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Biomedical subjects

H Waldmann

Publications and source records attributed to H Waldmann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The effect of aglycosylation on the immunogenicity of a humanized therapeutic CD3 monoclonal antibody.

The factors affecting the immunogenicity of a humanized gamma 1 CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) were investigated in transgenic mice that express the human CD3 antigen epsilon polypeptide (the mAb target antigen). Two derivatives of the mAb were employed, one with a normal, glycosylated Fc region (gamma 1 CD3 mAb), and the other with an aglycosylated Fc region (aglycosyl gamma 1 CD3 mAb). Comparisons of the antiglobulin responses elicited by the two derivatives in transgenic and nontransgenic mice demonstrated that Fab-mediated cell binding activity, dependent on target antigen expression, was a major positive determinant of CD3 mAb immunogenicity. A second positive factor was mAb Fc region glycosylation. At low dose levels the gamma 1 CD3 mAb consistently produced a higher antiglobulin response than the aglycosyl gamma 1 CD3 mAb. This was probably a result of the nonspecific, in vivo T cell activating property of the gamma 1 CD3 mAb, a consequence of its ability to cross-link T cells to Fc gamma receptor-bearing cells. (The aglycosyl gamma 1 CD3 mAb has a reduced Fc binding affinity for Fc gamma receptors and so does not activate T cells in vivo.) In support of this hypothesis, the gamma 1 CD3 mAb was able to nonspecifically enhance humoral immunity to an unrelated, coadministered antigen, whereas the aglycosyl gamma 1 CD3 mAb was not. The lower immunogenicity of the aglycosyl gamma 1 CD3 mAb correlated with a longer in vivo half-life and an improved capacity to block the target CD3 antigen. These results suggest that, as well as reducing the cytokine-induced side effects normally associated with CD3 mAb therapy, the nonactivating aglycosyl gamma 1 CD3 mAb will be less likely than the activating gamma 1 CD3 mAb to stimulate a neutralizing antiglobulin response.

Animals

In vivo transfer of GPI-linked complement restriction factors from erythrocytes to the endothelium.

Many proteins are associated with the outer layer of the cell membrane through a posttranslationally added glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. The functional significance of this type of protein linkage is unclear, although it results in increased lateral mobility, sorting to the apical surface of the cell, reinsertion into cell membranes, and possibly cell signaling. Here evidence is presented that GPI-linked proteins can undergo intermembrane transfer in vivo. GPI-linked proteins expressed on the surface of transgenic mouse red blood cells were transferred in a functional form to endothelial cells in vivo. This feature of GPI linkage may be potentially useful for the delivery of therapeutic proteins to vascular endothelium.

Animals

Gene structure of human CD59 and demonstration that discrete mRNAs are generated by alternative polyadenylation.

We have isolated the CD59 gene from human genomic libraries. The gene is distributed over more than 27 x 10(3) base-pairs and consists of one 5'-untranslated exon and three coding exons. The gene structure is similar to that of mouse Ly-6 with the exception of the larger size of CD59 introns. Northern blot analysis using six different probes located in the 3'-region of the gene shows that more than four different CD59 mRNA molecules are generated by alternative polyadenylation. Three of these polyadenylation sites were predicted from previously published cDNA sequences. We have isolated a fourth from Jurkat poly(A)+ RNA by the procedure of rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Alternative polyadenylation may be due to the RNA secondary structure around the typical polyadenylation signal, AAUAAA.

Antigens, CD

Humanised monoclonal antibody therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.

Monoclonal antibodies that target T cells have shown some benefit in rheumatoid arthritis although responses have not been long lasting. This is partly due to insufficient therapy consequent upon antibody immunogenicity. Use of humanised antibodies, which are expected to be less foreign to man than conventional rodent antibodies, might overcome this problem. We therefore assessed in a phase 1 open study the potential of a "lymphocyte depleting" regimen of the humanised monoclonal antibody CAMPATH-1H in 8 patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis. Apart from symptoms associated with first infusions of antibody, adverse effects were negligible. Significant clinical benefit was seen in 7 patients, lasting for eight months in 1. After one course of therapy, there was no measurable antiglobulin response, although 3 out of 4 patients have become sensitised on retreatment. Humanisation reduces the immunogenicity of rodent antibodies but anti-idiotype responses may still be seen on repeated therapy, even in patients sharing immunoglobulin allotype with the humanised antibody.

Adult

Therapy with monoclonal antibodies. An in vivo model for the assessment of therapeutic potential.

A set of rat-human and rat-rat chimeric mAb has been created, all possessing V regions identical in their specificity for the mouse CD8 Ag. In vitro all antibodies were able to block cell-mediated lysis but varied greatly in their capacity to utilize rabbit complement. We examined the ability of these chimeric antibodies to deplete in vivo and established a clear hierarchy. Of the human IgG subclasses, only IgG1, 2, and 3 could fix complement in vitro, yet all (IgG1-4) were remarkably potent at depleting CD8+ PBL in vivo. In contrast, human IgA2 and IgE were ineffective at clearing CD8+ PBL. The vector system used to create these antibodies together with the small doses of antibodies required to deplete in vivo make this a simple and rapid system for testing the effects of different antibody isotypes and mutants. We have shown that a mutant of human IgG1, which is incapable of fixing complement, depletes perfectly well in vivo, whereas an aglycosyl IgG1 mutant is rendered inactive. Our model provides a unique opportunity to study effector functions and motifs that are used by mAb in vivo and will help in the design of improved antibodies for human therapy.

Animals

Tolerance in the mouse to major histocompatibility complex-mismatched heart allografts, and to rat heart xenografts, using monoclonal antibodies to CD4 and CD8.

Mice given a single short course of anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) became tolerant of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-incompatible vascularized heart allografts in a donor- and organ-specific manner. T cell depletion was not important, as blocking antibodies were equally effective. Anti-CD4 antibody therapy alone was sufficient to establish tolerance. Anti-CD8 mAb therapy alone was associated with poor recipient survival, although survivors were rendered tolerant. A second donor-type heart allograft to the neck was always accepted in recipients which had carried the first abdominal heart allograft for over 120 days, with the first heart also continuing to function. However, donor-type skin grafted at 100 days was sometimes rejected, albeit chronically. Those recipients that accepted the donor-type skin were able to reject third-party skin grafts mismatched at the MHC, or over multiple minor differences alone. Thus, the tolerance induced appeared to be donor and tissue specific, although spreading in some cases to tolerance of skin. Similarly donor-specific tolerance was found when xenogeneic PVG rat hearts were grafted into CBA/Ca mice using the same protocols of anti-CD4 plus anti-CD8 mAb. Resolution of the mechanisms underlying these forms of tolerance may permit the design of improved immunosuppressive protocols for human organ transplantation.

Animals

The use of a non-depleting anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody to re-establish tolerance to beta cells in NOD mice.

The use of immunosuppressive drugs in the management of autoimmunity penalizes a large part of the immune system for the misdemeanors of a small minority of T cells. An ideal form of therapy would be one in which it were possible to render the immune system tolerant of the inciting antigens with minimal effects on other responses. We here show that it is possible to re-establish self tolerance in an animal model of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus without prior deletion of CD4+ T cells using a short course of therapy with a non-lytic monoclonal antibody to the CD4 adhesion receptor on T cells. This tolerance can be achieved even when diabetogenic cells are already in the pancreas. Primary responses to antigens given after therapy has ceased are normal and secondary responses to antigens seen prior to, but not during, the period of antibody therapy can remain unaffected. This suggests that intervention with selected CD4 antibodies may have significant advantages over and above that provided not only by conventional immunosuppression but also over that provided by a depleting antibody.

Animals

Classical transplantation tolerance in the adult: the interaction between myeloablation and immunosuppression.

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in the neonate is an effective way of inducing permanent tolerance to donor tissue. To do the same in the immunocompetent adult requires immunosuppression to counter host-versus-graft alloreactivity. Conditioning with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to CD4 and CD8 has been sufficient where donor and recipient are mismatched at only multiple "minor" histocompatibility loci, or at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I plus "minor" loci, but not where the mismatch involves the entire MHC. Tolerance across the MHC barrier requires extra conditioning with agents that happen to be both immunosuppressive and myeloablative, so obscuring the assessment of which effect is important. By using dimethylmyleran as a selective "space"-creating myeloablative agent, and CD4 plus CD8 mAb as sole immunosuppressive agents, we have been able to dissect the relative requirements for immunosuppression and myeloablation. We show here that transplantation tolerance could only be achieved when both types of agent were combined together so as to guarantee sufficient donor-type hemopoietic chimerism. We argue that the donor marrow, given sufficient space, will engraft and provide a sustained source of tolerogen overriding any host resistance that antibodies cannot control.

Animals

Therapeutic immunosuppression of T cells.

Current immunosuppressive therapy carries a range of unwanted side effects, and tends to penalize the whole immune system. It is desirable to develop therapies that are more selective for antigen-reactive cells. As T lymphocytes use a wide range of surface receptors to interact with antigen-bearing cells and with each other, much interest is devoted to trying to develop agents that selectively block the interaction of these receptors with their ligands, and others that could be used to reprogram the immune system so that it might become tolerant to the antigens rather than attack them.

Animals

In vivo use of Campath-1G to prevent graft-versus-host disease and graft rejection after bone marrow transplantation.

Twenty-two patients (16 male, six female; median age 34 years, range 16-49) with acute myeloid leukemia (1st complete remission (CR), n = 9), acute lymphocytic leukemia (1st CR, n = 5), chronic myeloid leukemia (chronic phase n = 5, accelerated phase n = 1), malignant lymphoma (n = 1) and myeloma (n = 1) were transplanted with unmanipulated donor bone marrow after standard conditioning including the monoclonal antibody Campath-1G daily from day -4 to day 0. No further graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was given. All patients engrafted and neither graft failure nor rejection were observed. Acute GVHD grade I (skin) was seen in 12 out of 21 patients at risk. Acute GVHD grade II (skin) occurred in two patients. Severe GVHD (grade III, IV) of the gut, liver and skin developed in two patients. The overall incidence of severe acute GVHD (II-IV) was 19% of the patients at risk. Chronic GVHD (skin only) was seen in eight patients (42%) (six of extensive severity). A total of 14 patients died, the causes being relapse (four), direct cytotoxic drug toxicity (one), a GVHD (two), disseminated varicella zoster (one), systemic tuberculosis (one), interstitial pneumonitis (three) and veno-occlusive disease (two). These results indicate that the intravenous administration of Campath-1G may have reduced the incidence of severe acute GVHD without the occurrence of graft failure. However, the incidence of chronic GVHD does not appear to have decreased.

Adolescent

CD66 identifies a neutrophil-specific epitope within the hematopoietic system that is expressed by members of the carcinoembryonic antigen family of adhesion molecules.

Preliminary results from the IVth Leucocyte Culture Conference have classified the monoclonal antibody (MoAb), YTH 71.3.2, as CD66. Two other MoAbs, YPC 2/12.1 and CE6/2D3.1, share a common cellular specificity, reacting with cells of the neutrophil series and colonic epithelium. The YTH 71.3.2 and CE6/2D3.1 MoAbs both recognize a similar CD66 defined epitope that is distinct from that identified by YPC 2/12.1. By Western blotting, these antibodies react with different molecular species from cells of different lineages. The antibodies identify 50- to 55-Kd, 80- to 100-Kd, and 130- to 200-Kd components present in a semi-purified carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) preparation from colonic adenocarcinomas and a 90- to 130-Kd molecule from HL-60 cells. With the colonic cell line, LS174T, YPC2/12.1 stains diffuse bands of 160 to 200 Kd and 90 to 130 Kd with equal intensity, whereas the binding of CE6/2D3.1 and YTH 71.3.2 is biased toward the lower molecular weight set of molecules. Remarkably, all three antibodies recognize CEA-related molecules. Defined analyses using HeLa cells transfected with CEA, NCA(NCA-50/90), and CGM6(NCA-95) cDNAs show that the three MoAbs identify CEA to varying degrees. While YTH 71.3.2 and CE6/2D3.1 also bind to NCA-50/90, YPC 2/12.1 recognizes an epitope expressed by both the NCA-50/90 and NCA-95 molecular species.

Antibodies, Monoclonal