily available, and insertion of a nucleic acid molecule into a vector is performed using standard recombinant DNA techniques. Such vectors can include a wide variety of expression regulatory sequences that can be used in these vectors to express a DNA sequence encoding an IL-2 variant, which regulates the expression of the DNA sequence when operably linked to the vector. Such useful expression control sequences include, for example, the SV40 early and late promoters, the tet promoter, the adenovirus or cytomegalovirus immediate early promoters, the RSV promoter, the lac, trp, TAC or TRC system, the T7 promoter whose expression is directed by T7 RNA polymerase, the major operator and promoter regions of lambda phage, the control region for the fd coat protein, the promoter for 3-phosphoglycerate kinase or other glycolytic enzymes, the promoter for acid phosphatase (e.g., PhoS), the promoter for yeast alpha mating factor, the polyhedrin promoter for baculovirus systems, and other sequences known to regulate the expression of genes in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells or their viruses, and various combinations thereof. It will be understood that the design of the expression vector may vary depending on factors such as the choice of the host cell to be transformed and / or the type of protein desired to be expressed. Additionally, consideration should be given to the copy number of the vector, the ability to regulate that copy number, and the expression of any other proteins encoded by the vector, such as antibiotic markers.Exemplary expression vectors suitable for expressing IL-2 include pDSRa (described in WO 90 / 14363, incorporated herein by reference), and derivatives thereof, containing an IL-2 polynucleotide and any additional suitable vectors known in the art or described below.

[0140] The cloned gene or a portion thereof can be ligated into a vector suitable for expression in either prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells (yeast, avian, insect, or mammalian cells), or both, to produce the recombinant nucleic acid of the present disclosure. Expression vehicles for producing recombinant IL-2 polypeptides include plasmids and other vectors. For example, suitable vectors include the following plasmids for expression in prokaryotic cells, such as E. coli: pBR322-derived plasmids, pEMBL-derived plasmids, pEX-derived plasmids, pBTac-derived plasmids, and pUC-derived plasmids.

[0141] Some mammalian expression vectors contain both prokaryotic sequences that facilitate the propagation of the vector in bacteria and one or more eukaryotic transcription units that are expressed in eukaryotic cells. pcDNAI / amp-derived vectors, pcDNAI / neo-derived vectors, pRc / CMV-derived vectors, pSV2gpt-derived vectors, pSV2neo-derived vectors, pSV2-dhfr-derived vectors, pTk2-derived vectors, pRSVneo-derived vectors, pMSG-derived vectors, pSVT7-derived vectors, pko-neo-derived vectors, and pHyg-derived vectors are examples of mammalian expression vectors suitable for transfection of eukaryotic cells. Some of these vectors have been modified with sequences from bacterial plasmids, such as pBR322, to facilitate replication and drug resistance selection in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Alternatively, for transient expression of proteins in eukaryotic cells, derivatives of viruses such as bovine papilloma virus (BPV-1), or Epstein-Barr virus (pHEBo, pREP-derived, and p205) can be used. Examples of other viral (including retroviral) expression systems can be found in the description of gene therapy delivery systems below. The various methods used in the preparation of plasmids and transformation of host organisms are well known in the art. For other expression systems suitable for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as well as general recombinant methods, see Molecular Cloning A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Edition, Sambrook, Fritsch, and Maniatis (eds.) (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989), Chapters 16 and 17. In some cases, it may be desirable to express recombinant polypeptides using a baculovirus expression system. Examples of such baculovirus expression systems include pVL-derived vectors (such as pVL1392, pVL1393, and pVL941), pAcUW-derived vectors (such as pAcUW1), and pBlueBac-derived vectors (such as the B-gal containing pBlueBacIII).

[0142] In various embodiments, vectors will be designed for production of a subject IL-2 variant in CHO cells, such as, for example, the Pcmv-Script vector (Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif.), the pcDNA4 vector (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.), and the pCI-neo vector (Promega, Madison, Wis.) As described below, the subject genetic constructs can be used to direct expression of a subject IL-2 variant in cells grown in culture, for example, to produce and purify a protein, including a fusion protein or a variant protein.

[0143] The present disclosure also relates to a host cell transfected with a recombinant gene comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of one or more of the subject IL-2 variants. The host cell can be any prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell. For example, the IL-2 variants of the present disclosure can be expressed in bacterial cells such as E. coli, insect cells (e.g., using a baculovirus expression system), yeast, or mammalian cells. Other suitable host cells are known to those skilled in the art.

[0144] Accordingly, the present disclosure further relates to a method for producing the subject IL-2 variants. For example, the IL-2 variants can be expressed by culturing host cells transfected with an expression vector encoding the IL-2 variant under appropriate conditions. The IL-2 variants can be isolated from a mixture of cells and medium containing the IL-2 variants after secretion. Alternatively, the IL-2 variants can be retained in the cytoplasm or membrane fraction, and the cells harvested, lysed, and the protein isolated. The cell culture medium includes host cells, culture medium, and other by-products. Suitable media for cell culture are well known in the art.

[0145] The polypeptides and proteins of the present disclosure can be purified according to protein purification methods well known to those skilled in the art. These methods include, at some level, crude fractionation of proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous fractions. After separation of the peptide polypeptide from other proteins, the peptide or polypeptide of interest can be further purified by chromatographic and electrophoretic methods to achieve partial or complete purification (i.e., purification to homogeneity). The term "isolated polypeptide" or "purified polypeptide" as used herein is intended to refer to a composition that can be isolated from other components, in which the polypeptide is purified to any degree relative to its naturally available state. A purified polypeptide therefore also refers to a polypeptide that has been separated from the environment in which it may naturally occur. In general, "purified" refers to a polypeptide composition that has been fractionated to remove various other components and that substantially retains its expressed biological activity. When the term "substantially purified" is used, this designation refers to a peptide or polypeptide composition in which the polypeptide or peptide forms a majority of the composition, e.g., constitutes about 50% or more, about 60% or more, about 70% or more, about 80% or more, about 85% or more, or about 90% or more of the protein in the composition.

[0146] Various methods suitable for use in purification are well known to those skilled in the art. These methods include, for example, precipitation using ammonium sulfate, PEG, antibodies (immunoprecipitation), or precipitation by heat denaturation followed by centrifugation; chromatography such as affinity chromatography (protein A column), ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography, reverse phase chromatography, hydroxyapatite chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography; isoelectric focusing; gel electrophoresis; and combinations of these methods. It is well known in the art that the order in which the various purification steps are performed may be changed, or certain steps may be omitted, and still be suitable for preparing a substantially purified polypeptide.

[0147] Pharmaceutical Compositions In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising an IL-2 variant or an IL-2 variant fusion protein in admixture with a pharma- ceutically acceptable carrier. Such pharma- ceutically acceptable carriers are well known and understood by those skilled in the art and have been described extensively (see, for example, Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 18th ed., AR Gennaro (ed.), Mack Publishing Co., 1990). Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers may be included for the purpose of, for example, changing, maintaining or preserving the pH, osmolarity, viscosity, clarity, color, isotonicity, odor, sterility, stability, dissolution rate, release rate, adsorption, or permeability of the composition. Such pharmaceutical compositions may affect the physical state, stability, in vivo release rate, and in vivo clearance rate of the polypeptide.Suitable pharma- ceutically acceptable carriers include amino acids (such as glycine, glutamine, asparagine, arginine, or lysine); antimicrobial agents; antioxidants (such as ascorbic acid, sodium sulfite, or sodium bisulfite); buffers (such as borates, bicarbonates, Tris-HCl, citrates, phosphates, other organic acids, etc.); bulking agents (such as mannitol or glycine), chelating agents (such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)); complexing agents (such as caffeine, polyvinylpyrrolidone, β-cyclodextrin, or hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin); fillers; monosaccharides; disaccharides and other carbohydrates (such as glucose, mannose, or dextrin); proteins (such as serum albumin, gelatin, or immunoglobulins); colorants; flavoring agents, and diluting agents. agent; emulsifier; hydrophilic polymer (such as polyvinylpyrrolidone); low molecular weight polypeptide; salt forming counterion (such as sodium); preservative (such as benzalkonium chloride, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, thimerosal, phenethyl alcohol, methylparaben, propylparaben, chlorhexidine, sorbic acid, or hydrogen peroxide); solvent (such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or polyethylene glycol); sugar alcohol (such as mannitol or sorbitol); suspending agent; surfactant or wetting agent (such as pluronic, PEG, sorbitan ester, polysorbate, e.g., polysorbate 20, polysorbate 80, triton, tromethamine, lecithin, cholesterol, tyloxapal); stabilizer (sucrose or sorbitol); tonicity enhancing agent (alkali metal halide (preferably sodium or potassium chloride, mannitol, sorbitol, etc.); delivery vehicle vehicle); diluent; excipient; and / or pharmaceutical adjuvant.

[0148] The primary solvent or carrier in a pharmaceutical composition may be aqueous or non-aqueous in nature. For example, a suitable solvent or carrier may be water for injection, physiological saline, or artificial cerebrospinal fluid, to which other substances normally included in compositions for parenteral administration may be added. Further exemplary solvents include neutral buffered saline or saline mixed with serum albumin. Other exemplary pharmaceutical compositions include Tris buffer at about pH 7.0-8.5, or acetate buffer at about pH 4.0-5.5, which may further include sorbitol or a suitable substitute thereof. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the composition may be prepared for storage in the form of a lyophilized cake or aqueous solution by mixing the selected composition having the desired purity with any formulation agent (Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, supra). Additionally, the therapeutic composition may be formulated as a lyophilizate using suitable pharmaceutical excipients such as sucrose. The optimal pharmaceutical composition may be determined by one of skill in the art based on the intended route of administration, mode of delivery, and desired dose, etc.

[0149] When parenteral administration is intended, the therapeutic pharmaceutical composition may be in the form of a pyrogen-free parenterally acceptable aqueous solution containing the desired IL-2 polypeptide or IL-2 polypeptide fusion protein in a pharma- ceutical acceptable solvent. A particularly suitable parenteral injection solvent is sterile distilled water, in which the polypeptide is formulated as a properly preserved, sterile, isotonic solution. In various embodiments, pharmaceutical preparations suitable for injection administration may be formulated in aqueous solutions, preferably in physiologically compatible buffers such as Hank's solution, Ringer's solution, or physiologically buffered saline. Aqueous injection suspensions may contain substances that increase the viscosity of the suspension, such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose, sorbitol, or dextran. Additionally, suspensions of the active compound may be prepared as appropriate oily injection suspensions. Optionally, the suspension may contain suitable stabilizers, i.e., agents that increase the solubility of the compounds, thereby allowing for the preparation of highly concentrated solutions.

[0150] In various embodiments, therapeutic pharmaceutical compositions can be formulated for targeted delivery using colloidal dispersion systems.Colloidal dispersion systems include macromolecule complexes, nanocapsules, microspheres, beads, and lipid-based systems including oil-in-water emulsions, micelles, mixed micelles, and liposomes.Examples of lipids useful in liposome production include phosphatidyl compounds such as phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingolipids, cerebrosides, and gangliosides.Exemplary phospholipids include egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, and distearoylphosphatidylcholine.Liposome targeting can also be based on, for example, organ-specific, cell-specific, and organelle-specific, and is known in the art.

[0151] In various embodiments, oral administration of the pharmaceutical composition is contemplated. Pharmaceutical compositions administered in this manner can be formulated with or without carriers typically used in the preparation of solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules. In solid dosage forms for oral administration (capsules, tablets, pills, dragees, powders, granules, etc.), one or more therapeutic compounds of the present disclosure may be mixed with one or more pharma- ceutically acceptable carriers, such as, for example, sodium citrate or dicalcium phosphate, and / or any of the following: (1) fillers or extenders, such as starch, lactose, sucrose, glucose, mannitol, and / or silicic acid; (2) binders, such as, for example, carboxymethylcellulose, alginates, gelatin, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sucrose, and / or acacia; (3) humectants, such as glycerol; (4) disintegrating agents, such as agar-agar, calcium carbonate, potato or tapioca starch, alginic acid, certain silicates, and sodium carbonate; (5) solution retarding agents, such as paraffin. (6) absorption enhancers such as quaternary ammonium compounds; (7) wetting agents such as, for example, acetyl alcohol and glycerol monostearate; (8) adsorbents such as kaolin clay and bentonite clay; (9) lubricants such as talc, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, solid polyethylene glycols, sodium lauryl sulfate, and mixtures thereof; and (10) coloring agents. In the case of capsules, tablets, and pills, the pharmaceutical compositions may also contain buffering agents. Solid compositions of a similar type may also be employed as fillers in soft and hard gelatin capsules, using excipients such as lactose or milk sugar, and high molecular weight polyethylene glycols. Liquid dosage forms for oral administration include pharma-ceutically acceptable emulsions, microemulsions, solutions, suspensions, syrups, and elixirs.In addition to the active ingredient, the liquid dosage form may contain inert excipients commonly used in the art, such as water or other solvents, solubilizers and emulsifiers, such as ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, ethyl carbonate, ethyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, propylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, oils (specifically cottonseed oil, peanut oil, corn oil, germ oil, olive oil, castor oil, and sesame oil), glycerol, tetrahydrofuryl alcohol, polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty acid esters, and mixtures thereof. In addition to the inert excipients, oral compositions may contain auxiliary agents such as wetting agents, emulsifiers, suspending agents, sweeteners, flavoring agents, coloring agents, fragrances, and preservatives.

[0152] In various embodiments, topical administration of the pharmaceutical composition to the skin or mucosa is contemplated. The topical formulation may further include one or more of a variety of agents known to be effective as skin or stratum corneum penetration enhancers. Examples of these include 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, propylene glycol, methyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, dimethylsulfoxide, and azone. Additional agents may further be included to make the formulation cosmetically acceptable. Examples of these include fats, waxes, oils, dyes, fragrances, preservatives, stabilizers, and surfactants. Keratolytic agents may be included, such as those known in the art. Examples include salicylic acid and sulfur. Dosage forms for topical or transdermal administration include powders, sprays, ointments, pastes, creams, lotions, gels, solutions, patches, and inhalants. The active compound may be mixed under sterile conditions with a pharma- ceutically acceptable carrier and, if necessary, with any preservatives, buffers, or propellants. Ointments, pastes, creams, and gels may contain, in addition to the subject compounds of the present disclosure (e.g., IL-2 variants), pharmaceutical additives such as animal fats, vegetable fats, oils, waxes, paraffins, starches, tragacanth, cellulose derivatives, polyethylene glycols, silicones, bentonite, silicic acid, talc, and zinc oxide, or mixtures thereof.

[0153] Further pharmaceutical compositions contemplated for use herein include formulations comprising the polypeptide in sustained or controlled delivery formulations. In various embodiments, the pharmaceutical compositions may be formulated into nanoparticles as slow-release hydrogels or incorporated into oncolytic viruses. Such nanoparticle methods include, for example, encapsulation in nanoparticles made of polymers with hydrophobic backbones and hydrophilic arms as drug carriers, encapsulation in microparticles, insertion into liposomes in emulsions, and conjugation to other molecules. Examples of nanoparticles include mucoadhesive nanoparticles coated with chitosan or carbopol (Takeuchi et al., Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 47(1):39-54, 2001) and nanoparticles comprising the charged combination polyester, poly(2-sulfobutyl-vinyl alcohol) and poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (Jung et al., Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm. 50(1):147-160, 2000). Albumin-based nanoparticle compositions have been developed as drug delivery systems for delivering hydrophobic drugs such as taxanes.See, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,916,596, 6,506,405, 6,749,868, 6,537,579, 7,820,788, and 7,923,536.Abraxane®, an albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel, was approved in the United States in 2005 for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, and has since been approved in various other countries.

[0154] Methods for formulating a variety of other sustained- or controlled-delivery means, such as liposome carriers, bioerodible microparticles or porous beads, and depot preparations, are also known to those skilled in the art.

[0155] The effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition employed for therapeutic purposes will depend, for example, on the nature and purpose of the treatment. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the appropriate dosage level for treatment will depend, in part, on the molecule being delivered, the indication for which the polypeptide is being used, the route of administration, and the patient's body size (weight, body surface or organ size) and condition (age and general health). Thus, the clinician can titrate and modify the route of administration to obtain optimal therapeutic effects. Typical doses can range from about 0.001 mg / kg to about 100 mg / kg or more, depending on the factors mentioned above. Preferably, the polypeptide composition may be injected or administered intravenously. Long-acting pharmaceutical compositions may be administered every 3-4 days, every week, or every other week, depending on the half-life and clearance rate of the particular formulation. The frequency of administration will depend on the pharmacokinetic parameters of the polypeptide in the formulation used. Typically, the composition is administered until a dose is reached that achieves the desired effect. Thus, the composition may be administered as a single dose, or as multiple doses over time (same or different concentrations per dose), or as a continuous infusion. Further refinement of the appropriate dose is performed periodically. Appropriate dose-response data may be used to confirm the appropriate dose.

[0156] The route of administration of the pharmaceutical composition is in accordance with known methods, for example, by injection orally, intravenously, intraperitoneally, intracerebrally (intracemally), intraventricularly, intramuscularly, intraocularly, intra-arterially, intraportally, intramedullary, intrathecal, intraventricular, percutaneously, subcutaneously, or intraperitoneally or intratumorally. Also, by intranasal, enteral, topical, sublingual, urethral, ​​vaginal, or rectal means, sustained release systems, or implanted devices. If desired, the composition may be administered by bolus administration, continuously by infusion, or by implanted device. Alternatively or additionally, the composition may be administered locally by implantation of a membrane, sponge, or another suitable material in which the molecule of interest is adsorbed or encapsulated. If an implanted device is used, the device may be implanted in any suitable tissue or organ, and delivery of the molecule of interest may be via diffusion, sustained release bolus, or continuous administration.

[0157] therapeutic use In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method of treating cancer cells in a subject, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of an IL-2 variant or IL-2 variant fusion protein of the present disclosure in a pharma- ceutically acceptable carrier (either as monotherapy or in a combination therapy regimen), where such administration inhibits the growth and / or proliferation of cancer cells. In particular, the IL-2 variant or IL-2 variant fusion protein of the present disclosure is useful for treating disorders characterized as cancer. Such disorders include, but are not limited to, solid tumors such as breast, respiratory, brain, reproductive, gastrointestinal, urinary, eye, liver, skin, head and neck, thyroid, parathyroid cancers and their distant metastases, lymphomas, sarcomas, multiple myelomas, and leukemias. Examples of breast cancer include, but are not limited to, invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma, ductal carcinoma in situ, and lobular carcinoma. Examples of cancers of the respiratory system include, but are not limited to, small cell and non-small cell lung cancer, as well as bronchial adenoma and pleuropulmonary blastoma. Examples of brain tumors include, but are not limited to, brain stem and pituitary glioma, cerebellar and cerebral astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, and neuroectodermal and pineal tumors. Tumors of the male reproductive organs include, but are not limited to, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Tumors of the female reproductive organs include, but are not limited to, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer, as well as uterine sarcoma. Tumors of the digestive tract include, but are not limited to, anal cancer, colon cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, gallbladder cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, rectal cancer, small intestine cancer, and salivary gland cancer. Tumors of the urinary tract include, but are not limited to, bladder cancer, penile cancer, kidney cancer, renal pelvis cancer, ureter cancer, and urethral cancer. Eye cancer includes, but is not limited to, intraocular melanoma and retinoblastoma.Exemplary liver cancer includes, but is not limited to, hepatocellular carcinoma (hepatocellular carcinoma with or without fibrolamellar variant), cholangiocarcinoma (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma), and mixed hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma.Skin cancers include, but are not limited to, squamous cell carcinoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, malignant melanoma, Merkel cell skin cancer, non-melanoma skin cancer. Head and neck cancers include, but are not limited to, nasopharyngeal cancer, and lip and oral cavity cancer. Lymphomas include, but are not limited to, AIDS-related lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and lymphoma of the central nervous system. Sarcomas include, but are not limited to, sarcoma of soft tissue, osteosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, lymphosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. Leukemias include, but are not limited to, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, various lymphocytic leukemias, various myeloid leukemias, and hairy cell leukemia. In various embodiments, the cancer will be a cancer with high expression of TGF-β family members such as activin A, myostatin, TGF-β and GDF15, e.g., pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, melanoma, leukemia, lung cancer, prostate cancer, brain cancer, bladder cancer and head and neck cancer.

[0158] A "therapeutically effective amount" or "therapeutically effective dose" refers to that amount of the therapeutic agent being administered that will relieve to some extent one or more of the symptoms of the disorder being treated.

[0159] The therapeutically effective dose was first determined from cell culture assays using the EC 50 The EC determined in cell culture can then be estimated in animal models. 50 Dosage can be determined to achieve a circulating plasma concentration range that includes. Such information can be used to more accurately determine a useful dosage in humans. Levels in plasma can be measured, for example, by HPLC. The exact composition, route of administration and dosage can be selected by the individual physician in view of the subject's condition.

[0160] The dosage regimen can be adjusted to obtain the optimum desired response (e.g., therapeutic or prophylactic response). For example, a single bolus can be administered, several divided doses (multiple or repeated or maintenance doses) can be administered over time, and the dose can be increased or decreased proportionally to the needs of the therapeutic situation. For ease of administration and uniformity of dosage, it is particularly advantageous to formulate parenteral compositions in dosage unit form. Dosage unit form, as used herein, refers to physically discrete units suitable as a uniform dose for the mammalian subject to be treated, each unit containing a predetermined amount of active compound calculated to produce the desired therapeutic effect in association with the required pharmaceutical carrier. The specifications for the dosage unit forms of the present disclosure are primarily determined by the unique characteristics of the antibody and the particular therapeutic or prophylactic effect to be achieved.

[0161] That is, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, based on the disclosure provided herein, dosage and administration schedules are adjusted according to methods well known in the therapeutic field.That is, the maximum tolerated dose can be easily established, and the effective amount that gives a detectable therapeutic effect to a subject can be determined, as well as the time requirement for administering each agent to give a detectable therapeutic effect to a subject can be determined.Thus, although certain dosage and administration schedules are exemplified herein, these examples do not limit the dosage and administration schedules that can be given to a subject when implementing the present disclosure.

[0162] It should be noted that dosage values ​​vary depending on the type and severity of the condition to be improved and may include single or repeated doses. It should further be understood that for any particular subject, the specific dosing regimen should be adjusted over time according to the individual needs and the professional judgment of the person administering or supervising the administration of the composition, and that the dosage ranges set forth herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope or practice of the claimed compositions. Furthermore, dosing regimens using the compositions of the present disclosure may be based on a variety of factors, including the type of disease, the age, weight, sex, medical condition of the subject, the severity of the condition, the route of administration, and the particular antibody used. That is, dosing regimens may vary, but can be routinely determined using standard methods. For example, doses may be adjusted based on pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic parameters, which may include clinical effects such as toxic effects and / or laboratory values. That is, the present disclosure encompasses intra-subject dose escalation as required by those of skill in the art. It is understood that the determination of appropriate doses and dosing regimens is well known in the relevant art and can be accomplished by one of skill in the art given the teachings disclosed herein.

[0163] Exemplary, non-limiting daily dosage ranges for a therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of an IL-2 variant or IL-2 variant fusion protein of the present disclosure include 0.001-100 mg / kg, 0.001-90 mg / kg, 0.001-80 mg / kg, 0.001-70 mg / kg, 0.001-60 mg / kg, 0.001-50 mg / kg, 0.001- 40mg / kg, 0.001~30mg / kg, 0.001~20mg / kg, 0.001~10mg / kg, 0.001~5mg / kg, 0.001~4mg / kg, 0.0 01~3mg / kg, 0.001~2mg / kg, 0.001~1mg / kg, 0.010~50mg / kg, 0.010~40mg / kg, 0.010~30mg / kg, 0 .010~20mg / kg, 0.010~10mg / kg, 0.010~5mg / kg, 0.010~4mg / kg, 0.010~3mg / kg, 0.010~2mg / kg, 0.010~1mg / kg, 0.1~50mg / kg, 0.1~40mg / kg, 0.1~30mg / kg, 0.1~20mg / kg, 0.1~10mg / kg, 0.1~5m g / kg, 0.1-4 mg / kg, 0.1-3 mg / kg, 0.1-2 mg / kg, 0.1-1 mg / kg, 1-50 mg / kg, 1-40 mg / kg, 1-30 mg / kg, 1-20 mg / kg, 1-10 mg / kg, 1-5 mg / kg, 1-4 mg / kg, 1-3 mg / kg, 1-2 mg / kg, or 1-1 mg / kg body weight. It should be noted that dosage values ​​may vary depending on the type and severity of the condition to be improved. It should also be understood that for any particular subject, specific dosage regimens will be adjusted over time according to the individual needs and the professional judgment of the person administering or supervising the administration of the composition, and that dosage ranges set forth herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope or practice of the claimed compositions.

[0164] The toxicity and therapeutic index of the pharmaceutical compositions of the present disclosure are 50 (a dose lethal to 50% of the population) and ED 50This can be determined by standard pharmaceutical techniques in cell cultures or experimental animals to determine the dose that is therapeutically effective in 50% of a population. The dose ratio between the toxic dose and the therapeutically effective dose is the therapeutic index, and the LD 50 / ED 50 Compositions that exhibit large therapeutic indices are generally preferred.

[0165] The dosing frequency of administration of the IL-2 variant or IL-2 variant fusion protein pharmaceutical composition will depend on the nature of the therapy and the particular disease being treated. The subject can be treated at regular intervals, such as twice weekly, weekly or monthly, until the desired therapeutic result is achieved. Exemplary dosing frequencies include, but are not limited to, once every week, once every two weeks, once every three weeks, once every week for two weeks and then once a month, once every week for three weeks and then once a month, once every two months, once every three months, once every four months, once every five months, or once every six months, or once a year, without interruption.

[0166] Combination therapy As used herein, the terms "co-administration," "co-administered," and "in combination with," with reference to an IL-2 variant or IL-2 variant fusion protein of the present disclosure and one or more other therapeutic agents, are intended to mean and refer to and include: simultaneous administration of an IL-2 variant or IL-2 variant fusion protein of the present disclosure and such combination of a therapeutic agent to a subject in need of treatment, where such components are combined into a single dosage form and each of said components is released to said subject at substantially the same time; substantially simultaneous administration of an IL-2 variant or IL-2 variant fusion protein of the present disclosure and such combination of a therapeutic agent to a subject in need of treatment, where such components are formulated separately from one another into separate dosage forms and each of said components is released substantially simultaneously when ingested by said subject at substantially the same time. sequential administration of such a combination of an IL-2 variant or an IL-2 variant fusion protein of the present disclosure and a therapeutic agent to a subject in need of treatment, where such components are formulated separately from one another into separate dosage forms which, when ingested by the subject at successive times with a significant time interval between each administration, are released to the subject at substantially different times; and sequential administration of such a combination of an IL-2 variant or an IL-2 variant fusion protein of the present disclosure and a therapeutic agent to a subject in need of treatment, where such components are combined into a single dosage form and, when released in a sustained manner, are released to the subject simultaneously, sequentially, and / or overlappingly at the same and / or different times, and each portion may be administered by the same route or by different routes.

[0167] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for treating cancer or cancer metastasis in a subject, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention in combination with a second treatment, including but not limited to immunotherapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy, small molecule kinase inhibitor targeted therapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplantation.For example, such a method can be used prophylactically, in the prevention of cancer, the prevention of cancer recurrence and metastasis after surgery, and as an adjunct therapy to other conventional cancer treatments.As recognized by the present disclosure, the effectiveness of conventional cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy, radiation therapy, phototherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery) can be enhanced through the use of the combination methods described herein.

[0168] A wide range of conventional compounds have been shown to have anti-cancer activity. These compounds are used as pharmaceuticals in chemotherapy to cause solid tumors to regress, inhibit metastasis and further growth, or reduce the number of malignant T cells in leukemic or bone marrow malignancies. Although chemotherapy has been effective in treating various types of malignancies, many anti-cancer compounds induce undesirable side effects. It has been shown that when two or more different therapies are combined, the therapies may act synergistically, allowing for a reduction in the dose of each treatment, thereby reducing the adverse side effects that each compound exhibits at higher doses. In other examples, malignancies that are resistant to treatment may respond to combination therapy of two or more different therapies.

[0169] In various embodiments, a second anti-cancer agent, such as a chemotherapeutic agent, will be administered to the patient. An exemplary list of chemotherapeutic agents includes daunorubicin, dactinomycin, doxorubicin, bleomycin, mitomycin, nitrogen mustard, chlorambucil, melphalan, cyclophosphamide, 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, bendamustine, cytarabine (CA), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), floxuridine (5-FUdR), methotrexate (MTX), colchicine, vincristine, vinblastine, etoposide, teniposide, cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin, ribavir ... In various embodiments, the chemotherapeutic agents include, but are not limited to, rifabutin, pentostatin, cladribine, cytarabine, gemcitabine, pralatrexate, mitoxantrone, diethylstilbestrol (DES), fludarabine, ifosfamide, hydroxyurea, taxanes (such as paclitaxel and doxetaxel), and / or anthracycline antibiotics, as well as combinations of agents such as, but not limited to, DA-EPOCH, CHOP, CVP, or FOLFOX. In various embodiments, the dosage of such chemotherapeutic agents is approximately 10 mg / m 2 , 20 mg / m 2 , 30 mg / m 2 , 40 mg / m 2 , 50 mg / m 2 , 60 mg / m 2 , 75 mg / m 2 , 80 mg / m 2 , 90 mg / m 2 , 100 mg / m 2 , 120 mg / m 2 , 150 mg / m 2 , 175 mg / m 2 , 200 mg / m 2 , 210 mg / m 2 , 220 mg / m 2 , 230 mg / m 2 , 240 mg / m 2 , 250 mg / m 2 , 260 mg / m 2 , and 300 mg / m 2These include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

[0170] In various embodiments, the combination therapy of the present disclosure can further include administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an immunotherapy, including treatment with a depleting antibody against a specific tumor antigen; treatment with an antibody-drug conjugate; treatment with an agonist, antagonist, or blocking antibody against costimulatory or co-inhibitory molecules (immune checkpoints), such as CTLA-4, PD-1, OX-40, CD137, GITR, LAG3, TIM-3, SIRP, CD47, CD40, TIGIT, and VISTA; treatment with a bispecific T cell engaging antibody (BiTE®), such as blinatumomab; treatment involving administration of a biological response modifier, such as IL-12, IL-15, IL-21, GM-CSF, IFN-α, IFN-β, and IFN-γ; treatment with a therapeutic vaccine, such as sipuleucel-T. treatment with dendritic cell vaccines or tumor antigen peptide vaccines; treatment with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells; treatment with CAR-NK cells; treatment with tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL); treatment with adoptively transferred anti-tumor T cells (in vitro expanded and / or TCR transgenic); treatment with TALL-104 cells; treatment with immune stimulants such as the Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist CpG and imiquimod; but are not limited to these; the above combination therapies increase tumor cell killing by effector cells, i.e., there is synergy between the IL-2 variant and immunotherapy when administered simultaneously.

[0171] In various embodiments, the combination therapy includes administering the IL-2 variant and the second pharmaceutical composition simultaneously, either in the same pharmaceutical composition or in separate pharmaceutical compositions. In various embodiments, the IL-2 variant composition and the second pharmaceutical composition are administered sequentially, i.e., the IL-2 variant composition is administered before or after administration of the second pharmaceutical composition. In various embodiments, the administration of the IL-2 variant composition and the second pharmaceutical composition is concurrent, i.e., the administration periods of the IL-2 variant composition and the second pharmaceutical composition overlap with each other. In various embodiments, the administration of the IL-2 variant composition and the second pharmaceutical composition is not concurrent. For example, in various embodiments, the administration of the IL-2 variant composition is terminated before the second pharmaceutical composition is administered. In various embodiments, the administration of the second pharmaceutical composition is terminated before the IL-2 variant composition is administered. EXAMPLES

[0172] The following examples are provided in order to more fully illustrate the present disclosure and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

[0173] Example 1 Construction and production of IL-2 Fc fusion constructs All genes were codon-optimized for expression in mammalian cells, synthesized, and subcloned into a recipient mammalian expression vector (GenScript). Protein expression is driven by a CMV promoter, and a synthetic SV40 polyA signal sequence is present at the 3' end of the CDS. A leader sequence was engineered at the N-terminus of the construct to ensure proper signaling and processing for secretion.

[0174] Constructs were produced by co-transfecting HEK293-F cells growing in suspension with the mammalian expression vectors using polyethyleneimine (PEI, 25,000 molecular weight, linear, Polysciences). When more than one expression vector was present, the vectors were transfected at a 1:1 ratio. For transfection, HEK293 cells were cultured in serum-free FreeStyle™ 293 Expression Medium (ThermoFisher). For production in 1000 ml shake flasks (330 mL working volume), HEK293 cells were cultured at 0.8 × 10 6 Cells were seeded at a density of 10 ...

[0175] Alternatively, constructs were produced in ExpiCHO cells (Thermo Fisher Scientific) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

[0176] For affinity chromatography, each supernatant was loaded onto a HiTrap MabSelectSure column (CV=5mL, GE Healthcare) equilibrated with 25ml phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.2 (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Unbound proteins were removed by washing with 5 column volumes of PBS, pH 7.2, and the target proteins were eluted with 25mM sodium citrate, 25mM sodium chloride, pH 3.2. The protein solution was neutralized by adding 3% 1M Tris pH 10.2. Ion exchange or mixed mode chromatography (including but not limited to CaptoMMC (GE Healthcare), ceramic hydroxyapatite or ceramic fluoroapatite (Bio-Rad)) was also utilized as needed to polish the Protein A material. Target proteins were concentrated with Amicon® Ultra-15 Concentrator 10KDa NMWC (Merck Millipore).

[0177] The purity and molecular weight of the purified constructs were assessed by SDS-PAGE and Coomassie (Imperial) gel electrophoresis with or without reducing agents. R The constructs were analyzed by staining with Imperial® Stain. The NuPAGE® Pre-Cast Gel System (4–12% or 8–16% Bis-Tris, Thermo Fisher Scientific) was used according to the manufacturer's instructions. The protein concentration of the purified protein samples was determined by measuring the UV absorbance at 280 nm (Nanodrop spectrophotometer, Thermo Fisher Scientific) and dividing by the molar extinction coefficient calculated based on the amino acid sequence. The aggregate content of the constructs was analyzed on an Agilent 1200 high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. The samples were injected onto an AdvanceBio size-exclusion column (300 Å, 4.6 × 150 mm, 2.7 μm, LC column, Agilent) with 150 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7.0 as the mobile phase at 25 °C.

[0178] SDS-PAGE and size-exclusion chromatogram analysis of exemplary Protein A purified IL-2 variant Fc fusion constructs P-0635 and P-0704 are shown in Figure 1. P-0635 (SEQ ID NO: 85, Figure 1A) and P-0704 (SEQ ID NOs: 96 and 10, Figure 1B) share the same amino acid substitution P65R in IL-2. P-0635 contains a bivalent IL-2 variant fused to a homodimeric Fc, while P-0704 contains a monovalent IL-2 variant fused to a knob-into-hole heterodimeric Fc. By SDS-PAGE analysis, both molecules showed high protein purity, and the sample run under reducing conditions (lane 2) showed the expected MW for both the homodimeric Fc chain of P-0635 and the heterodimeric Fc chain of P-0704. Size exclusion chromatogram analysis showed that both molecules had low aggregation tendency, with less than 5% aggregation after the initial Protein A capture step.

[0179] Example 2 A single amino acid substitution in IL-2 results in a universal improvement in suitability for development of fusion compounds Genetic engineering approaches to find combinations of mutations that result in variant proteins with desired biological properties faced great challenges when applied to IL-2. It is known in the art that naturally occurring IL-2 protein is highly unstable and prone to aggregation. This was demonstrated in experiments where wild-type IL-2 Fc fusion protein (P-0250) was expressed at low levels (~3 mg / L transiently in HEK-293F cells) with a high tendency to aggregate, as exemplified by the SEC chromatogram shown in Figure 2A. Genetic engineering efforts were frustrated because amino acid substitutions in IL-2 aimed at achieving the desired biological activity typically resulted in mutant proteins that were even less stable. A significant portion of the IL-2 variants in this early phase of research were expressed at extremely low levels, and some variants were significantly more prone to aggregation, as exemplified by the SEC chromatogram of P-0318 (IL-2 D20I / N88I Fc fusion) shown in Figure 2B. This is problematic for the manufacture and storage of therapeutics.

[0180] It was also observed that the expression profile and aggregation tendency of IL-2 variant fusions differed significantly between variants with different mutation sites or the same mutation site but different residue substitutions. This observation is exemplified by P-0317 (IL-2 D20I / N88R Fc fusion) and P-0318 (IL-2 D20I / N88I Fc fusion). Both variant fusions share the same mutation site at residues 20 and 88, differing in only one amino acid, and express at similarly low levels. As seen in Figure 2B, P-0318 is highly aggregation-prone, containing 65% high molecular weight species with the expected peak in the chromatogram becoming a minor species, represented by an arrow. In contrast, P-0317 is relatively pure with 7.5% aggregates (Figure 2C). It is inferred that the N88R mutation may reduce the aggregation tendency of the resulting fusion protein. However, P-0254 and P-0324, the resulting fusion proteins carrying the N88R single mutation or the D20T / N88R double mutation, respectively, were aggregation-prone proteins with 30–40% aggregates, i.e., the contribution of individual amino acid substitutions to protein stability appears to be context-dependent.

[0181] The unpredictable contribution of different residue substitutions to protein stability exacerbates the fact that amino acid substitutions into IL-2 typically result in proteins with low stability. Therefore, it is highly desirable to find a residue substitution(s) that can universally enhance protein development suitability, including improved stability, higher expression levels, and lower aggregation tendency.

[0182] The amino acid substitution at position 125 was initially aimed at tuning IL-2 selectivity, since that residue is in close proximity to Q126, which is essential for γc interaction. Naturally occurring IL-2 contains an unpaired cysteine ​​at position 125, which is replaced by serine in Proleukin. IL-2 containing an alanine substitution at position 125 is also widely used. Since the substitution of serine or alanine for cysteine ​​at position 125 fully retained biological activity, bulky charged or hydrophobic residues, including Glu, Lys, Tyr, His, and Iso, were introduced at position 125 to disrupt the interaction of Q126 with γc so as to alter biological activity. With the exception of the fusion molecule containing Iso125 (P-0531), all of the resulting fusion molecules had expression levels too low to assess their properties. P-0531 was expressed at significantly higher levels (29.5 mg / L vs. 3.1 mg / L titer) and had a greatly reduced tendency to aggregate (0.7% vs. 25.7% aggregation) when compared to its S125 counterpart (P-0250). The striking improvement in development suitability, especially in product purity, prompted us to evaluate whether such improvements due to isoleucine substitution at position 125 could be reproduced in different mutational contexts.

[0183] Therefore, the S125I substitution was introduced into a number of IL-2 variant Fc fusion molecules. Constructs with an Ile substitution at amino acid position 125 (125I) of IL-2 were expressed using the same vector, culture conditions as their Ser125 counterparts, and purified using MabSelectSure. The expression levels in mg / L and purity in % aggregation assessed by SEC chromatography for exemplary molecules are summarized in Table 7. Two molecules in the same row of Table 7 share the same other amino acid substitution(s) and differ only at residue 125, either serine or isoleucine. The SEC profile of P-0531 (SEQ ID NO: 68), the S125I equivalent of wild-type IL-2 Fc fusion, is further shown in Figure 2D. It is clear from Table 7 that the isoleucine substitution at position 125 results in a 4- to 11-fold enhanced expression level and uniformly lower aggregate fluorescence. TIFF2025063029000011.tif79170

[0184] It is evident from the present invention that isoleucine at position 125 results in a universal improvement in the suitability of IL-2 fusion constructs for development. This finding is particularly beneficial because engineering IL-2 for desired biological properties has been hampered by the fact that altering the marginally stable wild-type IL-2 typically results in less stable mutant proteins. The problems associated with engineering IL-2 can be alleviated by a single amino acid substitution at isoleucine at position 125.

[0185] Example 3 Designing IL-2 constructs to improve selectivity for effector T and NK cells A key aspect of the present invention is to improve the selectivity of IL-2 for cells expressing IL-2Rβγ (but not IL-2Rα) over cells expressing IL-2Rαβγ, relative to wild-type IL-2, for cancer therapy. One approach used by the inventors of the present invention is to create highly selective IL-2-Fc-fusion proteins through the introduction of CD25-disrupting mutations in the cytokine component. The selection of CD25-disrupting mutations was based on inspection of the IL-2 / IL-2R co-crystal structure (PDB code 2B51). Multiple amino acid substitutions were introduced at one or two relevant residues in the interface with the IL-2 receptor α subunit, such as R38, T41, F42, F44, E62, P65, E68, and Y107, with the aim of reducing or eliminating binding to IL-2Rα. These constructs also included the S125I mutation, which significantly improved development suitability. Furthermore, it is predicted that IL-2 variants' impaired binding to IL-2Rα+ pulmonary endothelial cells will prevent endothelial cell damage and significantly reduce VLS. Furthermore, impaired CD25 binding will also reduce the CD25 antigen sink and enhance cytokine occupancy to IL-2Rβγ-expressing cells, resulting in enhanced responses and tumor killing efficacy in vivo.

[0186] A panel of IL-2 muteins expressed as C-terminal fusions to Fc homodimers or Fc heterodimers is summarized in Table 3. A panel of IL-2 variants (SEQ ID NOs: 31-66) with one or two amino acid substitutions in residues at the interface with the IL-2 receptor α subunit were fused via a "GGGSGGGS" linker (SEQ ID NO: 18) to the C-terminus of either the Fc homodimer as bivalent IL-2 fusions (SEQ ID NOs: 69-95) or the Fc heterodimer as monovalent IL-2 fusions (SEQ ID NOs: 96-106).

[0187] Example 4 Effect of IL-2 mutations introduced into the interface with IL-2Rα on binding to the receptor subunit α A panel of IL-2 muteins was expressed as C-terminal fusions to Fc heterodimers or Fc homodimers and screened for binding to IL-2Rα by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Briefly, IL-2Rα-ECD (SEQ ID NO: 5) was coated at 0.1 μg / well onto wells of a Nunc Maxisorp 96-well microplate. After overnight incubation at 4°C and blocking with superblock (Thermo Fisher Scientific), 3-fold serial dilutions of IL-2 Fc fusion proteins starting at 100 nM were added to each well at 100 μl / well. After 1 h incubation at room temperature, goat anti-human IgG Fc-HRP (diluted 1:5000 in diluent) was added to each well at 100 μl / well and incubated for 1 h at room temperature. Wells were thoroughly aspirated and washed 3 times with PBS / 0.05% Tween-20 after each step. Finally, 100 μl of TMB substrate was added to each well, the plate was developed for 10 min at room temperature in the dark, and 100 μl / well of stop solution (2N sulfuric acid, Ricca Chemical) was added. Absorbance was measured at 450 nm and curve fitting was performed using Prism software (GraphPad).

[0188] First, P-0531 and P-0689, which are S125I equivalents of the wild-type IL-2 Fc fusion protein, were tested for CD25 binding. P-0531 (SEQ ID NO: 68) contains a bivalent IL-2 moiety fused to an Fc homodimer, and P-0689 (SEQ ID NO: 107+10) is the monovalent counterpart of P-0531. As shown in FIG. 3, the binding EC between P-0531 and P-0689 was significantly higher than that of P-0531. 50 The two-fold difference (0.21 nM and 0.51 nM, respectively) was consistent with the difference in IL-2 valency.

[0189] Because the targeted IL-2 residues R38, T41, F42, F44, E62, P65, E68, and Y107 are all in the contact interface with IL-2Rα and form either hydrogen bonds / salt bridges or hydrophobic interactions with multiple IL-2Rα residues (Mathias Rickert, et al. (2005) Science 308, 1477-80), it was reasoned that amino acid substitutions at these sites would disrupt the interaction with IL-2Rα, resulting in IL-2 variants with reduced or abolished binding to IL-2Rα. However, binding data revealed that the effects of different IL-2 mutations on IL-2Rα binding differed dramatically.

[0190] As shown in Figure 4, IL-2 homodimer Fc fusions with various substitutions at positions T41 (exemplified by P-0603, P-0604, and P-0605 in Figure 4A) or Y107 (exemplified by P-0610, P-0611, and P-0612 in Figure 4B) fully maintained binding strength to IL-2Rα. This data suggested that residues T41 and Y107 are likely not functionally important, even though they are located at the interface of IL-2Rα and interact with various IL-2Rα residues.

[0191] Residue R38 was implicated as a high-energy hotspot for IL-2 / IL-2Rα interaction and was involved in a critical hydrogen bond. Multiple genetic engineering efforts, e.g., Keith M. Heaton, et al, (1993) Cancer Res. 53. 2597-2602, and Peisheng Hu, et. al, (2003) Blood 101:4853-4861, showed that various substitutions of R38 resulted in disruption of the interaction with IL-2Rα. As a result, it was rather unexpected to observe that various mutations, exemplified by P-0602 (R38A), P-0614 (R38F), and P-0615 (R38G), did not reduce or only minimally (up to 3-fold) the binding strength to IL-2Rα. The binding data are shown in Figures 4C-4D.

[0192] Similarly, although residue E68 participates in multiple hydrogen bonds with residues at the IL-2Rα interface, substitutions at E68 with various amino acid characteristics, exemplified by E68A (P-0628), E68F (P-0629), E68H (P-0630), and E68L (P-0631), did not result in any loss of binding to IL-2Rα. Interestingly, P-0629 and P-0630 indeed showed a 3-fold and 14-fold increase in binding to IL-2Rα, respectively (Figure 5).

[0193] In summary, substitutions of IL-2 residues, T41, R38, E68, and Y107, did not generally disrupt IL-2Rα interactions, and the resulting IL-2 homodimer Fc fusions retained full or near-full binding to IL-2Rα. 50 are normalized to that of P-0531 and summarized in Table 8. TIFF2025063029000012.tif113170

[0194] In contrast, amino acid substitutions at residue E62, exemplified by P-0624 (E62A), P-0625 (E62F), P-0626 (E62H), and P-0627 (E62L), all resulted in reduced binding to IL-2Rα, suggesting that E62 is indeed a high-energy hotspot for IL-2 / IL-2Rα interactions. As shown in Figure 6, E62H and E62L substitutions only caused a modest 2-3-fold reduction in binding to IL-2Rα, whereas E62A and E62F mutations appeared to result in a dramatic disruption in the interaction with this IL-2R subunit, resulting in a 60- and 150-fold reduction in binding to IL-2Rα, respectively. Furthermore, it is well documented in the literature that the IL-2 F42A mutation (P-0613) disrupts the interaction with receptor α, and is also demonstrated in Figure 8A, resulting in a 15-fold reduction in binding to IL-2Rα.

[0195] In summary, F42 and E62 were IL-2 residues whose substitutions overall disrupted IL-2Rα interaction, and the resulting IL-2 variants showed reduced binding to IL-2Rα. ELISA binding EC of various IL-2 muteins 50 was normalized to that of P-0531 and shown in Table 9. TIFF2025063029000013.tif67170

[0196] Example 5 Amino acid substitutions at the P65 residue unexpectedly had diverse effects on binding to receptor subunit α IL-2 residue P65 is involved in van der Waals interactions with several key IL-2Rα interface residues, including R36 and L42, and does not form salt bridges or hydrogen bonds with IL-2Rα. Therefore, it was speculated that substitution of P65 might only result in a minor disruption of the interaction with this IL-2R subunit, with little effect on binding to IL-2Rα. However, the effects of P65 substitution on IL-2Rα interaction were unexpectedly diverse, ranging from completely retaining / enhancing, decreasing, or completely abolishing binding to IL-2Rα.

[0197] Multiple substitutions at P65, exemplified by P65G, P65E, P65A, P65H, P65N, P65Q, P65R, P65K, were introduced and the resulting IL-2 muteins were expressed as C-terminal fusions to either Fc homodimers or Fc heterodimers. The panel of IL-2 muteins was subsequently screened for ELISA binding to CD25. The binding data are shown in Figure 7 and the ELISA binding EC 50 were normalized to that of either P-0531 or P-0689 to match the valence of each construct and are summarized in Table 10. TIFF2025063029000014.tif87170

[0198] As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the P65G (P-0608), P65E (P-0633), and P65A (P-0706) mutations did not appear to cause any disruption in the interaction with the IL-2Rα subunit; rather, the binding strength to IL-2Rα was enhanced 18-, 10-, and 10-fold, respectively, compared to the wild-type counterpart.

[0199] Another panel of IL-2 mutein Fc fusions, P-0634, P-0708, and P-0709, have P65 mutations that caused a significant disruption of IL-2 interaction with the IL-2Rα subunit. As shown in FIG. 7C and summarized in Table 9, P65N (P-0708) caused a modest 8.6-fold decrease in binding to IL-2Rα, while P65H (P-0634) and P65H (P-0709) substitutions had a more pronounced effect, as indicated by a 23- and 43-fold decrease in IL-2Rα binding, respectively.

[0200] Yet another category of IL-2 P65 substitutions, P65R and P65K, appeared to dramatically disrupt the IL-2 and IL-R2Rα interaction, abolishing the binding of P-0635, P-0704, and P-0707 to IL-2Rα (Figure 7D). P-0635 and P-0704 are the bivalent and monovalent counterparts of IL-2 Fc fusions containing the P65R substitution, while P-0707 has the P65K amino acid substitution. Figure 7D shows that all three IL-2 mutein Fc fusions showed minimal signal at IL-2Rα concentrations as high as 100 nM, comparable to a reference molecule with the triple CD25-disrupting mutation F42A / Y45A / L72G (Christian Klein, et. al, OncoImmunology (2017), 6:3, e1277306), which was shown to abolish binding.

[0201] As summarized in Figures 7A-7C and Tables 9 and 10, substitution of residue P65 unexpectedly resulted in diverse effects on IL-2Rα binding. Importantly, the substitution can completely retain / enhance, reduce, or completely eliminate the binding of the resulting IL-2 variant to IL-2Rα. As one skilled in the art would understand, this level of activity change resulting from a change to a single amino acid could not be predicted by a structure-based mutagenesis approach. Because the mutation to P65 only altered a limited portion of the van der Waals interaction surface, complete abolishment of IL-2Rα binding was not expected or taught in the prior art.

[0202] Example 6 Combinations of amino acid substitutions that modulate IL-2 binding to receptor subunit α As one of skill in the art would understand, the mutations disclosed in this invention can be optionally combined independently in any manner to optimally tailor IL-2 binding to receptor subunit α. Here we demonstrate the design of an IL-2 compound that cannot bind to IL-2Rα by combining two IL-2Rα disrupting amino acid substitutions.

[0203] P-0613 contained an F42A mutation that resulted in a 15-fold reduction in binding to IL-2Rα (Figure 8A), while P-0625 and P-0634 had E62F and P65H substitutions that reduced binding to IL-2Rα by 150-fold and 23-fold, respectively. The combination of the F42A and E62F double mutations in P-0702 and the F42A and P65H double mutations in P-0703 both resulted in abolished binding to IL-2Rα (Figures 8B and 8C). As expected, P-0766, containing the F42 / E62A double amino acid changes, and P-0767, with the F42A / E62H double substitution, were unable to bind to IL-2Rα (data not shown).

[0204] In addition to serving as an effective method to engineer IL-2 muteins with abolished binding to IL-2Rα, amino acid combinations can also be used to modulate the level of binding activity. One example shown herein is P-0765, which combines one CD25-disrupting mutation F42A and one CD25-enhancing substitution P65A, which has a modest 6.8-fold decrease in binding strength to IL-2Rα compared to its wild-type counterpart P-0689 (data not shown), consistent with the combination of individual mutations. ELISA binding EC of IL-2 muteins 50 was normalized to that of P-0689 and summarized in Table 11. TIFF2025063029000015.tif75170

[0205] Taken together, the combination of amino acid substitutions is a versatile approach to modulate IL-2 binding to receptor subunit α, which may serve to achieve complete abolition of IL-2Rα binding by combining two CD25-disrupting residues, or to modulate IL-2Rα binding at different levels of attenuation.

[0206] Example 7 Modulation of IL-2Rα binding strength correlates with the potency of IL-2 to stimulate Treg cells in an in vitro functional assay A panel of IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins was then examined for their ability to differentially stimulate STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4+ Treg cells in comparison to wild-type fusion P-0531 and reference molecule P-0551 (SEQ ID NO: 95). STAT5 is known to be involved in downstream signaling cascades upon IL-2 binding to the transmembrane IL-2 receptor. STAT5 phosphorylation in lymphocyte subpopulations was measured using fresh human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and Treg populations were identified using the forkhead transcription factor FOXP3 in FACS analysis.

[0207] Purified PBMCs were starved in serum-free MACS buffer for 1 h at 4°C. Then, 2 × 10 5 PBMCs were treated with serial dilutions of test compounds for 30 min at 37°C. Cells were fixed and permeabilized using Foxp3 / Transcription Factor Staining Buffer Set (EBIO) by incubating with 1x Foxp3 Fixation / Permeabilization Working Solution for 30 min and washing with 1x Permeabilization Buffer. Cells were further fixed with Cytofix buffer, permeabilized with Perm Buffer III (BD Biosciences), and then washed. After blocking Fc receptors by adding human TruStain FcX (1:50 dilution), cells were stained with a mixture of anti-CD25-PE, anti-FOXP3-APC, anti-pSTAT5-FITC, and anti-CD4-PerCP-Cy5.5 antibodies at the concentrations recommended by the manufacturer for 45 min at room temperature. Cells were collected by centrifugation, washed, resuspended in FACS buffer, and analyzed by flow cytometry. Flow cytometry data were analyzed using a mixture of CD4+ / Foxp3+ / CD25 high Groups were gated to represent subsets of Treg cells, and data are expressed as the % of pStat5 positive cells in the gated population.

[0208] This panel of IL-2 variant Fc fusions contains amino acid substitutions that result in either enhanced binding to IL-2Rα (P-0608), reduced binding (P-0626, P-0634, and P-0624), or abolished binding (P-0635). Furthermore, P-0626, P-0634, and P-0624 differed in the level of attenuation of IL-2Rα binding strength, with the reduction in binding being 2.6-fold, 23-fold, and 60-fold for P-0626, P-0634, and P-0624, respectively. The trend and level of modulation of IL-2Rα binding was reflected in the differing potencies of the various IL-2 variant Fc fusions to stimulate STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4+ Treg cells (Figure 9). P-0608, with its enhanced binding to IL-2Rα, showed a corresponding trend towards greater potency than P-0531 in stimulating STAT5 phosphorylation in Tregs. P-0626, P-0624, and P-0634 all showed reduced pSTAT5 potency, consistent with their lower IL-2Rα binding strength. Although lower, their retained binding to IL-2Rα still led to greater activation of Tregs than P-0635 and the benchmark P-0551, whose binding to IL-2Rα was abolished. P-0635 and P-0551 had comparable 5-log right-shift potency in inducing pSTAT5 in Treg cells, and this lower level of Treg signaling is likely due to activation of IL-Rβγ expressed in Treg cells. As a result, the mutants are expected to obtain the desired property of activating Tregs at concentrations that also activate CD8+ T and NK cells. Strikingly, complete loss of IL-2Rα binding resulted in a greater than 5 log reduction in Treg potency (FIG. 9).

[0209] Example 8 Effect of IL-2 mutations introduced into the IL-2Rα contact surface on its interaction with IL-2Rβγ To determine whether the IL-2 mutations introduced into the IL-2Rα contact surface would affect the interaction of IL-2 with IL-2Rβγ, binding to IL-2Rβγ was assessed by ELISA for the same panel of IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins as in Example 7.

[0210] Briefly, recombinant IL-2Rβγ heterodimers containing IL-2Rβ ECD (SEQ ID NO:109) fused to the N-terminus of the Fc hole chain (SEQ ID NO:10) and γc ECD (SEQ ID NO:110) fused to the N-terminus of the Fc knob chain (SEQ ID NO:9) were coated at 2 μg / well onto wells of a Nunc Maxisorp 96-well microplate. After overnight incubation at 4°C and blocking with 1% BSA, 3-fold serial dilutions of IL-2 Fc fusion protein starting at 10 nM were added to each well at 100 μl / well. After 1 hour incubation at room temperature, 100 μl / well of biotin mouse anti-human IL-2 clone B33-2 (BD Biosciences) was added at 0.5 μg / ml to each well and incubated at room temperature for 1 hour. Streptavidin HRP (diluted 1:5000 in diluent) was then added to each well at 100 μl / well and incubated at room temperature for 40 minutes. Wells were aspirated thoroughly and washed three times with PBS / 0.05% Tween-20 after each step. Finally, 100 μl of TMB substrate was added to each well and the plate was developed for 10 min at room temperature in the dark, followed by the addition of 100 μl / well of stop solution (2N sulfuric acid, Rikka Chemical Co.). Absorbance was measured at 450 nm and curves were fitted using Prism software (GraphPad).

[0211] As shown in Figure 10, all of the exemplary IL-2 variant Fc fusions consisting of mutations that either enhance, reduce or abolish binding to IL-2Rα compared to the wild type IL-2 fusion P-0531 showed unaltered binding to IL-2Rβγ. This data confirms that the tested IL-2 mutations introduced into the IL-2Rα interface indeed interfere with CD25 binding and do not affect the interaction with IL-2Rβγ.

[0212] The panel of exemplary IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins was further characterized by flow cytometry for induction of Ki67 expression in human CD8+ T cells and NK cells. Freshly isolated NK cells and CD8+ T cells have no or very low CD25 expression, and IL-2R signaling is primarily mediated by the intermediate affinity receptor subunit βγ. Ki67 is a nuclear protein used as a marker of cell proliferation.

[0213] Briefly, human PBMCs were isolated from buffy coats of healthy donors by Ficoll-Hypaque centrifugation. Purified human PBMCs were treated with serial dilutions of IL-2 variant Fc fusion compounds and incubated at 37°C for 5 days. On day 5, cells were washed once with FACS buffer (1% FBS / PBS) and stained first with Fc blockers and surface marker antibodies, anti-human CD56-FITC, anti-human CD8-APC. After 30 min incubation and washing, cell pellets were thoroughly resuspended in 200 μl / well of 1× Foxp3 fixation and permeabilization working solution and incubated for 30 min at room temperature in the dark. After centrifugation, 200 μl of 1× permeabilization buffer was added to each well and washed again. Cell pellets were resuspended in permeabilization buffer containing anti-human Ki67-PE (1:25 dilution). After 30 min incubation at room temperature, cells were collected, washed, resuspended in FACS buffer and analyzed by flow cytometry. Data are expressed as the % of Ki-67 positive cells in the gated population.

[0214] A dose-dependent increase in Ki-67 expression in CD8+ T cells and NK cells in response to IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins compared to P-0531 and P-0551 is shown in Figures 11A and 11B. Introduction of CD25-interfering mutations resulted in Fc fusion constructs with potency comparable to that of the wild-type IL-2 bivalent fusion protein, P-0531.

[0215] Additionally, P-0689 and P-0704, the monovalent counterparts of P-0531 and P-0635, respectively, were characterized for induction of Ki-67 expression in human CD8+ T cells. As shown in Figure 11C, P-0689 (wild type IL-2) and P-0704, which harbors a mutation in P65R that abolishes binding to IL-2Rα, similarly exhibited a strong dose-dependent increase in Ki-67 expression in CD8+ T cells. Combined with the in vitro functional data, it was confirmed that the IL-2 mutations introduced at the IL-2Rα interface had minimal or no effect on the interaction with IL-2Rβγ. Furthermore, the differences in potency between P-0531 and P-0689 and between P-0635 and P-0704 were consistent with the differences in valency of the respective IL-2.

[0216] Example 9 Introducing substitutions that disrupt IL-2Rβ or γc into IL-2 variants with reduced binding to IL-2Rα to attenuate overall potency IL-2 full agonists may result in overactivation of the pathway and undesirable "on-target" and "off-tissue" toxicity. This may be especially true for IL-2Rβγ selective full agonists. Due to enhanced selectivity and reduced CD25 sink, IL-2Rβγ selective full agonists can dramatically enhance in vivo responses of CD4+, CD8+ effector T and NK cells. As a result, acute toxicity may be observed along with significant weight loss. Furthermore, cell exhaustion and death induced by excessive stimulation may lead to a loss of response in vivo after repeated dosing. It was reasoned that a lower overall potency could prevent overactivation of the pathway and reduce sinks of unwanted targets, which may result in reduced toxicity and improved pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Therefore, we incorporated IL-2Rβγ regulatory substitutions that attenuate overall potency into IL-2 variants with reduced / eliminated binding to IL-2Rα for optimal activity. Additionally, attenuating binding affinity to IL-2Rβγ reduces receptor-mediated internalization of IL-2, leading to slower but more sustained receptor activation and more durable pharmacodynamics than with wild-type IL-2.

[0217] The selection of mutations disrupting IL-2Rβ or γc was based on inspection of the IL-2 / IL-2R co-crystal structure (PDB code 2B51). Substitution of residues at or near the interface that directly contacts the IL-2Rβ or γc receptor subunits may result in reduced binding to IL-2Rβγ and thus modulate the overall potency of activating the pathway. For example, D20 is involved in an extensive hydrogen bond network to the side chains of the receptor subunits at the IL-2Rβ interface. Similarly, N88 is a high energy hotspot for IL-2 / IL-2Rβ interaction and is involved in a critical hydrogen bond with the receptor chain. Q126 is essential for γc interaction. However, amino acid substitutions at energy hotspots may result in substantial reductions in activity and suboptimal potency. This was exemplified by various mutations at position D20 in Figure 13A (D20E, D20T, D20N, D20Q, D20S). P-0250 (SEQ ID NO: 67) was a mutant of IL-2 that was expressed as an IL-2 variant Fc fusion protein. As shown in FIG. 13A, most of the mutations at D20 resulted in a significant reduction or loss of the activity of stimulating pSTAT5 expression in CD4+Tconv cells expressing only the IL-2Rβγ subunit. Similarly, mutations at N88 resulted in almost abolishment of the activity of activating CD4+Tconv cells (data not shown).

[0218] Therefore, we introduced an amino acid substitution at position L19, a residue that only has van der Waals interactions with IL-2Rβ. The resulting mutants only modulate, rather than abolish, the functional activity of IL-2. Figure 13B and Figure 13C show that IL-2 variants with various mutations at position 19 exerted a spectrum of potency levels in inducing STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4+Tconv cells. Compared with the wild type, the L19Y, L19R, and L19Q mutations showed mild activity reductions, while L19N and L19H showed moderate activity reductions. With L19D, such activity was severely impaired. The different levels of potency reduction by mutating position L19 facilitate fine-tuning of activity for optimal potency, reducing toxicity in vivo and improving pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

[0219] In addition, IL-2 variants with amino acid changes at Q126, a residue essential for γc interaction, were similarly generated. The functional activity of IL-2 Q126E Fc fusion protein in inducing STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4+Tconv cells is shown in Figure 13D. Compared to its wild-type counterpart, Q126E resulted in a slight decrease in activity.

[0220] Furthermore, since the amino acids at the N-terminus of IL-2 are mainly involved in the interaction with IL-2Rβγ, N-terminal amino acid deletions were considered as a different approach to modulate the overall potency. As a result, N-terminal deletion mutants (N-terminal deletion of 5, 7, 9, or 11 amino acids) made in the IL-2 variant with L19H / S125I / Q126E were constructed and examined in human PBMC assays. As the parent molecule, the IL-2 L19H / S125I / Q126E variant retains full IL-2Rα binding but reduced IL-2Rβγ binding, and as a result, reliable assays can only be performed in Treg cells, but it is still possible to elucidate the effect of the mutations on the overall potency. The Fc IL-2 variant containing the 11 amino acid deletion did not have enough material for characterization. As shown in Figure 13E, deletion of 5 and 7 amino acids fully retained potency, whereas deletion of 9 amino acids resulted in a 25-fold impairment in activity (18 pM vs. 0.74 pM). Thus, deletion of 7, 8, 9, or 10 amino acids at the N-terminus is expected to further tailor the different potencies of various IL-2 variants to the desired activity profile.

[0221] The IL-2Rβ-disrupting mutations L19H, L19Q, L19Y and the γc-disrupting mutation Q126E were introduced into P-0704 to obtain P-0731, P-0759, P-0761 and P-0732, respectively. P-0704 contains an amino acid substitution in P65R that completely abolishes binding to IL-2Rα. Compared to P-0704, P-0731, P-0759, P-0761 and P-0732 were assessed for binding to IL-2Rβγ by ELISA and induction of Ki-67 expression in human CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and NK cells by flow cytometry.

[0222] As shown in Figure 14A, all of the exemplary IL-2 variant Fc fusions showed various levels of reduced binding to IL-2Rβγ compared to P-0689 and P-0704. Because binding of IL-2 to receptor subunits β or γ was weak and had fast dissociation rates, binding activity to individual subunits could not be reliably assessed by ELISA (data not shown). However, reduced binding to the IL-2Rβγ heterodimer was expected due to amino acid changes disrupting interactions with the respective β or γ receptor subunits.

[0223] The reduced activity caused by the IL-2Rβ disrupting substitution L19H in P-0731 and the γc disrupting mutation Q126E in P-0732 was evaluated for Ki67 expression induction activity in human CD8+ T cells in human PBMCs. P-0689, the S125I equivalent of wild-type IL-2 monomeric Fc fusion, and P-0704, which lost binding to IL-2Rα but retained full affinity and functional activity for the dimeric IL-2Rβγ receptor, were included for comparison. As shown in Figure 14B, all monomeric IL-2 Fc fusion proteins induced an increase in the percentage of Ki-67 positive CD8+ T cells in a dose-dependent manner, with P-0731 showing approximately 30-fold reduced potency compared to P-0704. P-0732 had a significantly reduced EC 50 was over 100-fold weaker and showed the lowest potency.

[0224] The dose-dependent increase in proliferation of human CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and CD4+ T cells by P-0731, P-759, and P-0761 is shown in Figures 15A, 15B, and 15C, respectively. The IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins P-0731, P-0759, and P-0761 all contain a substitution at position L19 that disrupts IL-2Rβ in addition to the substitution P65R that abolishes IL-2Rα binding in P-0704. Compared to P-0704, all variants showed the expected reduction in potency in proliferation of human CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and CD4+ T cells. P-0759 (L19Q) and P-0761 (L19Y) showed a slight 3- to 5-fold reduction in potency, while the L19H mutation in P-0731 resulted in a larger 30-fold reduction in potency. The level of attenuation of potency by the L19Q and L19H substitutions followed the same trend across all cell subsets evaluated and was consistent with the level of reduced activity in inducing pSTAT5 expression in CD4+Tconv cells (Figures 13B and 13C) and the level of weakened binding to recombinant IL-2Rβγ protein (Figure 14A). The reference molecule showed comparable, but slightly lower, potency in inducing cell proliferation compared to P-0704.

[0225] In summary, in addition to introducing CD25-disrupting substitutions into IL-2 to suppress unwanted proliferation of immunosuppressive Tregs, for optimal activity, IL-2Rβγ-disrupting substitutions or N-terminal deletions can be further incorporated to attenuate overall potency. Lower potency may prevent overactivation of the pathway and reduce sinks of unwanted targets, resulting in reduced toxicity and improved pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

[0226] Example 10 Pharmacodynamic effects of IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins in mice after a single injection A time course observation of cell proliferation of various lymphocyte subsets after treatment with P-0704 (SEQ ID NO: 96 and 10), a C-terminal monovalent IL-2 variant Fc fusion protein with abolished binding to IL-2Rα, was performed in Balb / C mice after a single injection. The effect on peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation was monitored over time. Furthermore, the immunopharmacodynamic profile of P-0704 was compared to that of its wild-type IL-2 counterpart, P-0689 (SEQ ID NO: 107 and 10).

[0227] Seven-week-old female Balb / c mice were received from Charles River Laboratories and were allowed to acclimate in house for at least 7 days prior to testing. Mice were administered a single dose of vehicle and P-0704 and P-0689 at 0.6 mg / kg intraperitoneally on day 0. Blood samples were collected on days 3 and 5 post-injection. Four mice were included in each group.

[0228] Heparinized whole blood was used for immunophenotyping. After lysis of red blood cells using BD pharm lysis buffer, total viable mononuclear blood cells were counted by trypan blue dead cell exclusion and proceeded to Ki67 intracellular staining. Cell pellets were thoroughly resuspended in 200ul / well of 1x Foxp3 fixation / permeabilization working solution and incubated for 30 minutes in the dark at room temperature. After centrifugation, 200ul of 1x permeabilization buffer was added to each well and washed again. After blocking Fc receptors with purified anti-mouse CD16 / CD32 (1:50 dilution), cells were stained with APC-cy7 CD3, BV510 CD4, FITC Foxp3, PE Ki67, APC CD335, and Percpcy5.5 CD8 (1:50 dilution). After incubation for 30 minutes at room temperature, cells were collected, washed, resuspended in FACS buffer, and analyzed by flow cytometry.

[0229] As shown in Figure 16A, wild-type IL-2 in P-0689 led to a robust expansion of Treg cells (6-fold increase in cell number), which are considered undesirable for cancer treatment, peaking at day 3, whereas P-0704 led to no Treg expansion at day 3 and only minimal expansion of Treg cells at day 5. In contrast, P-0704 increased the proportion of CD8+ T cells in the total CD3+ lymphocyte population at day 3 and continued to enhance the CD8 population from 19% (baseline) to 67% at day 5 (Figure 16B). Conversely, P-0689 led to minimal expansion of CD8+ T cells (Figure 16B). In the case of NK cells, a 5.4-fold increase in cell number was observed at day 3, and cell expansion continued, resulting in a 64-fold expansion of cells by P-0704 at day 5. P-0689 increased NK cell numbers 7.8-fold on day 3, but the effect quickly diminished, returning to baseline by day 5 (FIG. 16C).

[0230] In summary, P-0704 nearly abolished Treg proliferation and significantly enhanced CD8 and NK cell proliferation, displaying a cell proliferation profile significantly different from that of P-0689. This observation is consistent with the significant difference in the ability to bind to the IL-2Rα subunit and, consequently, in the responsiveness of Treg cells. Furthermore, as an IL-2Rβγ selective full agonist, P-0704 can dramatically enhance the in vivo responses of CD8+ effector T cells and NK cells by enhancing selectivity and decreasing the CD25 sink.

[0231] Example 11 Construction, expression, and purification of IL-2-antibody fusion protein In this example, various IL-2-antibody fusion proteins are prepared and evaluated. Tethering IL-2 variants to antibodies targeting immune checkpoints is expected to direct IL-2 to exhausted T cells, making the tumor microenvironment immunologically hot. This strategy also reduces systemic exposure and off-target toxicity of IL-2. Dual-function fusion proteins of immune checkpoint inhibitors and IL-2 variants are also expected to provide synergistic effects by removing negative controls and reactivating T cell function and numbers. Immune checkpoint blocking antibody-cytokine fusion proteins are expected to further enhance immune system activity against tumors. The inventors of the present invention propose that the use of IL-2 variants with reduced / eliminated binding to IL-2Rα and attenuated IL-2Rβγ activity facilitates the creation of a stoichiometric balance between cytokine and antibody arms that exhibit significantly different potencies and molecular weights, allowing optimal dosing and maintaining the function of each arm. Furthermore, attenuation of cytokine activity is expected to minimize peripheral activation, reduce antigen sinks, and facilitate tumor targeting via the antibody arm.

[0232] If the checkpoint inhibitor target is expressed on cytotoxic T cells or other lymphocyte subsets that also express IL-2Rβγ, such as PD-1, it is anticipated that an IL-2 PD-1 antibody fusion protein could preferentially deliver the IL-2 variant in cis to PD-1+ cells, such as activated and exhausted CD8+ T cells, in the tumor microenvironment, promoting selective signaling.

[0233] Following this concept, various IL-2 antibody fusion proteins were constructed.

[0234] To prepare IL-2-antibody fusion proteins, the CH1-CH2-CH3 (antibody residues 118-447 according to EU numbering) domains of the heavy chains of the antibodies listed above were replaced with an IgG1 sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 162, which contains the L234A, L235A, G237A mutations to abolish binding to FcγR and C1q, but retain FcRn binding or PK. The IL-2 variant peptides are fused to the C-terminus of the Fc domain via a peptide linker with the sequence listed in Table 6. Alternatively, to express monovalent IL-2 variants, the CH1-CH2-CH3 domains of the heavy chains of the antibodies listed above were replaced with the heterodimeric chains as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 163-164. The IL-2 variant peptides are fused to the C-terminus of knob-containing heterodimeric heavy chains genetically engineered using knob-into-hole technology via a peptide linker with the sequence listed in Table 6. Half-life extending mutations, such as N434A, can be further incorporated into the homodimeric or heterodimeric Fc chain. Exemplary IL-2 PD-1 antagonist antibody fusion proteins are listed in Table 12. Additionally, P-0844 is a reference IL-2 variant PD-1 antagonist antibody fusion protein comprising SEQ ID NOs: 182-184. TIFF2025063029000016.tif127170

[0235] Gene synthesis, expression vector construction, and protein production, purification, and characterization were performed according to the same procedures detailed in Example 1.

[0236] Mouse surrogate PD-1 IL-2 variant fusion proteins were generated in a similar manner for use in in vivo tumor models in immunocompetent mice. The surrogate anti-mouse PD-1 antibodies comprise SEQ ID NOs: 185-187, with Fc mutations for removal of effector function and heterodimerization, and the IL-2 variant is fused to the C-terminus of anti-mouse PD-1 HC chain 2 (SEQ ID NO: 186) via a (G4S)3 linker (SEQ ID NO: 15). Table 13 lists the IL-2 variants in each exemplary mouse surrogate PD1-IL-2 variant fusion protein. TIFF2025063029000017.tif98170

[0237] Example 12 IL-2 variant antibody fusion proteins fully retain the potency and activity profile of IL-2 in in vitro functional assays The surrogate PD-1 antagonist antibodies in this study (SEQ ID NOs: 185-187) do not cross-react with human antigens and were therefore used as non-functional antibodies in human cells to assess the impact of the antibody fusion format on the potency and activity profile of IL-2 variants in stimulating and proliferating lymphocyte subsets.

[0238] The impact of the antibody fusion format is illustrated by P-0782 compared to its Fc fusion counterpart P-0704. Both P-0782 and P-0704 contain a monomeric IL-2 P65R variant linked to the C-terminus of the heterodimeric Fc domain via a flexible (G3S)2 linker (SEQ ID NO: 18). The P65R substitution of IL-2 abolishes binding to IL-2Rα (FIG. 7D). As shown in FIGS. 17A-17C, P-0782 and P-0704 are equally potent in inducing dose-dependent STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4+ Treg cells (FIG. 17A), CD8+ T cells (FIG. 17B), and NK cells (FIG. 17C). The data confirmed that the IL-2 moiety fused to the antibody fully retained its activity, similar to its corresponding Fc fusion protein.

[0239] Furthermore, three IL-2 variant mouse PD1 antibody fusion proteins, P-0837, P-0838, and P-0782, were compared for their activity to stimulate pSTAT5 in human PBMCs. The IL-2 mutations of P-0838 and P-0782 are P65Q and P65R, respectively. P-0837 contains a wild-type IL-2 moiety (SEQ ID NO: 4). Compared to the wild type, P65Q reduced IL-2Rα binding intensity by 43-fold (Table 10), and P65R abolished binding to IL-2Rα. Supporting the findings of the IL-2 Fc fusion molecules in the previous examples, Figures 18A-18C show that the IL-2 mutations introduced into the IL-2Rα contact surface indeed interfere only with CD25, but do not affect the interaction with IL-2Rβγ. As naive CD8+ T and NK cells in human PBMCs do not express CD25 or express it at very low levels, all three molecules show identical potency in stimulating pSTAT5 expression in these two lymphocyte subsets in a dose-dependent manner (Figures 18B and 18C). In contrast, Treg cells constitutively express high levels of CD25, and as a result, P-0838 and P-0782 showed a dramatically reduced response in stimulating pSTAT5 expression in Treg cells compared to their wild-type counterpart P-0837 (Figure 18A). The EC of P-0837, P-0838, and P-0782 50 are 0.45 pM, 0.36 nM (800-fold weaker than P-0837), and 4.5 nM (10,000-fold weaker than P-0837), respectively. Both the mutant P-0838 with reduced CD25 binding and the mutant P-0782 with abolished CD25 binding retained potency to stimulate CD8 and NK cells similar to their wild-type counterparts. Furthermore, the loss of IL-2Rα binding of P-0782 resulted in a decreased EC of Treg / CD8. 50 The ratio was approximately 1, indicating that Treg cells were not preferentially stimulated over cytotoxic effector cells (EC 50, 4.5 nM in Tregs vs. 4.6 nM in CD8+ T cells). The presence of IL-2Rα binding, albeit significantly weaker, in P-0838 results in approximately 13-fold enhanced pSTAT5 responsiveness in Tregs over CD8+ T cells (0.36 nM in Tregs vs. 4.6 nM in CD8+ T cells).

[0240] In addition to reduced binding to IL-2, potent IL-2 variants with IL-2Rβ disrupting mutations L19Q or L19H were also evaluated in an in vitro functional assay for IL-2 antibody fusion formats. Compared to P-0782, P-0786 contains one additional L19Q substitution and P-0783 contains L19H. The Fc counterparts of P-0782, P-0786, and P-0783 are P-0704, P-0759, and P-0731, respectively.

[0241] Dose-dependent induction of STAT5 phosphorylation by P-0782, P-0786, and P-0783 in human CD8+ T cells and NK cells is shown in Figures 19A and 19B, respectively, and dose-dependent increases in proliferation of the same lymphocyte subsets are shown in Figures 19C and 19D, respectively. Compared to P-0782, P-0786 showed a slight 2-3 fold reduction in potency in inducing STAT5 phosphorylation in CD8+ T cells (Figure 19A) and NK cells (Figure 19B), while the L19H mutation of P-0783 resulted in a larger 20-30 fold reduction in potency (Figures 19A and 19B). Similar levels of potency attenuation were observed in the dose-dependent increases in Ki67 in CD8+ T cells (Figure 19C) and NK cells (Figure 19D). The levels of potency attenuation of antibody fusion proteins P-0782, P-0786, and P-0783 followed the same trend as the corresponding Fc fusion proteins P-0704, P-0759, and P-0731, respectively (Figures 15A and 15B).

[0242] The potency attenuation due to IL-2Rβ disruptive mutations was also evaluated in the context of the P65Q mutation in an IL-2 antibody fusion format. L19Q and L19H were introduced into P-0838 to generate P-0790 and P-0787, respectively. Figures 20A, 20B, and 20C show their activity in stimulating STAT5 phosphorylation in Treg, CD8+ T, and NK cells. Figures 20D and 20E show the dose-dependent increase in the proliferation marker Ki67 in CD8+ T and NK cells. The level of potency attenuation followed the same trend as observed for Ab fusions based on IL-Rα loss-substituted P65R.

[0243] P-0782, P-0786, and P-0783, along with P-0837 containing S125I-equivalent wild-type IL-2, were further evaluated for CTLL-2 proliferation activity. CTLL-2 cells are cytotoxic T cells from C57BL / 6 mice expressing α, β, and γ receptor subunits. Briefly, CTLL2 cells were harvested, washed, resuspended in IL-2-free medium (RPMI1640, 10% FCS, 2 mM glutamine) and incubated for 2 hours (IL-2 starvation). After starvation, 50 μl of CTLL-2 cells resuspended at 50,000 / ml in fresh medium without IL-2 were transferred to 96-well U-bottom plates. 50 μl of serially diluted IL-2 antibody fusions were added to the wells to a final volume of 100 μl / well. Samples were incubated for 2 days and proliferation was assessed using CellTiter-Glo according to the manufacturer's instructions to measure luminescence signals. As shown in Figure 21, the level of potency attenuation by L19Q and L19h was maintained in mouse cells. Similar to Treg cells, CTLL-2 cells showed a significant proliferation advantage over P-0782 with wild-type IL-2 in terms of IL-Rα subunit expression.

[0244] In summary, IL-2 variants in the form of surrogate murine PD-1 antibody fusion proteins fully retained the potency and activity profile seen for their Fc fusion counterparts in in vitro functional assays.

[0245] Example 13 In vitro characterization of IL-2 variant human PD-1 antibody fusion proteins P-0795 is a human PD-1 antagonist antibody that contains SEQ ID NO: 140 as the heavy chain and SEQ ID NO: 141 as the light chain. P-0803 (SEQ ID NOs: 166, 169 and 141) is a conjugate of P-0795 in which an IL-2 variant is fused to the C-terminus of the knob-containing heterodimer heavy chain. The IL-2 variant of P-0803 contains the mutation P65R that abolishes IL-2Rα binding and the substitution S125I that improves development compatibility. The functionality of the antibody arms of the antibody fusion protein exemplified by P-0803 was examined for both direct binding and ligand competitive inhibition in an ELISA format.

[0246] For direct binding, the same ELISA protocol as in Example 4 was followed using huPD-1-His as the coating antigen. For ligand (PD-L1) competitive inhibition ELISA, a similar ELISA protocol was used with minor modifications. Briefly, plates were coated with 0.2 μg / well human PD1-Fc protein overnight at 4°C. After washing and blocking with 2% BSA, 0.5 μg / mL biotinylated human PDL1-Fc was mixed with 1:1 (volume / volume) serially diluted P-0795 or P-0803, and 100 μL of the mixture was added to each well and incubated at 37°C for 1 h. Streptavidin-HRP was added as the secondary antibody.

[0247] As shown in Figure 22A, P-0803 and P-0795 had identical binding strength to PD-1 (EC 50 = 0.6 nM). P-0803 was also as potent as P-0795 in blocking human PD-1 binding to surface-immobilized PD-L1 (IC 50 = 2.1 nM, FIG. 22B). Collectively the data confirmed that the antibody arms of the IL-2 antibody fusion were fully functional.

[0248] Similarly, the IL-2 variant human PD-1 antibody IL-2 showed similar binding to cell surface expressed PD1 as the parent antibody as analyzed by FACS analysis (Figure 22C). P-0795 is an antagonist human PD-1 antibody, and both P-0880 and P-0885 contain monovalent IL-2 linked to the C-terminus of P-0795 via a (G4S)3 linker. P-0880 contains a P65R / S125I substitution, while P-0885 contains a L19Q / P65R / S125I mutation. P-0704 and P-0759 are the Fc fusion counterparts of P-0880 and P-0885, respectively. Lacking a PD-1 targeting arm, P-0704 and P-0759 did not bind to PD-1 expressing cells as expected.

[0249] Because PD-1 binds the checkpoint inhibitor PD-1, it is expected that the immune complexes can preferentially deliver IL-2 variants in cis to PD-1+ cells, such as activated and exhausted CD8+T cells, in the tumor microenvironment to promote selective signaling. In PBMCs from healthy subjects, naive CD8+T cells and NK cells are generally PD-1 negative, while Tregs constitutively express low levels of PD-1. As a result, we observed that IL-2 huPD-1 Ab fusion proteins P-0803 and P-0804 were more than 15-fold more potent in stimulating pSTAT5 in PD-1-positive T cells than their non-PD-1-targeting counterparts, P-0782 and P-0783, respectively (Figures 23A and 23B), while the difference in potency was minimal or mild in PD-1-negative cells (Figures 23C-23F). The huPD-1 Ab fusion proteins also showed a trend toward increased potency in naive, non-activated CD8 and NK cells compared to their non-PD-1 targeted counterparts (Figures 23C-23F).

[0250] The higher the level of PD-1 expression on T cells, the more likely they are to be targeted by the antibody fusion protein to achieve selective signaling, resulting in preferential binding of the IL-2 PD-1 antibody fusion protein to Teffs over Tregs in the tumor microenvironment.

[0251] Furthermore, the effect of the linker length connecting the antibody knob heavy chain and IL-2 variants on protein expression profile and activity was investigated. P-0840 (SEQ ID NO: 168, 169, and 141) and P-0841 (SEQ ID NO: 178, 175, and 141) are two IL-2 P-0795 fusion proteins that differ only in linker length. P-0840 contains a (G3S)2 linker (SEQ ID NO: 18), while P-0841 has a (G4S)3 linker (SEQ ID NO: 15). As shown in Figures 24A and 24B, Protein A purified P-0841 from ExpiCHO transient expression showed significantly less low molecular weight impurities than P-0840 from the same production and purification process (16% vs. 3%). Similar differences in impurity content were observed for P-0803 and P-0880 (sequence numbers 177, 175, and 141), which have otherwise identical sequences but with (G3S)2 and (G4S)3 linkers, respectively (11% vs. 2.7%, Figures 24C and 24D).

[0252] While the slightly longer linkers of P-0841 and P-0880 resulted in improved purity compared to their respective counterparts containing shorter linkers, the impact on the biological activity of the IL-2 moiety was only minimally or slightly enhanced, as exemplified by the pSTAT5 stimulatory potency on cytotoxic lymphocytes (Figure 25). Given the beneficial impact on the development suitability profile of the fusion protein, the longer linkers cause no other negative effects and are preferred over the shorter linkers.

[0253] Several P-0795 fusion proteins were constructed in which the IL-2 variants were fused to the knob-containing heterodimer heavy chain via a (G4S)3 linker: P-0880, P-0882 (SEQ ID NOs: 176, 175, and 141), and P-0885 (SEQ ID NOs: 179, 175, and 141). Binding to cell surface expressed PD-1 was unchanged in the IL-2 variant huPD-1 antibody fusion proteins with longer linkers compared to the hPD1 antibody alone, as shown in Figure 22C. The proteins were further tested in in vitro functional assays to examine the potency of IL-2 in stimulating pSTAT5 and inducing Ki67 expression in both CD8+ T cells and NK cells (Figure 26). All three constructs contain the mutation P65R that abolishes IL-2Rα, and P-0882 and P-0885 contain additional L19H and L19Q mutations, respectively, to modulate overall potency. For comparison, the wild-type IL-2 counterpart P-0849 was included in the assay. In vitro functional activity is summarized in Table 14. The level of potency attenuation by P-0885 and P-0882 compared to P-0880 followed the same trend across the cell subsets evaluated, consistent with the level of reduction observed for P-0759 and P-0731 versus P-0704 (corresponding Fc fusion proteins, Figures 15A and 15B), and P-0786 and P-0783 versus P-0782 (corresponding mouse PD1 antibody fusion proteins, Figure 19). As expected, wild-type IL-2 fusions showed comparable activity to P-0880 in CD8+ T and NK cells. TIFF2025063029000018.tif69170

[0254] Example 14 Pharmacodynamic Effects of IL-2 Variant Surrogate Murine PD-1 Antibody Fusion Protein in C57BL6 Mice The pharmacodynamic effects of IL-2 variant mouse PD-1 antibody fusion proteins were evaluated after a single injection in C57BL6 mice. Seven-week-old female C57BL6 mice were received from Charles River Laboratories and allowed to acclimate in the facility for at least 7 days prior to testing. At time 0, mice were administered a single dose of vehicle and each IL-2 mouse PD-1 antibody fusion protein intraperitoneally. Blood samples were collected on days 3, 5, 7, and 10 post-injection. Five mice were included in each group. Heparinized whole blood was used for immunophenotyping as described in Example 10.

[0255] P-0782 contains an IL-2 P65R site that abolishes IL-2Rα binding, P-0838 contains an IL-2 P65Q site that reduces IL-2Rα binding, while P-0837 contains wild-type IL-2. A counterpart murine PD-1 antibody fusion protein, P-0781, containing a reference IL-2 variant (SEQ ID NO: 188) that has completely lost binding to IL-2Rα, was included for comparison.

[0256] After a single injection at 2 mg / kg, Ki67 stimulation achieved maximal levels for all compounds tested in CD8 and NK cells (Figures 27A-27B). Peak Ki67 expression signals for each compound reached maximal levels in CD8+ T cells, maximal at day 3. For P-0782, P-0838 and reference P-0781, the signal persisted until day 7 and declined at day 10. In comparison, the Ki67 signal faded at an accelerated rate for wild-type P-0837 (Figure 27A). Similar Ki67 induction in NK cells was observed for all compounds tested (Figure 27B).

[0257] Surprisingly, CD8 and NK cell proliferation differed dramatically depending on the compound tested. P-0782, which carries a mutation that abolishes IL-2Rα binding, showed vigorous proliferation of CD8+ T (Figure 27C) and NK cells (Figure 27D). Proliferation of both lymphocyte subsets began on day 3 and continued, peaking on day 7 with a 68-fold increase in CD8+ T cells and a 182-fold increase in NK cell numbers. P-0838, which contains a mutation that reduces IL-2Rα binding ability, showed similar or slightly stronger proliferation of CD8 and NK cells than the WT antibody fusion. In the case of the reference P-0781, proliferation of both lymphocyte subsets was intermediate compared to P-0780 and P-0838. In sharp contrast, cell proliferation of both lymphocyte subsets by wild-type P-0837 peaked on day 5 with significantly lower maximum signals (3.9-fold for CD8+ T cells and 6.8-fold for NK cells, Figures 27C and 27D).

[0258] Mutations that abolish CD25 binding may offer the advantage of reducing the CD25 sink effect and consequently increasing availability to IL-2Rβγ. Increased receptor occupancy leads to vigorous cytotoxic cell proliferation. Mutants with residual CD25 binding activity may still have a sink effect that results in activity similar to wild type for CD8 and NK cells. In summary, P-0782 showed a significantly different cell proliferation profile compared to P-0838 and P-0837. P-0782 showed more significant proliferation and expansion of both CD8+ T cells and NK cells than any of the compounds tested, and is superior to the reference compound P-0781. As IL-2Rβγ selective full agonists, P-0782 and P-0781 can dramatically enhance the in vivo response of CD8+ effector T and NK cells by increasing selectivity and decreasing the CD25 sink. Although P-0838 did not show robust proliferation of CD8 and NK cells compared to wild type, the mutations introduced to reduce its ability to bind IL-2Rα (CD25) are expected to provide a benefit in reducing VLS. Furthermore, the residual immunoregulatory Treg response is expected to provide an immune counterbalance to improve systemic tolerance and ensure that the immune balance is not overly tilted towards cytotoxic effector cells. The Treg response can be fine-tuned so as not to impair the efficacy of tumor killing, yet is strong enough to maintain peripheral tolerance.

[0259] The pharmacodynamics of bifunctional PD1 antibody fusion proteins with IL-2 variants containing mutations that reduce IL-2Rβγ interaction in addition to abolishing the ability to bind IL-2Rα were also tested. Both P-0786 and P-0783 are counterparts of P-0782 with attenuated IL-2 potency by incorporating the differential IL-2Rβ-modulating mutations L19Q and L19H, respectively. Figures 19C and 19D show the in vitro potency differences among these three compounds in stimulating Ki67 expression. The effects of P-0786 and P-0783 on the proliferation and growth of CD8+ and NK cells at two different dose levels are shown in Figures 28 and 29. As shown in Figure 28A, P-0786, a less potent compound, induced a peak Ki67 signal in CD8+ T cells at day 5 instead of day 3 observed with wild-type P-0837. The increase in Ki67 in NK cells was maximized by both P-0783 and P-0837 (FIG. 28B), consistent with the notion that NK cells are more responsive to IL-2 than CD8+ T cells.

[0260] The pharmacodynamic effects of the attenuated IL-2 variant PD1 antibody fusions were dramatically improved compared to the wild type fusions. Figures 28C and 28D showed that the dose-response effect of cell proliferation by P-0786 was significantly prolonged and enhanced compared to the wild type. The increase in CD8+ T and NK cell proliferation was delayed but sustained and durable. The response of the 2 mg / kg dose group peaked on day 7 and did not return to baseline on day 10, whereas the response of the 5 mg / kg dose group increased rapidly and continuously and did not peak on day 10 after dosing. Conversely, the proliferation of CD8 and NK cells in the wild type fusion group was modest, peaking on day 5 and returning to baseline on day 7 (Figures 28C and 28D).

[0261] P-0783, which contains a weaker IL-2 agonist, showed delayed but sustained and durable effects similar to P-0786 in the dose-dependent induction of Ki67 expression (Figures 29A and 29B) and CD8+ and NK cell proliferation (Figures 29C and 29D). The days at which cell numbers peaked and the fold change in cell number increase are summarized for each compound in Table 15. TIFF2025063029000019.tif91170

[0262] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 30, the efficacy level and corresponding cytotoxic lymphocyte proliferation correlated with toxicity as reflected by weight loss in mice. As an IL-2Rβγ selective full agonist, P-0782 caused a dramatic increase in both CD8+ T and NK cell numbers and produced the greatest weight loss, while the attenuated agonists P-0786 and P-0783 showed improved in vivo tolerability. P-0783 was slightly better tolerated than P-0786, consistent with the fact that P-0783 is a weaker agonist than P-0786.

[0263] In summary, P-0782 demonstrated potent pharmacological effects on CD8+ T and NK cell proliferating and expanding. P-0786 and P-0783 demonstrated weaker but more sustained signals. Ranking of the potencies of the three compounds was generally consistent in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, compared to the full agonist P-0782, the less potent compounds P-0786 and P-0783 demonstrated improved pharmacodynamics and tolerability in vivo.

[0264] Example 15 In vivo efficacy of PD1 antibody-IL-2 variant fusion proteins in syngeneic mouse tumor models The antitumor efficacy of the IL-2 variant mouse PD-1 antibody fusion protein was tested in a subcutaneous B16F10 melanoma mouse tumor model. Female C57BL / 6 mice (7 weeks old) were randomly assigned to treatment groups (n=10 / group) by body weight after 4-7 days of acclimation. Passage 3 B16F10 cells (5×10 5 Mice were inoculated subcutaneously (sc) with 1000 x 1000 cells / mouse on the right flank on day -1. Mice were administered test compounds intraperitoneally (ip) three times (Q7D) on days 0, 7 and 14. All mice were closely monitored and weighed three times weekly. Tumors were measured three times weekly using standard calipers and tumor size was calculated using the standard formula, length x (width)w 2 ×0.5, unit mm 3 The tumor size was limited to 1500 mm 3 When the body weight exceeded 100 mg / kg, the mice were euthanized.

[0265] Three antibody fusion proteins, P-0838, P-0790, and P-0787, were administered at 3 mg / kg in two Q7D doses. All three fusion proteins contain the IL-2 L65Q mutation to impair binding to IL-2Rα, and P-0790 and P-0787 contain additional L19Q and L19H mutations, respectively, to further reduce IL-2Rβγ activity and modulate overall potency. As shown in Figure 31A, all compounds demonstrated strong single-agent antitumor efficacy with tumor growth inhibition of 78%, 64%, and 57% for P-0787, P-0790, and P-0838, respectively. The level of tumor suppression efficacy correlated with the attenuation of in vitro potency from P-0838 to P-0790 and P-0787.

[0266] Similar to what was seen in Figure 30, Figure 31B shows that the full IL-2 agonist P-0838 had the earliest and highest toxicity as reflected by the greatest weight loss, while the attenuated agonists P-0790 and P-0787 had improved in vivo tolerability. P-0787 was better tolerated than P-0790, which is consistent with the fact that P-0783 is a weaker agonist than P-0786. Overall, the data confirmed that the IL-2Rβγ selective and attenuated mutants showed good tumor killing efficacy and improved tolerability.

[0267] The dose effect on tumor inhibition and tolerability in vivo was further investigated for P-0787. As seen in Figure 32A, P-0787 showed similarly strong antitumor effects when the dose was increased from 3 mg / kg to 5 mg / kg. The increased dose did not cause dramatic weight loss (Figure 32B), suggesting that the weak agonist facilitated higher doses and enhanced tolerability.

[0268] Strong tumor growth inhibition was also observed for P-0782 and P-0786 administered at 1.5 mg / kg for two Q7D doses (Figure 33). P-0722, a surrogate murine PD-1 antibody, showed no antitumor effect in the B16F10 syngeneic model, whereas P-0782 and P-0786 showed comparable strong tumor growth inhibition, despite P-0786 being the attenuated counterpart of P-0782.

[0269] Finally, P-0790, an IL-2 variant antibody fusion protein, was tested in a murine B16F10 lung metastasis model. 5Mouse melanoma cells were injected intravenously into female B57BL6 mice (10-12 weeks old). The following day (day 1), three doses of Q7D were started by intraperitoneal injection. Treatment groups (n=5 mice / group) included 0.3, 1, and 3 mg / kg P-0790 and 3 mg / kg of the corresponding antibody P-0722. Vehicle (PBS) was included as a negative control. On day 24, all mice were sacrificed for tissue harvesting. Lung tumor nodules were counted, and the anti-metastatic effect was expressed as the difference in the number of tumor nodules between treatment groups and vehicle controls.

[0270] P-0790 is an IL-2 L19Q / P65Q PD-1 antibody fusion protein with significantly impaired binding to IL-2Rα and modulated overall potency. Similarly, P-0722, a surrogate murine PD-1 antibody, was ineffective in inhibiting metastasis of B16F10 tumor cells, but a dose-dependent inhibition of lung metastatic nodules by P-0790 was observed. Figure 34A shows the mean lung nodule counts, and Figure 34B shows photographs of lungs from representative animals in each group. Data are presented as mean ± SEM.

[0271] In summary, various IL-2 variants / mouse PD-1 antibody fusion proteins demonstrated robust single-agent antitumor efficacy, and attenuated IL-2 agonists demonstrated effective tumor growth inhibition, improved tolerability, and allowed for higher doses to improve efficacy.

[0272] Example 16 Pharmacodynamic / pharmacokinetic and safety evaluation of an IL-2 variant PD-1 antibody fusion protein in cynomolgus monkeys We plan to evaluate the PK / PD properties and safety of selected IL-2 variant PD-1 antibody fusion proteins in cynomolgus monkeys. Drug-naive cynomolgus monkeys will be acclimated and trained for 2-3 weeks and then randomized, one per group, followed by a pre-dose baseline week. On day +1, one group will receive vehicle (PBS) intravenously and the other groups will receive various test compounds intravenously.

[0273] Blood will be collected on days -3, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 15. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) will be isolated from monkey whole blood and used for FACS immunophenotyping of peripheral blood Tregs, non-regulatory CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD8+ T central memory, CD8+ effector memory, CD8+ T naive and NK cells to characterize pharmacodynamics. Cell activation and proliferation will also be monitored by measuring CD25 and Ki67. Whole blood will also be used for complete blood count (CBC) including a 5-fold differential of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils.

[0274] The PK properties of the selected IL-2 variant PD-1 antibody fusion proteins will be evaluated in cynomolgus monkey plasma samples by coating 96-well plates with mouse anti-human IL-2 Ab (BD Pharmingen) to capture the fusion proteins and measure full-length intact molecules. Mouse anti-human IL-2-biotin (homemade) will be used for detection, followed by quantification of plasma concentrations of the test compounds. In addition to plasma samples collected on days -3, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 15, four additional plasma samples were collected on day 1 at 10 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, and 8 hours after administration of the selected IL-2 variant PD-1 antibody fusion proteins.

[0275] Plasma samples on days 7, 8, and 15 will also be used to assess the following clinical chemistry parameters: aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamate transferase, albumin, total bilirubin, creatinine, hematuria nitrogen, and C-reactive protein.

[0276] In addition, the body weight of each animal will be monitored weekly for the entire study period. Temperature and blood pressure will be monitored on day 1 (pre-dose), and at 6, 24, 96 and 168 hours post-dose.

[0277] All of the articles and methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. Although the articles and methods of the present disclosure have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be applied to the articles and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. All such modifications and equivalents, whether now existing or later developed, that are apparent to one skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. All patents, patent applications, and publications cited in this specification are indicative of the level of skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. All patents, patent applications, and publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The disclosure illustratively described herein may be suitably practiced in the absence of any element not specifically disclosed herein. That is, while the present disclosure has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments and optional features, it is to be understood that modifications and variations of the concepts disclosed herein may be made by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0278] Sequence Listing In the nucleic acid and amino acid sequences listed in the accompanying sequence listing, nucleotide bases are shown using standard abbreviations and amino acids are shown using the single-letter code, as provided in 37 CFR §1.822. SEQ ID NO:1 is the amino acid sequence of the human IL-2 precursor. SEQ ID NO:2 is the naturally occurring amino acid sequence of the mature form of human IL-2. SEQ ID NO:3 is the wild-type amino acid sequence of mature human IL-2. SEQ ID NO:4 is the amino acid sequence of human IL-2 mature containing an S125I substitution to improve the fusion protein development compatibility profile. SEQ ID NO:5 is the amino acid sequence of the extracellular domain of human IL-2Rα. SEQ ID NO:6 is the amino acid sequence of human IgG1-Fc. SEQ ID NO: 7 is the sequence of human IgG1-Fc with reduced / eliminated effector function. SEQ ID NO: 8 is the sequence of human IgG1-Fc with reduced / eliminated effector function and extended half-life. SEQ ID NO: 9 is the amino acid sequence of Knob-Fc with reduced / eliminated effector function. SEQ ID NO: 10 is the amino acid sequence of Hole-Fc with reduced / eliminated effector function. SEQ ID NOs: 11 to 30 are the amino acid sequences of various peptide linker sequences. SEQ ID NOs: 31 to 66 are the amino acid sequences of various IL-2 variants in which amino acid substitutions have been introduced into the interface with the IL-2 receptor α-subunit. SEQ ID NOs:67-107 are the amino acid sequences of various IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins. SEQ ID NO: 108 is the amino acid sequence of a reference IL-2 variant Fc fusion protein. SEQ ID NO:109 is the amino acid sequence of the extracellular domain of human IL-2Rβ. SEQ ID NO:110 is the amino acid sequence of the extracellular domain of human γc. SEQ ID NOs: 111-120 are the amino acid sequences of various IL-2 variants. SEQ ID NOs:121-133 are the amino acid sequences of various IL-2 variant Fc fusion proteins. SEQ ID NO: 134 is the amino acid sequence of Knob-Fc with reduced / eliminated effector function and extended half-life. SEQ ID NO: 135 is the amino acid sequence of Hole-Fc with reduced / eliminated effector function and extended half-life. SEQ ID NOs: 136-137 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of a humanized anti-FAP antibody. SEQ ID NOs: 138-139 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of human PD-1 antagonist antibodies. SEQ ID NOs: 140-141 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of PD-1 antagonist antibodies. SEQ ID NOs: 142-143 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of a PD-1 antagonist antibody. SEQ ID NOs: 144-145 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of a PD-1 antagonist antibody. SEQ ID NOs: 146-147 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of a PD-1 antagonist antibody. SEQ ID NOs: 148-149 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of PD-L1 antagonist antibodies. SEQ ID NOs: 150-151 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of a CTLA-4 antagonist antibody. SEQ ID NOs: 152-153 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of a CD40 agonist antibody. SEQ ID NOs: 154 to 155 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of a fibronectin antagonist antibody. SEQ ID NOs: 156-157 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of a CD20 antagonist antibody. SEQ ID NOs: 158-159 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of a Her-2 / neu antagonist antibody. SEQ ID NOs: 160-161 are the amino acid sequences of the heavy and light chains of an EGFR antagonist antibody. SEQ ID NO: 162 is the amino acid sequence of the CH1CH2CH3 domain sequence of human IgG1 with reduced / eliminated Fc effector function. SEQ ID NO: 163 is the amino acid sequence of the knob chain of the CH1CH2CH3 domain of human IgG1 with reduced / eliminated Fc effector function. SEQ ID NO: 164 is the amino acid sequence of the CH1CH2CH3 domain hole chain sequence of human IgG1 with reduced / eliminated Fc effector function. SEQ ID NOs:165-169 are the amino acid sequences of various IL-2 variant antibody fusion proteins. SEQ ID NO:170 is the amino acid sequence of the human IL-2 receptor alpha Sushi domain. SEQ ID NOs:171-174 are the amino acid sequences of IL-2 and IL-2RSushiFc fusion protein. SEQ ID NOs:175-181 are the amino acid sequences of the knob chains of various IL-2 variant human PD-1 antagonist antibody fusion proteins. SEQ ID NOs:182-184 are the amino acid sequences of reference IL-2 variant antibody fusion proteins. SEQ ID NOs: 185 to 187 are the amino acid sequences of surrogate anti-mouse PD-1 antibodies having a heterodimer heavy chain. SEQ ID NO: 188 is the amino acid sequence of a reference IL-2 variant. SEQ ID NOs:189-191 are the amino acid sequences of the knob chains of various IL-2 variant human PD-1 antagonist antibody fusion proteins.

[0279] Sequence Listing Human IL-2 precursor sequence MYRMQLLSCIALSLALVTNSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFCQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 1) Naturally occurring sequence of mature human IL-2 APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFCQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 2) Wild-type sequence of mature human IL-2 APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFSQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 3) Sequence of human IL-2 S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 4) Sequence of the extracellular domain of human IL-2Rα (CD25) ELCDDDPPEIPHATFKAMAYKEGTMLNCECKRGFRRIKSGSLYMLCTGNSSHSSWDNQCQCTSSATRNTTKQVTPQPEEQKERKTTEMQSPMQPVDQASLPGHCREPPPWENEATERIYHFVVGQMVYYQCVQGYRALHRGPAESVCKMTHGKTRWTQPQLICTGEMETSQFPGEEKPQASPEGRPESETSCLVTTTDFQIQTEMAATMETSIFTTEYQ (SEQ ID NO: 5) Human IgG1-Fc DKTHTCPPCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 6) Human IgG1-Fc with reduced / aborted effector functions DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 7) Human IgG1-Fc with reduced / abolished effector functions and extended half-life DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHAHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 8) Human IgG Knob-Fc with reduced / abolished effector function DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 9) Human IgG Hole-Fc with reduced / aborted effector function DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPCREEMTKNQVSLSCAVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLVSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 10) Peptide linker sequence GGGSGGGSGGGS (SEQ ID NO: 11) Peptide linker sequence GGGS (SEQ ID NO: 12) Peptide linker sequence GSSGGSGGSGGSG (SEQ ID NO: 13) Peptide linker sequence GSSGT (SEQ ID NO: 14) Peptide linker sequence: GGGGSGGGGSGGGGS (SEQ ID NO: 15) Peptide linker sequence AEAAAKEAAAKEAAAKA (SEQ ID NO: 16) Peptide linker sequence GGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGS (SEQ ID NO: 17) Peptide linker sequence GGGSGGGS (SEQ ID NO: 18) Peptide linker sequence GSGST (SEQ ID NO: 19) Peptide linker sequence GGSS (SEQ ID NO: 20) Peptide linker sequence: GGGGS (SEQ ID NO:21) Peptide linker sequence GGSG (SEQ ID NO: 22) Peptide linker sequence SGGG (SEQ ID NO: 23) Peptide linker sequence GSGS (SEQ ID NO: 24) Peptide linker sequence GSGSGS (SEQ ID NO: 25) Peptide linker sequence GSGSGSGS (SEQ ID NO: 26) Peptide linker sequence GSGSGSGSGS (SEQ ID NO: 27) Peptide linker sequence GSGSGSGSGSGS (SEQ ID NO: 28) Peptide linker sequence GGGGSGGGGS (SEQ ID NO: 29) Peptide linker sequence GSGSGSGSGSGSGGS (SEQ ID NO:30) Sequence of the IL-2 F42A / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 31) Sequence of the IL-2 R38F / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 32) Sequence of the IL-2 R38G / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTGMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 33) Sequence of the IL-2 R38A / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTAMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 34) Sequence of the IL-2 T41A / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLAFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 35) Sequence of the IL-2 T41G / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLGFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 36) Sequence of the IL-2 T41V / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLVFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 37) Sequence of the IL-2 F44G / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKGYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 38) Sequence of the IL-2 F44V / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 39) Sequence of the IL-2 E62A / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEALKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 40) Sequence of the IL-2 E62F / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEFLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 41) Sequence of the IL-2 E62H / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEHLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 42) Sequence of the IL-2 E62L / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEELLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 43) Sequence of the IL-2 P65G / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKGLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 44) Sequence of the IL-2 P65E / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKELEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 45) Sequence of the IL-2 P65H / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKHLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 46) Sequence of the IL-2 P65R / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 47) Sequence of the IL-2 P65A / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKALEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 48) Sequence of the IL-2 P65K / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKKLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 49) Sequence of the IL-2 P65N / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKNLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 50) Sequence of the IL-2 P65Q / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKQLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 51) Sequence of the IL-2 E68A / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEAVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 52) Sequence of the IL-2 E68F / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEFVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 53) Sequence of the IL-2 E68H / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEHVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 54) Sequence of the IL-2 E68L / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLELVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 55) Sequence of the IL-2 E68P / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEPVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 56) Sequence of the IL-2 Y107G / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEGADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 57) Sequence of the IL-2 Y107H / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEHADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 58) Sequence of the IL-2 Y107L / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCELADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 59) Sequence of the IL-2 Y107V / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEVADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 60) Sequence of the IL-2 F42A / E62F / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEFLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 61) Sequence of the IL-2 F42A / E62A / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEALKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 62) Sequence of the IL-2 F42A / E62H / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEHLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 63) Sequence of the IL-2 F42A / P65H / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKHLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 64) Sequence of the IL-2 F42A / P65R / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 65) Sequence of the IL-2 F42A / P65A / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKALEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 66) P-0250 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFSQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 67) P-0531 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 68) P-0613 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 69) P-0614 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTFMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 70) P-0615 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTGMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 71) P-0602 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTAMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 72) P-0603 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLAFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 73) P-0604 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLGFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 74) P-0605 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLVFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 75) P-0606 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKGYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 76) P-0607 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 77) P-0624 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEALKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 78) P-0625 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEFLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 79) P-0626 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEHLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 80) P-0627 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEELLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 81) P-0608 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKGLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 82) P-0633 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKELEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 83) P-0634 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKHLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 84) P-0635 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 85) P-0628 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEAVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 86) P-0629 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEFVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 87) P-0630 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEHVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 88) P-0631 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLELVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 89) P-0632 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEPVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 90) P-0609 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEGADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 91) P-0610 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEHADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 92) P-0611 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCELADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 93) P-0612 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKVYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEVADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 94) P-0551 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFAMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNGAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO: 95) P-0704 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO: 96) P-0706 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKALEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (Sequence number 97) P-0707 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKKLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (Sequence number 98) P-0708 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKNLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (Sequence number 99) P-0709 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKQLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (Sequence number 100) P-0702 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEFLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(Sequence No. 101) P-0766 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEALKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(Sequence No. 102) P-0767 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEHLKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (Sequence number 103) P-0703 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKHLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (Sequence number 104) P-0705 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO: 105) P-0765 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKALEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO: 106) P-0689 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 107) reference knob chain DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTAKFAMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNGAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 108) Sequence of the extracellular domain of human IL-2Rβ (CD122) AVNGTSQFTCFYNSRANISCVWSQDGALQDTSCQVHAWPDRRRWNQTCELLPVSQASWACNLILGAPDSQKLTTVDIVTLRVLCREGVRWRVMAIQDFKPFENLRLMAPISLQVVHVETHRCNISWEISQASHYFERHLEFEARTLSPGHTWEEAPLLTLKQKQEWICLETLTPDTQYEFQVRVKPLQGEFTTWSPWSQPLAFRTKPAALGKDT (SEQ ID NO: 109) Human common subunit gamma γ c (CD132) Extracellular domain sequence LNTTILTPNGNEDTTADFFLTTMPTDSLSVSTLPLPEVQCFVFNVEYMNCTWNSSSEPQPTNLTLHYWYKNSDNDKVQKCSHYLFSEEITSGCQLQKKEIHLYQTFVVQLQDPREPRRQATQMLKLQNLVIPWAPENLTLHKLSESQLELNWNNRFLNHCLEHLVQYRTDWDHSWTEQSVDYRHKFSLPSVDGQKRYTFRVRSRFNPLCGSAQHWSEWSHPIHWGSNTSKENPFLFALEA (SEQ ID NO: 110) Sequence of the IL-2 L19H / P65R / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLHDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 111) Sequence of the IL-2 L19Q / P65R / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLQDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 112) Sequence of the IL-2 L19Y / P65R / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLYDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 113) Sequence of the IL-2 L19H / P65Q / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLHDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKQLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 114) Sequence of the IL-2 L19H / P65H / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLHDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKHLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 115) Sequence of the IL-2 L19H / P65N / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLHDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKNLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 116) Sequence of the IL-2 L19Q / P65Q / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLQDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKQLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 117) Sequence of the IL-2 L19Q / P65H / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLQDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKHLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 118) Sequence of the IL-2 L19Q / P65N / S125I variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLQDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKNLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 119) Sequence of the IL-2 P65R / S125I / Q126E variant APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIESIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 120) P-0731 knob chain DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLHDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO: 121) P-0759 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLQDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO: 122) P-0761 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLYDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(Sequence number 123) P-0811 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLHDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKQLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(Sequence number 124) P-0812 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYS KLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLHDLQMINLGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKHLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO: 125) P-0813 knob DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYS KLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLHDLQMINLGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKNLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO:126) P-0814 knob DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLQDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKQLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (Sequence number 127) P-0815 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLQDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKHLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (Sequence number 128) P-0816 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLQDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKNLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (Sequence No. 129) P-0732 knob lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIESIISTLT (Sequence No. 130) P-0758 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLHDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 131) P-0760 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLQDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 132) P-0762 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSTKKTQLQLEHLLYDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKRLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFIQSIISTLT (SEQ ID NO: 133) Knob-Fc with extended in vivo half-life DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHAHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 134) Hole-Fc with extended in vivo half-life DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPCREEMTKNQVSLSCAVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLVSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHAHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 135) Humanized anti-FAP antibody heavy chain QVQLVQSGAEVKKPGASVKVSCKASGYTFTENIIHWVRQAPGQGLEWMGWFHPGSGSIKYAQKFQGRVTMTADKSTSTVYMELSSLRSEDTAVYYCARHGGTGRGAMDYWGQGT LVTVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTC PPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 136) Humanized anti-FAP antibody kappa light chain DIQMTQSPSSLSASVGDRVTITCRASRSISTSAYSYMHWYQQKPGKAPKLLIYLASNLESGVPSRFSGSGSGTDFTLTISSLQPEDFATYYCQHSRELPYTFGQGTKVEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 137) Human PD-1 antagonist antibody heavy chain EVQLVQSGAEVKKPGASVKVSCKASGYRFTSYGISWVRQAPGQGLEWMGWISAYNGNTNYAQKLQGRVTMTTDTSTNTAYMELRSLRSDDTAVYYCARDADYSSGSGYWGQGTL VTVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTC PPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 138) Human PD-1 antagonist antibody Lλ SYELTQPPSVSVSPGQTARITCSGDALPKQYAYWYQQKPGQAPVMVIYKDTERPSGIPERFSGSSSGTKVTLTISGVQAEDEADYYCQSADNSITYRVFGGGTKVTVLGQPKAAPSVTLFPPSSEELQANKATLVCLISDFYPGAVTVAWKADSSPVKAGVETTTPSKQSNNKYAASSYLSLTPEQWKSHRSYSCQVTHEGSTVEKTVAPTECS (SEQ ID NO: 139) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC EVQLVESGGGLVKPGGSLRLSCAASGFTFSSYDMSWVRQAPGKGLEWVATISGGGSYTYYPDSVKGRFTISRDNAKNSLYLQMNSLRAEDTAVYYCASPDSSSGVAYWGQGTLV TVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCP PCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 140) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-Lκ DIVMTQSPLSLPVTPGEPASITCKASQDVETVVAWYLQKPGQSPRLLIYWASTRHTGVPDRFSGSGSGTDFTLKISRVEAEDVGVYYCQQYSRYPWTFGQGTKLEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 141) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC QGQLVQSGAEVKKPGASVKVSCKASGYTFTDYEMHWVRQAPGQGLEWMGVIESETGGTAYNQKFKGRAKITADKSTSTAYMELSSLRSEDTAVYYCTREGITTVATTYYWYFDVW GQGTTVTVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPCSRSTSESTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTKTYTCNVDHKPSNTKVDKRVESKYGPP CPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 142) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-Lκ DVVMTQSPLSLPVTLGQPASISCRSSQSIVHSNGNTYLEWYLQKPGQSPQLLIYKVSNRFSGVPDRFSGSGSGTDFTLKISRVEAEDVGVYYCFQGSHVPLTFGQGTKLEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 143) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC QVQLVQSGVEVKKPGASVKVSCKASGYTFTNYYMYWVRQAPGQGLEWMGGINPSNGGTNFNEKFKNRVTLTTDSSTTTAYMELKSLQFDDTAVYYCARRDYRFDMGFDYWGQGT TVTVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPCSRSTSESTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTKTYTCNVDHKPSNTKVDKRVESKYGPPCPP CPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 144) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-Lκ EIVLTQSPATLSLSPGERATLSCRASKGVSTSGYSYLHWYQQKPGQAPRLLIYLASYLESGVPARFSGSGSGTDFTLTISSLEPEDFAVYYCQHSRDLPLTFGGGTKVEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 145) Human PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC QVQLVESGGGVVQPGRSLRLDCKASGITFSNSGMHWVRQAPGKGLEWVAVIWYDGSKRYYADSVKGRFTISRDNSKNTLFLQMNSLRAEDTAVYYCATNDDYWGQGTLVTVS SASTKGPSVFPLAPCSRSTSESTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTKTYTCNVDHKPSNTKVDKRVESKYGPPCPPCPA PEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 146) Human PD-1 antagonist antibody-Lκ EIVLTQSPATLSLSPGERATLSCRASQSVSSYLAWYQQKPGQAPRLLIYDASNRATGIPARFSGSGSGTDFTLTISSLEPEDFAVYYCQQSSNWPRTFGQGTKVEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 147) Humanized PD-L1 antagonist antibody-HC EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAASGFTFSDSWIHWVRQAPGKGLEWVAWISPYGGSTYYADSVKGRFTISADTSKNTAYLQMNSLRAEDTAVYYCARRHWPGGFDYWGQGTLV TVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCP PCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYASTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK (SEQ ID NO: 148) Humanized PD-L1 antagonist antibody-Lκ DIQMTQSPSSLSASVGDRVTITCRASQDVSTAVAWYQQKPGKAPKLLIYSASFLYSGVPSRFSGSGSGTDFTLTISSLQPEDFATYYCQQYLYHPATFGQGTKVEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 149) Human CTLA-4 antagonist antibody-HC QVQLVESGGGVVQPGRSLRLSCAASGFTFSSYTMHWVRQAPGKGLEWVTFISYDGNNKYYADSVKGRFTISRDNSKNTLYLQMNSLRAEDTAIYYCARTGWLGPFDYWGQGTLV TVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKRVEPKSCDKTHTCP PCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK (SEQ ID NO: 150) Human CTLA-4 antagonist antibody-Lκ EIVLTQSPGTLSLSPGERATLSCRASQSVGSSYLAWYQQKPGQAPRLLIYGAFSRATGIPDRFSGSGSGTDFTLTISRLEPEDFAVYYCQQYGSSPWTFGQGTKVEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 151) Human CD40 agonist antibody-HC QVQLVQSGAEVKKPGASVKVSCKASGYTFTGYYMHWVRQAPGQGLEWMGWINPDSGGTNYAQKFQGRVTMTRDTSISTAYMELNRLRSDDTAVYYCARDQPLGYCTNGVCSYFDY WGQGTLVTVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPCSRSTSESTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSNFGTQTYTCNVDHKPSNTKVDKTVERKCCV ECPPCPAPPVAGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTFRVVSVLTVVHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPAPIEKTISKTKGQPREPQVYTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDISVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPMLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK (SEQ ID NO: 152) Human CD40 agonist antibody-Lκ DIQMTQSPSSVSASVGDRVTITCRASQGIYSWLAWYQQKPGKAPNLLIYTASTLQSGVPSRFSGSGSGTDFTLTISSLQPEDFATYYCQQANIFPLTFGGGTKVEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 153) Humanized anti-fibronectin antibody-HC EVQLLESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAASGFTFSSFSMSWVRQAPGKGLEWVSSISGSSGTTYYADSVKGRFTISRDSKNTLYLQMNSLRAEDTAVYYCAKPFPYFDYWGQGTLVTV SSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKRVEPKSCDKTHTCPPC PAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQ PREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK (SEQ ID NO: 154) Humanized anti-fibronectin antibody-Lκ EIVLTQSPGTLSLSPGERATLSCRASQSVSSSFLAWYQQKPGQAPRLLIYYASSRATGIPDRFSGSGSGTDFTLTISRLEPEDFAVYYCQQTGRIPPTFGQGTKVEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 155) Chimeric anti-CD20 antibody-HC QVQLQQPGAELVKPGASVKMSCKASGYTFTSYNMHWVKQTPGRGLEWIGAIYPGNGDTSYNQKFKGKATLTADKSSSTAYMQLSSLTSEDSAVYYCARSTYYGGDWYFNVWGAGT TVTVSAASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKAEPKSCDKTHTC PPCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK (SEQ ID NO: 156) Chimeric anti-CD20 antibody-Lκ QIVLSQSPAILSASPGEKVTMTCRASSSVSYIHWFQQKPGSSPKPWIYATSNLASGVPVRFSGSGSGTSYSLTISRVEAEDAATYYCQQWTSNPPTFGGGTKLEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 157) Humanized anti-Her2 antibody-HC EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAASGFNIKDTYIHWVRQAPGKGLEWVARIYPTNGYTRYADSVKGRFTISADTSKNTAYLQMNSLRAEDTAVYYCSRWGGDGFYAMDYWGQGT LVTVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTC PPCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK (SEQ ID NO: 158) Humanized anti-Her2 antibody-Lκ DIQMTQSPSSLSASVGDRVTITCRASQDVNTAVAWYQQKPGKAPKLLIYSASFLYSGVPSRFSGSRSGTDFTLTISSLQPEDFATYYCQQHYTTPPTFGQGTKVEIKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 159) Chimeric anti-EGFR antibody-HC QVQLKQSGPGLVQPSQSLSITCTVSGFSLTNYGVHWVRQSPGKGLEWLGVIWSGGNTDYNTPFTSRLSINKDNSKSQVFFKMNSLQSNDTAIYYCARALTYYDYEFAYWGQGTL VTVSAASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCP PCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK (SEQ ID NO: 160) Chimeric anti-EGFR antibody-Lκ DILLTQSPVILSVSPGERVSFSCRASQSIGTNIHWYQQRTNGSPRLLIKYASESISGIPSRFSGSGSGTDFTLSINSVESEDIADYYCQQNNNWPTTFGAGTKLELKRTVAAPSVFIFPPSDEQLKSGTASVVCLLNNFYPREAKVQWKVDNALQSGNSQESVTEQDSKDSTYSLSSTLTLSKADYEKHKVYACEVTHQGLSSPVTKSFNRGEC (SEQ ID NO: 161) Human IgG1 CH1-CH2-CH3 domains with reduced / abolished effector functions ASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 162) Human IgG1 CH1-CH2-CH3 domain knob chain with reduced / eliminated effector function ASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 163) Human IgG1 CH1-CH2-CH3 domain Hole chain with reduced / lost effector function ASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPCREEMTKNQVSLSCAVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLVSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 164) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC-IL-2 variant (SEQ ID NO:165) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC-IL-2 variant knob chain (SEQ ID NO:166) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC-IL-2 variant knob chain (SEQ ID NO:167) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC-IL-2 variant knob chain (SEQ ID NO:168) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody - IgG1-HC hole chain EVQLVESGGGLVKPGGSLRLSCAASGFTFSSYDMSWVRQAPGKGLEWVATISGGGSYTYYPDSVKGRFTISRDNAKNSLYLQMNSLRAEDTAVYYCASPDSSSGVAYWGQGTLV TVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCP PCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPCREEMTKNQVSLSCAVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLVSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 169) Sequence of human IL-2Rα Sushi domain ELCDDDPPEIPHATFKAMAYKEGTMLNCECKRGFRRIKSGSLYMLCTGNSSHSSWDNQCQCTSSATRNTTKQVTPQPEEQKERKTTEMQSPMQPVDQASLPGHCREPPPWENEATERIYHFVVGQMVYYQCVQGYRALHRGPAESVCKMTHGKTRWTQPQLICTG (SEQ ID NO: 170) P-0327 DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSELCDDDPPEIPHATFKAMAYKEGTMLNCECKRGFRRIKSGSLYMLCTGNSSHSSWDNQCQCTSSATRNTTKQVTPQPEEQKERKTTEMQSPMQPVDQASLPGHCREPPPWENEATERIYHFVVGQMVYYQCVQGYRALHRGPAESVCKMTHGKTRWTQPQLICTGGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFSQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO: 171) P-0422 APTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFSQSIISTLTGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSELCDDDPPEIPHATFKAMAYKEGTMLNCECKRGFRRIKSGSLYMLCTGNSSHSSWDNQCQCTSSATRNTTKQVTPQPEEQKERKTTEMQSPMQPVDQASLPGHCREPPPWENEATERIYHFVVGQMVYYQCVQGYRALHRGPAESVCKMTHGKTRWTQPQLICTGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG(SEQ ID NO: 172) P-0482-Hole lock DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPCREEMTKNQVSLSCAVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLVSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGSGGGSAPTSSSTKKTQLQLEHLLLDLQMILNGINNYKNPKLTRMLTFKFYMPKKATELKHLQCLEEELKPLEEVLNLAQSKNFHLRPRDLISNINVIVLELKGSETTFMCEYADETATIVEFLNRWITFSQSIISTLT(SEQ ID NO: 173) P-0482-Knob chain DKTHTCPPCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKV SNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSV MHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSELCDDDPPEIPHATFCAMAYKEGTMLNCECKRGFRRIKSGSLYMLCTGNSSHSSWDNQCQCTSSATRNTTKQVTPQPEEQKERKTTEMQSPMQPVDQASLPGHCREPPPWENEATERIYHFVVGQMVYYQCVQGYRALHRGPAESVCKMTHGKTRWTQPQLICT (SEQ ID NO: 174) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody - IgG1-HC hole chain EVQLVESGGGLVKPGGSLRLSCAASGFTFSSYDMSWVRQAPGKGLEWVATISGGGSYTYYPDSVKGRFTISRDNAKNSLYLQMNSLRAEDTAVYYCASPDSSGVAYWGQGTLV TVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVDKKVEPKSCDKTHTCP PCPAPEAAGAPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVCTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLSCAVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLVSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG (SEQ ID NO: 175) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC-IL-2 variant knob chain (SEQ ID NO:176) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC-IL-2 variant knob chain (SEQ ID NO:177) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC-IL-2 variant knob chain (SEQ ID NO:178) Humanized PD-1 antagonist antibody-HC-IL-2 variant knob chai...

Claims

1. An isolated interleukin 2 (IL-2) variant polypeptide, comprising: the IL-2 variant polypeptide is unable to bind to IL-2Rα and no longer preferentially activates Treg cells compared to the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:3, but retains the ability to bind to and activate the IL-2Rβγ complex; the IL-2 variant polypeptide comprises one or more amino acid substitutions at amino acid residue positions F42, E62, P65, or S125 of SEQ ID NO:3; The amino acid substitution is selected from the group consisting of an F42A substitution at position 42, an E62A, E62F, E62H substitution at position 62, a P65H, P65R substitution at position 65, and an S125I substitution at position 125. An isolated IL-2 variant polypeptide, comprising:

2. An IL-2 variant polypeptide described in claim 1, comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 30, 40-42, and 61-66.

3. An IL-2 variant polypeptide according to any one of claims 1 to 2, comprising three amino acid substitutions at amino acid residue positions F42, E62, and S125 of SEQ ID NO:

3.

4. An IL-2 variant polypeptide according to any one of claims 1 to 2, comprising three amino acid substitutions at amino acid residue positions F42, P65, and S125 of SEQ ID NO:

3.

5. An IL-2 variant polypeptide described in claim 3, selected from the group consisting of a polypeptide comprising three amino acid substitutions, F42A, E62F, and S125I of SEQ ID NO: 3, a polypeptide comprising three amino acid substitutions, F42A, E62A, and S125I of SEQ ID NO: 3, and a polypeptide comprising three amino acid substitutions, F42A, E62H, and S125I of SEQ ID NO:

3.

6. The IL-2 variant polypeptide described in claim 4, selected from the group consisting of a polypeptide comprising three amino acid substitutions, F42A, P65H, and S125I, of SEQ ID NO: 3, and a polypeptide comprising three amino acid substitutions, F42A, P65R, and S125I, of SEQ ID NO:

3.

7. An isolated interleukin 2 (IL-2) variant polypeptide, comprising: said IL-2 variant polypeptide exhibits reduced binding to IL-2Rα compared to the polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO:3 and no longer preferentially activates Treg cells, but retains the ability to bind to and activate the IL-2Rβγ complex; The IL-2 variant polypeptide comprises three amino acid substitutions, L19Q, P65R, and S125I, of SEQ ID NO:

3. An isolated IL-2 variant polypeptide, comprising:

8. An isolated fusion protein comprising 1) an IL-2 variant polypeptide described in any one of claims 1 to 7 and 2) a heterologous protein, the fusion protein being in either a monomeric or dimeric form.

9. The isolated fusion protein of claim 8, wherein the IL-2 variant polypeptide is fused at its N-terminal amino acid to the C-terminal amino acid of the heterologous protein.

10. The isolated fusion protein of claim 9, wherein the IL-2 variant polypeptide is fused at its N-terminal amino acid to the C-terminal amino acid of the heterologous protein via a peptide linker.

11. The isolated fusion protein of claim 8, wherein the IL-2 variant polypeptide is fused at its C-terminal amino acid to the N-terminal amino acid of the heterologous protein.

12. The isolated fusion protein of claim 11, wherein the IL-2 variant polypeptide is fused at its C-terminal amino acid to the N-terminal amino acid of the heterologous protein via a peptide linker.

13. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an isolated IL-2 variant polypeptide or an isolated fusion protein according to any one of claims 1 to 12 in admixture with a pharma- ceutically acceptable carrier.

14. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 13 for treating cancer in a subject.

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