This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/023,128, filed Feb. 8, 2011, which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/958,099, filed Dec. 17, 2007, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/875,597, filed Dec. 18, 2006, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/879,218, filed Jan. 6, 2007. The disclosures of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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The present invention relates to antagonist anti-Notch3 antibodies and their use in the amelioration, treatment, or prevention of a Notch3-related disease or disorder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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The Notch gene was first described in 1917 when a strain of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster was found to have notched wing blades (Morgan, Am Nat 51:513 (1917)). The gene was cloned almost seventy years later and was determined to be a cell surface receptor playing a key role in the development of many different cell types and tissues in Drosophila (Wharton et al., Cell 43:567 (1985)). The Notch signaling pathway was soon found to be a signaling mechanism mediated by cell-cell contact and has been evolutionarily conserved from Drosophila to human. Notch receptors have been found to be involved in many cellular processes, such as differentiation, cell fate decisions, maintenance of stem cells, cell motility, proliferation, and apoptosis in various cell types during development and tissue homeostasis (For review, see Artavanis-Tsakonas, et al., Science 268:225 (1995)).
Mammals possess four Notch receptor proteins (designated Notch1 to Notch4) and five corresponding ligands (designated Delta-1 (DLL-1), Delta-3 (DLL-3), Delta-4 (DLL-4), Jagged-1 and Jagged-2). The mammalian Notch receptor genes encode ˜300 kD proteins that are cleaved during their transport to the cell surface and exist as heterodimers. The extracellular portion of the Notch receptor has thirty-four epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats and three cysteine-rich Notch/LIN12 repeats. The association of two cleaved subunits is mediated by sequences lying immediately N-terminal and C-terminal of the cleavage site, and these two subunits constitute the Notch heterodimerization (HD) domains (Wharton, et al., Cell 43:567 (1985); Kidd, et al., Mol Cell Biol 6:3431 (1986); Kopczynski, et al., Genes Dev 2:1723 (1988); Yochem, et al., Nature 335:547 (1988)).
At present, it is still not clear how Notch signaling is regulated by different receptors or how the five ligands differ in their signaling or regulation. The differences in signaling and/or regulation may be controlled by their expression patterns in different tissues or by different environmental cues. It has been documented that Notch ligand proteins, including Jagged/Serrate and Delta/Delta-like, specifically bind to the EGF repeat region and induce receptor-mediated Notch signaling (reviewed by Bray, Nature Rev Mol Cell Biol. 7:678 (2006), and by Kadesch, Exp Cell Res. 260:1 (2000)). Among the EGF repeats, the 10th to 12th repeats are required for ligand binding to the Notch receptor, and the other EGF repeats may enhance receptor-ligand interaction (Xu, et al., J Biol. Chem. 280:30158 (2005); Shimizu, et al., Biochem Biophys Res Comm. 276:385 (2000)). Although the LIN12 repeats and the dimerization domain are not directly involved in ligand binding, they play important roles in maintaining the heterodimeric protein complex, preventing ligand-independent protease cleavage and receptor activation (Sanche-Irizarry, et al., Mol Cell Biol. 24:9265 (2004); Vardar et al., Biochem. 42:7061 (2003)).
The expression of mutant forms of Notch receptors in developing Xenopus embryos interferes profoundly with normal development (Coffman, et al., Cell 73: 659 (1993)). A Notch1 knockout was found to be embryonic lethal in mice (Swiatek, et al., Genes & Dev 8:707 (1994)). In humans, there have been several genetic diseases, including cancer, linked to different Notch receptor mutations (Artavanis-Tsakonas, et al., Science 284:770 (1999)). For instance, aberrant activation of Notch1 receptor caused by translocation can lead to T cell lymphoblastic leukemia (Ellisen, et al., Cell 66:649 (1991)). Certain mutations in the HD domains of Notch1 receptor enhance signaling without ligand binding (Malecki, et al., Mol Cell Biol 26:4642 (2006)), further implicating their roles in Notch receptor activation. The signal induced by ligand binding is transmitted to the nucleus by a process involving two proteolytic cleavages of the receptor followed by nuclear translocation of the intracellular domain (Notch-IC). Although LIN12 repeats and HD domains were thought to prevent signaling in the absence of ligands, it is still unclear how ligand binding facilitates proteolytic cleavage events.
Notch receptors have been linked to a wide range of diseases including cancer, neurological disorders, and immune diseases, as evidenced by reports of the over-expression of Notch receptors in various human disease tissues and cell lines as compared to normal or nonmalignant cells (Joutel, et al. Cell & Dev Biol 9:619 (1998); Nam, et al., Curr Opin Chem Biol 6:501 (2002)). The Notch3 receptor is over-expressed in various solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and ovarian cancer (Haruki, et al., Cancer Res 65:3555 (2005); Park, et al., Cancer Res 66:6312 (2006); Lu, et al., Clin Cancer Res 10:3291 (2004)), suggesting the significance of Notch3 receptor expression in solid tumors. Furthermore, Notch3 receptor expression is upregulated in plasma cell neoplasms, including multiple myeloma, plasma cell leukemia, and extramedullary plasmacytoma (Hedvat, et al., Br J Haematol 122:728 (2003); pancreatic cancer (Buchler, et al., Ann Surg 242:791 (2005)); and T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (T-ALL) (Bellavia, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99:3788 (2002); Screpanti, et al., Trends Mol Med 9:30 (2003)). Notch3 receptor is also expressed in a subset of neuroblastoma cell lines and serves as a marker for this type of tumor that has constitutional or tumor-specific mutations in the homeobox gene Phox2B (van Limpt, et al., Cancer Lett 228:59 (2005)). Other indications and diseases that have been linked to Notch3 receptor expression include neurological disorders (Joutel, et al., Nature 383:707 (1996)), diabetes (Anastasi, et al., J Immunol 171:4504 (2003), rheumatoid arthritis (Yabe, et al., J Orthop Sci 10:589 (2005)), vascular related diseases (Sweeney, et al., FASEB J 18:1421 (2004)), and Alagille syndrome (Flynn, et al., J Pathol 204:55 (2004)).
Although Notch3 receptor over-expression (including gene amplification) has been observed in various cancers, no activating mutations have yet been reported. It is plausible that an increased level of Notch3 receptors in tumors can be activated by different ligands in stromal cells or tumor cells and lead to enhanced Notch3 signaling. Particularly, Notch ligands have been localized to the vascular endothelium during both development and tumorigenesis (Mailhos, et al., Differentiation 69:135 (2001); Taichman, et al., Dev Dyn 225: 166 (2002)), suggesting endothelial cells could provide the ligands for Notch3 receptor activation in tumors. Similar tumor-stroma cross-talk mediated by Notch ligand and receptor have been demonstrated in different type of cancers (Houde, et al., Blood 104: 3697 (2004); Jundt, et al., Blood 103: 3511 (2004); Zeng, et al., Cancer Cell 8: 13 (2005)). Increased Notch3 signaling caused by over-expression of intracellular Notch3 (Notch3-IC) can lead to tumorigenesis in T-ALL and breast cancer animal models (Vacca, et al., The EMBO J. 25: 1000 (2006); Hu, et al., Am J Pathol 168: 973 (2006)).
Notch signaling and its role in cell self-renewal have been implicated in cancer stem cells, which are a minority population in tumors and can initiate tumor formation (Reya, et al., Nature 414:105 (2001)). Normal stem cells from many tissues, including intestinal and neuronal stem cells, depend on Notch signaling for self-renewal and fate determination (Fre, et al., Nature, 435: 964 (2005); van Es, et al., Nature, 435:959 (2005); Androutsellis-Theotokis, et al., Nature, 442: 823 (2006)). Similar mechanisms could exist in cancer stem cells, and inhibition of Notch signaling by γ-secretase inhibitors was shown to deplete cancer stem cells and block engraftment in embryonal brain tumors (Fan, et al., Cancer Res 66:7445 (2006)).
Inhibition of Notch signaling by γ-secretase inhibitor has striking antineoplastic effects in Notch-expressing transformed cells in vitro and in xenograft models (Weijzen, et al., Nat Medicine 8: 879 (2002); Bocchetta, et al., Oncogene 22:81 (2003); Weng, et al., Science, 306:269 (2004)). More recently, a γ-secretase inhibitor has been shown to efficaciously kill colon adenomas in Apc (min+) mice (van Es, et al., Nature, 435: 959 (2005)), although the therapeutic window, due to its effect on normal stem cells and the inhibition of multiple Notch pathways, is very narrow. Different from Notch1, a Notch3 gene knockout in mice was not embryonically lethal and had few defects (Domenga, et al., Genes & Dev 18: 2730 (2004)), suggesting that Notch 3 provides a potentially better therapeutic target than Notch 1.
Tournier-Lasserve et al. (U.S. Application 2003/0186290) teach the association of Notch3 receptor and CADASIL. The application discloses various mutations in the Notch3 gene and their possible association with the disease CADASIL. The application suggests the use of diagnostic antibodies to detect such mutations. The application also suggests therapeutic antibodies to treat CADASIL, i.e. agonistic antibodies, but no specific antibodies are disclosed nor how to make such antibodies.
In view of the large number of human diseases associated with the Notch3 signaling pathway, it is important that new ways of preventing and treating these diseases be identified. The current invention provides novel anti-Notch3 antibodies useful for this unmet medical need.
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OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides novel antibodies and fragments thereof that specifically bind to a conformational epitope of the human Notch3 receptor, the epitope comprising the LIN12 domain and the heterodimerization domain. Another aspect of the invention includes the epitope binding site and antibodies that bind this same epitope as the antibodies of the present invention. The antibodies of the present invention inhibit ligand-induced signaling through the Notch3 receptor.
The invention includes the amino acid sequences of the variable heavy and light chain of the antibodies and their corresponding nucleic acid sequences. Another embodiment of the invention includes the CDR sequences of these antibodies. Another embodiment includes humanized forms of these antibodies.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes the cell lines and vectors harboring the antibody sequences of the present invention.
The present invention also includes the conformational epitope recognized by the antagonist antibodies of the invention. The present invention also includes antibodies that bind this conformational epitope. The embodiments include a Notch 3 conformational epitope comprising the LIN12 domain having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO. 9 and the dimerization domain 2 having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO. 18. More particularly, the Notch 3 conformational epitope comprising amino acid residues 1395-1396, 1402-1404 and 1420-1422 of the L1 LIN12 domain and amino acid residues 1576-1578 and 1626-1628 of the D2 dimerization domain. The present invention includes antibodies that bind this conformational epitope.
Another embodiment of the preset invention is the use of any of these antibodies for the preparation of a medicament or composition for the treatment of diseases and disorders associated with Notch 3 receptor activation.
Another embodiment of the preset invention is the use of any of these antibodies in the treatment of disorders associated with Notch 3 activation comprising the inhibition of said activation by, e.g., inhibiting Notch 3 signaling, or neutralization of the receptor by blocking ligand binding. Notch 3 related disorders may include, but are not limited to, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, lymphoma, liver disease involving aberrant vascularization, diabetes, ovarian cancer, diseases involving vascular cell fate, rheumatoid arthritis, pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, plasma cell neoplasms (such as multiple myeloma, plasma cell leukemia, and extramedullary plasmacytoma), and neuroblastoma.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 depicts the amino acid sequence of Notch3. The EGF repeat region extends from amino acid residue 43 to 1383; the LIN12 domain extends from amino acid residue 1384 to 1503; and the dimerization domain extends from amino acid residue 1504 to 1640.
FIG. 2 (A-H) depicts the amino acid sequence comparison between human Notch 1 (SEQ ID NO:44), Notch 2 (SEQ ID NO:45), Notch 3 (SEQ ID NO:1), and Notch 4 (SEQ ID NO:46).
FIG. 3 depicts the percent identity of Notch 1, Notch 2, Notch 3, and Notch 4.
FIGS. 4A and 4B depict the heavy and light chain variable region sequences of anti-Notch3 monoclonal antibody MAb 256A-4 (SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:3, respectively), with CDR regions underlined.
FIGS. 5A and 5B depict the heavy and light chain variable region sequences of anti-Notch3 monoclonal antibody MAb 256A-8 (SEQ ID NO: 4 and SEQ ID NO:5, respectively), with CDR regions underlined.
FIG. 6 depicts a luciferase reporter assay of Example 5 showing inhibitory effects by anti-Notch3 MAbs on the Notch3 ligand Jagged 1.
FIG. 7 depicts the luciferase reporter assay showing inhibitory effects by anti-Notch3 MAbs on the Notch3 ligand Jagged 2.
FIG. 8 depicts the luciferase reporter assay showing inhibitory effects by anti-Notch3 MAbs on the Notch3 ligand DLL4.
FIG. 9 depicts the luciferase reporter assay showing inhibitory effects to native Notch3 in ovarian cancer cells by anti-Notch3 MAbs. (9A) Human ovarian cancer cell line, OV/CAR3 and (9B) Human ovarian cancer cell line, A2780.
FIG. 10 depicts the apoptosis assay of Example 6 showing that cell survival effect induced by Jagged1 was inhibited by anti-Notch3 MAbs.
FIG. 11 depicts the inhibitory effect of anti-Notch3 MAbs on cell migration (11A) and invasion (11B) of Example 7.
FIG. 12 depicts a schematic diagram of the Notch1-Notch3 domain-swap protein expressed as a fusion protein with human IgG/Fc linked to C-terminus.
FIG. 13A depicts an ELISA using anti-human Fc control antibody as the detection antibody showing that the proteins of FIG. 12 were expressed in conditioned medium. FIG. 13B depicts an ELISA using 256A-4 as the detection antibody. FIG. 13C depicts an ELISA using 256A-8 as the detection antibody. FIG. 13D depicts an ELISA using a positive control antibody 256A-13 as the detection antibody.
FIG. 14 depicts the comparison of the engineered Notch3 leader peptide coding sequence (SEQ ID NO:47) to the native Notch3 leader peptide coding sequence (SEQ ID NO:48) (NCBI GENBANK® Accession No. NM—000435) showing the changes of nucleotides (14A) and the translated amino acid sequence of the engineered Notch leader peptide sequence (SEQ ID NO:6) (14B).
FIG. 15 depicts the generation of domain swap construct by PCR-SOE method. Arrow bars represent PCR primers. Open bar, Notch3 sequence. Filled bar, Notch1 sequence.
FIG. 16 depicts the amino acid sequences used in the Notch3 LIN12 domain epitope mapping of the MAb 256A-4 and 256A-8.
FIG. 17 depicts the amino acid sequences used in the Notch3 dimerization domain epitope mapping of the MAb 256A-4 and 256A-8.
FIG. 18 depicts a schematic of the epitope binding site for MAb 256A-4 and 256A-8.
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This invention is not limited to the particular methodology, protocols, cell lines, vectors, or reagents described herein because they may vary. Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, e.g., reference to “a host cell” includes a plurality of such host cells. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms and any acronyms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art in the field of the invention. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention, the exemplary methods, devices, and materials are described herein.
All patents and publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to the extent allowed by law for the purpose of describing and disclosing the proteins, enzymes, vectors, host cells, and methodologies reported therein that might be used with the present invention. However, nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
Terms used throughout this application are to be construed with ordinary and typical meaning to those of ordinary skill in the art. However, Applicants desire that the following terms be given the particular definitions as defined below.
The phrase “substantially identical” with respect to an antibody chain polypeptide sequence may be construed as an antibody chain exhibiting at least 70%, or 80%, or 90%, or 95% sequence identity to the reference polypeptide sequence. The term with respect to a nucleic acid sequence may be construed as a sequence of nucleotides exhibiting at least about 85%, or 90%, or 95%, or 97% sequence identity to the reference nucleic acid sequence.
The term “identity” or “homology” shall be construed to mean the percentage of amino acid residues in the candidate sequence that are identical with the residue of a corresponding sequence to which it is compared, after aligning the sequences and introducing gaps, if necessary to achieve the maximum percent identity for the entire sequence, and not considering any conservative substitutions as part of the sequence identity. Neither N- nor C-terminal extensions nor insertions shall be construed as reducing identity or homology. Methods and computer programs for the alignment are well known in the art. Sequence identity may be measured using sequence analysis software.
The term “antibody” is used in the broadest sense, and specifically covers monoclonal antibodies (including full length monoclonal antibodies), polyclonal antibodies, and multispecific antibodies (e.g., bispecific antibodies), and antibody fragments so long as they exhibit the desired biological activity. Antibodies (Abs) and immunoglobulins (Igs) are glycoproteins having the same structural characteristics. While antibodies exhibit binding specificity to a specific target, immunoglobulins include both antibodies and other antibody-like molecules which lack target specificity. The antibodies of the invention can be of any type (e.g., IgG, IgE, IgM, IgD, IgA and IgY), class (e.g., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA1 and IgA2) or subclass. Native antibodies and immunoglobulins are usually heterotetrameric glycoproteins of about 150,000 Daltons, composed of two identical light (L) chains and two identical heavy (H) chains. Each heavy chain has at one end a variable domain (VH) followed by a number of constant domains. Each light chain has a variable domain at one end (VL) and a constant domain at its other end.
As used herein, “anti-Notch3 antibody” means an antibody which binds specifically to human Notch3 in such a manner so as to inhibit or substantially reduce the binding of Notch3 to its ligands or to inhibit Notch 3 signaling.
The term “variable” in the context of variable domain of antibodies, refers to the fact that certain portions of the variable domains differ extensively in sequence among antibodies and are used in the binding and specificity of each particular antibody for its particular target. However, the variability is not evenly distributed through the variable domains of antibodies. It is concentrated in three segments called complementarity determining regions (CDRs; i.e., CDR1, CDR2, and CDR3) also known as hypervariable regions both in the light chain and the heavy chain variable domains. The more highly conserved portions of variable domains are called the framework (FR). The variable domains of native heavy and light chains each comprise four FR regions, largely a adopting a β-sheet configuration, connected by three CDRs, which form loops connecting, and in some cases forming part of, the β-sheet structure. The CDRs in each chain are held together in close proximity by the FR regions and, with the CDRs from the other chain, contribute to the formation of the target binding site of antibodies (see Kabat, et al. Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Md. (1987)). As used herein, numbering of immunoglobulin amino acid residues is done according to the immunoglobulin amino acid residue numbering system of Kabat, et al., unless otherwise indicated.
The term “antibody fragment” refers to a portion of a full-length antibody, generally the target binding or variable region. Examples of antibody fragments include F(ab), F(ab′), F(ab′)2 and Fv fragments. The phrase “functional fragment or analog” of an antibody is a compound having qualitative biological activity in common with a full-length antibody. For example, a functional fragment or analog of an anti-Notch3 antibody is one which can bind to a Notch3 receptor in such a manner so as to prevent or substantially reduce the ability of the receptor to bind to its ligands or initiate signaling. As used herein, “functional fragment” with respect to antibodies, refers to Fv, F(ab) and F(ab′)2 fragments. An “Fv” fragment consists of a dimer of one heavy and one light chain variable domain in a tight, non-covalent association (VH-VL dimer). It is in this configuration that the three CDRs of each variable domain interact to define a target binding site on the surface of the VH-VL dimer. Collectively, the six CDRs confer target binding specificity to the antibody. However, even a single variable domain (or half of an Fv comprising only three CDRs specific for a target) has the ability to recognize and bind target, although at a lower affinity than the entire binding site.
“Single-chain Fv” or “sFv” antibody fragments comprise the VH and VL domains of an antibody, wherein these domains are present in a single polypeptide chain. Generally, the Fv polypeptide further comprises a polypeptide linker between the VH and VL domains which enables the sFv to form the desired structure for target binding.
The term “diabodies” refers to small antibody fragments with two antigen-binding sites, which fragments comprise a heavy chain variable domain (VH) connected to a light chain variable domain (VL) in the same polypeptide chain. By using a linker that is too short to allow pairing between the two domains on the same chain, the domains are forced to pair with the complementary domains of another changing and create two antigen-binding sites.
The F(ab) fragment contains the constant domain of the light chain and the first constant domain (CH1) of the heavy chain. F(ab′) fragments differ from F(ab) fragments by the addition of a few residues at the carboxyl terminus of the heavy chain CH1 domain including one or more cysteines from the antibody hinge region. F(ab′) fragments are produced by cleavage of the disulfide bond at the hinge cysteines of the F(ab′)2 pepsin digestion product. Additional chemical couplings of antibody fragments are known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
The term “monoclonal antibody” as used herein refers to an antibody obtained from a population of substantially homogeneous antibodies, i.e., the individual antibodies comprising the population are identical except for possible naturally occurring mutations that may be present in minor amounts. Monoclonal antibodies herein specifically include “chimeric” antibodies (immunoglobulins) in which a portion of the heavy and/or light chain is identical with or homologous to corresponding sequences in antibodies derived from a particular species or belonging to a particular antibody class or subclass, while the remainder of the chain(s) is identical with or homologous to corresponding sequences in antibodies derived from another species or belonging to another antibody class or subclass, as well as fragments of such antibodies, so long as they exhibit the desired biological activity (U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,567; and Morrison, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81:6851 (1984)). Monoclonal antibodies are highly specific, being directed against a single target site. Furthermore, in contrast to conventional (polyclonal) antibody preparations which typically include different antibodies directed against different determinants (epitopes), each monoclonal antibody is directed against a single determinant on the target. In addition to their specificity, monoclonal antibodies are advantageous in that they may be synthesized by the hybridoma culture, uncontaminated by other immunoglobulins. The modifier “monoclonal” indicates the character of the antibody as being obtained from a substantially homogeneous population of antibodies, and is not to be construed as requiring production of the antibody by any particular method. For example, the monoclonal antibodies for use with the present invention may be isolated from phage antibody libraries using well known techniques. The parent monoclonal antibodies to be used in accordance with the present invention may be made by the hybridoma method first described by Kohler, et al., Nature 256:495 (1975), or may be made by recombinant methods.
“Humanized” forms of non-human (e.g., murine) antibodies are chimeric immunoglobulins, immunoglobulin chains or fragments thereof (such as Fv, Fab, Fab′, F(ab′)2 or other target-binding subsequences of antibodies) which contain minimal sequence derived from non-human immunoglobulin. In general, the humanized antibody will comprise substantially all of at least one, and typically two, variable domains, in which all or substantially all of the CDR regions correspond to those of a non-human immunoglobulin and all or substantially all of the FR regions are those of a human immunoglobulin template sequence. The humanized antibody may also comprise at least a portion of an immunoglobulin constant region (Fc), typically that of a human immunoglobulin template chosen.
The terms “cell,” “cell line,” and “cell culture” include progeny. It is also understood that all progeny may not be precisely identical in DNA content, due to deliberate or inadvertent mutations. Variant progeny that have the same function or biological property, as screened for in the originally transformed cell, are included. The “host cells” used in the present invention generally are prokaryotic or eukaryotic hosts.
“Transformation” of a cellular organism, cell, or cell line with DNA means introducing DNA into the target cell so that the DNA is replicable, either as an extrachromosomal element or by chromosomal integration. “Transfection” of a cell or organism with DNA refers to the taking up of DNA, e.g., an expression vector, by the cell or organism whether or not any coding sequences are in fact expressed. The terms “transfected host cell” and “transformed” refer to a cell in which DNA was introduced. The cell is termed “host cell” and it may be either prokaryotic or eukaryotic. Typical prokaryotic host cells include various strains of E. coli. Typical eukaryotic host cells are mammalian, such as Chinese hamster ovary or cells of human origin. The introduced DNA sequence may be from the same species as the host cell or a different species from the host cell, or it may be a hybrid DNA sequence, containing some foreign and some homologous DNA.
The term “vector” means a DNA construct containing a DNA sequence which is operably linked to a suitable control sequence capable of effecting the expression of the DNA sequence in a suitable host. Such control sequences include a promoter to effect transcription, an optional operator sequence to control such transcription, a sequence encoding suitable mRNA ribosome binding sites, and sequences which control the termination of transcription and translation. The vector may be a plasmid, a phage particle, or simply a potential genomic insert. Once transformed into a suitable host, the vector may replicate and function independently of the host genome, or may in some instances, integrate into the genome itself. In the present specification, “plasmid” and “vector” are sometimes used interchangeably, as the plasmid is the most commonly used form of vector. However, the invention is intended to include such other forms of vectors which serve equivalent function as and which are, or become, known in the art.
“Mammal” for purposes of treatment refers to any animal classified as a mammal, including human, domestic and farm animals, nonhuman primates, and zoo, sports, or pet animals, such as dogs, horses, cats, cows, etc.
The word “label” when used herein refers to a detectable compound or composition which can be conjugated directly or indirectly to a molecule or protein, e.g., an antibody. The label may itself be detectable (e.g., radioisotope labels or fluorescent labels) or, in the case of an enzymatic label, may catalyze chemical alteration of a substrate compound or composition which is detectable.
As used herein, “solid phase” means a non-aqueous matrix to which the antibody of the present invention can adhere. Examples of solid phases encompassed herein include those formed partially or entirely of glass (e.g., controlled pore glass), polysaccharides (e.g., agarose), polyacrylamides, polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol, and silicones. In certain embodiments, depending on the context, the solid phase can comprise the well of an assay plate; in others it is a purification column (e.g., an affinity chromatography column).
As used herein, the term “Notch3-mediated disorder” means a condition or disease which is characterized by the overexpression and/or hypersensitivity of the Notch3 receptor. Specifically it would be construed to include conditions associated with cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Other cancers including pancreatic, prostate cancer, plasma cell neoplasms (e.g., multiple myeloma, plasma cell leukemia and extramedullary plasmacytoma), neuroblastoma and extramedullary plasmacytoma are also encompassed under the scope of this term. Other types of diseases include lymphoma, Alagille syndrome, liver disease involving aberrant vascularization, neurologic diseases, diabetes, diseases involving vascular cell fate, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Notch 3 Receptor Immunogen for Generating Antibodies
Soluble targets or fragments thereof can be used as immunogens for generating antibodies. The antibody is directed against the target of interest. Preferably, the target is a biologically important polypeptide and administration of the antibody to a mammal suffering from a disease or disorder can result in a therapeutic benefit in that mammal. Whole cells may be used as the immunogen for making antibodies. The immunogen may be produced recombinantly or made using synthetic methods. The immunogen may also be isolated from a natural source.
For transmembrane molecules, such as receptors, fragments of these (e.g., the extracellular domain of a receptor) can be used as the immunogen. Alternatively, cells expressing the transmembrane molecule can be used as the immunogen. Such cells can be derived from a natural source (e.g., cancer cell lines) or may be cells which have been transformed by recombinant techniques to over-express the transmembrane molecule. Other forms of the immunogen useful for preparing antibodies will be apparent to those in the art.
Alternatively, a gene or a cDNA encoding human Notch3 receptor may be cloned into a plasmid or other expression vector and expressed in any of a number of expression systems according to methods well known to those of skill in the art. Methods of cloning and expressing Notch3 receptor and the nucleic acid sequence for human Notch3 receptor are known (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,821,332 and 5,759,546). Because of the degeneracy of the genetic code, a multitude of nucleotide sequences encoding Notch3 receptor protein or polypeptides may be used. One may vary the nucleotide sequence by selecting combinations based on possible codon choices. These combinations are made in accordance with the standard triplet genetic code as applied to the nucleotide sequence that codes for naturally occurring Notch3 receptor and all such variations may be considered. Any one of these polypeptides may be used in the immunization of an animal to generate antibodies that bind to human Notch3 receptor.
Recombinant Notch3 proteins from other species may also be used as immunogen to generate antibodies because of the high degree of conservation of the amino acid sequence of Notch3. A comparison between human and mouse Notch3 showed over 90% amino acid sequence identity between the two species.
The immunogen Notch3 receptor may, when beneficial, be expressed as a fusion protein that has the Notch3 receptor attached to a fusion segment. The fusion segment often aids in protein purification, e.g., by permitting the fusion protein to be isolated and purified by affinity chromatography, but can also be used to increase immunogenicity. Fusion proteins can be produced by culturing a recombinant cell transformed with a fusion nucleic acid sequence that encodes a protein including the fusion segment attached to either the carboxyl and/or amino terminal end of the protein. Fusion segments may include, but are not limited to, immunoglobulin Fc regions, glutathione-S-transferase, β-galactosidase, a poly-histidine segment capable of binding to a divalent metal ion, and maltose binding protein.
Recombinant Notch3 receptor protein as described in Example 1 was used to immunize mice to generate the hybridomas that produce the monoclonal antibodies of the present invention. Exemplary polypeptides comprise all or a portion of SEQ ID NO. 1 or variants thereof.
The antibodies of the present invention may be generated by any suitable method known in the art. The antibodies of the present invention may comprise polyclonal antibodies. Methods of preparing polyclonal antibodies are known to the skilled artisan (Harlow, et al., Antibodies: a Laboratory Manual, Cold spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2nd ed. (1988), which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).
For example, an immunogen as described in Example 1 may be administered to various host animals including, but not limited to, rabbits, mice, rats, etc., to induce the production of sera containing polyclonal antibodies specific for the antigen. The administration of the immunogen may entail one or more injections of an immunizing agent and, if desired, an adjuvant. Various adjuvants may be used to increase the immunological response, depending on the host species, and include but are not limited to, Freund\'s (complete and incomplete), mineral gels such as aluminum hydroxide, surface active substances such as lysolecithin, pluronic polyols, polyanions, peptides, oil emulsions, keyhole limpet hemocyanins, dinitrophenol, and potentially useful human adjuvants such as BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin) and Corynebacterium parvum. Additional examples of adjuvants which may be employed include the MPL-TDM adjuvant (monophosphoryl lipid A, synthetic trehalose dicorynomycolate). Immunization protocols are well known in the art and may be performed by any method that elicits an immune response in the animal host chosen. Adjuvants are also well known in the art.
Typically, the immunogen (with or without adjuvant) is injected into the mammal by multiple subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injections, or intramuscularly or through IV. The immunogen may include a Notch3 polypeptide, a fusion protein, or variants thereof. Depending upon the nature of the polypeptides (i.e., percent hydrophobicity, percent hydrophilicity, stability, net charge, isoelectric point etc.), it may be useful to conjugate the immunogen to a protein known to be immunogenic in the mammal being immunized. Such conjugation includes either chemical conjugation by derivatizing active chemical functional groups to both the immunogen and the immunogenic protein to be conjugated such that a covalent bond is formed, or through fusion-protein based methodology, or other methods known to the skilled artisan. Examples of such immunogenic proteins include, but are not limited to, keyhole limpet hemocyanin, ovalbumin, serum albumin, bovine thyroglobulin, soybean trypsin inhibitor, and promiscuous T helper peptides. Various adjuvants may be used to increase the immunological response as described above.
The antibodies of the present invention comprise monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies which recognize a single antigenic site. Their uniform specificity makes monoclonal antibodies much more useful than polyclonal antibodies, which usually contain antibodies that recognize a variety of different antigenic sites. Monoclonal antibodies may be prepared using hybridoma technology, such as those described by Kohler, et al., Nature 256:495 (1975); U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,110; Harlow, et al., Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Cold spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2nd ed. (1988) and Hammerling, et al., Monoclonal Antibodies and T-Cell Hybridomas, Elsevier (1981), recombinant DNA methods, or other methods known to the artisan. Other examples of methods which may be employed for producing monoclonal antibodies include, but are not limited to, the human B-cell hybridoma technique (Kosbor, et al., Immunology Today 4:72 (1983); Cole, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:2026 (1983)), and the EBV-hybridoma technique (Cole, et al., Monoclonal Antibodies and Cancer Therapy, pp. 77-96, Alan R. Liss (1985)). Such antibodies may be of any immunoglobulin class including IgG, IgM, IgE, IgA, IgD and any subclass thereof. The hybridoma producing the mAb of this invention may be cultivated in vitro or in vivo.
In the hybridoma model, a host such as a mouse, a humanized mouse, a mouse with a human immune system, hamster, rabbit, camel, or any other appropriate host animal, is immunized to elicit lymphocytes that produce or are capable of producing antibodies that will specifically bind to the protein used for immunization. Alternatively, lymphocytes may be immunized in vitro. Lymphocytes then are fused with myeloma cells using a suitable fusing agent, such as polyethylene glycol, to form a hybridoma cell (Goding, Monoclonal Antibodies: Principles and Practice, Academic Press, pp. 59-103 (1986)).
Generally, in making antibody-producing hybridomas, either peripheral blood lymphocytes (“PBLs”) are used if cells of human origin are desired, or spleen cells or lymph node cells are used if non-human mammalian sources are desired. The lymphocytes are then fused with an immortalized cell line using a suitable fusing agent, such as polyethylene glycol, to form a hybridoma cell (Goding, Monoclonal Antibodies: Principles and Practice, Academic Press, pp. 59-103 (1986)). Immortalized cell lines are usually transformed mammalian cells, particularly myeloma cells of rodent, bovine or human origin. Typically, a rat or mouse myeloma cell line is employed. The hybridoma cells may be cultured in a suitable culture medium that preferably contains one or more substances that inhibit the growth or survival of the unfused, immortalized cells. For example, if the parental cells lack the enzyme hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT or HPRT), the culture medium for the hybridomas typically will include hypoxanthine, aminopterin, and thymidine (“HAT medium”), substances that prevent the growth of HGPRT-deficient cells.
Preferred immortalized cell lines are those that fuse efficiently, support stable high-level production of antibody by the selected antibody-producing cells, and are sensitive to a medium such as HAT medium. Among these myeloma cell lines are murine myeloma lines, such as those derived from the MOPC-21 and MPC-11 mouse tumors available from the Salk Institute Cell Distribution Center, San Diego, Calif., and SP2/0 or X63-Ag8-653 cells available from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), Manassas, Va., USA. Human myeloma and mouse-human heteromyeloma cell lines also have been described for the production of human monoclonal antibodies (Kozbor, J Immunol 133:3001 (1984); Brodeur, et al., Monoclonal Antibody Production Techniques and Applications, Marcel Dekker, Inc, pp. 51-63 (1987)). The mouse myeloma cell line NSO may also be used (European Collection of Cell Cultures, Salisbury, Wilshire, UK).
The culture medium in which hybridoma cells are grown is assayed for production of monoclonal antibodies directed against Notch3. The binding specificity of monoclonal antibodies produced by hybridoma cells may be determined by immunoprecipitation or by an in vitro binding assay, such as radioimmunoassay (RIA) or enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). Such techniques are known in the art and within the skill of the artisan. The binding affinity of the monoclonal antibody to Notch3 can, for example, be determined by a Scatchard analysis (Munson, et al., Anal Biochem 107:220 (1980)).
After hybridoma cells are identified that produce antibodies of the desired specificity, affinity, and/or activity, the clones may be subcloned by limiting dilution procedures and grown by standard methods (Goding, Monoclonal Antibodies: Principles and Practice, Academic Press, pp. 59-103 (1986)). Suitable culture media for this purpose include, for example, Dulbecco\'s Modified Eagle\'s Medium (D-MEM) or RPMI-1640 medium. In addition, the hybridoma cells may be grown in vivo as ascites tumors in an animal.
The monoclonal antibodies secreted by the subclones are suitably separated or isolated from the culture medium, ascites fluid, or serum by conventional immunoglobulin purification procedures such as, for example, protein A-SEPHAROSE® affinity media, hydroxylaptite chromatography, gel exclusion chromatography, gel electrophoresis, dialysis, or affinity chromatography.
A variety of methods exist in the art for the production of monoclonal antibodies and thus, the invention is not limited to their sole production in hybridomas. For example, the monoclonal antibodies may be made by recombinant DNA methods, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,567. In this context, the term “monoclonal antibody” refers to an antibody derived from a single eukaryotic, phage, or prokaryotic clone. DNA encoding the monoclonal antibodies of the invention is readily isolated and sequenced using conventional procedures (e.g., by using oligonucleotide probes that are capable of binding specifically to genes encoding the heavy and light chains of murine antibodies, or such chains from human, humanized, or other sources) (Innis, et al. In PCR Protocols. A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic (1990), Sanger, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci 74:5463 (1977)). The hybridoma cells serve as a source of such DNA. Once isolated, the DNA may be placed into expression vectors, which are then transfected into host cells such as E. coli cells, NS0 cells, Simian COS cells, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, or myeloma cells that do not otherwise produce immunoglobulin protein, to obtain the synthesis of monoclonal antibodies in the recombinant host cells. The DNA also may be modified, for example, by substituting the coding sequence for human heavy and light chain constant domains in place of the homologous murine sequences (U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,567; Morrison, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81:6851 (1984)) or by covalently joining to the immunoglobulin coding sequence all or part of the coding sequence for a non-immunoglobulin polypeptide. Such a non-immunoglobulin polypeptide can be substituted for the constant domains of an antibody of the invention, or can be substituted for the variable domains of one antigen-combining site of an antibody of the invention to create a chimeric bivalent antibody.
The antibodies may be monovalent antibodies. Methods for preparing monovalent antibodies are well known in the art. For example, one method involves recombinant expression of immunoglobulin light chain and modified heavy chain. The heavy chain is truncated generally at any point in the Fc region so as to prevent heavy chain cross-linking. Alternatively, the relevant cysteine residues are substituted with another amino acid residue or are deleted so as to prevent cross-linking.
Antibody fragments which recognize specific epitopes may be generated by known techniques. Traditionally, these fragments were derived via proteolytic digestion of intact antibodies (see, e.g., Morimoto, et al., J Biochem Biophys Methods 24:107 (1992); Brennan, et al., Science 229:81 (1985)). For example, Fab and F(ab′)2 fragments of the invention may be produced by proteolytic cleavage of immunoglobulin molecules, using enzymes such as papain (to produce Fab fragments) or pepsin (to produce F(ab′)2 fragments). F(ab′)2 fragments contain the variable region, the light chain constant region and the CH1 domain of the heavy chain. However, these fragments can now be produced directly by recombinant host ells. For example, the antibody fragments can be isolated from an antibody phage library. Alternatively, F(ab′)2-SH fragments can be directly recovered from E. coli and chemically coupled to form F(ab′)2 fragments (Carter, et al., Bio/Technology 10:163 (1992). According to another approach, F(ab′)2 fragments can be isolated directly from recombinant host cell culture. Other techniques for the production of antibody fragments will be apparent to the skilled practitioner. In other embodiments, the antibody of choice is a single chain Fv fragment (Fv) (PCT patent application WO 93/16185).
For some uses, including in vivo use of antibodies in humans and in vitro detection assays, it may be preferable to use chimeric, humanized, or human antibodies. A chimeric antibody is a molecule in which different portions of the antibody are derived from different animal species, such as antibodies having a variable region derived from a murine monoclonal antibody and a human immunoglobulin constant region. Methods for producing chimeric antibodies are known in the art. See e.g., Morrison, Science 229:1202 (1985); Oi, et al., BioTechniques 4:214 (1986); Gillies, et al., J Immunol Methods 125:191 (1989); U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,807,715; 4,816,567; and 4,816397, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
A humanized antibody is designed to have greater homology to a human immunoglobulin than animal-derived monoclonal antibodies. Humanization is a technique for making a chimeric antibody wherein substantially less than an intact human variable domain has been substituted by the corresponding sequence from a non-human species. Humanized antibodies are antibody molecules generated in a non-human species that bind the desired antigen having one or more complementarity determining regions (CDRs) from the non-human species and framework (FR) regions from a human immunoglobulin molecule. Often, framework residues in the human framework regions will be substituted with the corresponding residue from the CDR donor antibody to alter, preferably improve, antigen binding. These framework substitutions are identified by methods well known in the art, e.g., by modeling of the interactions of the CDR and framework residues to identify framework residues important for antigen binding and sequence comparison to identify unusual framework residues at particular positions. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,089; Riechmann, et al., Nature 332:323 (1988), which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Antibodies can be humanized using a variety of techniques known in the art including, for example, CDR-grafting (EP 239,400; PCT publication WO 91/09967; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,225,539; 5,530,101; and 5,585,089), veneering or resurfacing (EP 592,106; EP 519,596; Padlan, Molecular Immunology 28:489 (1991); Studnicka, et al., Protein Engineering 7:805 (1994); Roguska, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:969 (1994)), and chain shuffling (U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,332).
Generally, a humanized antibody has one or more amino acid residues introduced into it from a source that is non-human. These non-human amino acid residues are often referred to as “import” residues, which are typically taken from an “import” variable domain. Humanization can be essentially performed following the methods of Winter and co-workers (Jones, et al., Nature 321:522 (1986); Riechmann, et al., Nature 332:323 (1988); Verhoeyen, et al., Science 239:1534 (1988)), by substituting non-human CDRs or CDR sequences for the corresponding sequences of a human antibody. Accordingly, such “humanized” antibodies are chimeric antibodies (U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,567), wherein substantially less than an intact human variable domain has been substituted by the corresponding sequence from a non-human species. In practice, humanized antibodies are typically human antibodies in which some CDR residues and possible some FR residues are substituted from analogous sites in rodent antibodies.
It is further important that humanized antibodies retain high affinity for the antigen and other favorable biological properties. To achieve this goal, according to a preferred method, humanized antibodies are prepared by a process of analysis of the parental sequences and various conceptual humanized products using three-dimensional models of the parental and humanized sequences. Three-dimensional immunoglobulin models are commonly available and are familiar to those skilled in the art. Computer programs are available which illustrate and display probable three-dimensional conformational structures of selected candidate immunoglobulin sequences. Inspection of these displays permits analysis of the likely role of certain residues in the functioning of the candidate immunoglobulin sequence, i.e., the analysis of residues that influence the ability of the candidate immunoglobulin sequences, i.e., the analysis of residues that influence the ability of the candidate immunoglobulin to bind its antigen. In this way, FR residues can be selected and combined from the recipient and import sequences so that the desired antibody characteristic, such as increased affinity for the target antigen(s), is maximized, although it is the CDR residues that directly and most substantially influence antigen binding.
The choice of human variable domains, both light and heavy, to be used in making the humanized antibodies is important to reduce antigenicity. According to an exemplary method, the so-called “best-fit” method, the sequence of the variable domain of a non-human antibody is screened against the entire library of known human variable-domain sequences. The human sequence which is closest to that of that of the non-human parent antibody is then accepted as the human FR for the humanized antibody (Sims, et al., J Immunol 151:2296 (1993); Chothia, et al., J Mol Biol 196:901 (1987)). Another method uses a particular framework derived from the consensus sequence of all human antibodies of a particular subgroup of light or heavy chains. The same framework may be used for several different humanized antibodies (Carter, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89:4285 (1992); Presta, et al., J Immunol 151:2623 (1993)).