Neutralizing Nanobodies Targeting Diverse Chemokines Effectively Inhibit Chemokine Function

Chemokine receptors and their ligands play a prominent role in immune regulation but many have also been implicated in inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, allograft rejection after transplantation, and also in cancer metastasis. Most approaches to therapeutically target the chemokine system involve targeting of chemokine receptors with low molecular weight antagonists. Here we describe the selection and characterization of an unprecedented large and diverse panel of neutralizing Nanobodies (single domain camelid antibodies fragment) directed against several chemokines. We show that the Nanobodies directed against CCL2 (MCP-1), CCL5 (RANTES), CXCL11 (I-TAC), and CXCL12 (SDF-1α) bind the chemokines with high affinity (at nanomolar concentration), thereby blocking receptor binding, inhibiting chemokine-induced receptor activation as well as chemotaxis. Together, we show that neutralizing Nanobodies can be selected efficiently for effective and specific therapeutic treatment against a wide range of immune and inflammatory diseases.     

卵泡刺激素受体FSHR234纳米抗体的分离纯化及多克隆抗体的制备

【背景】卵泡刺激素受体(Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor,FSHR)在人体成熟破骨细胞及单核细胞表面表达,成为阻断卵泡刺激素(FSH)作用的潜在靶点,制备亲和力较高的FSHR抗体已成为靶向治疗FSH相关疾病的切入点。【目的】构建FSHR重组载体获得表达量较高的可溶性蛋白,进一步制备骆驼多克隆抗体及其纳米抗体。【方法】利用XhoⅠ和Bam HⅠ双酶切重组质粒p ET30a-FSHR234,将目的基因fshr构建于p GEX-4T-1载体并进行原核表达,利用Western blot及ELISA检测目的蛋白的配体结合能力。免疫新疆双峰驼制备骆驼多克隆抗体,并利用噬菌体展示技术筛选获得FSHR纳米抗体。细胞免疫化学法检测FSHR抗体在coav-3的表达情况。【结果】构建了pGEX-4T-1-FSHR234重组质粒,获得了表达量较高的FSHR234可溶性蛋白;并构建了5株FSHR纳米抗体,鉴定出一株结合能力较强的纳米抗体,命名为VHH-3F9。【结论】制备的骆驼FSHR多克隆抗体效价达1:128 000,筛选获得的VHH-3F9纳米抗体能与FSHR234具有较高的结合性,且两者均能表达于coav-3细胞表面。     

Molecular imprint of enzyme active site by camel nanobodies: rapid and efficient approach to produce abzymes with alliinase activity

Screening of inhibitory Ab1 antibodies is a critical step for producing catalytic antibodies in the anti-idiotypic approach. However, the incompatible surface of the active site of the enzyme and the antigen-binding site of heterotetrameric conventional antibodies become the limiting step. Because camelid-derived nanobodies possess the potential to preferentially bind to the active site of enzymes due to their small size and long CDR3, we have developed a novel approach to produce antibodies with alliinase activities by exploiting the molecular mimicry of camel nanobodies. By screening the camelid-derived variable region of the heavy chain cDNA phage display library with alliinase, we obtained an inhibitory nanobody VHHA4 that recognizes the active site. Further screening with VHHA4 from the same variable domain of the heavy chain of a heavy-chain antibody library led to a higher incidence of anti-idiotypic Ab2 abzymes with alliinase activities. One of the abzymes, VHHC10, showed the highest activity that can be inhibited by Ab1 VHHA4 and alliinase competitive inhibitor penicillamine and significantly suppressed the B16 tumor cell growth in the presence of alliin in vitro. The results highlight the feasibility of producing abzymes via anti-idiotypic nanobody approach.     

Llama-derived Single Variable Domains (Nanobodies) Directed against Chemokine Receptor CXCR7 Reduce Head and Neck Cancer Cell Growth in Vivo

The chemokine receptor CXCR7, belonging to the membrane-bound G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, is expressed in several tumor types. Inhibition of CXCR7 with either small molecules or small interference (si)RNA has shown promising therapeutic benefits in several tumor models. With the increased interest and effectiveness of biologicals inhibiting membrane-bound receptors we made use of the “Nanobody platform” to target CXCR7. Previously we showed that Nanobodies, i.e. immunoglobulin single variable domains derived from naturally occurring heavy chain-only camelids antibodies, represent new biological tools to efficiently tackle difficult drug targets such as G protein-coupled receptors. In this study we developed and characterized highly selective and potent Nanobodies against CXCR7. Interestingly, the CXCR7-targeting Nanobodies displayed antagonistic properties in contrast with previously reported CXCR7-targeting agents. Several high affinity CXCR7-specific Nanobodies potently inhibited CXCL12-induced β-arrestin2 recruitment in vitro. A wide variety of tumor biopsies was profiled, showing for the first time high expression of CXCR7 in head and neck cancer. Using a patient-derived CXCR7-expressing head and neck cancer xenograft model in nude mice, tumor growth was inhibited by CXCR7-targeting Nanobody therapy. Mechanistically, CXCR7-targeting Nanobodies did not inhibit cell cycle progression but instead reduced secretion of the angiogenic chemokine CXCL1 from head and neck cancer cells in vitro, thus acting here as inverse agonists, and subsequent angiogenesis in vivo. Hence, with this novel class of CXCR7 inhibitors, we further substantiate the therapeutic relevance of targeting CXCR7 in head and neck cancer.     

双峰驼源天然噬菌体纳米抗体展示库的构建及抗GDH纳米抗体筛选

目的:构建噬菌体天然纳米抗体展示库,以期用于筛选不同抗原分子的纳米抗体筛选平台,并用艰难梭菌谷氨酸脱氢酶(GDH)抗原筛选靶向GDH的纳米抗体,对所构建的噬菌体天然纳米抗体展示库进行验证。方法:采用Oligo DT提取双峰骆驼脾脏总RNA进行反转录,通过巢氏PCR获取全套重链可变区基因,将其构建到噬菌粒pCANTAB5E载体,经多次电转化至E. coil TG1构建初级噬菌体抗体库,经辅助噬菌体拯救后构成噬菌体展示库,并对噬菌体展示库的库容及多样性进行分析和鉴定。同时以GDH为靶向抗原对文库进行淘筛,计算淘筛回收率,并对第三轮淘筛后平板的单克隆进行ELISA鉴定。结果:构建的天然噬菌体纳米抗体库的插入率为95%左右,随机挑取的9个克隆氨基酸同源性为66. 17%,经MEGA分析后具有较好的多样性,同时经辅助噬菌体拯救后,得到的噬菌体展示库滴度为4×10~(12)CFU/ml。在三轮淘筛过程中,回收率逐步升高,噬菌体得到了有效的富集,同时对阳性克隆进行测序及分析,最终得到2条抗GDH纳米抗体序列。结论:成功构建了双峰驼源天然噬菌体纳米抗体展示文库且多样性良好,为后续筛选其他的靶向抗原奠定了基础,同时筛选获得两条抗GDH纳米抗体序列,为制备艰难梭菌谷氨酸脱氢酶诊断抗体提供技术支撑。     

驼源天然单域重链抗体库的构建与鉴定

从未经主动免疫的健康羊驼(Lama pacos)外周血淋巴细胞中提取总RNA,反转录后作为第一轮PCR的模板。根据重链抗体保守区域设计引物,经巢式PCR法扩增获得了全套重链抗体可变区基因,将其克隆至噬菌粒pHEN1,电转化大肠杆菌TG1得到初级抗体库NAL,含有2×10⁷个独立克隆,菌落PCR和Hinf I酶切分析结果显示,克隆效率大于97%,文库的多样性良好。辅助噬菌体救援后,得到噬菌体展示文库命名为NA-PDL,滴度达10¹³CFU/ml。以真菌毒素人工抗原DON-MBSA为目标抗原,对NA-PDL进行了淘选,第二轮洗脱物中,阳性克隆率达36.4%,提示针对目标抗原的噬菌体颗粒得到了有效富集,文库NA-PDL多样性较好,为后续淘选针对特定抗原的单域重链抗体奠定了基础。     

In vitro isolation of nanobodies for selective Alexandrium minutum recognition: A model for convenient development of dedicated immuno-reagents to study and diagnostic toxic unicellular algae

At the present, the identification of planktonic species in coastal water is still a time intensive process performed by highly trained personnel that relies either on qPCR or on light microscopy observation and in vitro culturing. Furthermore, the increasing danger represented by Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) inside phytoplankton community and the recent implementation of the legislation on ballast water management to prevent the introduction of HABs and NIS (Non Indigenous Species) urge the development of faster and reliable diagnostic methods. Immuno-based approaches could fulfil this need provided that the costs for antibody selection and production will be reduced.In this work it is demonstrated for the first time the feasibility to recover nanobodies (VHHs) selective for native surface epitopes of Alexandrium minutum by direct whole cell bio-panning using a pre-immune phage display library. The recombinant nature of VHHs enabled their rapid engineering into eGFP fluorescent reagents (fluobodies) that were produced recombinantly in bacteria and are directly suitable for fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Immune-detection identified also cysts and anti-Alexandrium fluobodies showed no cross-reactivity with indigenous not-toxic phytoplankton microalgae belonging to different geni. The fluobodies were able to bind selectively to the target cells in both fixed and fresh samples with minimal processing.     

Phenotypic knockouts of selected metabolic pathways by targeting enzymes with camel-derived nanobodies (VHHs)

Surveying the dynamics of metabolic networks of Gram-negative bacteria often requires the conditional shutdown of enzymatic activities once the corresponding proteins have been produced. We show that given biochemical functions can be entirely suppressed in vivo with camel antibodies (V_HHs, nanobodies) that target active sites of cognate enzymes expressed in the cytoplasm. As a proof of principle, we raised V_HHs against 2,5-dihydroxypyridine dioxygenase (NicX) of Pseudomonas putida, involved in nicotinic acid metabolism. Once fused to a thioredoxin domain, the corresponding nanobodies inhibited the enzyme both in Escherichia coli and in P. putida cells, which then accumulated the metabolic substrate of NicX. V_HHs were further engineered to track the antigen in vivo by C-terminal fusion to a fluorescent protein. Conditional expression of the resulting V_HHs allows simultaneously to track and target proteins of interest and enables the design of transient phenotypes without mutating the genetic complement of the bacteria under study.