Multispecific Antibody Heterodimerization via CH1-CL Charge Engineering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing multispecific antibodies face challenges such as immune responses against linkers, poor stability due to proteolytic cleavage, and high levels of undesired side products, which affect yield and therapeutic efficacy.

Innovation Solution

Development of multispecific antibodies with specific amino acid substitutions in the CH1 and CL domains, such as replacing amino acids at positions 124, 147, and 213, and using VH/VL domain replacement to enhance heterodimerization and reduce Bence-Jones-type side products, thereby improving yield and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If linkers are used to fuse antibody core to binding proteins, then antibody engineering flexibility is improved, but immunogenicity and proteolytic cleavage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveantibody engineering flexibilityVSAvoidimmunogenicity and proteolytic cleavage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes linkers from the antibody structure entirely, using direct fusion of heavy and light chains without intervening linker sequences. This extraction of the harmful linker component eliminates the source of immunogenicity and proteolytic vulnerability while maintaining the multispecific functionality through alternative structural arrangements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates composite antibody structures by fusing heavy and light chains directly to form integrated heterodimeric or heterotetrameric molecules. This composite approach combines different antibody specificities into a single unified structure without requiring external linker components, achieving both structural integrity and functional versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If quadroma technology is used to produce bispecific antibodies, then natural antibody structure is retained, but mispaired byproducts and production yield increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenatural antibody structureVSAvoidproduction yield
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces asymmetric charge distributions at the heavy-light chain interface through specific amino acid substitutions. By creating asymmetric electrostatic interactions (positive charges on one chain paired with negative charges on the other), the design ensures directional and specific pairing between heavy and light chains, preventing mispairing while maintaining natural antibody structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The invention modifies the electrostatic parameters at the heavy-light chain interface by substituting specific amino acids with charged residues. This parameter change creates complementary charge patterns that thermodynamically favor correct heterodimer formation over homodimer or mispaired structures, thereby improving both structural fidelity and production yield.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If knobs-into-holes technology is used to force heavy chain pairing, then heterodimer formation is improved, but light chain identity constraints increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheavy chain pairing specificityVSAvoidlight chain identity constraints
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention copies the successful heterodimerization strategy from the knobs-into-holes approach (which modifies CH3 domains) and applies it to the CH1/CL interface instead. By creating complementary charged residues at this earlier interface, the invention achieves heterodimer specificity without requiring identical light chains, as the charge-based recognition occurs before light chain pairing constraints would apply.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3126395B1Multispecific antibodies
Publication Date: 2019.07.24 F HOFFMANN LA ROCHE & CO AG
  • EP3126395B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3126395B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3126395B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

The present invention relates to multispecific antibodies, their manufacture and use.