Changes in the expression of serum markers CA242, CA199, CA125, CEA, TNF-α and TSGF after cryosurgery in pancreatic cancer patients

The presence of serum tumor markers, carbohydrate antigen 242 (CA242), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), tumor-supplied group of factors (TSGF) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), is closely associated with invasion and metastasis of many malignancies. The expression of these markers were measured in serum taken from 37 pancreatic cancer patients prior to treatment. Levels of CA242, CA199, CA125, CEA and TNF-α expression correlated with tumor size, clinical stage, tumor differentiation, lymph node and liver metastasis (P < 0.05). One month after cryosurgery, serum levels of these markers were significantly reduced compared with levels prior to cryosurgery (P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference was found between serum levels before and after chemotherapy (P > 0.05). Thus, cryosurgery is more effective than chemotherapy for decreasing CA242, CA199, CA125, CEA, TSGF and TNF-α serum levels in these patients.     

World Antibody-Drug Conjugate Summit,October 15–16, 2013, San Francisco,CA

The World Antibody-Drug Conjugate (WADC) Summits organized by Hanson Wade are currently the largest meetings fully dedicated to ADCs. The first global ADC Summit was organized in Boston in October 2010. Since 2011, two WADC are held every year in Frankfurt and San Francisco, respectively. The 2013 WADC San Francisco event was structured around plenary sessions with keynote speakers from AbbVie, Agensys, ImmunoGen, Immunomedics, Genentech, Pfizer and Seattle Genetics. Parallel tracks were also organized addressing ADC discovery, development and optimization of chemistry, manufacturing and control (CMC) issues. Discovery and process scientists, regulatory experts (US Food and Drug Administration), academics and clinicians were present, including representatives from biotechnology firms (Concortis, CytomX Therapeutics, Glykos, Evonik, Igenica, Innate Pharma, Mersana Therapeutics, Polytherics, Quanta Biodesign, Redwood Bioscience, Sutro Biopharma, SynAffix), pharmaceutical companies (Amgen, Genmab, Johnson and Johnson, MedImmune, Novartis, Progenics, Takeda) and contract research or manufacturing organizations (Baxter, Bayer, BSP Pharmaceuticals, Fujifilm/Diosynth, Lonza, Pierre Fabre Contract Manufacturing, Piramal, SAFC, SafeBridge).     

World Antibody-Drug Conjugate Summit,October 15–16, 2013, San Francisco,CA

The World Antibody-Drug Conjugate (WADC) Summits organized by Hanson Wade are currently the largest meetings fully dedicated to ADCs. The first global ADC Summit was organized in Boston in October 2010. Since 2011, two WADC are held every year in Frankfurt and San Francisco, respectively. The 2013 WADC San Francisco event was structured around plenary sessions with keynote speakers from AbbVie, Agensys, ImmunoGen, Immunomedics, Genentech, Pfizer and Seattle Genetics. Parallel tracks were also organized addressing ADC discovery, development and optimization of chemistry, manufacturing and control (CMC) issues. Discovery and process scientists, regulatory experts (US Food and Drug Administration), academics and clinicians were present, including representatives from biotechnology firms (Concortis, CytomX Therapeutics, Glykos, Evonik, Igenica, Innate Pharma, Mersana Therapeutics, Polytherics, Quanta Biodesign, Redwood Bioscience, Sutro Biopharma, SynAffix), pharmaceutical companies (Amgen, Genmab, Johnson and Johnson, MedImmune, Novartis, Progenics, Takeda) and contract research or manufacturing organizations (Baxter, Bayer, BSP Pharmaceuticals, Fujifilm/Diosynth, Lonza, Pierre Fabre Contract Manufacturing, Piramal, SAFC, SafeBridge).     

CRP联合CA72-4, CEA, CA19-9检测对胃癌早期诊断的临床价值

目的:探究C反应蛋白(CRP)联合胃癌抗原(CA72-4)、癌胚抗原(CEA)、糖类抗原(CA19-9)检测对胃癌早期诊断的临床价值。方法:选择2014年3月~2016年6月我院收治的胃癌患者(103例)为胃癌组,包括早期胃癌患者30例,中晚期患者73例;同期就诊于我院的良性胃病患者为良性胃病组(61例),另选择20例年龄、性别相匹配的健康体检人群为健康对照组。比较三组人群血清C反应蛋白(CRP)、CA72-4、CEA、CA19-9水平,并探讨其表达与胃癌患者临床病理特征之间的关系。结果:早期胃癌组、良性胃病组患者的血清CRP、肿瘤标志物CA72-4、CEA、CA19-9的表达水平及阳性检测率均显著高于健康对照组(P0.05);早期胃癌组的上述指标显著高于良性胃病组(P0.05)。肿瘤分化程度低、发生转移、临床分期为Ⅲ,Ⅳ期胃癌患者的血清CRP、CA72-4、CEA、CA19-9阳性检测率显著高于肿瘤高分化、未发生转移、临床分期为Ⅰ、Ⅱ期的胃癌患者(p0.05)。血清CRP、CA72-4、CEA、CA19-9联合检测胃癌的敏感度92.23%,特异度为90.85%,联合检测敏感度显著高于CRP(68.93%)、CA72-4(71.84%)、CEA(77.67%)、CA19-9(59.22%)单项检测(p0.05)。结论:血清CRP、CA72-4、CEA、CA19-9水平与胃癌的临床病理特征密切相关,联合检测能显著提高检测灵敏度,有利于胃癌早期诊断。     

Keystone Symposium on Antibodies as Drugs: March 27–April 1, 2009, Whistler,BC CA

The symposium on Antibodies as Drugs, organized by Keystone Symposia and chaired by J. Marks, (University of California Los Angeles, USA), E.S. Ward (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA) and L. Weiner (Georgetown University Medical Center, USA), was held in Whistler, British Columbia. This Canadian Rockies village, which will host the 2010 Olympic Games, served as an enchanting backdrop to the meeting. The more than 350 speakers and attendees included scientists from major pharmaceutical firms, e.g., Abbott, MedImmune/Astra Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck & Co., Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, Schering, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, Hoffmann LaRoche, Novartis, Wyeth, and biotechnology companies, e.g., Ablynx, Medarex, Morphosys, GenMab, Amgen, Genentech, ImmunoGen, Agensys, Domantis, Biogen Idec, Centocor, LFB, Micromet, PDL Biopharma, Borean Pharma, Dyax Corp., Symphogen and Syntonix. Academic research groups at Imperial College London, University of Oxford, ETH Zürich, Scripps, Institute Cochin, Karolinska Institute, Utrecht University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Baylor College, Paul Ehrlich Institute, University of California San Francisco, University of California San Diego, University of Nantes, University of Tours and Ludwig Institute were also represented, as were regulatory authorities, including the US Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada). The meeting was very interactive and included thoughtful exchanges during the different sessions and networking events.     

Second International Conference on Accelerating Biopharmaceutical Development: March 9–12, 2009, Coronado,CA USA

The Second International Conference on Accelerating Biopharmaceutical Development was held in Coronado, California. The meeting was organized by the Society for Biological Engineering (SBE) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE); SBE is a technological community of the AIChE. Bob Adamson (Wyeth) and Chuck Goochee (Centocor) were co-chairs of the event, which had the theme “Delivering cost-effective, robust processes and methods quickly and efficiently.” The first day focused on emerging disruptive technologies and cutting-edge analytical techniques. Day two featured presentations on accelerated cell culture process development, critical quality attributes, specifications and comparability, and high throughput protein formulation development. The final day was dedicated to discussion of technology options and new analysis methods provided by emerging disruptive technologies; functional interaction, integration and synergy in platform development; and rapid and economic purification process development.

• MAbs. 2009 May-Jun; 1(3): 190–209.
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• March 10, 2009 Day 1, Emerging Disruptive Technologies and Cutting-Edge Analytical Techniques

MAbs. 2009 May-Jun; 1(3): 190–209.

March 10, 2009 Day 1, Emerging Disruptive Technologies and Cutting-Edge Analytical Techniques

Janice M ReichertAuthor information Article notes Copyright and License information DisclaimerTufts Center for the Study of Drug Development; Boston, MA USACorresponding author.Correspondence to: Janice M. Reichert; Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development; 75 Kneeland Street; Suite 1100; Boston, MA 02111 USA; Email: ude.stfut@trehcier.ecinajReceived 2009 Mar 20; Accepted 2009 Mar 20.Copyright © 2009 Landes BioscienceThe meeting was opened by Bob Adamson (Wyeth) who remarked that it is the responsibility of biological engineers to develop technologies that will produce drug products rapidly and cost effectively. On average, protein therapeutics cost more than small molecule drugs. However, technological advances can help to drive down the cost of these products. For example, penicillin was scarce in the 1930s and 1940s because of production issues, but this drug is easily and cheaply obtained today.Recent developments in biosimilars, a potentially disrutive group of products, were discussed by Rob Garnick (Lone Mountain Biotechnology). He first noted the various names by which biosimilars are known. While the term biosimilars is favored in Europe, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses the term ‘follow-on biologics,’ and Health Canada prefers the phrase ‘subsequent entry biologics.’ The term biogenerics is not usually used because this word implies that the products are identical to approved innovator biologics. The European Medicines Agency and Health Canada have issued regulatory guidances for approval of biosimilars, and some of these products have been approved in Europe.¹ However, the process has gotten stalled in the US for various reasons, including questions surrounding the reliability of sourcing, magnitude of price reduction, need for clinical trials done against a national comparator and comparability issues. On the other hand, the global economic problems have focused political attention on healthcare reform and unsustainable increases in the cost of healthcare.Dr. Garnick noted that in the US the general consensus is that the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, also known as the Hatch-Waxman Act, has been successful in promoting generics while still providing financial incentives for research and development by innovators. In addition, Congress believes that scientific issues surrounding biosimilars are addressable and so a regulatory pathway can be established for approval of biosimilars. Due to the progress in defining a regulatory pathway, some major pharmaceutical firms, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Novartis and Merck, have recently indicated that they will develop these products. Biosimilars development is attractive because the success rates should be 100% if the products are developed correctly, the manufacturing processes are well-understood and can be out-sourced, and the markets are potentially large. With a global market over US $5 billion, rituximab will certainly be targeted as a biosimilar. As with the Hatch-Waxman Act, the key to success of any US biosimilars legislation will be the maintenance of incentives to innovate.There are still numerous scientific and legal problems to address,² including the exact nature of legislation, patent issues, design of clinical trials, substitutability, interchangeability, safety and post-approval surveillance. The challenge lies in the details, e.g., establishing product specifications and test methods, and defining comparability. Dr. Garnick noted that cautionary tales on comparability come from the experience of a number of innovator companies. For example, efalizumab produced by XOMA was found to have differences when compared to efalizumab produced by Genentech. The differences, which included minor changes in acidic forms, galactosylation, charge heterogeneity and an increase in C-terminal processing, were expected to be inconsequential, but translated into different clinical study results. This experience suggests that a combination of written procedures, training, analytical testing and regulatory agency inspections are needed to control the production of biological products. Quality control release tests need to be supported by rigorous product and process characterization and process control.Outside the US, the reality is that biosimilars are being marketed in Europe, India and China as well as other countries. Marketed biosimilars span a broad range of complexities and include monoclonal antibodies. Reditux, a rituximab biosimilar, was approved in India in April 2007 for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the clinical trials included relatively few patients and limited analytical data has been made available. In conclusion, Dr. Garnick remarked that the world is gaining experience with biosimilars, and the products will likely become a reality in the US by 2009. FDA will need input to develop effective guidance documents for assessment of biologics. Immunogenicity will be a key concern of regulators. Comparability studies will be required, product differences will need to be investigated and appropriate clinical studies must be done, but biosimilars will come to market.Global trends in antibody development by innovator companies were presented by Janice Reichert (Tufts University). Clinical development of protein therapeutics is on the rise worldwide.^3–5 Approximately 120 recombinant proteins and 240 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are currently in clinical studies. While recombinant proteins have historically entered the clinic at a rate of fewer than 20 candidates per year, mAbs are now approaching the 40 candidate per year mark. Recombinant proteins have somewhat higher success rates on average (approximately 30% vs. 20% for mAbs) and have been studied in a wider array of therapeutic categories compared to mAbs, but, because of their versatility as therapeutics, mAbs are clearly the focus of the biopharmaceutical industry''s attention. A total of 22 mAbs are approved in the US, and eight of these products have global markets over US$1 billion. Six additional candidates are currently undergoing regulatory review.Dr. Reichert noted that the ascendancy of mAbs is due to technologies that addressed immunogenicity, affinity, specificity, stability and production challenges. While murine versions dominated in the 1980s, the less immunogenic humanized versions comprised 45% of the total mAbs in clinical study in the 1990s. In the 2000s, the human versions have comprised the largest contingent. Historically, mAbs have not been discontinued while in regulatory review. Assuming the six mAbs in review are approved, then cumulative FDA approval success rates for humanized and human mAbs will be nearly identical (19 and 18%, respectively). mAbs are commonly studied as either anticancer⁶ or immunological treatments. There are currently nine anticancer and ten immunological mAbs approved in the US. These products have taken approximately the same length of time for clinical development (6.5 years). The length of the FDA review period was found to vary depending on whether the product was given priority or standard review (average 6.9 or 20.4 months, respectively).Looking forward, Dr. Reichert suggested that antibody fragments and modified versions (pegylated, alternate glycosylation, Fc engineered) are likely to enter the clinical pipeline in increasing numbers. The focus is likely to remain on human IgG, but designed protein scaffolds and domain antibodies will also be included in company pipelines.The meeting then turned to discussion of potentially disruptive science and technologies. Stefan Wildt (Merck) reviewed the development of glycoengineered yeast, which he described as a versatile glycoprotein expression platform. He first emphasized the importance of glycosylation, which affects circulating half life, tissue distribution, potency and immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Any new bioprocesses need to be scalable, portable, and provide analytically comparable protein at all scales. The primary biomanufacturing platforms are bacterial (e.g., E. coli), fungal (e.g., Pichia pastoris), and mammalian cell culture (e.g., CHO cells). Fungal platforms are currently used for production of common industrial enzymes, but have not been used extensively for production of therapeutics because the yeast glycosylation pathway yields products that are potentially immunogenic in humans. GlycoFi Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. has developed Pichia with humanized glycosylation to circumvent this problem.In yeast, the carbohydrate processing occurs sequentially in the secretory pathway, like an assembly line. The enzymes act one after another and their actions are separated in time and space. As a consequence, humanized yeast produce proteins with human glycans that are highly uniform. In contrast, traditional mammalian cell production systems produce functional glycoproteins that are heterogeneous and contain non-human glycoforms. As reported by Hamilton et al.,⁷ GlycoFi eliminated yeast-specific glycosylation in Pichia pastoris and introduced 14 heterologous genes; this process yielded yeast capable of producing complex glycoproteins with greater than 90% terminal sialylation. Candidate protein can be produced in a bioreactor process that takes three to seven days, which is somewhat shorter than the time for production in mammalian cells.For example, Dr. Wildt discussed MK2578, which is a pegylated erythropoietin that is terminally sialylated with N-glycans. The candidate is currently in Phase 1 studies as a potential treatment for anemia. The glycosylation fidelity from the Pichia platform is retained when protein is produced at laboratory scale to up to 2,000 L. The yeast can also be used to produce antibody as IgG1. Compared to CHO cell produced IgG1, candidates produced in yeast were found to be more potent in inducing ADCC and could bind antigen as well. In preclinical studies, yeast-produced mAb glycovariants demonstrated good results in PK studies in Rhesus monkeys and C57BL mice. In conclusion, Dr. Wildt remarked that the selection process, which includes screening for titer, fermentability, glycosylation and protein quality, can result directly in production strains. Yield is approximately 1.4 grams per liter for antibody candidates, but yields up to 2 grams per liter can be achieved.Annie De Groot (EpiVax) presented information on methods to reduce protein immunogenicity by design through deimmunization and tolerance induction. She noted the parallels between vaccine use, when an immune response is desired, and immunogenic therapeutic proteins, which elicit an immune response that is not desired. In both cases, a payload coupled with a delivery vehicle and an adjuvant determine immunogenic potential. T-cell epitopes are a key contributing factor. Like proteins, antibodies are processed by antigen presenting cells. The activated T-cells in turn activate B-cells; in the absence of T-cells, no antibody formation is observed.EpiVax has developed an array of in silico tools and techniques to predict whether proteins will be immunogenic. These include EpiMatrix, in which overlapping 9-mer peptide frames are evaluated for binding potential to eight common class II HLA alleles. The ClustiMer algorithm can be used to find regions of high immunogenicity. Using these methods, an overall immunogenicity score can be estimated. These in silico results can be validated in vitro and in vivo (e.g., HLA transgenic mice).The approach has been clinically validated. Koren et al.⁸ reported on use of EpiMatrix analysis of a recombinant fusion protein that predicted promiscuous T-cell epitopes in the C-terminal region. In a phase 1 study of 76 subjects, 37% developed antibodies after one injection of the protein candidate. EpiMatrix correctly predicted the immunogenic region and the likelihood that the protein would be immunogenic in the clinic.These results suggest that the technology might be useful as part of an overall strategy for assessing antibody responses in non-clinical and clinical settings.^{9, 10} In addition, rational modification of epitopes identified using the technology could effectively ‘deimmunize’ protein candidates. Dr. De Groot also discussed the discovery of ‘Tregitopes’ (highly conserved regulatory T-cell epitopes) that are promiscuous, high affinity HLA binders found in IgG. She noted that there is a correlation of antibody immunogenicity with the presence of Tregitopes. Dr. De Groot and co-workers have demonstrated that co-incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with the Tregitopes can lead to suppression of immune response to other antigens. This suggests that the engineering of Tregitopes into antibodies or other proteins might lead to the development of less immunogenic candidates.Modular IMmune In vitro Constructs (MIMIC), which is an in vitro biomimetic human immune system developed to accurately model the immunotoxicity and immunogenicity of drug candidates, was reviewed by William Warren (Vaxdesign). The MIMIC system is designed to serve as a ‘clinical trial in a well’ by providing predictive HTP in vitro immunology assessment of drug candidates. Primary human donor cells are used to simulate human responses to agents such as vaccines and drugs. The system consists of three modules: (1) Simulation of innate immunity with a peripheral tissue equivalent (PTE) module; (2) Simulation of adaptive immunity with the lymphoid tissue equivalent (LTE); and (3) a functional assay or disease model. The PTE module comprises one monolayer of endothelial cells grown over a 3D collagen matrix. Human PBMCs from donors are used to seed the module; monocytes extravasate through the endothelial cells and differentiate into antigen presenting cells. The PTE module can be used to assess reactogenicity and immunotoxicity responses. The LTE module functionally reproduces the environment of a human lymph node. Within the module, T-cells, B-cells, antigen-presenting cells or follicular dendritic cells interact, leading to immune stimulation that results in activation of lymphocytes, cytokine generation and antibody production. The activated lymphocytes, cytokine profiles and antibodies are then characterized using various methods.Dr. Warren discussed use of the modules to measure the magnitude and quality of T-cell response to vaccines. He noted that primary CD8 T-cell response, in vitro humoral and B-cell response, antibody titer, and microneutralization can be assessed. A correlation analysis of MIMIC response versus serum titer in hepatitis B and influenza vaccination has been performed. Results suggest that the MIMIC system can be used to predict whether a vaccine would be efficacious before going to the clinic. In addition to immunogenicity, the system acts as a biomimetic for evaluation of immunotoxicity and can be used as an inflammation model or in vitro infectious disease model. Use of the system has the potential to accelerate the entire drug development timeline, and decrease failures by providing better data for evaluation of preclinical candidates.Karyn O''Neil (Centyrex, a Johnson & Johnson Internal Venture) described alternative scaffolds that are being used as new biotherapeutic platforms by Johnson & Johnson. She started by wondering whether mAbs are always the best choice since there are reasons to develop alternatives. For example, desirable epitopes might be immunologically silent, alternatives to injection delivery are a challenge, full-size antibodies penetrate tissue and tumors poorly, and royalties might be due on numerous phases of the mAb discovery, screening, development and production process. However, requirements for a next-generation platform, which include the expansion of the range and possibility of targets, lower cost of development and manufacturing complexity, novel delivery, elimination of cold storage, clear freedom to operate and no intellectual property issues, are difficult to meet. Alternative scaffolds do meet many of the aforementioned requirements, and these molecules have favorable biophysical characteristics. Alternative scaffolds can be readily formatted into multi-specific binders with relevant biological activity. For example, Lu et al.¹¹ combined variable regions of two antagonistic antibodies to produce a human IgG-like bispecific antibody that could strongly inhibit the growth of two different human tumors in HT29 xenografts in vivo.Johnson & Johnson''s strategy toward the use of alternative scaffolds involves development of both Centyrins^™ and DARPins^™, which are viewed as complimentary molecule types. Both are small (10 to 18 kDa) single domain proteins that have high affinity (low picomolar to femtomolar range) and high selectivity for their targets. They are compatible with technologies that improve serum half-lives and seem to have low immunogenicity and low toxicity. They are also very stable and can be expressed at high levels in soluble form. DARPins^™ have flat wide surfaces that are better suited for disrupting protein-protein interactions,¹² whereas Centyrins^™ have extended loops that can interact in protein clefts, enzyme active sites and protein channels.¹³DARPins^™, which are being developed as part of a collaboration between Molecular Partners and Johnson & Johnson, are selected from in vitro display of very large (10¹²) libraries. The method uses PCR and affinity maturation, and candidates with slow off-rates can be selected. In this way, high affinity, neutralizing DARPins^™ can be selected within weeks. Melting properties can be used for selection, resulting in DARPins^™ candidates with good biophysical properties. Small scale (2 mL) expression of DARPins^™ can yield approximately 1 mg each for additional characterization.The Centyrins^™ scaffolds have loops that are analogous to the CDRs of antibodies. The molecules have excellent biophysical properties (>100mg/mL expression, >170mg/mL solubility, >82°C melting temperature, low predicted immunogenicity, stable in serum for more than one month), and can be engineered for improved stability. An in vitro display system licensed from Isogenica utilizes CIS-display technology for Centyrins^™ selection. This is proven technology for peptide display. Libraries are potentially quite large (10¹³). The CIS-display allows rapid panning and selection of binders with a PCR step that allows for in vitro evolution of binders. Rational design of library diversity can improve scaffold properties.¹⁴ A green fluorescent protein solubility/folding reporter assay¹⁵ is used to assess library quality. The unique properties of alternative scaffolds can be exploited in numerous areas, such as bispecific molecules, medical device, encapsulation, novel formulation and delivery, drug/toxin or radionuclide conjugation, imaging, biosensor, purification technologies and intracellular expression.Cutting-edge analytical technologies became the focus of the meeting in the afternoon session. Steve Cohen (Waters Corporation) discussed chromatographic analysis for biopharmaceuticals with an emphasis on current trends and future prospects. He first discussed ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) utilizing sub-2 micron particle packing (1.7 µmeter with either 130 angstrom or 300 angstrom pores). Compared to HPLC with 3.5 µmeter particle packing, UPLC gives sharper peaks, and can improve resolution of samples in the same run time or achieve comparable resolution and selectivity in a reduced run time (80 versus 120 minutes). Dr. Cohen then presented results of LC/ultraviolet (UV) analysis of a reduced monoclonal antibody, and a murine monoclonal IgG reduced and alkylated standard run at elevated temperature. He noted that the high temperature (80–90°C) is absolutely required for reasonable chromatography. Analytical methods for monitoring glycosylation of mAbs are important because bioprocess conditions can cause variation in high mannose type, truncated forms, reduction of tetra-antennary and increase in tri- and biantennary structures, less sialyated glycans and less glycosylation.Dr. Cohen also reviewed new separations technologies such as monolithic materials and chip based nanoscale separations. He presented an example of the use of a ceramic microfluidic UPLC system and the software tool BiopharmaLynx 1.2 to perform humanized peptide mapping. Three dimentional structure analysis using amide hydrogen exchange was also discussed. In a continuous labeling experiment, labeling occurs at 25°C, pH 7, and aliquots are removed and quenched at 0°C, pH 2.5. The protein sample can be subjected to HPLC/UPCL directly, or subjected to online digestion and then HPLC/UPCL. Electrospray mass spectrometry then provides information about isotope pattern and deuterium content that can be used to determine exchange rates. Use of UPLC will provide sharper peaks and improved spectral quality.¹⁶ The technique can be used for quality control or comparability of samples, e.g., differentiation of correctly folded protein from incorrectly folded protein.Tom Laue (University of New Hampshire) discussed advances in analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and analytical electrophoresis (AE). Dr. Laue remarked that AUC provides a framework for thinking about concentrated solutions and proximity energies. AUC can be used to characterize proteins in high concentration formulations. Proximity energies at high concentrations may be positive or negative, and are dependent on such factors as distance, orientation, solvent and time. Potential energy is dependent on forces such as charge-charge, charge-dipole, dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding, dispersion, dipole induced dipole, charge induced dipole and van der Waals interactions. AUC with fluorescence detection can be used to characterize labeled proteins in concentrated samples such as plasma. For example, mAb interactions in plasma can be observed using fluorescence detected sedimentation. Weak electrostatic interactions will dominate molecular behavior in concentrated solutions.Dr. Laue then discussed AE as a technique to determine accurate values of protein charge. Interestingly, monoclonal IgGs have an actual charge that is aberrantly low compared to the calculated value (e.g., 2 versus 24). The low charge leads to problems with poor solubility and high viscosity. Dr Laue speculated that the mAb charge suppression may have some housekeeping function such as weakening charge interactions with anionic plasma proteins, or altering co-operativity for Fc FcR binding or other functions. The low charge may be due to a combination of pKa shifts, anion binding (territorial or site), and carbohydrate involvement. Many of the viscosity and solubility problems encountered during processing may be traced to the low charge on IgGs. He urged attendees to measure the charge and not to rely on calculated charge estimates (e.g., from isoelectric point measurements).Kermit Murray (Louisiana State University) discussed coupling microfluidic chips to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. The chips can speed proteomics by serving as a single platform for automated cell culturing, digestion, separation and sample deposition. The system is based on synthetic polymer microfluidic devices, with chip components fabricated on a poly(methyl) methacrylate plate using the hot embossing method and off-line MALDI analysis. A key component of the system is a trypsin microreactor. Assembled chips are processed using a pressure-driven or electrokinetic flow; the system utilizes a Dionex LC and a Probot MALDI plate spotter for the former. Digested peptides are coaxially mixed with a MALDI matrix solution and deposited on a MALDI target. Chips are stable for about one month.Dr. Murray presented experimental results from analyses of cytochrome c under various flow rates. A flow rate of 1 µL/min, with a residence time of approximately 24 seconds within the reaction bed, provided 67% sequence coverage, which increased to 72% when residence time was increased to 48 seconds. Use of the 1 µL/min flow rate resulted in sequence coverages of 35%, 58%, and 47% for 10 µM samples of bovine serum albumin, myoglobin and phosphorylase b, respectively. The digestion efficiency was improved using an electrokinetically driven microreactor using a micro-post structured chip. Using the micro-post system, sequence coverage of 10 µM cytochrome c was 89%; sequence coverage decreased when protein concentration of the sample was lower. Whole bacterial cells can be analyzed using the system. Digestion and deposition of E. coli resulted in identification of the aminoglycoside 3′-phosphotransferase type 1, with 57% sequence coverage.A two-chamber chip developed by Dr. Murray and colleagues can also be used to provide MALDI MS results for bacteria. It has applications for analysis of sepsis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood supply QA/QC, and environmental pathogen samples. The cell culture chamber has sample and media inlet, as well as outlet, channels; the culture chamber itself has a 3 mm diameter and 300 µm depth. The system uses a PMMA chip and PDMS cover. The channel surfaces are sterilized with UV. After assembly, the chamber is filled with nutrient broth, approximately 4,000 E. coli cells are added and the reservoirs are closed. The bacteria are cultured for 24 hours at 37°C. One µL of E. coli is then deposited on the MALDI target plate. In an experiment using ATCC#9637, #11303, or #11775, some cellular protein peaks were found. The results suggest that such on-chip culturing could be used for fingerprint analysis. Finally, Dr. Murray discussed preliminary work on a temperature regulated chip with heating and cooling elements.The topic of mass spectrometry (MS)-based strategies to study protein architecture, dynamics and binding was reviewed by Igor Kaltashov (University of Massachusetts, Amherst). He first noted that biopharmaceuticals have higher order structure and conformational heterogeneity, and various perturbations or changes in the production process can result in alterations of the primary or higher order structure that can have deleterious effects on the efficacy, immunogenicity or stability of the protein. MS has been applied to the structural characterization of recombinant protein pharmaceuticals¹⁷ and specifically therapeutic antibodies.¹⁸ The tertiary and quaternary protein structure can be characterized directly in solution by electrospray ionization (ESI) MS.As an example of the use of MS in structure characterization, Dr. Kaltashov discussed studies done on alkylated interferon β-1a (IFN-β-1a). Alkylation at Cys-17 of the protein results in 50–90% reduction of the antiviral activity. He remarked that ‘classical’ biophysical techniques such as size exclusion chromatography, fluorescence, far-UV circular dichroism (CD) and near-UV CD were not very informative regarding conformational changes between the alkylated and unmodified forms. Two complementary MS-based techniques, analysis of ionic charge state distribution and hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX), were used to monitor conformational changes.¹⁹ The analysis of the ionic charge distributions indicated a decrease in conformational stability in the alkylated form; the partial unfolding was revealed by the presence of protein ions in the ESI mass spectra with significantly higher charge density compared to the unmodified version. In HDX MS, measurements can be carried out under conditions closely mimicking the formulation buffer, and thermodynamic information is derived from biophysical measurements. Global HDX MS revealed higher flexibility of alkylated IFN. Backbone flexibility was observed to be distributed unevenly across the polypeptide sequence. Structural studies suggest that the loss of antiviral activity of the alkylated form is due to destabilization of a region of IFN that binds with its low affinity receptor (IFNAR1), and disruption of ternary complex formation.Dr. Kaltashov concluded by suggesting that ESI MS can be used to characterize highly heterogeneous systems and presented findings from a study of heparin, which is very heterogeneous, and difficult to characterize by MS. With colleagues, he has developing a mass spectrometry-based strategy for characterization of anti-thrombin interaction with low molecular weight heparin and heparin oligomers.²⁰Genentech''s use of high throughput (HTP) methods in bioprocess development was discussed by Judy Chou (Genentech). She described analytical methods as the ears and eyes of the production process. Use of a high throughput platform is directly related to the need for rapid analysis of bioprocess samples. The need for speedy analysis, which enables new products to get to patients in a timely fashion, has to be balanced with the need for extensive sample characterization that might be time-consuming. The aim is to leverage new technology, especially in HTP purification and automation to increase the number of experiments while reducing resources required and shortening timelines. The HTP approach involves scaling down cell culture, use of protein A well-plate purification (PAWP), purification in plate (PiP), HTP impurity analysis and an at-line reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method.In the PAWP method, 24- or 96-well plates with protein A are used. The plates can be subjected to centrifugation or vacuum procedures, then samples are directly analyzed by HPLC, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), capillary electrophoresis (CE), or image capillary isoelectric focusing (icIEF) techniques. The method allows product quality tests to be expedited, and allows the company to address product quality issues early on and reduce resource and time cost later. Use of the PAWP method was directly compared with use of a standard purification procedure (protein A column). Samples subjected to both methods gave similar results in an array of tests (SEC IEC, CZE, icIEF analysis, CE-Glycan assay, peptide mapping).RP-HPLC rapid monitoring can be used as a fast method to monitor mAb fragments in both the purified samples and the cell culture fluids without any sample preparation procedure. It provides a powerful tool to look into antibody reduction issues and helps to monitor as well as to develop bioprocess to mitigate the risk of losing product quantity and quality. Furthermore, the on-line RP-HPLC-Mass Spectroscopy (MS) enabled the understanding of the new peaks identified in the cell culture fluids and increased the process knowledge during the development and operation phases.HTP impurity assays were also developed as a tool to quickly narrow down purification conditions. A CHO protein Meso Scale Discovery (MDS) impurity assay that utilizes electrochemiluminescence was incorporated in an HTP process. Plates can be prepared and stored for up to nine months. The MSD assay was compared to ELISA at various purification steps and the difference was found to be less than 15%, whereas only 10% of resources are used to perform assay and the total assay time was only 2.5 hours for ∼400 samples. In addition, a leached Protein A HTP assay based on MSD technology was also developed. In order to prevent the signal masking introduced by the products, a novel approach of acidification combined with effective blockers was implemented. The new method is generic to all the molecules tested so far and only takes three hours for ∼400 samples with limited amount of resources needed.A novel TEACAN system that puts all the relevant analytical assays as well as the PiP and High throughput Formulation development in an assembly line is currently being used. Dr. Chou mentioned that the details of the methods she described will be published soon.     

Antibody engineering & therapeutics,the annual meeting of the antibody society December 7–10, 2015, San Diego,CA, USA

The 26th Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics meeting, the annual meeting of The Antibody Society united over 800 participants from all over the world in San Diego from 6–10 December 2015. The latest innovations and advances in antibody research and development were discussed, covering a myriad of antibody-related topics by more than 100 speakers, who were carefully selected by The Antibody Society. As a prelude, attendees could join the pre-conference training course focusing, among others, on the engineering and enhancement of antibodies and antibody-like scaffolds, bispecific antibody engineering and adaptation to generate chimeric antigen receptor constructs. The main event covered 4 d of scientific sessions that included antibody effector functions, reproducibility of research and diagnostic antibodies, new developments in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), preclinical and clinical ADC data, new technologies and applications for bispecific antibodies, antibody therapeutics for non-cancer and orphan indications, antibodies to harness the cellular immune system, building comprehensive IgVH-gene repertoires through discovering, confirming and cataloging new germline IgVH genes, and overcoming resistance to clinical immunotherapy. The Antibody Society's special session focused on “Antibodies to watch” in 2016. Another special session put the spotlight on the limitations of the new definitions for the assignment of antibody international nonproprietary names introduced by the World Health Organization. The convention concluded with workshops on computational antibody design and on the promise and challenges of using next-generation sequencing for antibody discovery and engineering from synthetic and in vivo libraries.     

Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics 2016: The Antibody Society's annual meeting,December 11–15, 2016, San Diego,CA

Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics, the largest meeting devoted to antibody science and technology and the annual meeting of The Antibody Society, will be held in San Diego, CA on December 11-15, 2016. Each of 14 sessions will include six presentations by leading industry and academic experts. In this meeting preview, the session chairs discuss the relevance of their topics to current and future antibody therapeutics development. Session topics include bispecifics and designer polyclonal antibodies; antibodies for neurodegenerative diseases; the interface between passive and active immunotherapy; antibodies for non-cancer indications; novel antibody display, selection and screening technologies; novel checkpoint modulators / immuno-oncology; engineering antibodies for T-cell therapy; novel engineering strategies to enhance antibody functions; and the biological Impact of Fc receptor engagement. The meeting will open with keynote speakers Dennis R. Burton (The Scripps Research Institute), who will review progress toward a neutralizing antibody-based HIV vaccine; Olivera J. Finn, (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine), who will discuss prophylactic cancer vaccines as a source of therapeutic antibodies; and Paul Richardson (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), who will provide a clinical update on daratumumab for multiple myeloma. In a featured presentation, a representative of the World Health Organization's INN expert group will provide a perspective on antibody naming. “Antibodies to watch in 2017” and progress on The Antibody Society's 2016 initiatives will be presented during the Society's special session. In addition, two pre-conference workshops covering ways to accelerate antibody drugs to the clinic and the applications of next-generation sequencing in antibody discovery and engineering will be held on Sunday December 11, 2016.     

Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors: Synthesis of Sulfonamides Incorporating 2, 4, 6–Trisubstituted-Pyridinium-Ethylcarboxamido Moieties Possessing Membrane-Impermeability and in Vivo Selectivity for the Membrane-Bound (CA IV) Versus the Cytosolic (CA I and CA II) Isozymes

A new approach is proposed for the selective in vivo inhibition of membrane-bound versus cytosolic carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isozymes with a class of positively-charged, membrane-impermeant sulfonamides. Aromatic/heterocyclic sulfonamides acting as strong (but unselective) inhibitors of this zinc enzyme were derivatized by the attachment of trisub-stituted-pyridinium-ethylcarboxy moieties (obtained from 2, 4, 6–trisubstituted-pyrylium salts and β-alanine) to the amino, imino, hydrazino or hydroxyl groups present in their molecules. Efficient in vitro inhibition (in the nanomolar range) was observed with some of the new derivatives against three investigated CA isozymes, i.e., hCA I, hCA II (cytosolic forms) and bCA IV (membrane-bound isozyme; h = human; b = bovine isozyme). Due to their salt-like character, the new type of inhibitors reported here, unlike the classical, clinically used compounds (such as acetazolamide, methazolamide, ethoxzolamide), are unable to penetrate biological membranes, as shown by CJ vivo and in vivo perfusion experiments in rats. The level of bicarbonate excreted into the urine of the experimental animals perfused with solutions of the new and classical inhibitors suggest that: (i) when using the new type of positively-charged sulfonamides. only the membrane-bound enzyme (CA IV) was inhibited. whereas the cytosolic isozymes (CA I and II) were not affected, (ii) in the experiments in which the classical compounds (acetazolamide, bcn-zolamíde. etc.) were used. unselective inhibition of all CA isozymes (I. II and IV) occurred.     

Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics 2015: The Antibody Society's annual meeting December 7–10, 2015, San Diego,CA

Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics, the annual meeting of The Antibody Society, will be held in San Diego, CA in early December 2015. In this meeting preview, the chairs provide their thoughts on the importance of their session topics, which include antibody effector functions, reproducibility of research and diagnostic antibodies, new developments in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), preclinical and clinical ADC data, new technologies and applications for bispecific antibodies, antibody therapeutics for non-cancer and orphan indications, antibodies to harness the cellular immune system, overcoming resistance to clinical immunotherapy, and building comprehensive IGVH-gene repertoires through discovering, confirming and cataloging new germline IGVH genes. The Antibody Society's special session will focus on “Antibodies to watch” in 2016, which are a subset of the nearly 50 antibodies currently in Phase 3 clinical studies. Featuring over 100 speakers in total, the meeting will commence with keynote presentations by Erica Ollmann Saphire (The Scripps Research Institute), Wayne A. Marasco (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School), Joe W. Gray (Oregon Health & Science University), and Anna M. Wu (University of California Los Angeles), and it will conclude with workshops on the promise and challenges of using next-generation sequencing for antibody discovery and engineering from synthetic and in vivo libraries and on computational antibody design.     

Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics 2015: The Antibody Society's annual meeting December 7–10, 2015, San Diego,CA

Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics, the annual meeting of The Antibody Society, will be held in San Diego, CA in early December 2015. In this meeting preview, the chairs provide their thoughts on the importance of their session topics, which include antibody effector functions, reproducibility of research and diagnostic antibodies, new developments in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), preclinical and clinical ADC data, new technologies and applications for bispecific antibodies, antibody therapeutics for non-cancer and orphan indications, antibodies to harness the cellular immune system, overcoming resistance to clinical immunotherapy, and building comprehensive IGVH-gene repertoires through discovering, confirming and cataloging new germline IGVH genes. The Antibody Society''s special session will focus on “Antibodies to watch” in 2016, which are a subset of the nearly 50 antibodies currently in Phase 3 clinical studies. Featuring over 100 speakers in total, the meeting will commence with keynote presentations by Erica Ollmann Saphire (The Scripps Research Institute), Wayne A. Marasco (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School), Joe W. Gray (Oregon Health & Science University), and Anna M. Wu (University of California Los Angeles), and it will conclude with workshops on the promise and challenges of using next-generation sequencing for antibody discovery and engineering from synthetic and in vivo libraries and on computational antibody design.     

血清AFP,CEA,CA125单独或联合检测对原发性肝癌早期诊断的临床价值研究

目的:探讨血清中甲胎蛋白(AFP)、癌胚抗原(CEA)、糖类抗原125(CA125)单独以及联合检测对于原发性肝癌的早期诊断临床价值。方法:选择2012年1月~2016年6月在我院检验科确诊的120例原发性肝癌患者作为观察组,并以80例健康志愿者作为对照组,检测和比较两组的AFP、CEA和CA125水平,分析血清AFP、CEA、CA125单项及联合检测检出原发性肝癌的阳性率和约登指数。结果:观察组血清AFP(319.53±35.78 ng/mL)、CEA(81.4±27.8 ng/mL)、CA125(20.67±4.61 ng/mL)水平均明显高于健康对照组(P0.05)。血清AFP、CEA、CA125在单独检测时诊断原发性肝癌的敏感性分别为65%(78/120)、75%(90/120)和60%(72/120),而三者的联合检测能够使检测的敏感性达到92%(112/120),显著高于单独检测时的敏感度(P0.05)。血清AFP、CEA、CA125单项检测约登指数均显著低于联合检测(P0.05)。结论:相较于血清AFP、CEA、CA125的单独检测,三者联合检测可明显提高原发性肝癌的检出率。     

肺癌患者血清CEA，CA19-9，CA125 及CA153 围手术期动态监测的临床 意义

目的:探讨动态监测肺癌患者围手术期血清CEA、CA19-9、CA125及CA153水平变化的临床意义。方法:随机选取2014年5月至2015年5月收治的肺癌患者58例为研究对象,另选取同期在我院接受体检的健康人群15例为对照组。分别测定肺癌患者手术前及术后1天、1周、1个月、3个月的血清CEA、CA19-9、CA125、CA153水平,并与对照组的上述各血清肿瘤标志物进行比较。结果:肺癌患者术前空腹血清CEA、CA19-9、CA125、CA153水平明显高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.01)。肺癌患者术后1天、1周、1个月及3个月的血清CEA、CA19-9、CA125、CA153水平明显低于术前,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。肺癌患者术后1个月的平均空腹血清CEA、CA19-9、CA125、CA153水平高于术后3个月平均水平,但差异不具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:对肺癌患者的血清CEA、CA19-9、CA125、CA153水平进行围手术期动态监测有助于评估手术治疗效果。     

Impact of KRAS,BRAF, PIK3CA Mutations,PTEN, AREG,EREG Expression and Skin Rash in ≥2nd Line Cetuximab-Based Therapy of Colorectal Cancer Patients

Background

To investigate the predictive significance of KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA mutational status, AREG- EREG mRNA expression, PTEN protein expression and skin rash in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with cetuximab containing salvage chemotherapy.

Methods

Primary tumors from 112 mCRC patients were analyzed. The worst skin toxicity during treatment was recorded.

Results

KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations were present in 37 (33%), 8 (7.2%) and 11 (9.8%) cases, respectively, PTEN was lost in 21 (19.8%) cases, AREG and EREG were overexpressed in 48 (45%) and 51 (49%) cases. In the whole study population, time to tumor progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) was significantly lower in patients with KRAS (p = 0.001 and p = 0.026, respectively) or BRAF (p = 0.001 and p<0.0001, respectively) mutant tumors, downregulation of AREG (p = 0.018 and p = 0.013, respectively) or EREG (p = 0.002 and p = 0.004, respectively) and grade 0-1 skin rash (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively). In KRAS wt patients TTP and OS was significantly lower in patients with BRAF (p = 0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively) mutant tumors, downregulation of AREG (p = 0.021 and p = 0.004, respectively) or EREG (p = 0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively) and grade 0-1 skin rash (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively). TTP was significantly lower in patients with PIK3CA mutations (p = 0.01) or lost PTEN (p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis revealed KRAS (Hazard Ratio [HR] 4.3, p<0.0001), BRAF mutation (HR: 5.1, p<0.0001), EREG low expression (HR: 1.6, p = 0.021) and absence of severe/moderate skin rash (HR: 4.0, p<0.0001) as independent prognostic factors for decreased TTP. Similarly, KRAS (HR 2.9, p = 0.01), BRAF mutation (HR: 3.0, p = 0.001), EREG low expression (HR: 1.7, p = 0.021), absecence of severe/moderate skin rash (HR: 3.7, p<0.0001) and the presence of undifferantited tumours (HR: 2.2, p = 0.001) were revealed as independent prognostic factors for decreased OS.

Conclusions

These results underscore that KRAS-BRAF mutations and EREG expression can be used as biomarkers to further select patients undergoing anti-EGFR treatment.     

抑郁症CUS模型大鼠海马CA1区及CA3区内树突棘数目减少

目的采用慢性不可预知性应激(chronic unpredictable stress,CUS)模型建立抑郁症大鼠模型,对抑郁症CUS模型大鼠海马CA1及CA3区体积及其内树突棘素阳性(spinophilin~+)树突棘的密度、数目进行精确定量研究,探讨海马CA1及CA3区内树突棘的改变在抑郁症中的作用。方法雄性Sprague-Dawley(SD)大鼠,糖水适应性训练后剔除糖水偏好不稳定的大鼠,将剩余大鼠随机分为空白对照组和抑郁模型组,采用孤养结合CUS的模式建立抑郁症大鼠模型,为期4周。筛选出成模大鼠后每组随机选取5只大鼠,利用免疫组织化学方法结合体视学方法进行定量分析。结果应激第4周末,抑郁模型组大鼠的体质量、糖水偏好百分比以及旷场总评分均显著低于空白对照组;抑郁模型组大鼠海马CA1及CA3区体积无明显改变;抑郁模型组大鼠海马CA1和CA3区内树突棘的密度及总数目显著少于空白对照组。结论抑郁症CUS模型大鼠海马CA1和CA3区内树突棘的密度、总数目显著减少,提示抑郁模型组大鼠海马CA1和CA3区内树突棘数量上的改变可能是抑郁症病理改变的重要的神经生物学基础之一,由此为将来寻找治疗抑郁症的新靶点提供了理论依据。     

Wistar大鼠海马CA1区、CA3区和齿状回区的解剖分割

目的:在体视显微镜下分割Wistar大鼠海马CA1区、CA3区和齿状回(DG)区。方法:24只健康Wistar大鼠,分组如下:①6只大鼠取脑后硫堇染色,观察海马各区细胞形态;②6只大鼠分离出海马,体视显微镜下观察海马形态并分割CA1区、CA3区和DG区,各区分别切片后硫堇染色;③12只大鼠检测海马各区HSP 70的表达。结果:①大脑冠状切片硫堇染色清晰显示出海马CA1区、CA3区和DG区;②体视显微镜下,在海马腹侧面,沿着CA1区和DG区之间的海马沟可分割开CA1区和DG区,沿着CA3区和DG区之间的裂隙可分割开CA3区和DG区;分割后的海马各区细胞形态结构与整体大脑冠状切片上相对应区域的细胞形态结构一致;③Western blot结果显示:与对照组相比,脑缺血组HSP 70的表达在海马CA3+DG区明显上调、而在CA1无明显变化,这一结果与免疫组织化学结果一致。结论:上述方法可比较明确地分割Wistar大鼠海马CA1区、CA3区和DG区,分割得到的各区组织可用于蛋白质表达的检测。