Non-blocking PD-1 Antibodies for HIV and Cancer Treatment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for HIV and cancer, such as antiviral therapy and immunotherapy, face challenges in effectively targeting and eliminating latent HIV reservoirs and exhausted tumor-specific CD8 T-cells due to persistent virus replication and regulatory receptor expression, particularly the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway.

Innovation Solution

Development of binding agents, including monoclonal antibodies and antibody drug conjugates, that specifically target PD-1, either as antagonists to restore T-cell function or agonists to modulate immune responses, with combinations of blocking and non-blocking antibodies to enhance immune cell rescue and apoptosis in HIV-infected cells and tumor tissues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If antiviral drugs and immunotherapies are used to treat HIV and cancer, then disease control is achieved, but immune responses are not fully induced and T-cells become exhausted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisease controlVSAvoidT-cell exhaustion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses anti-PD-1 antibodies as intermediaries to block the interaction between PD-1 and PD-L1, preventing the transmission of inhibitory signals from PD-L1 to PD-1 on T-cells. This mediator approach restores T-cell function without directly activating T-cells, thereby controlling disease while avoiding T-cell exhaustion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the binding parameters of PD-1 by introducing humanized antibodies with modified amino acid sequences that specifically bind to PD-1 with high affinity. This parameter change enables selective blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, restoring immune function while maintaining disease control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-generated harmful factors

If blocking antibodies are used to restore T-cell function, then immune response is enhanced, but specificity and selectivity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimmune suppressionVSAvoidbinding specificity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by designing antibodies that target specific epitopes on PD-1 with precise amino acid sequences. The humanized antibodies contain specifically engineered CDR regions that bind to particular sites on PD-1, ensuring localized and specific blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction while maintaining overall T-cell regulation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates humanized copies of antibody sequences that replicate the binding properties of original antibodies while improving specificity. The humanized IgG4 antibodies are engineered copies with optimized amino acid sequences that maintain high affinity for PD-1 while reducing off-target effects

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If combination therapy with blocking and non-blocking antibodies is used, then synergistic effect is achieved, but treatment complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapeutic efficacyVSAvoidtreatment regimen
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the therapeutic approach by separating blocking and non-blocking antibody functions into distinct molecular entities with specific amino acid sequences. This segmentation allows each antibody to perform its specialized function while maintaining overall treatment simplicity through standardized administration protocols

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the functions of blocking and non-blocking antibodies into a coordinated combination therapy regimen. The humanized IgG4 antibodies are designed to work synergistically, with blocking antibodies preventing PD-L1 binding and non-blocking antibodies enhancing T-cell activation, thereby achieving enhanced therapeutic efficacy through functional integration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

These agents effectively rescue exhausted T-cells, enhance proliferation and cytokine production, and induce apoptosis in PD-1 positive HIV-infected cells, potentially leading to sustained viral suppression and tumor control without lifelong antiviral therapy.

Implementation Method 1

humanized antibodies or fragments that specifically bind to human PD-1

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAntibody-antigen binding:

Implementation Method 2

induce apoptosis in PD-1 high CD4 T-cells

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectApoptosis:

Data Source

PatentEP3964529A1Non-blocking PD1 specific antibodies
Publication Date: 2022.03.09 MABQUEST
  • EP3964529A1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP3964529A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3964529A1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

This disclosure relates to binding agents with specificity for programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and to methods for using the same to treat, prevent and / or ameliorate an infectious disease (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)), cancer and / or autoimmunity. In addition, this disclosure identifies a novel binding patch ("P2") on PD-1 that is linked with a previously unidentified functional activity of PD-1 that is distinct from the interaction site involved with either the PD-L1 or PD-L2 ligands. Furthermore, we demonstrate that antibodies that interact with this region of PD-1 are able to act as antagonists of PD-1 and that this antagonism is further enhanced with the addition of antibodies that act through the blockade of the PD-1 / PD-L1/L2 interaction.