Antibodies binding to CD3 and GPRC5d, and uses thereof
Antibodies targeting GPRC5D and CD3 with defined CDRs and Fc regions improve therapeutic efficacy by enhancing T cell activation and cytotoxicity against GPRC5D-expressing tumors.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2024/083205
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-25
AI Technical Summary
Existing antibody drugs targeting GPRC5D and/or CD3 have limitations in therapeutic efficacy and applicability for treating cancers such as multiple myeloma and non-small-cell lung cancer.
Development of antibodies with specific domains that bind to GPRC5D and CD3, including single variable domain fragments with defined complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) and an immunoglobulin Fc region, capable of triggering effector functions and enhancing T cell activation against tumor cells.
The antibodies enhance T cell-dependent cytotoxicity and target specificity, providing improved treatment options for GPRC5D-expressing tumors like multiple myeloma.
Smart Images

Figure CN2024083205_25092025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
ANTIBODIES BINDING TO CD3 AND GPRC5D, AND USES THEREOFTECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of biopharmaceutical technology, specifically relating to antibodies binding to GPRC5D and CD3, and uses thereof.BACKGROUND
[0002] G protein-coupled receptor class C group 5 member D (GPRC5D) is an important member of the G protein-coupled receptor class C family and belongs to the orphan receptor class. GPRC5D is primarily expressed in a peripheral tissue and has been found to be associated with cancer. For example, research indicates that GPRC5D is highly expressed in malignant plasma cells and is limited to hair follicles in a normal tissue, making it a feasible target for immunotherapy in multiple myeloma (MM) (Smith E L, Harrington K, Staehr M, et al. GPRC5D is a target for the immunotherapy of multiple myeloma with rationally designed CAR T cells. Science translational medicine, 2019, 11 (485) : eaau7746) . Additionally, GPRC5D may serve as a promising therapeutic target in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) , as research has found elevated expression of GPRC5D in NSCLC, especially in EGFR-wild NSCLC and immuno-cold NSCLC (Mei J, Cai Y, Jiang G, et al. GPRC5D as a promising therapeutic target in EGFR-wild and immuno-cold non-small cell lung cancer. Journal of Translational Medicine, 2023, 21 (1) : 542) .
[0003] Cluster of Differentiation 3 (CD3) is a complex protein that directly binds to the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) and is widely expressed in T cells throughout various tissues, including the thymus, peripheral lymphoid tissues, blood, and bone marrow. CD3 is involved in T cell development and survival and is a necessary component for T cell activation, making it a common target for disease therapy.
[0004] Some antibody drugs targeting GPRC5D and / or CD3 have been disclosed, but there remains an urgent need for improvements in their therapeutic efficacy and applicability as treatment agents. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an antibody that binds to GPRC5D and CD3, offering more treatment options for cancer patients.SUMMARY
[0005] The first aspect of the present disclosure provides an isolated antibody. The antibody includes:
[0006] (a) a first domain that binds to G protein-coupled receptor 5D (GPRC5D) , wherein the first domain includes a single variable domain fragment, which includes a combination of complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) selected from the group consisting of: CDR1 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 20, CDR2 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 21, and CDR3 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22, respectively; and (b) a second domain that binds to cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) .
[0007] In some embodiments, the first domain further includes an immunoglobulin (IgG) Fc region, and the IgG Fc region is fused with the single variable domain fragment.
[0008] In some embodiments, the single variable domain fragment is a single variable domain on a heavy chain (VHH) fragment.
[0009] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11.
[0010] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14.
[0011] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15.
[0012] In some embodiments, the second domain includes a heavy chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9 and a light chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10.
[0013] In some embodiments, the antibody further includes a third domain that binds to a third antigen.
[0014] The second aspect of the present disclosure provides an isolated antibody. The antibody includes: (a) a first domain that binds to G protein-coupled receptor 5D (GPRC5D) , wherein the first domain includes a single variable domain fragment, which includes a combination of complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) selected from the group consisting of: CDR1 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 23, CDR2 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24, and CDR3 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 25, respectively; and (b) a second domain that binds to cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) .
[0015] In some embodiments, the first domain further includes an immunoglobulin (IgG) Fc region, and the IgG Fc region is fused with the single variable domain fragment.
[0016] In some embodiments, the single variable domain fragment is a single variable domain on a heavy chain (VHH) fragment.
[0017] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12.
[0018] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16.
[0019] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17.
[0020] In some embodiments, the second domain includes a heavy chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9 and a light chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10.
[0021] In some embodiments, the antibody further includes a third domain that binds to a third antigen.
[0022] The third aspect of the present disclosure provides an isolated antibody. The antibody includes: (a) a first domain that binds to G protein-coupled receptor 5D (GPRC5D) , wherein the first domain includes a single variable domain fragment, which includes a combination of complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) selected from the group consisting of: CDR1 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 26, CDR2 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, and CDR3 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, respectively; and (b) a second domain that binds to cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) .
[0023] In some embodiments, the first domain further includes an immunoglobulin (IgG) Fc region, and the IgG Fc region is fused with the single variable domain fragment.
[0024] In some embodiments, the single variable domain fragment is a single variable domain on a heavy chain (VHH) fragment.
[0025] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.
[0026] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18.
[0027] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19.
[0028] In some embodiments, the second domain includes a heavy chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9 and a light chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10.
[0029] In some embodiments, the antibody further includes a third domain that binds to a third antigen.
[0030] The fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides an isolated nucleic acid. The nucleic acid includes a nucleotide sequence encoding the antibody described in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0031] The fifth aspect of the present disclosure provides a vector. The vector includes the nucleic acid described in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0032] The sixth aspect of the present disclosure provides an isolated host cell that recombines to produce the antibody described in some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0033] The seventh aspect of the present disclosure provides a method of preparing an antibody, including: culturing the host cell described in some embodiments of the present disclosure under a condition suitable for antibody expression, and isolating the antibody from the host cell or a culture of the host cell.
[0034] The eighth aspect of the present disclosure provides an immunoconjugate, which includes: (a) the antibody described in some embodiments of the present disclosure, and (b) a reagent selected from the group consisting of a cytotoxic agent, a drug, a radioactive isotope, an immunomodulator, and a tracer.
[0035] The ninth aspect of the present disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition, which includes: (a) the antibody or the immunoconjugate described in some embodiments of the present disclosure, and (b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
[0036] The tenth aspect of the present disclosure provides use of the antibody, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition described in some embodiments of the present disclosure as a drug.
[0037] In some embodiments, the drug is used for treatment or improvement of a tumor or a cancer associated with GPRC5D expression, preferably, the drug is used for the treatment or improvement of a hematologic tumor, and more preferably, the drug is used for the treatment or improvement of multiple myeloma.
[0038] The eleventh aspect of the present disclosure provides use of the antibody, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition described in some embodiments of the present disclosure for treatment or improvement of a disease.
[0039] In some embodiments, the disease is a tumor or a cancer associated with GPRC5D expression, preferably, the disease is a hematologic tumor, and more preferably, the disease is multiple myeloma.
[0040] The twelfth aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for treating or improving a disease in a subject, including administering a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition described in some embodiments of the present disclosure to the subject.
[0041] In some embodiments, the disease is a tumor or a cancer associated with GPRC5D expression, preferably, the disease is a hematologic tumor, and more preferably, the disease is multiple myeloma.
[0042] The thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for inhibiting growth or proliferation of a tumor cell in a subject, including administering a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition described in some embodiments of the present disclosure to the subject.
[0043] In some embodiments, the antibody, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition induces activation of a T cell expressing CD3 on a cell surface and directs the T cell to act on a tumor cell expressing GPRC5D on the cell surface.
[0044] The fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure provides a kit. The kit includes the antibody of, the nucleic acid, the vector, the host cell, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition described in some embodiments of the present disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] The present disclosure will be further illustrated by way of exemplary embodiments, which will be described in detail through the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not limiting, and in these embodiments the same numbering indicates the same structure, wherein:
[0046] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a construct form of an anti-GPRC5D nanobody according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0047] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a construct form of a GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibody according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0048] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a curve of anti-GPRC5D nanobody 1E8-IgG-Fc to human GPRC5D antigen;
[0049] FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of a curve of anti-GPRC5D nanobody 1D9-IgG-Fc to human GPRC5D antigen;
[0050] FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram of a curve of anti-GPRC5D nanobody 1G7-IgG-Fc to human GPRC5D antigen;
[0051] FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of binding curves of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies to the H929 tumor cell line;
[0052] FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of binding curves of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies to the MM1R tumor cell line;
[0053] FIG. 4 shows results of T cell-dependent cytotoxicity of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies;
[0054] FIG. 5A is a schematic bar chart depicting the concentration-dependent binding of humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1E8bs1 and hu1E8bs2) to the CHOK1-C5D tumor cell line;
[0055] FIG. 5B is a schematic bar chart depicting the concentration-dependent binding of humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1D9bs1 and hu1D9bs2) to the CHOK1-C5D tumor cell line;
[0056] FIG. 5C is a schematic bar chart depicting the concentration-dependent binding of humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1G7bs1 and hu1G7bs2) to the CHOK1-C5D tumor cell line;
[0057] FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram of a binding curve of humanized bispecific antibody (hu1D9bs2) to the H929 tumor cell line;
[0058] FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of a binding curve of humanized bispecific antibody (hu1G7bs2) to the H929 tumor cell line;
[0059] FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram of a binding curve of humanized bispecific antibody (hu1D9bs2) to the MM1R tumor cell line;
[0060] FIG. 6D is a schematic diagram of a binding curve of humanized bispecific antibody (hu1G7bs2) to the MM1R tumor cell line;
[0061] FIG. 7 shows results of T cell-dependent cytotoxicity of humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1D9bs2 and hu1G7bs2) ;
[0062] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram of curves depicting a relationship between administration time and concentration of humanized bispecific antibody (hu1G7bs2) in the serum; and
[0063] FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram of curves depicting a relationship between administration time and concentration of humanized bispecific antibody (hu1D9bs2) in the serum.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0064] In order to provide a clearer understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments described in the present disclosure, a brief introduction to the drawings required in the description of the embodiments is given below. It is evident that the drawings described below are merely some examples or embodiments of the present disclosure, and for those skilled in the art, the present disclosure may be applied to other similar situations without exercising creative labor, unless otherwise indicated or stated in the context, the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same structures or operations.
[0065] It should be understood that, although the terms "first, " "second, " "third, " etc., may be used in the present disclosure to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first product may be referred to as a second product, and similarly, within the scope of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the second product may be referred to as the first product.
[0066] Set forth in the present disclosure and the claims, unless explicitly indicated otherwise in the context, words such as "one, " "a, " "a kind of, " and / or "the" do not specifically denote the singular form and may also include the plural form. In general, the terms "comprising" and "including" only suggest the inclusion of steps and elements that have been explicitly identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive listing; methods or devices may also include other steps or elements.
[0067] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present disclosure have the same meaning as typically understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.
[0068] As used herein, the term "antibody, " also referred to as "Ab, " refers to any form of antibody structure that has antigen-binding activity. The term "antibody" mentioned in the present disclosure includes a complete antibody with an antigen-binding region or an antigen-binding fragment or variant of the complete antibody. The complete antibody (also referred to as a full-length antibody) refers to an antibody with a structure substantially similar to a natural antibody. The natural antibody refers to immunoglobulin molecules with different structures. Typically, the complete antibody includes at least two heavy chains (HC) and two light chains (LC) connected to each other via disulfide bonds. Each heavy chain may include a heavy chain variable region (VH) and a heavy chain constant region (CH) , where the heavy chain variable region has three complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) and four framework regions (FRs) . Each light chain may include a light chain variable region (VL) and a light chain constant region (CL) , where the light chain variable region has three complementarity-determining regions and four framework regions. Depending on VH antigenicity, antibodies may be classified as IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD, and IgE. In some embodiments, antibodies include, but are not limited to, monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, multi-specific antibodies, polymeric antibodies, chimeric antibodies, and humanized antibodies, etc.
[0069] The term "antigen-binding fragment" refers to any natural or artificially constructed antigen-binding peptide that has antigen-binding activity. In contrast to a complete antibody, an antigen-binding fragment includes a portion of the complete antibody and is capable of binding to the antigen to which the complete antibody binds. The antigen-binding fragment includes, but is not limited to, fragment variable (Fv) , antigen-binding fragment (Fab) , bispecific antibody fragment (Bis-Fab) , fab prime (Fab') , fab prime with thiol modification (Fab'-SH) , fragment antigen-binding (F (ab') 2) , single-chain variable fragment (scFv) , bispecific antibody, trispecific antibody, tetraspecific antibody, linear antibody, single-chain antibody, multi-specific antibody formed from antibody fragments, etc.
[0070] As used herein, the term "single variable domain, " also referred to as "immunoglobulin single variable domain" and "antibody single variable domain, " refers to an antibody variable domain that specifically binds to an antigenic epitope without depending on other variable regions or domains. In some embodiments, the single variable domain may be the variable domain of a heavy chain of a heavy-chain antibody (VHH) . For example, the VHH may be of camelid or shark origin. In some embodiments, the single variable domain may be VH or VL of a conventional four-chain antibody.
[0071] The term "VHH, " also referred to as "VHH fragment, " "VHH domain, " "VHH antibody, " "single-domain antibody, " and "nanobody, " refers to an antibody composed of a single monomeric variable antibody domain, which is the smallest antigen-binding fragment with complete functionality.
[0072] The term "Fc region, " also referred to as "immunoglobulin Fc region, " "antibody Fc region, " "Fc fragment, " and "crystallizable region fragment, " refers to the terminal region of an antibody that may bind to various cell surface receptors (e.g., Fc receptors) and complement proteins. The Fc region does not directly participate in antigen-antibody binding but exhibits various effector functions. Typically, the Fc region includes at least a portion of the constant region of an immunoglobulin. For example, the Fc region may be the constant domains CH2 and CH3 of IgA, IgD, or IgG, or the constant domains CH2, CH3, and CH4 of IgE or IgM. In some embodiments, the Fc region may also include a hinge region.
[0073] The term "effector function" refers to a biological activity that may be attributed to the Fc region of the antibody, and the biological activity varies with the antibody's isotype. In some embodiments, the effector function includes but is not limited to: C1q binding and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) , Fc receptor binding, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) , antibody-dependent cell phagocytosis (ADCP) , cytokine secretion, antigen uptake by antigen-presenting cells mediated by immune complexes, downregulation of cell surface receptors (e.g., B cell receptors) , and B cell activation.
[0074] The term "humanization" / “humanized” refers to the engineered modification of a nucleotide or amino acid sequence that contains a non-human sequence to improve (e.g., reduce or eliminate) pharmacokinetics thereof in a human subject. Humanization of a non-human antibody or a fragment thereof, for example, may reduce or eliminate its immunogenicity in the human subject and / or enhance its affinity for an antigen in the human subject.
[0075] The term "isolated" refers to the state of a molecule that is substantially separated and / or purified from other components of a system that produced a biological component. The biological component includes but is not limited to a nucleic acid, a protein / peptide (e.g., antibody) , and a cell (e.g., host cell) . The isolated biological component essentially does not contain other substances (other antibodies with different antigen specificities, cellular materials, and chemicals) from the system (e.g., a natural environment or an introduced artificial synthetic preparation system) that produced isolated biological component.
[0076] The term "GPRC5D, " also referred to as "G-protein-coupled receptor 5D, " is a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor class C family 5D within the Retinoic Acid-Inducible Gene 1 (RIG-1) family. GPRC5D is a 7-transmembrane protein with four extracellular segments. Unless explicitly stated to be from other non-human species, the term "GPRC5D" refers to human GPRC5D. In some embodiments, GPRC5D includes the full-length GPRC5D naturally expressed by a cell and may also include any GPRC5D variants and homologs expressed by a cell that is modified using a genetic engineering technique.
[0077] The term "CD3, " also referred to as "cluster of differentiation 3, " refers to an antigen expressed on a T cell, which is a part of a T cell receptor complex (TCR) . Unless explicitly stated to be from other non-human species, the term "CD3" refers to a human CD3 protein multi-subunit complex. The human CD3 protein multi-subunit complex consists of four peptide chains, including the ζ chain, γ chain, εchain, and δ chain. In some embodiments, the CD3 may include a full-length CD3 naturally expressed by a cell and may also include any CD3 variants and homologs expressed by a cell that is modified using a genetic engineering technique.
[0078] The term "linker" refers to a connectivity peptide sequence used to connect protein domains. It should be noted that using the linker to connect protein domains does not necessarily result in loss of an original function of the protein domains.
[0079] The term "fusion" or "linkage" refers to a direct connection of components or connection of the components through a peptide bond via the linker.
[0080] The term "amino acid" refers to the group of naturally occurring carboxylic α-amino acids, including: alanine (3-letter code: ala, 1-letter code: A) , arginine (arg, R) , asparagine (asn, N) , aspartic acid (asp, D) , cysteine (cys, C) , glutamine (gln, Q) , glutamic acid (glu, E) , glycine (gly, G) , histidine (his, H) , isoleucine (ile, I) , leucine (leu, L) , lysine (lys, K) , methionine (met, M) , phenylalanine (phe, F) , proline (pro, P) , serine (ser, S) , threonine (thr, T) , tryptophan (trp, W) , tyrosine (tyr, Y) , and valine (val, V) .
[0081] The term "variant" refers to a molecule (e.g., nucleic acid, peptide, or protein) that differs from the parent molecule due to one or more modifications (e.g., substitutions, insertions, or deletions) . In some embodiments, the variant may be a functional variant. The functional variant is a peptide / protein with substantial or significant sequence identity to a parent peptide / protein, which retains a biological activity of the parent peptide / protein. For example, the functional variant may have at least approximately 75%, approximately 80%, approximately 85%, approximately 90%, approximately 92%, approximately 94%, approximately 96%, approximately 98%, or approximately 99%sequence identity to the parent peptide / protein. In some embodiments, the functional variant may include an amino acid sequence with at least one conservative amino acid substitution from the parent peptide / protein. In some other embodiments, a functional variant may include an amino acid sequence with at least one non-conservative amino acid substitution. In this case, compared to the biological activity of the parent peptide / protein, the non-conservative amino acid substitution does not affect or inhibit the biological activity of the functional variant, or the non-conservative amino acid substitution enhances the biological activity of the functional variant.
[0082] The term "conservative substitution" refers to an amino acid substitution that does not adversely affect or alter the fundamental properties of a peptide / protein containing an amino acid sequence. For example, the conservative substitution may be introduced through a known standard technique (e.g., site-directed mutagenesis, PCR-mediated mutagenesis) in the field. The conservative amino acid substitution includes a substitution where an amino acid residue is replaced with another residue having a similar side chain, such as a physically or functionally similar residue (e.g., having similar size, shape, charge, chemical properties including the ability to form covalent or hydrogen bonds, etc. ) to the corresponding amino acid residue. Amino acid residue families with similar side chains have been defined in the field. These families include amino acids with basic side chains (e.g., lysine, arginine, and histidine) , amino acids with acidic side chains (e.g., aspartic acid and glutamic acid) , amino acids with non-charged polar side chains (e.g., serine, threonine, asparagine, glutamine, glycine, cysteine, and tyrosine) , amino acids with non-polar side chains (e.g., alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, proline, phenylalanine, and methionine) , amino acids with β-branched side chains (e.g., valine, isoleucine, and leucine) , and amino acids with aromatic side chains (e.g., tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and histidine) . Therefore, the preferred substitution for a given amino acid residue is another residue from the same side chain family.
[0083] The term "identity" refers to a relationship between sequences of two or more peptide molecules or two or more nucleic acid molecules determined through sequence alignment and comparison. "Percentage identity" refers to a percentage of identical residues between the amino acids or nucleotides being compared, calculated based on a size of the smallest molecule being compared.
[0084] The term "host cell" refers to a cell capable of introducing a foreign gene and maintaining the foreign gene stably. In some embodiments, the host cells include prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. A non-limiting example of the host cell for expressing an antibody includes Escherichia coli (E. coli) , a yeast cell, an insect cell, a rodent cell, or a primate cell, among others. For example, the host cell may be a DH5α E. coli cell, a Chinese hamster ovary cell, an African green monkey kidney (Vero) cell, a CV-1 in Origin with SV40 genes (COS) cell, or a Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK293) cell.
[0085] The term "pharmaceutically acceptable carrier" refers to a component in a drug formulation other than an active ingredient, which is non-toxic to the subject. A non-limiting example of the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier includes a diluent, a stabilizer, an excipient, a preservative, etc.
[0086] In some embodiments, the carrier may be a liquid dosage form carrier. For example, an oil-based carrier includes oil derived from petroleum (e.g., mineral oil) , animal, plant (e.g., peanut oil and soybean oil) , synthetic oil, etc. An example of a water or aqueous carrier includes water, a saline solution, a glucose solution, a glycerin solution, etc. In some embodiments, the carrier may be a solid dosage form carrier, including but not limited to a binder, a flow enhancer, a coating agent, a flavoring agent, or a coloring agent, etc.
[0087] The term "subject" refers to a subject who is tested, diagnosed, or treated. The subject may be a human or any non-human animals. In some embodiments, the subject individual is a mammal. A non-limiting example of the mammal includes a domesticated animal (e.g., cattle, sheep, cat, dog, or horse) , a primate (e.g., human or non-human primate) , a rabbit, a rodent (e.g., mouse or rat) , etc. In some embodiments, the subject is a human, particularly one suffering from or at risk of a tumor or cancer (e.g., GPRC5D-related tumor or cancer, such as multiple myeloma) . In the present disclosure, the terms "individual, " "patient, " and "subject" may be used interchangeably.
[0088] The term "therapeutically effective amount" refers to a dosage that effectively improves a symptom of a disease.
[0089] The term "administering" refers to a process of delivering a compound (e.g., an antibody, immunoconjugate, pharmaceutical composition, etc. ) used as a drug to an individual or patient. In some embodiments, an administration route may include but is not limited to oral, intramuscular injection, intradermal injection, subcutaneous injection, intravenous injection, intrapleural or intraperitoneal injection, inhalation, implantation, etc.
[0090] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an isolated antibody is provided. The antibody includes a first domain that binds to GPRC5D and a second domain that binds to CD3. The first domain includes at least one single domain fragment, and the single domain fragment includes a combination of three CDRs selected from the following group: (a) CDR1 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 20 (GRAFSNYA) , CDR2 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 21 (ASWSGRST) , and CDR3 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22 (ATSRTVVIGPGAKYDY) ; and (b) variants (e.g., functional variants) of the CDRs as described above that have no more than two amino acid modifications or no more than one amino acid modification (e.g., substitution, deletion, or insertion) compared to the parent CDRs. In some embodiments, the modifications are conservative amino acid substitutions.
[0091] In some embodiments, the first domain also includes an Ig-Fc region, and the Ig-Fc region is fused to the single variable domain fragment. For example, by fusing the single variable domain fragment to the Ig-Fc region, the antibody can more effectively trigger the effector function and prolong the half-life of the antibody in a body. In some embodiments, the Ig-Fc region may be the Fc region of IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD, IgE, or variants thereof. In some preferred embodiments, the Ig-Fc region is the IgG-Fc region, particularly the human IgG-Fc region.
[0092] In some embodiments, the single variable domain fragment is a VHH fragment. For example, the VHH fragment may be derived from camelids, sharks, or humanized VHH obtained by modifying naturally occurring VHH. In other embodiments, the single variable domain fragment may be the VH or VL of a complete antibody.
[0093] In some embodiments, the first domain includes a plurality of VHH fragments that are interconnected. For example, connecting the plurality of VHH fragments can enhance the affinity and / or cross-linking ability of the antibody.
[0094] In some embodiments, the first domain has a sequence structure such as " (VHH-linker) n-Fc region, " where n may be 1, 2, 3, or 4. In some preferred embodiments, the first domain has a sequence structure such as "VHH-linker-VHH-linker-Fc region. "
[0095] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11.
[0096] In other embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence with one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the first domain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the first domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11.
[0097] In some embodiments, the first domain includes a humanized VHH fragment, and the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14.
[0098] In other embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence with one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the first domain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the first domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14.
[0099] In some embodiments, the first domain includes a humanized VHH fragment, and the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15.
[0100] In other embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence with one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the first domain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the first domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15.
[0101] Techniques for obtaining the VHH fragments provided in the present disclosure should be known to those skilled in the art. For example, the VHH fragment may be prepared by: (a) isolating the VHH domain of a naturally occurring heavy-chain antibody; (b) expressing a nucleotide sequence that encoding the naturally occurring VHH domain; (c) "humanizing" the naturally occurring VHH domain or expressing the nucleic acid that encoding the humanized VHH domain; (d) "camelizing" a VH domain from any animal species, such as a human, or expressing the nucleic acid that encoding the camelized VH domain; (e) preparing a protein, a peptide, or other amino acid sequences using a synthetic or semi-synthetic technique; (f) preparing the nucleic acid encoding the VHH using a nucleic acid synthesis technique, and then expressing the nucleic acid thus obtained.
[0102] In some embodiments, the second domain of the antibody includes: (a) a heavy chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9; or (b) a variant of the aforementioned heavy chain, which has one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the parent heavy chain. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the variant of the heavy chain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the second domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9.
[0103] In some embodiments, the second domain of the antibody includes: (a) a light chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10; or (b) a variant of the aforementioned light chain, which has one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the parent light chain. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the variant of the light chain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the second domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10.
[0104] The antibody described in some embodiments of the present disclosure is bispecific, with the ability to specifically bind to a GPRC5D antigen on a surface of a target cell (e.g., tumor cell) and to specifically bind to a CD3 antigen on a surface of an immune effector cell (e.g., T cell) . In some embodiments, the bispecific antibody may form a connection between the corresponding immune effector cell and target cell, thereby enhancing the effector function (e.g., phagocytosis or lysis of the target cell) .
[0105] In some embodiments, the antibody also includes a third domain that binds to a third antigen. The third antigen may be another antigen on the immune effector cell. For example, the immune effector cell is a cell originating from blood or lymph, including but not limited to a lymphocyte (e.g., a B cell or a T cell) , a cytotoxic cell, a natural killer cell, a macrophage, a monocyte, a mast cell, a granulocyte (e.g., a neutrophil, an eosinophil, or a basophil) , etc.
[0106] The antibody described in some embodiments of the present disclosure is multi-specific, with the ability to specifically bind to the GPRC5D antigen on the surface of the target cell (e.g., tumor cell) and to specifically bind to the CD3 antigen on the surface of the immune effector cell (e.g., T cell and natural killer cell) , as well as other antigens (such as CD16) . In some embodiments, the multi-specific antibody may form a connection between one or more immune effector cells and the target cell, thereby enhancing the effector function.
[0107] Techniques for obtaining the bispecific and / or multi-specific antibody provided in the present disclosure should be known to those skilled in the art. For example, bispecific and / or multi-specific antibody may be prepared using technologies such as CrossMab technology, Knobs-in-holes engineering, DuoBody technology, Azymetric technology, etc.
[0108] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an isolated antibody. The antibody includes a first domain that binds to GPRC5D and a second domain that binds to CD3. The first domain includes at least one single-domain fragment, which includes a combination of three CDRs selected from the following group: (a) CDR1 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 23 (ERTFSNYA) , CDR2 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24 (IAWSGEIT) , and CDR3 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 25 (AGVRYRNYRTTRPTDFGS) ; and (b) variants of the aforementioned CDRs, which have no more than two amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) or one amino acid modification compared to the parent CDRs. In some embodiments, the modifications are conservative amino acid substitutions.
[0109] In some embodiments, the first domain also includes an Ig-Fc region, and the Ig-Fc region is fused to the single variable domain fragment. For example, by fusing the single variable domain fragment to the Ig-Fc region, the antibody can more effectively trigger the effector function and prolong the half-life of the antibody in a body. In some embodiments, the Ig-Fc region may be the Fc region of IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD, IgE, or variants thereof. In some preferred embodiments, the Ig-Fc region is the IgG-Fc region, particularly the human IgG-Fc region.
[0110] In some embodiments, the single variable domain fragment is a VHH fragment. For example, the VHH fragment may be derived from camelids, sharks, or humanized VHH obtained by modifying naturally occurring VHH. In other embodiments, the single variable domain fragment may be the VH or VL of a complete antibody.
[0111] In some embodiments, the first domain includes a plurality of VHH fragments that are interconnected. For example, connecting the plurality of VHH fragments can enhance the affinity and / or cross-linking ability of the antibody.
[0112] In some embodiments, the first domain has a sequence structure such as " (VHH-linker) n-Fc region, " where n may be 1, 2, 3, or 4. In some preferred embodiments, the first domain has a sequence structure such as "VHH-linker-VHH-linker-Fc region. "
[0113] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12.
[0114] In other embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence with one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the first domain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the first domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12.
[0115] In some embodiments, the first domain includes a humanized VHH fragment, and the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16.
[0116] In other embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence with one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the first domain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the first domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16.
[0117] In some embodiments, the first domain includes a humanized VHH fragment, and the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17.
[0118] In other embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence with one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the first domain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the first domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17.
[0119] In some embodiments, the antibody also includes a third domain that binds to a third antigen. The third antigen may be another antigen on the immune effector cell.
[0120] Further details about the second and third domains of the antibody may be found in other sections of the present disclosure.
[0121] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an isolated antibody. The antibody includes a first domain that binds to GPRC5D and a second domain that binds to CD3. The first domain includes at least one single-domain fragment, which includes a combination of three CDRs selected from the following group: (a) CDR1 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 26 (GIISSAYI) , CDR2 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27 (INGGRL) , and CDR3 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28 (YAQRTNAY) ; and (b) variants of the aforementioned CDRs, which have no more than two amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) or one amino acid modification compared to the parent CDRs. In some embodiments, the modifications are conservative amino acid substitutions.
[0122] In some embodiments, the first domain also includes an Ig-Fc region, and the Ig-Fc region is fused to the single variable domain fragment. For example, by fusing the single variable domain fragment to the Ig-Fc region, the antibody can more effectively trigger the effector function and prolong the half-life of the antibody in a body. In some embodiments, the Ig-Fc region may be the Fc region of IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD, IgE, or variants thereof. In some preferred embodiments, the Ig-Fc region is the IgG-Fc region, particularly the human IgG-Fc region.
[0123] In some embodiments, the single variable domain fragment is a VHH fragment. For example, the VHH fragment may be derived from camelids, sharks, or humanized VHH obtained by modifying naturally occurring VHH. In other embodiments, the single variable domain fragment may be the VH or VL of a complete antibody.
[0124] In some embodiments, the first domain includes a plurality of VHH fragments that are interconnected. For example, connecting the plurality of VHH fragments can enhance the affinity and / or cross-linking ability of the antibody.
[0125] In some embodiments, the first domain has a sequence structure such as " (VHH-linker) n-Fc region, " where n may be 1, 2, 3, or 4. In some preferred embodiments, the first domain has a sequence structure such as "VHH-linker-VHH-linker-Fc region. "
[0126] In some embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.
[0127] In other embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence with one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the first domain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the first domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.
[0128] In some embodiments, the first domain includes a humanized VHH fragment, and the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18.
[0129] In other embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence with one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the first domain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the first domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18.
[0130] In some embodiments, the first domain includes a humanized VHH fragment, and the first domain has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19.
[0131] In other embodiments, the first domain has an amino acid sequence with one or more amino acid modifications (e.g., substitutions, deletions, or insertions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19. Preferably, the amino acid modification in the first domain satisfies one or more of the following: a count of modified amino acids is at most two or one; the amino acid modification is a conservative amino acid substitution; and the amino acid modification occurs in the framework region. In some embodiments, the amino acid sequence of the first domain has at least about 80%, about 85%, about 88%, about 90%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, or about 99%sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19.
[0132] In some embodiments, the antibody also includes a third domain that binds to a third antigen. The third antigen may be another antigen on the immune effector cell.
[0133] Further details about the second and third domains of the antibody may be found in other sections of the present disclosure.
[0134] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an isolated nucleic acid which includes a nucleotide sequence encoding the antibody provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0135] Techniques for obtaining the isolated nucleic acid should be known to those skilled in the art, for example, the isolated nucleic acid may be prepared through recombinant DNA technology.
[0136] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a vector that includes the isolated nucleic acid provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The vector is used for cloning or expressing the aforementioned nucleic acid.
[0137] In some embodiments, the vector is an expression vector. The expression vector includes, but is not limited to, a bacterial expression vector such as the pET series or pBAD series vector, etc.; a viral vector such as a lentiviral vector, a gammaretroviral vector, etc.; a phage vector such as λGT10, λEMBL4, etc.; a plant expression vector such as pBI01, pBIN19, etc.; and an animal expression vector such as pEUK-Cl, pMAM, etc. In some preferred embodiments, the vector is a bacterial expression vector or a viral vector.
[0138] Techniques for constructing the vector should be known to those skilled in the art. For example, the vector may be constructed and obtained through recombinant DNA technology, synthetic technology, and in vivo recombination / genetic recombination technology.
[0139] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an isolated host cell that that recombines to produce the antibody provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0140] In some embodiments, the host cell may be a eukaryotic cell or a prokaryotic cell. In some preferred embodiments, the host cell is a eukaryotic cell, for example, a rodent cell or a human cell. A suitable host cell for expressing the antibody provided in the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, a Mouse myeloma non-secreting (NSO) cell, a Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell, a Chinese Hamster Ovary K1 (CHOK1) cell, a PER. C6 cell, a Thymidine kinase negative (Tk-ts13) cell, a Baby Hamster Kidney (BHK) cell, a Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK293) cell, a CV-1 in Origin with SV40 genes-7 (COS-7) cell, a human glioblastoma cell (T98G cell) , a CV-1 cell with Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (CV-1 / EBNA) , a Mouse fibroblast cell (L cell) , a mouse mammary tumor cell line (C127) , a Swiss mouse fibroblast cell line (3T3) , a human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) , a Mouse myeloma non-secreting 1 cell (NS1) , a Mouse myeloma cell line (Sp2 / 0) , etc.
[0141] Techniques for recombining the host cell to produce the desired antibody should be known to those skilled in the art. For example, the isolated nucleic acid obtained, as mentioned earlier, may be inserted into the genome of the host cell using well-known recombinant DNA technology and gene transfection techniques. This involves inserting the isolated nucleic acid into the genome of the host, allowing the coding gene of the antibody to be operatively linked to a transcription and translation regulatory sequence, achieving transcription and translation of the coding gene of the antibody through the host cell's expression system, thereby producing the antibody provided in the present disclosure.
[0142] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a method for preparing the antibody provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The method includes culturing the host cell provided in the present disclosure under a condition suitable for antibody expression and isolating the antibody from the host cell or a culture of the host cell.
[0143] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide an immunoconjugate that includes the antibody provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure and a reagent conjugated to the antibody. In some embodiments, the reagent may be selected from the group consisting of a cytotoxic agent, a drug, a radioactive isotope, an immunomodulator, and a tracer.
[0144] In some embodiments, a functional molecule that may be conjugated to the antibody as the cytotoxic agent includes but is not limited to ricin, abrin, alpha toxin, saponetin, RNase, DNase I, Staphylococcal enterotoxin-A, gelonin, diphtheriatoxin, pseudomonas exotoxin, pseudomonas endotoxin, etc.
[0145] In some embodiments, a functional molecule that may be conjugated to the antibody as the drug includes but is not limited to an antimetabolite such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) , methotrexate, or 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) ; an alkylating agent such as mechlorethamine, carmustine (BCNU) , or cisplatin (PDD) ; an anthracycline such as daunorubicin, epirubicin, or aclarubicin; an antibiotic such as dactinomycin, bleomycin, or mithramycin; a demethylating agent such as azacitidine or decitabine; a mitotic inhibitor such as vinorelbine, vinblastine, or vincristine; etc.
[0146] In some embodiments, a functional molecule that may be conjugated to the antibody as the radioactive isotope includes but is not limited to 3H, 11C, 13N, 14C, 15N, 15O, 35S, 18F, 32P, 33P, 47Sc, 51Cr, 57Co, 58Co, 59Fe, 62Cu, 64Cu, 67Cu, 67Ga, 68Ga, 75Se, 76Br, 77Br, 86Y, 89Zr, 90Y, 94Tc, 95Ru, 97Ru, 99Tc, 103Ru, 105Rh, 105Ru, 107Hg, 109Pd, 111Ag, 111In, 113In, 121Te, 122Te, 123I, 124I, 125I, 125Te, 126L, 131I, 131In, 133I, 142Pr, 143Pr, 153Pb, 153Sm, 161Tb, 165Tm, 166Dy, 166H, 167Tm, 168Tm, 169Yb, 177Lu, 186Re, 188Re, 189Re, 197Pt, 198Au, 199Au, 201Tl, 203Hg, 211At, 212Bi, 212Pb, 213Bi, 223Ra, 224Ac, 225Ac, etc.
[0147] In some embodiments, a functional molecule that may be conjugated to the antibody as the immunomodulator includes but is not limited to cytokine, a stem cell growth factor, lymphotoxin, a hematopoietic factor, a colony-stimulating factor (CSF) , interferon (IFN) , erythropoietin, or thrombopoietin, etc.
[0148] In some embodiments, a functional molecule that may be conjugated to the antibody as the tracer includes but is not limited to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) , 5-carboxyfluorescein (5-FAM) , rhodamine, carboxyfluorescein, Texas Red, Alexa Fluor series dyes (e.g., Alexa Fluor 488) , carboxytetramethylrhodamine (TAMRA) , horseradish peroxidase (HRP) , alkaline phosphatase (AP) , etc.
[0149] Techniques for preparing the immunoconjugate should be known to those skilled in the art. For example, the antibody and the reagent (or the functional molecule) may be directly or indirectly connected via a linker with an appropriate length, and the connection may be achieved through chemical crosslinking or genetic engineering fusion expression to obtain the immunoconjugate.
[0150] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a pharmaceutical composition that includes the antibody or the immunoconjugate provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure as an active ingredient.
[0151] In some embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition may also include a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The carrier includes, but is not limited to, an aqueous medium, such as saline, sterile water for injection, and Ringer's injection; a non-aqueous medium, such as oil derived from petroleum (e.g., mineral oil) and vegetable oil (e.g., corn oil, peanut oil, etc. ) ; an antimicrobial agent; an isotonic agent, such as sodium chloride and glucose; a buffering agent, such as phosphate-buffered saline and carbonate-buffered saline; an antioxidant, such as sodium bisulfite and sodium citrate; a suspending agent, such as carboxymethyl cellulose sodium and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; a chelating agent, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and ethylene glycol-bis (β-aminoethyl ether) -N, N, N′, N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) ; a diluent, such as starch, dextrin, and mannitol; a solubilizer, such as polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) ; a binder, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone and copolyvinylpyrrolidone; a disintegrating agent, such as sodium carboxymethyl starch and sodium alginate; an emulsifier, such as polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate and polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymer; a flavoring agent, such as glucose syrup and trehalose; and a preservative, such as benzoic acid and sodium benzoate; etc.
[0152] In some embodiments, a dosage form of the pharmaceutical composition may be selected as needed and includes, but is not limited to, a tablet, a capsule, a powder, a granule, an ointment, a solution, a suppository, an enema, an injection, an inhalant, or an aerosol, etc.
[0153] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a kit. The reagent kit includes the antibody, the isolated nucleic acid, the vector, the isolated host cell, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, use of the reagent kit may be for: (a) treating or improving a disease, especially a disease associated with GPRC5D; (b) diagnosing the diseases, especially the disease associated with GPRC5D; or (c) detecting an antigen.
[0154] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide use of the antibody, the isolated nucleic acid, the vector, the isolated host cells, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure as a drug. The drug is used to treat or improve a disease associated with GPRC5D expression.
[0155] In some embodiments, the drug is used to treat or improve a tumor or a cancer associated with GPRC5D expression. The tumor or the cancer associated with GPRC5D expression includes at least a blood tumor and a lung tumor. In some preferred embodiments, the drug is used to treat or improve the blood tumor. The blood tumor includes but is not limited to acute, chronic, lymphoblastic, and / or myeloid leukemia, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) , etc.; lymphoma, such as Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) , etc.; and myeloma, such as multiple myeloma (MM) and refractory myeloma, etc. In some more preferred embodiments, the drug is used to treat or improve MM.
[0156] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide use of the antibody, the isolated nucleic acid, the vector, the isolated host cell, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure for the treatment or improvement of a disease, which is associated with GPRC5D expression.
[0157] In some embodiments, the disease is a tumor or a cancer associated with GPRC5D expression. The tumor or the cancer associated with GPRC5D expression includes at least a blood tumor and a lung tumor. In some preferred embodiments, the disease is the blood tumor. In some more preferred embodiments, the disease is MM.
[0158] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a method for treating or improving a disease in a subject. The method includes administering a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody, the isolated nucleic acid, the vector, the isolated host cells, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure to the subject.
[0159] In some embodiments, the disease in the subject is a tumor or a cancer associated with GPRC5D expression. The tumor or the cancer associated with GPRC5D expression includes at least a blood tumor and a lung tumor. In some preferred embodiments, the disease is the blood tumor. In some more preferred embodiments, the disease is MM.
[0160] In some embodiments, the method further includes administering a second therapeutic agent to the subject. For example, the second therapeutic agent may be the cytotoxic agent, the drug, or the immunomodulatory agent.
[0161] More information about the cytotoxic agent, the drug, and the immunomodulatory agent may be found in other parts of the present disclosure.
[0162] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a method for inhibiting growth or proliferation of a tumor cell in a subject. The method includes administering a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody, the isolated nucleic acid, the vector, the isolated host cells, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure to the subject. In some embodiments, under an in vivo and / or an in vitro condition, the antibody, the isolated nucleic acid, the vector, the isolated host cells, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition induces activation of a T cell expressing CD3 on a cell surface and directs the T cell to act on the tumor cell expressing GPRC5D on the cell surface.
[0163] In some embodiments, the tumor cell is a blood tumor cell. In some preferred embodiments, the tumor cell is a multiple myeloma cell.
[0164] The experimental techniques in the following examples, unless otherwise specified, are conventional techniques. The test materials used in the following examples, unless otherwise specified, are obtained from standard biochemical reagent companies. Quantitative assays in the following examples are performed with three replicate experiments, and the results are averaged.
[0165] Examples
[0166] Example 1. Preparation of human GPRC5D antigen
[0167] In this example, a nucleic acid sequence encoding human GPRC5D protein fused with a FLAG-tag was obtained. This sequence was then inserted into the plasmid pcDNA3.4 and transiently overexpressed in HEK293 cells (Invitrogen) . The human GPRC5D antigen was purified from the expression product using detergent and stabilized by adding lipids.
[0168] In the human GPRC5D antigen, the human GPRC5D protein is fused to the FLAG-tag via a linker. The peptide sequences of the human GPRC5D protein, FLAG-tag and linker are shown below.
[0169] Human GPRC5D protein: MYKDCIESTGDYFLLCDAEGPWGIILESLAILGIVVTILLLLAFLFLMRKIQDCSQWNVLPTQLLFLLSVLGLFGLAFAFIIELNQQTAPVRYFLFGVLFALCFSCLLAHASNLVKLVRGCVSFSWTTILCIAIGCSLLQIIIATEYVTLIMTRGMMFVNMTPCQLNVDFVVLLVYVLFLMALTFFVSKAT FCGPCENWKQHGRLIFITVLFSIIIWVVWISMLLRGNPQFQRQPQWDDPVVCIALVTNAWVFLLLYIVPELCILYRSCRQECPLQGNACPVTAYQHSFQVENQELSRARDSDGAEEDVALTSYGTPIQPQTVDPTQECFIPQAKLSPQQDAGGV (SEQ ID NO: 1) .
[0170] FLAG-tag: DYKDDDDKDYKDDDDKDYKDDDDK (SEQ ID NO: 2) .
[0171] Linker: GGGGS (SEQ ID NO: 3) .
[0172] Various methods can be used for GPRC5D antigen preparation is; see, for example, in Daopeng Yuan, Zhongmin Liu, Jonas Kaindl, Shoji Maeda, Jiawei Zhao, Xiaoou Sun, Jun Xu, Peter Gmeiner, Hong-Wei Wang, Brian K. Kobilka. Activation of the 2B adrenergic receptor by the sedative sympatholytic dexmedetomidine. Nature chemical biology (2020) (https: / / doi. org / 10.1038 / s41589-020-0492-2) .
[0173] Example 2. construction of CHOK1-GPRC5D stabilized cell lines
[0174] The CHOK1-GPRC5D stable cell line was established following standard procedures in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions (Invitrogen, 11668-019) . In brief, the plasmid pcDNA3.4, which carried nucleic acid sequences of GPRC5D proteins from different animal species (including human, monkey, and mouse) , was incubated with Lipofectamine 2000 for 20 minutes, respectively. CHOK1 cells, with 70%to 90%confluence, were added to plasmid DNA-lipid complexes and incubated for 2 days. The stably transfected cells were subsequently diluted and distributed into 96-well plates. Cell lines derived from single-cell proliferation, suitable for use as CHOK1-GPRC5D stabilized cell lines, were identified using FACS.
[0175] The peptide sequences of monkey GPRC5D protein and mouse GPRC5D protein are shown below.
[0176] Monkey GPRC5D protein: MYKDCIESTGDYFLPCDSEGPWGIILESLAILGIVVTILLLLAFLFLMRKIQDCSQWNVLPTQLLFLLSVLGLFGLAFAFIIQLNQQTAPVRYFLFGVLFALCFSCLLAHASNLVKLVRGRVSFSWTTILCIAIGCSLLQVIIAIEYVTLIMTRGMMFVHMTPYQLNVDFVVLLVYVLFLMALTFFVSKATFCGPCENWKQHGRLIFITVLFSIIIWVVWISMLLRGNPQFQRQPQWDDPVVCIALVTNAWVFLLLYIVPELCILYRSCRQECPSQGHACPVTAYQRSFQVENQELSRARDSDGAEEDVALTSFGTPIQPQTVDPTQECFIPRAKLSPQQDAGV (SEQ ID NO: 4) .
[0177] Mouse GPRC5D protein: MYEDCVKSTEDYYLFCDNEGPWAIVLESLAVIGIVVTILLLLAFLFLMRKVQDCSQWNVLPTQFLFLLAVLGLFGLTFAFIIQLNHQTAPVRYFLFGVLFAICFSCLLAHASNLVKLVRGRVSFCWTTILFIAIGVSLLQTIIAIEYVTLIMTRGLMFEHMTPYQLNVDFVCLLIYVLFLMALTFFVSKATFCGPCENWKQHGRLIFATVLVSIIIWVVWISMLLRGNPQLQRQPHWDDAVICIGLVTNAWVFLLIYIIPELSILYRSCRQECPTQGNVCQVPVYQRSFRMDTQEPTRARDSDGAQEDVALTAYGTPIQLQSADPSREYLIPSATLSPQQDAGL (SEQ ID NO: 5) .
[0178] Example 3. construction of anti-GPRC5D nanobodies
[0179] In this example, three anti-GPRC5D nanobodies were constructed in the form shown in FIG. 1A. Each anti-GPRC5D antibody included a monomeric VHH fragment (1E8, 1D9, or 1G7) that binds GPRC5D, and an IgG-Fc fragment fused to the monomeric VHH fragment via a linker (SEQ ID NO: 3) . The three anti-GPRC5D antibodies contained different monomeric VHH fragments and were designated as 1E8-IgG-Fc, 1D9-IgG-Fc and 1G7-IgG-Fc, respectively.
[0180] Briefly, the nucleic acid sequence encoding the anti-GPRC5D nanobody was incorporated into plasmid pcDNA3.4. The incorporated plasmids were used to transfect HEK293 cells. Nanobodies expressed by the transfected cells were purified and isolated from the cell culture supernatant using protein A resin.
[0181] The polypeptide sequences of the anti-GPRC5D nanobodies 1E8-IgG-Fc, 1D9-IgG-Fc, and 1G7-IgG-Fc are shown below. The underlined portion illustrates the sequences corresponding to VHH fragments, and the double-underlined portion illustrates the sequences corresponding to CDR regions.
[0182] 1E8-IgG-Fc: DVQLQESGGGLVQAGGSLRLSCAASGRAFSNYAMGWFRQAPGKEREFVAEASWSGRSTRYADSVKGRFTISRDNAKNTGYLQMSNLKPEDTAVYYCATSRTVVIGPGAKYDYWGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 6) .
[0183] 1D9-IgG-Fc: QVQLVESGGGSVQAGGSLRLSCAASERTFSNYAMGWFRQAPGKEREFVAAIAWSGEITNYADSVKGRFTVSRDIDKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYCAGVRYRNYRTTRPTDFGSWGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 7) .
[0184] 1G7-IgG-Fc: EVQLVESGGGLAQPGGSLRLSCAASGIISSAYIMGWYRQAPGKQRELVATINGGRLNYADSVKGRFTISSDNAKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYCYAQRTNAYWGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 8) .
[0185] Example 4. affinity assay for anti-GPRC5D nanobodies
[0186] In this example, the binding affinity of the three anti-GPRC5D nanobodies to the human GPRC5D antigen was tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) . Briefly, the human GPRC5D antigen was bound to a high binding 96-well plate (Corning, Catalog No. 9018) and then blocked with BSA. The anti-GPRC5D nanobodies were diluted at a certain ratio and incubated with the antigen on the 96-well plate. The HRP-conjugated secondary antibody (SouthBiotech, Catalog No. 9200-05) was then added to the 96-well plate to reflect the binding of the nanobodies to the antigen.
[0187] The binding curves of the nanobodies 1E8-IgG-Fc, 1D9-IgG-Fc and 1G7-IgG-Fc to purified human GPRC5D antigen are shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, respectively. This binding curve is obtained by measuring the absorbance of the experimental wells at 450 nm wavelength, which reflects the concentration-dependent binding of the antibodies to the antigen.
[0188] In this example, the binding affinity (EC50) of the three anti-GPRC5D nanobodies to the CHOK1-GPRC5D (monkey) stable cell line and the CHOK1-GPRC5D (mouse) stable cell line was also detected using FACS, and the results are shown in Table 1.
[0189] Table1
[0190] Example 5. Construction of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies
[0191] In this example, three GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies were constructed in the format depicted in FIG. 1B. Each bispecific antibody consisted of an anti-GPRC5D arm and an anti-CD3 arm. The anti-GPRC5D arm was comprised of a heavy chain fused with an IgG-Fc fragment and a VHH tandem fragment, where the VHH tandem fragment consisted of two identical monomeric VHH fragments (1E8, 1D9, or 1G7) . The anti-CD3 arm was derived from an anti-CD3 antibody and consisted of both a heavy chain and a light chain.
[0192] Depending on the VHH fragment included, the anti-GPRC5D arms of the three GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies were designated as 1E8-1E8 heavy chain, 1D9-1D9 heavy chain, and 1G7-1G7 heavy chain, respectively. The three GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies were designated as 1E8-CD3, 1D9-CD3, and 1G7-CD3, respectively.
[0193] In brief, the nucleic acid sequences encoding the anti-GPRC5D arm and anti-CD3 arm were incorporated into plasmid pcDNA3.4. The incorporated plasmid was then used to transfect HEK293 cells. Bispecific antibodies expressed by transfected cells were purified and isolated from the culture supernatant by using protein A resin.
[0194] The polypeptide sequences of the HC and LC of the anti-CD3 arm, as well as the polypeptide sequences of the 1E8-1E8 heavy chain, 1D9-1D9 heavy chain, and 1G7-1G7 heavy chain of the anti-GPRC5D arm are shown below. The underlined portion illustrates the sequences corresponding to VHH fragments, and the double-underlined portion illustrates the sequences corresponding to CDR regions.
[0195] CD3 heavy chain: EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAASGFTFNTYAMNWVRQAPGKGLEWVARIRSKYNNYATYYAASVKGRFTISRDDSKNSLYLQMNSLKTEDTAVYYCARHGNFGNSYVSWFAYWGQGTLVTVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPCSRSTSESTAALGCLVKDYFPEPVTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTKTYTCNVDHKPSNTKVDKRVESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLSCAVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLVSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK(SEQ ID NO: 9) .
[0196] CD3 light chain: QTVVTQEPSLTVSPGGTVTLTCRSSTGAVTTSNYANWVQQKPGQAPRGLIGGTNKRAPGTPARFSGSLLGGKAALTLSGVQPEDEAEYYCALWYSNLWVFGGGTKLTVLGQPKAAPSVTLFPPSSEELQANKATLVCLISDFYPGAVTVAWKADSSPVKAGVETTTPSKQSNNKYAASSYLSLTPE QWKSHRSYSCQVTHEGSTVEKTVAPTECS (SEQ ID NO: 10) .
[0197] 1E8-1E8 heavy chain: DVQLQESGGGLVQAGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKEREFVAE RYADSVKGRFTISRDNAKNTGYLQMSNLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSDVQLQESGGGLVQAGGSLRLSCAASGRAFSNYAMGWFRQAPGKEREFVAE RYADSVKGRFTISRDNAKNTGYLQMSNLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 11) .
[0198] 1D9-1D9 heavy chain: QVQLVESGGGSVQAGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKEREFVAA NYADSVKGRFTVSRDIDKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSQVQLVESGGGSVQAGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKEREFVAA NYADSVKGRFTVSRDIDKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 12) .
[0199] 1G7-1G7 heavy chain: EVQLVESGGGLAQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWYRQAPGKQRELVAT NYADSVKGRFTISSDNAKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSEVQLVESGGGLAQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWYRQAPGKQRELVAT NYADSVKGRFTISSDNAKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 13) .
[0200] Example 6. affinity assay for GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies
[0201] In this example, the binding affinity of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies for binding to tumor cell lines (MM1R and H929, which endogenously express GPRC5D) was evaluated by using FACS. The GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies evaluated included the three GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies (1E8-CD3, 1D9-CD3, and 1G7-CD3) of Example 5, and also included the commercially available GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibody, Talquetamab (MedChemExpress, Catalog No. HY-P99394) .
[0202] Specifically, MM1R and H929 were loaded into cell culture plates. MM1R were loaded in an amount of 2×106 cells / well. H929 were loaded in an amount of 4×106 cells / well. The GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies were subjected to 3-fold serial dilution. The GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies were added to the corresponding sample wells of the cell culture plates to serve as an experimental group. After mixing, the antibodies of the experimental group were incubated with cancer cells at 4℃. Ultra- LEAFTM purified human IgG4 isotype control recombinant antibody (BioLegend, Catalog No. 403702) was used for incubation with cancer cells to serve as IgG4 isotype control. After 1 hour of incubation, the cells were separated by centrifugation and the supernatant was discarded. The separated cells were washed three times with 2%FBS-PBS. Then, the cells were separated by centrifugation at 1500 rpm for 5 minutes and resuspended with 2%FBS-PBS.
[0203] Mouse anti-human IgG4 Fc-AF647 secondary antibody (SouthBiotech, Catalog No. 9200-31) was added to the experimental group, IgG4 isotype control group, and IgG4-Fc-AF647 secondary antibody control group. These groups were then incubated in the dark on ice for 30 minutes. At the end of the incubation, cell pellets were rinsed three times with 2%FBS-PBS. Subsequently, the cells were resuspended by adding 300 μL of Flow Cytometry Staining Buffer (BD FACSVerse, Catalog No. R651154000030) and analyzed using FACSArray and FlowJo 7.6 for detection. The assay data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism, and the data points were fitted with the log (agonist) versus response --Variable slope (four parameters) equation. The parameters of Top, Bottom, Hill Slope, and IC50 can be derived from the fit.
[0204] The binding curves of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies to the H929 tumor cell line are shown in FIG. 3A. The binding curves of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies against the MM1R tumor cell line are shown in FIG. 3B. From FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, it can be observed that the binding affinity of Example 5's GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies, 1E8-CD3, 1D9-CD3, and 1G7-CD3, to the GPRC5D antigen on the surface of cancer cells is significantly higher than that of Talquetamab.
[0205] Example 7. T-cell-dependent cytotoxicity assay of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies
[0206] In this example, multiple myeloma cells (MM1R) were used as target cells to assess the functionality of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies in an in vitro T-cell-dependent cytotoxicity assay. This example was performed using the CytoTox Non-Radioactive Cytotoxicity Assay Kit (Promega, Catalog No. G1780) .
[0207] Specifically, MM1R were cultured in RPMI-1640 culture medium containing 10%FBS. When the cell confluence reached about 80%, the cells were washed with DPBS, digested with trypsin-EDTA, and then the digestion was stopped by adding culture medium. The digest was centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 3 minutes. The supernatant in the centrifuged solution was discarded and the retained cell pellets were resuspended using culture medium. Count the cells in the cell suspension, and then dilute the cell suspension to a concentration of 3×105 cells / mL.
[0208] Expanded pan-T cells were thawed in a 37℃ water bath and then cultured in RPMI-1640 culture medium, 10%FBS, and 20 U / mL IL-2 at 37℃ with 5%CO2. After 24 h of culture, pan-T cells were collected and centrifuged at 300 g for 5 minutes. The supernatant in the centrifugation solution was discarded and the retained cell mass was resuspended in RPMI-1640 culture medium (10%FBS) at a ratio of 3×105 cells / mL. 3×104 target cells and 3×104 effector cells (at a 1: 1 ratio of effector to target cells) were added to each experimental well of a 96-well round-bottom plate for the culture.
[0209] GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies were added to each experimental well containing a mixture of target and effector cells at a 4-fold serial dilution. In this example, several control reactions can be prepared as follows.
[0210] (a) Culture medium background control: RPMI-1640 culture medium is added to the 96-well plate.
[0211] (b) Volume correction control: RPMI-1640 culture medium is added to the 96-well plate.
[0212] (c) Target cell spontaneous control: 3×104 target cells were added to the 96-well plate. The final volume of target cell spontaneous control wells must be the same as that of the experimental wells containing target cells and effector cells. Volume adjustment of target cell spontaneous control wells was done using RPMI-1640 culture medium.
[0213] (d) Target cell maximum control: 3×104 target cells are added to the 96-well plate. The final volume of the target cell maximum control wells must be the same as that of the experimental wells. Volume adjustment of the target cell maximum control wells was done using RPMI-1640 culture medium.
[0214] (e) Effector cell spontaneous control: 3×104 effector cells are added to the 96-well plate. The final volume of the effector cell spontaneous control wells must be the same as that of the experimental wells. Volume adjustment of the effector cell spontaneous control wells was done using RPMI-1640 culture medium.
[0215] The assay plate was centrifuged at 250 g for 4 minutes to ensure that the effector cells were in contact with the target cells. After centrifugation, the assay plate was incubated at 37℃ and 5%CO2 for 24 hours. Lysate from the kit was added to the volume-corrected control wells and target cell maximum control wells 45 minutes before harvesting the supernatant. After 24 hours of incubation, the assay plate was centrifuged at 250g for 4 minutes. 50μL of supernatant from all wells of the assay plate was transferred to a new 96-well flat-bottom plate. Add 50μL of CytoTox Reagent from the kit to each well of the flat-bottom plate. The flat-bottom plate was incubated at room temperature in the dark for 30 minutes, with light avoidance achieved by covering the plate with tin foil. After the incubation, 50 μL of stop solution was added to each well of the flat-bottomed plate. Any large air bubbles (if present) in each well of the flat-bottomed plate were punctured with a syringe needle within 1 hour after the addition of the stop solution, and then the absorbance of each well was measured at 490 nm using a BioTek reader.
[0216] Subtract the average absorbance value for the culture medium background group from all absorbance values obtained for the experimental wells, the target cell spontaneous control group, and the effector cell spontaneous control group. Also, subtract the average absorbance value of the volume-corrected control group from the absorbance values of the target cell maximum control group. The percentage cytotoxicity for each experimental well was calculated using the following formula: percentage cytotoxicity = (experimental -effector cell spontaneous -target cell spontaneous) / (target cell maximum -target cell spontaneous well) *100. The data from the assay were analyzed using GraphPad Prism, and the data points were fitted with the log (agonist) versus response --Variable slope (four parameters) equation. The parameters of Top, Bottom, Hill Slope, and IC50 can be derived from the fit.
[0217] The results of the T-cell-dependent cytotoxicity assay of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies are shown in FIG. 4. It can be observed that, compared to Talquetamab, the T cell-dependent cytotoxicity of GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibodies 1E8-CD3, 1D9-CD3, and 1G7-CD3 against the target cells is significantly enhanced.
[0218] Example 8. construction of humanized bispecific antibodies
[0219] In this example, humanization was performed on the bispecific antibodies (1E8-CD3, 1D9-CD3, and 1G7-CD3) of Example 4, particularly on their anti-GPRC5D arm, and more specifically on their VHH segments, based on the human germline VH sequences and structures downloaded from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) . The structural analysis of humanized peptides was conducted using Pymol software. The information on the amino acid residues associated with the humanized modifications is listed in Table 2.
[0220] Table 2
[0221] On one hand, in this example, humanization modifications were conducted on the VHH fragment 1E8 of the 1E8-1E8 heavy chain (the anti-GPRC5D arm of 1E8-CD3) , resulting in the construction of hu1E8bs1 heavy chain (SEQ ID NO: 14) and hu1E8bs2 heavy chain (SEQ ID NO: 15) . On the other hand, humanization modifications were conducted out on the VHH fragment 1D9 of the 1D9-1D9 heavy chain (the anti-GPRC5D arm of 1D9-CD3) , resulting in the construction of hu1D9bs1 heavy chain (SEQ ID NO: 16) and hu1D9bs2 heavy chain (SEQ ID NO: 17) . Additionally, humanization modifications were conducted on the VHH fragment 1G7 of the 1G7-1G7 heavy chain (the anti-GPRC5D arm of 1G7-CD3) , resulting in the construction of hu1G7bs1 heavy chain (SEQ ID NO: 18) and hu1G7bs2 heavy chain (SEQ ID NO: 19) .
[0222] By fusing the above-mentioned humanized anti-GPRC5D arm with the anti-CD3 arm (see Example 3) , this example has constructed humanized bispecific antibodies as shown in FIG. 1 B, including hu1E8bs1, hu1E8bs2, hu1D9bs1, hu1D9bs2, hu1G7bs1, and hu1G7bs2. Briefly, nucleic acid sequences encoding the humanized anti-GPRC5D arm and anti-CD3 arm were incorporated into plasmid pcDNA3.4. The incorporated plasmid was used to transfect HEK293 cells. Antibodies expressed by transfected cells were purified with protein A resin and then analyzed using HPLC-SEC and SDS-PAGE.
[0223] The polypeptide sequences of the humanized anti-GPRC5D arms of this example are shown below. The underlined portion illustrates the sequences corresponding to VHH fragments, and the double-underlined portion illustrates the sequences corresponding to CDR regions.
[0224] hu1E8bs1 heavy chain: EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKGREFVAE RYADSVKGRFTISRDNAKNTGYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSEVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKGREFVAE RYADSVKGRFTISRDNAKNTGYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 14) .
[0225] hu1E8bs2 heavy chain: EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKGREFVAE RYADSVKGRFTISRDNAKNTGYLQMNSLKTEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSEVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKGREFVAE RYADSVKGRFTISRDNAKNTGYLQMNSLKTEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 15) .
[0226] hu1D9bs1 heavy chain: EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKGREFVAA NYADSVKGRFTVSRDIAKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSEVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKGREFVAA NYADSVKGRFTVSRDIAKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 16) .
[0227] hu1D9bs2 heavy chain: EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKGREFVAA NYADSVKGRFTVSRDIAKNTVYLQMNSLKTEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSEVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWFRQAPGKGREFVAA NYADSVKGRFTVSRDIAKNTVYLQMNSLKTEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 17) .
[0228] Hu1G7bs1 heavy chain: EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWYRQAPGKGRELVAT NYADSVKGRFTISSDNAKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSEVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWYRQAPGKGRELVAT NYADSVKGRFTISSDNAKNTVYLQMNSLKPEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 18) .
[0229] Hu1G7bs2 heavy chain: EVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWYRQAPGKGRELVAT NYADSVKGRFTISSDNAKNTVYLQMNSLKTEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSEVQLVESGGGLVQPGGSLRLSCAAS MGWYRQAPGKGRELVAT NYADSVKGRFTISSDNAKNTVYLQMNSLKTEDTAVYYC WGQGTQVTVSSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSGGGGSESKYGPPCPPCPAPEFLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSQEDPEVQFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQFNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKGLPSSIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSQEEMTKNQVSLWCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSRLTVDKSRWQEGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSLGK (SEQ ID NO: 19) .
[0230] Example 9. affinity assay for humanized bispecific antibodies
[0231] In this example, the binding affinity of the humanized bispecific antibodies of Example 8 (hu1E8bs1, hu1E8bs2, hu1D9bs1, hu1D9bs2, hu1G7bs1, and hu1G7bs2) for binding tumor cell lines was evaluated by using FACS. The tumor cell lines used included multiple myeloma cell lines.
[0232] Briefly, CHOK1-C5D (also known as CHOK1-GPRC5D) , NCl-H929, and MM1R cells were counted and assessed for viability. Cells were resuspended in 2%FBS-PBS at a concentration of 2×106 cells / mL and pipetted into 96-well V-bottom plates at 2×105 cells per well. Antibodies were serially diluted 4-fold with 2%FBS-PBS to obtain antibody dilutions with final concentrations ranging from 0.0078125 to 128 nM. Cells were incubated with serial concentrations of antibodies in a 96-well plate for 30 minutes at 4℃.The 96-well plate was then centrifuged. The supernatant in the centrifuged solution was discarded. The retained cells were washed three times with PBS and then stained with mouse anti-human IgG4 Fc-AF647 antibody (SouthBiotech, 9200-31) for 30 minutes at 4 ℃. After staining, cells were washed three times, resuspended in PBS, and analyzed by a BD flow cytometry. The mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of each sample was calculated using FlowJo (V10.8.1) software. Binding curves were fitted and EC50 values were calculated using GraphPad-Prism 9.2.0.
[0233] Concentration-dependent binding of humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1E8bs1 and hu1E8bs2) to the CHOK1-C5D overexpression cell line was able to be reflected in FIG. 5A. It can be observed that bispecific antibody 1E8bs (also known as 1E8-CD3) , as well as humanized bispecific antibodies hu1E8bs1 and hu1E8bs2, exhibit superior binding affinity for CHOK1-C5D cells compared to Talquetamab.
[0234] Concentration-dependent binding of humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1D9bs1 and hu1D9bs2) to the CHOK1-C5D overexpression cell line was able to be reflected in FIG. 5B. It can be observed that bispecific antibody 1D9bs (also known as 1D9-CD3) , as well as humanized bispecific antibodies hu1D9bs1 and hu1D9bs2, exhibit strong binding affinity for CHOK1-C5D cells, especially hu1D9bs2 and 1D9bs.
[0235] Concentration-dependent binding of humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1G7bs1 and hu1G7bs2) to the CHOK1-C5D overexpression cell line was able to be reflected in FIG. 5C. It can be observed that bispecific antibody 1G7bs (also known as 1G7-CD3) , as well as humanized bispecific antibodies hu1G7bs1 and hu1G7bs2, exhibit superior binding affinity for CHOK1-C5D cells compared to Talquetamab.
[0236] Binding curve of humanized bispecific antibody hu1D9bs2 to the H929 tumor cell line is shown in FIG. 6A. Binding curve of humanized bispecific antibody hu1G7bs2 to the H929 tumor cell line is shown in FIG. 6B. Binding curve of humanized bispecific antibody hu1D9bs2 to the MM1R tumor cell line is shown in FIG. 6C. Binding curve of humanized bispecific antibody hu1G7bs2 to the MM1R tumor cell line is shown in FIG. 6D. It can be observed that humanized bispecific antibodies hu1D9bs2 and hu1G7bs2 exhibit strong binding affinity for binding both the H929 tumor cell line and the MM1R tumor cell line.
[0237] Example 10. T-cell-dependent cytotoxicity assay of humanized bispecific antibodies
[0238] In this example, multiple myeloma cells (H929) were used as target cells to assess the functionality of the humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1D9bs2 and hu1G7bs2) in an in vitro T-cell-dependent cytotoxicity assay. An antibody purchased from AntibodySystem (Cat: DHK07702) was similarly assessed and used as control, and the data associated with this antibody is marked as “Roche” in FIG. 7.
[0239] Briefly, 4×104 pan-T cells and 2×104 NCl-H929-luc cells (at a 2: 1 ratio of effector to target cells) were added to each experimental well of a 96-well plate for culture. Humanized bispecific antibodies were added to each experimental well containing a mixture of target and effector cells at a 3-fold serial dilution, and the final concentration of antibodies ranged from 0.00512 to 10 nM. The 96-well plates were incubated at 37℃ with 5%CO2 for 48 hours. After incubation, the cells in the culture were mixed. 50μL of the culture in all wells of the 96-well plate was transferred to a white 96-well plate. Then, 50μL of substrate (Promega, Catalog No. E6120) was added to each well of the white 96-well plate, and the white 96-well plate was placed on a shaker and incubated for 10minutes. The absorbance of each well in the white 96-well plate was measured using a BioTeck reader, and the assay data were analyzed using GraphPad-Prism.
[0240] The results of the T-cell-dependent cytotoxicity assay of humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1D9bs2 and hu1G7bs2) are shown in FIG. 7. It can be seen that the humanized bispecific antibodies hu1D9bs2 and hu1G7bs2 exhibit strong T-cell-dependent cytotoxicity against target cells.
[0241] Example 11. Pharmacokinetic (PK) assay of humanized bispecific antibodies
[0242] In this example, PK assays were performed on the humanized bispecific antibodies (hu1D9bs2 and hu1G7bs2) to reflect the changes of the antibodies in individuals' bodies.
[0243] Briefly, antibodies were administered via intravenous injection at a dosage of 10 mg / kg. The individuals' blood samples were collected at various time points as described below after dosing: 0.083 hours, 1 hour, 6 hours, 24 hours (day 1) , 48 hours (day 2) , 96 hours (day 4) , 168 hours (day 7) , 336 hours (day 14) , 504 hours (day 21) , and 672 hours (day 28) . In this example, ELISA was used to measure the concentration of humanized bispecific antibodies in serum.
[0244] The relationship between dosing time and the concentration of humanized bispecific antibody hu1G7bs2 in the serum can be reflected in FIG. 8A. The relationship between dosing time and the concentration of humanized bispecific antibody hu1D9bs2 in the serum can be reflected in FIG. 8B. It can be observed that, for a certain period after dosing (e.g., at least within 28 days) , the individual serum antibody concentration and the average serum antibody concentration both remain stable at a relatively high level. Among them, 101, 102, 103 represent three different C57BL / 6J mice; 201, 202, 203 represent three different C57BL / 6J mice.
[0245] The basic concepts have been described above, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing detailed disclosure is intended as an example only and does not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. Although not expressly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and amendments to the present disclosure. Such modifications, improvements, and amendments are suggested in the present disclosure, so such modifications, improvements, and amendments remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0246] At the same time, specific terms are employed to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure. Terms e.g., "an embodiment, " "one embodiment, " and / or "some embodiments" are intended to refer to one or more features, structures, or features associated with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, it should be emphasized and noted that the terms "an embodiment, " "one embodiment, " or "an alternative embodiment, " mentioned at different locations in the present disclosure two or more times, do not necessarily refer to a same embodiment. Additionally, certain features, structures, or features of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be appropriately combined.
[0247] Some embodiments use numbers to describe the number of components, and attributes, and it should be understood that such numbers used in the description of the embodiments are modified in some examples by the modifiers "about" , "approximately" , or "generally" . Unless otherwise stated,
[0248] "about" , "approximately" or "generally" indicates that a variation of ± 20%is permitted. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the present disclosure and claims are approximations, which may change depending on the desired features of the individual embodiment. In some embodiments, the numeric parameters should be considered with the specified signifimayt figures and be rounded to a general number of decimal places. Although the numerical domains and parameters configured to confirm the breadth of their ranges in some embodiments of the present disclosure are approximations, in specific embodiments such values are set as precisely as possible within the feasible range.
[0249] With respect to each patent, patent application, patent application disclosure, and other material, e.g., articles, books, manuals, publications, documents, etc., cited in the present disclosure, the entire contents thereof are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Application history documents that are inconsistent with or conflict with the contents of the present disclosure are excluded, as are documents (currently or hereafter appended to the present disclosure) that limit the broadest scope of the claims of the present disclosure. It should be noted that in the event of any inconsistency or conflict between the descriptions, definitions, and / or use of terminology in the materials appended to the present disclosure and those described in the present disclosure, the descriptions, definitions, and / or use of terminology in the present disclosure shall prevail.
[0250] In closing, it should be understood that the embodiments described in the present disclosure are intended only to illustrate the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other deformations may also fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, by way of example and not limitation, alternative configurations of embodiments of the present disclosure may be considered consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the embodiments expressly presented and described herein.
Claims
1.An isolated antibody comprising:(a) a first domain that binds to G protein-coupled receptor 5D (GPRC5D) , wherein the first domain includes a single variable domain fragment, which includes a combination of complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) selected from the group consisting of:i. CDR1 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 20, CDR2 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 21, and CDR3 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22, respectively;ii. CDR1 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 23, CDR2 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24, and CDR3 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 25, respectively; andiii. CDR1 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 26, CDR2 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, and CDR3 with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, respectively;and(b) a second domain that binds to cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) .2.The antibody of claim 1, wherein the first domain further includes an immunoglobulin (IgG) Fc region, and the IgG Fc region is fused with the single variable domain fragment, the single variable domain fragment being a VHH (single variable domain on a heavy chain) fragment.3.The antibody of claim 2, wherein the first domain has:(a) an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11;(b) an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12;(c) an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13;(d) an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14;(e) an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15;(f) an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16;(g) an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17;(h) an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18; or(i) an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19 or an amino acid sequence having at least about 90%, 95%, or 99%identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19.4.The antibody of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the second domain includes a heavy chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9 and a light chain with an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10.5.The antibody of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the antibody further comprises a third domain that binds to a third antigen.6.An isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the antibody of any one of claims 1-5.7.A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim 6.8.An isolated host cell that recombines to produce the antibody of any one of claims 1-5.9.Amethod of preparing an antibody, comprising:culturing the host cell of claim 8 under a condition suitable for antibody expression, andisolating the antibody from the host cell or a culture of the host cell.10.An immunoconjugate, wherein the immunoconjugate comprises:(a) the antibody of any one of claims 1-5; and(b) a reagent selected from the group consisting of a cytotoxic agent, a drug, a radioactive isotope, an immunomodulator, and a tracer.11.A pharmaceutical composition, wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises:(a) the antibody of any one of claims 1-5 or the immunoconjugate of claim 10; and(b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.12.Use of the antibody of any one of claims 1-5, the immunoconjugate of claim 10, or the pharmaceutical composition of claim 11 as a drug.13.The use of claim 12, wherein the drug is used for treatment or improvement of a tumor or a cancer associated with GPRC5D expression, preferably, the drug is used for the treatment or improvement of a hematologic tumor, and more preferably, the drug is used for the treatment or improvement of multiple myeloma.14.The use of the antibody of any one of claims 1-5, the immunoconjugate of claim 10, or the pharmaceutical composition of claim 11 for treatment or improvement of a disease.15.The use of claim 14, wherein the disease is a tumor or a cancer associated with GPRC5D expression, preferably, the disease is a hematologic tumor, and more preferably, the disease is multiple myeloma.16.A method for treating or improving a disease in a subject, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody of any one of claims 1-5, the immunoconjugate of claim 10, or the pharmaceutical composition of claim 11 to the subject.17.The method of claim 16, wherein the disease is a tumor or a cancer associated with GPRC5D expression, preferably, the disease is a hematologic tumor, and more preferably, the disease is multiple myeloma.18.A method for inhibiting growth or proliferation of a tumor cell in a subject, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody of any one of claims 1-5, the immunoconjugate of claim 10, or the pharmaceutical composition of claim 11 to the subject.19.The method of claim 18, wherein the antibody, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition induces activation of a T cell expressing CD3 on a cell surface and directs the T cell to act on a tumor cell expressing GPRC5D on the cell surface.20.A kit comprising the antibody of any one of claims 1-5, the nucleic acid of claim 6, the vector of claim 7, the host cell of claim 8, the immunoconjugate of claim 10, or the pharmaceutical composition of claim 11.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Anti- GPRC5d antibodies, bispecific antigen binding molecules that bind GPRC5d and CD3, and uses thereof
US20180037651A1
Trispecific antibody targeting BCMA, GPRC5d, and CD3
US20220267438A1
Anti-GPRC5d×BCMA×CD3 trispecific antibody and use thereof
WO2022174813A1
Antibody and use thereof
WO2023131328A1
Novel Anti-GPRC5d antibodies, bispecific antigen binding molecules that bind GPRC5d and CD3, and uses thereof
WO2023227062A1