Blockade of CD200 in the presence or absence of antibody effector function: implications for anti-CD200 therapy

CD200 is an immunosuppressive molecule overexpressed in multiple hematologic malignancies such as B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and acute myeloid leukemia. We previously demonstrated that up-regulation of CD200 on tumor cells suppresses antitumor immune responses and that antagonistic anti-human CD200 mAbs enabled human PBMC-mediated tumor growth inhibition in xenograft NOD/SCID human (hu)-mouse models. Ab variants with effector function (IgG1 constant region (G1)) or without effector function (IgG2/G4 fusion constant region (G2G4)) exhibited high antitumor activity in a human tumor xenograft model in which CD200 was expressed. In this report, we seek to select the best candidate to move forward into the clinic and begin to decipher the mechanisms of tumor cell killing by comparing anti-CD200-G1 vs anti-CD200-G2G4 in two related animal models. In a CD200-expressing xenograft NOD/SCID hu-mouse model where CD200 ligand/receptor interactions are already established before initiating treatment, we find that anti-CD200-G1 is a less effective Ab compared with anti-CD200-G2G4. Separately, in a model that evaluates the effect of the Abs on the immune cell component of the xenograft NOD/SCID hu-mouse model distinctly from the effects of binding to CD200 on tumor cells, we find that the administration of anti-CD200-G1 Abs completely abolished human PBMC-mediated tumor growth inhibition. Along with supporting in vitro studies, our data indicate that anti-CD200-G1 Abs efficiently mediate Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of activated T cells, critical cells involved in immune-mediated killing. These studies suggest important implications regarding the selection of the constant region in anti-CD200 immunotherapy of cancer patients.