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Immunotherapy

Affinity maturation of T-cell receptor-like antibodies for Wilms tumor 1 peptide greatly enhances therapeutic potential

Leukemia volume 29, pages 2238–2247 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

WT1126 (RMFPNAPYL) is a human leukocyte antigen-A2 (HLA-A2)-restricted peptide derived from Wilms tumor protein 1 (WT1), which is widely expressed in a broad spectrum of leukemias, lymphomas and solid tumors. A novel T-cell-receptor (TCR)-like single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody specific for the T-cell epitope consisting of the WT1/HLA-A2 complex was isolated from a human scFv phage library. This scFv was affinity-matured by mutagenesis combined with yeast display and structurally analyzed using a homology model. This monovalent scFv showed a 100-fold affinity improvement (dissociation constant (KD)=3 nm) and exquisite specificity towards its targeted epitope or HLA-A2+/WT1+ tumor cells. Bivalent scFv-huIgG1-Fc fusion protein demonstrated an even higher avidity (KD=2 pm) binding to the T-cell epitope and to tumor targets and was capable of mediating antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity or tumor lysis by chimeric antigen receptor-expressing human T- or NK-92-MI-transfected cells. This antibody demonstrated specific and potent cytotoxicity in vivo towards WT1-positive leukemia xenograft that was HLA-A2 restricted. In summary, T-cell epitopes can provide novel targets for antibody-based therapeutics. By combining phage and yeast displays and scFv-Fc fusion platforms, a strategy for developing high-affinity TCR-like antibodies could be rapidly explored for potential clinical development.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by Katie Find a Cure Fund, Cycle for Survival and Robert Steel Foundation. Technical services provided by the MSKCC Small-Animal Imaging Core Facility were supported in part by NIH Cancer Center Support Grant No. 2 P30 CA008748-48. We thank Dr Mamoru Ito of Central Institute for Experimental Animals, Kawasaki, Japan for kindly providing the DKO mice for our studies. We are grateful to Dr Gloria Koo, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA for her expertise and advice in handling these DKO mice. We thank Dr Dario Campana and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital for sharing with us the vector for chimeric antigen receptor. We also thank Dr Jian Hu for technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Q Zhao, M Ahmed, D V Tassev, A Hasan, T-Y Kuo, H-F Guo, R J O'Reilly & N-K V Cheung

  2. Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    A Hasan, T-Y Kuo & R J O'Reilly

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  1. Q Zhao
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Correspondence to N-K V Cheung.

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Competing interests

QZ, MA, DVT, RJO and N-KVC were named as inventors in patents related to WT1 filed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for which a license has been obtained. The other authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Zhao, Q., Ahmed, M., Tassev, D. et al. Affinity maturation of T-cell receptor-like antibodies for Wilms tumor 1 peptide greatly enhances therapeutic potential. Leukemia 29, 2238–2247 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2015.125

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