Modular Recombinant Antibody Assembly via Cohesin-Dockerin

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing fully functional recombinant monoclonal antibodies (rAbs) complexed with antigens face challenges, particularly with multiple antigen coding regions, leading to poor or null expression due to secretion issues in mammalian cell systems.

Innovation Solution

The use of cohesin-dockerin protein domains and their surrounding linker sequences allows for the controlled assembly of rAb-antigen complexes, enabling efficient secretion and production in mammalian expression systems by leveraging the high affinity and specificity of the cohesin-dockerin interaction, even when multiple antigens are involved.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple antigen coding regions are included in rAb-antigen fusion proteins, then the vaccine can target multiple pathogens or antigens, but the expression and secretion efficiency decreases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemultivalent targeting capabilityVSAvoidexpression and secretion efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the complex rAb-antigen fusion protein into separate components: the rAb is expressed independently, and multiple antigens are expressed separately and then assembled onto the rAb through cohesin-dockerin interactions. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its own expression and secretion, avoiding the secretion problems associated with large multivalent fusion proteins while maintaining the ability to target multiple antigens.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces cohesin-dockerin interaction modules as intermediaries between the rAb and multiple antigens. These modular domains facilitate the assembly of separately expressed rAb and antigen components into functional multivalent complexes, enabling efficient production of each component followed by controlled assembly, thereby resolving the contradiction between multivalent capability and expression efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If rAb-antigen fusion proteins are engineered with multiple antigen coding regions, then the vaccine coverage is expanded, but the secretion from mammalian cell systems fails or is severely reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevaccine coverageVSAvoidsecretion reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the vaccine construct into separate expressible units (rAb and individual antigens) that can each be reliably secreted from mammalian cells, eliminating the secretion failure problem associated with large multivalent fusion proteins while maintaining expanded vaccine coverage through subsequent assembly of the separate components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Cohesin-dockerin modules serve as intermediaries that enable the reliable assembly of separately secreted rAb and antigen components into functional multivalent complexes, ensuring both reliable secretion of individual components and successful formation of the final multivalent vaccine product.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If cohesin-dockerin fusion proteins are produced in mammalian secretion systems, then the high affinity and specificity interaction can be leveraged for controlled assembly, but the secretion of these bacterial protein domains is not previously established

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrolled assembly capabilityVSAvoidsecretion system compatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention adapts bacterial cohesin-dockerin protein domains for expression in eukaryotic mammalian cell systems by optimizing expression conditions and verifying functionality. The cohesin and dockerin domains maintain their high affinity and specificity interactions when produced in mammalian cells, enabling controlled assembly of rAb-antigen complexes while expanding the manufacturing flexibility to use mammalian secretion systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach facilitates the development of novel protein engineering formats and tools for research and clinical applications, including vaccines and cancer therapy, by ensuring the successful expression and secretion of rAb-antigen complexes, overcoming previous limitations in multivalent antibody production.

Implementation Method 1

leveraging the high affinity and specificity of the cohesin-dockerin interaction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectProtein-protein interaction:

Data Source

PatentEP2114985B1Multivariable antigens complexed with targeting humanized monoclonal antibody
Publication Date: 2014.12.17 BAYLOR RESEARCH INSTITUTE
  • EP2114985B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2114985B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4A
  • EP2114985B1 patent drawingFigure 4B~5

AI summary

The present invention includes compositions and methods for designing, making and using modular recombinant antibodies or fragments thereof with one half of a cohesin-dockerin pair that permits the rapid assembly of multivariant antigen conjugates.