The immunogenicity of biotherapeutic drugs is a significant problem during clinical applications. Many biotherapeutic drugs can develop unwanted immune responses in patients such as the generation of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs), which results in treatment resistance and potentially life-threatening adverse effects. Although different techniques, including advanced technologies for the expression, purification, and formulation of recombinant proteins, and the use of purely human or humanized proteins, have been developed to reduce the immunogenicity of biotherapeutic drugs, the problems remain to be completely eliminated. For instance, fully human antibodies, produced by phage display technology or transgenic mice, may still show degrees of immunogenicity.
One of the main drivers of immunogenicity is the presence of human T cell epitopes in the protein sequence, which can activate helper T cells, thus continuously producing antibodies and neutralizing therapeutic effects. De-immunization is a new technology combining immunology and molecular biology to locate and remove T cell epitopes. Creative Biolabs offers a number of de-immunization services to assist our clients in reducing the immunogenicity of biotherapeutic drug candidates. Our service has been widely used to remove the T cell epitopes from biotherapeutic drugs while preserving their therapeutic efficacy.
Fig.1 Recognition and binding of antibody versus T cell epitopes occur via separate molecular mechanisms. (Griswold, 2016)
We employ novel, innovative and classic methods to reduce the immunogenicity of candidate antibody drugs by combining immunology and molecular biology techniques. In the case of antibody de-immunization, the mutation of the T cell epitope can be introduced without significantly reducing the binding affinity of the antibody. In general, "de-immunized" antibodies are produced by the expression of human constant regions and genes encoding these antibodies in mammalian cells. At present, our experienced scientists have established a systematic process to develop an immune antibody produced in various expression systems. With a wealth of experience and profound expertise, we will be of great assistance for the advancement of your promising drug candidate into clinical trials.
In addition to antibody drugs, therapeutic peptides and proteins are powerful next-generation drugs that can effectively treat a variety of devastating diseases, but the development and use of biotherapeutics entail unique challenges and risks. In particular, protein drugs are monitored by the immune system in the human body and the following anti-drug immune response will cause a wide range of problems, including pharmacokinetic changes, drug efficacy loss, and even life-threatening complications. Therefore, various methods have been taken to reduce or eliminate the immunogenicity of these drugs. Based on the detailed understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-drug immune response, our RDIT® platform can be used to "delete" protein epitopes to enable the strategy of protein immunity.
Creative Biolabs offers comprehensive and professional technology for your drug de-immunization needs. We are honored to provide you with a customized schedule to help you with your research. If you are interested in our RDIT® de-immunization service, please contact us for more information.
Fig. 2 Characterization of pooled anti-rp35Δ sera after depletion.2,3
The research in this study highlights the potential of de-immunized Vaccinia virus (VACV) as an oncolytic agent for cancer therapy. The article describes the identification of new epitopes within the VACV p35 protein that are crucial for virus neutralization. Specifically, it was found that altering certain amino acids in the p35 protein can lead to the generation of VACV variants that are less recognizable by neutralizing antibodies, thereby enhancing the virus's ability to evade the immune response. This strategy of de-immunization is significant as it helps to maintain the oncolytic activity of VACV while reducing its immunogenicity, making it a more effective tool for cancer therapy. By modifying the virus to escape immune detection, it can potentially improve the efficacy and safety of VACV-based therapies in oncological applications.
De-immunization involves modifying biotherapeutic agents, such as proteins or peptides, to reduce their immunogenicity without compromising their therapeutic efficacy. This process helps prevent the immune system from recognizing and attacking these agents, thereby enhancing their safety and effectiveness.
De-immunization helps minimize adverse immune reactions, such as the development of anti-drug antibodies that can neutralize the therapeutic effects of the drug or cause allergic reactions. This increases the therapeutic window and improves patient compliance and outcomes.
De-immunization can be achieved by altering amino acid sequences in the protein to remove T-cell epitopes or by glycosylation to shield epitopes from the immune system. Techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis or computational modeling are often used to identify and modify immunogenic regions.
T-cell epitopes are short sequences of amino acids in proteins that are recognized by T-cell receptors when presented by MHC molecules. Targeting these epitopes for modification in the de-immunization process helps reduce the likelihood of the immune system initiating a response against the therapeutic protein.
While de-immunization aims to retain the therapeutic efficacy of biotherapeutics, modifications to protein structures can sometimes alter their biological activity or stability. It's essential to balance immunogenicity reduction with maintaining the drug's functional integrity, which requires careful design and extensive testing.
Computational biology helps predict the immunogenic potential of protein therapeutics and identifies regions within the protein that could be modified to reduce immunogenicity. This allows for a rational design of de-immunized proteins, reducing the need for extensive trial-and-error in the lab.
De-immunization is typically verified by immunological assays that test the reactivity of the modified protein with serum from immunized individuals or by using in silico tools to predict immunogenicity. Additionally, functional assays are necessary to ensure that the therapeutic efficacy of the protein remains intact.
Several engineered antibody therapies have been successfully de-immunized to reduce immunogenicity and are currently available on the market. These include modified monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins designed to be less immunogenic while retaining their therapeutic properties, thereby improving patient outcomes and reducing side effects related to immune responses.
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