Methods of generating variant antibodies with increased host string content

• US 7,657,380 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xencor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xencor, Inc.
• Inventors: Lazar, Gregory Alan, Desjarlais, John R., Hammond, Philip W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhou; Shubo (Joe)
• Application Number:
  US11/004,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/00 Immunoglobulins [IGs], e.g. monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies antibodies with enzymatic activity, e.g. abzymes C12N9/0002
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2863 against receptors for growth factors, growth regulators
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2878 against the NGF-receptor/TNF-receptor superfamily, e.g. CD27, CD30, CD40, CD95
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/24 containing regions, domains or residues from different species, e.g. chimeric, humanized or veneered
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/567 Framework region [FR]
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/72 Increased effector function due to an Fc-modification
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/732 Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity [ADCC]
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/76 Antagonist effect on antigen, e.g. neutralization or inhibition of binding
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/92 Affinity (KD), association rate (Ka), dissociation rate (Kd) or EC50 value
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 20/00 ICT specially adapted for functional genomics or proteomics, e.g. genotype-phenotype associations
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 20/20 Allele or variant detection, e.g. single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] detection
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 20/30 Detection of binding sites or motifs
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 20/50 Mutagenesis
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 30/00 ICT specially adapted for sequence analysis involving nucleotides or amino acids
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 30/10 Sequence alignment; Homology search

Abstract

The present invention relates to novel methods for generating variant proteins with increased host string content by comparing a parent protein sequence with two or more natural protein sequences from a host species, analyzing one or more amino acid strings of the parent protein sequence with a structurally corresponding amino acid string of each of said natural protein sequences, substituting one or more amino acid strings of the parent protein sequence with a structurally corresponding amino acid string of one of the two or more natural protein sequences on an amino acid string by amino acid string basis so that the variant protein has increased host string content, and, synthesizing and screening the variant protein.

Claims

1. A method of generating a variant host species antibody variable region as compared to a non-host species antibody variable region, comprising:

A. aligning said non-host species antibody variable region sequence with two or more naturally occurring host species antibody variable region sequences;

B. performing two or more times;

i. comparing, for string impact on host species string content, one or more sequence segments of each of said host species antibody variable region sequences to the structurally corresponding sequence segment of said non-host species antibody variable region sequence; and

,

ii. substituting one sequence segment of said non-host species antibody variable region sequence with a structurally corresponding sequence segment of one of said two or more host species antibody variable region sequences, wherein said substituted sequence segment increases host species string content,

wherein said variant host species antibody variable region has increased host species string content as compared to said non-host species antibody variable region,

wherein said substituted sequence segments include a first sequence segment substitution from a first naturally occurring antibody variable region sequence from said two or more naturally occurring host species antibody variable region sequences, and a second sequence segment substitution from a second naturally occurring antibody variable region sequence from said two or more naturally occurring host species antibody variable region sequences, and,

where said host species string content (HSC) is measured by an equation functionally equivalent to;

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a substituted amino acid is a consensus of two or more naturally occurring antibody variable region sequences.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said host species is human.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said non-host species is murine.

5. The method according claim 1, wherein said naturally occurring antibody variable region sequences are germline sequences.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of said substituted sequence segments is not a structurally corresponding segment from the most homologous naturally occurring host species sequence.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein one of said substituted sequence segments is not a structurally corresponding residue from a consensus of homologous natural host species sequences.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of said substituted sequence segments includes a position that is not surface exposed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of said substituted sequence segments is not in a Complement Determining Region (CDR).

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of said substituted sequence segments is made at a position that is part of the VH/VL interface.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises an affinity for an antigen no lower than about two-fold less than said non-host species antibody variable region.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises an affinity for an antigen of about two-fold more than said non-host species antibody variable region.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises a framework region identity as compared to a naturally occurring antibody variable region sequence of less than about 85%.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises a framework region homogeneity of less than about 0.6.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises no substitutions within about 5 Angstroms of a CDR residue.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said antibody host species variable region has modulated effector function as compared to said the naturally occurring host species antibody.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said effector function is Antibody-Dependent Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity (ADCC).

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein more than one variant host species antibody variable region is generated from said method to form a variant antibody variable region set.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region set comprises at least two variant host species antibody variable region sequence segments that differ by more than about 5 amino acids.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein said substituted sequence segment is not applied to a CDR region.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region has at least one improved property that is selected from a group consisting of solubility, stability, expression, affinity, immunogenicity, activity and functionality.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising analyzing one or more amino acid strings for theoretical binding to MHC agretopes.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said one or more strings are each nine amino acids in length.

24. A method of generating a variant host species antibody variable region as compared to a non-host species antibody variable region, comprising:

A. aligning said non-host species antibody variable region sequence with two or more naturally occurring host species antibody variable region sequences;

B. performing two or more times;

i. comparing, for string impact on host species string content, one or more sequence segments of each of said host species antibody variable region sequences to the structurally corresponding sequence segment of said non-host species antibody variable region sequence;

ii. substituting one sequence segment of said non-host species antibody variable region sequence with a structurally corresponding sequence segment of one of said two or more host species antibody variable region sequences, wherein said substituted sequence segment increases host species string content relative to said non-host species antibody variable region, and,

where said host species string content (HSC) is measured by an equation functionally equivatent to;

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein a substituted sequence segment is a consensus of two or more naturally occurring antibody variable regions.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein said host species is human.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein said non-host species is murine.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein said naturally occurring host species sequences are germline sequences.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein one of said substituted sequence segments is not a structurally corresponding segment from the most homologous naturally occurring host species sequence.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein one of said substituted sequence segments is not a structurally corresponding residue from a consensus of homologous natural host species sequences.

31. The method according to claim 24, wherein one of said substituted sequence segments includes a position that is not surface exposed.

32. The method according to claim 24, wherein one of the substituted sequence segments is not in a CDR.

33. The method according to claim 24, wherein one of the substituted sequence segments is made at a position that is part of the VH/VL interface.

34. The method according to claim 24, wherein said variant antibody variable region comprises an affinity for an antigen no lower than about two-fold less than said non-host species antibody variable region.

35. The method according to claim 24, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises an affinity for an antigen of about two-fold more than said non-host species antibody variable region.

36. The method according to claim 24, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises a framework region identity as compared to a naturally occurring antibody variable region sequence of less than about 85%.

37. The method according to claim 24, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises a framework region homogeneity of less than about 0.6.

38. The method according to claim 24, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises less than about 28 amino acid substitutions, as compared to a non-host antibody variable region.

39. The method according to claim 24, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region comprises no substitutions within about 5 Angstroms of a CDR residue.

40. The method according to claim 24, wherein said antibody host species variable region has modulated effector function as compared to said parent antibody.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein said effector function is ADCC.

42. The method according to claim 24, wherein more than one variant host species antibody variable region is generated from said method to form a variant host species antibody variable region set.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region set comprises at least two variant host species antibody variable regions that differ by more than about 5 amino acids.

44. The method according to claim 24,wherein said substituted sequence segment is not applied to a CDR region.

45. The method according to claim 24, wherein said variant host species antibody variable region has at least one improved property that is selected from a group consisting of solubility, stability, expression, affinity, immunogenicity, activity and functionality.

46. The method according to claim 24, further comprising analyzing one or more amino acid strings for theoretical binding to MHC agretopes.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein said one or more strings are each nine amino acids in length.