Running title: Non-toxic broad anti-tumor activity of an EGFR×4-1BB bispecific trimerbod

32 p.-4 fig.Purpose: The induction of 4-1BB signaling by agonistic antibodies can drive the activation and proliferation of effector T cells and thereby enhance a T-cell–mediated antitumor response. Systemic administration of anti-4-1BB–agonistic IgGs, although effective preclinically, has not advanced in clinical development due to their severe hepatotoxicity.Experimental Design: Here, we generated a humanized EGFR-specific 4-1BB-agonistic trimerbody, which replaces the IgG Fc region with a human collagen homotrimerization domain. It was characterized by structural analysis and in vitro functional studies. We also assessed pharmacokinetics, antitumor efficacy, and toxicity in vivo.Results: In the presence of a T-cell receptor signal, the trimerbody provided potent T-cell costimulation that was strictly dependent on 4-1BB hyperclustering at the point of contact with a tumor antigen-displaying cell surface. It exhibits significant antitumor activity in vivo, without hepatotoxicity, in a wide range of human tumors including colorectal and breast cancer cell-derived xenografts, and non–small cell lung cancer patient-derived xenografts associated with increased tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells. The combination of the trimerbody with a PD-L1 blocker led to increased IFNγ secretion in vitro and resulted in tumor regression in humanized mice bearing aggressive triple-negative breast cancer.Conclusions: These results demonstrate the nontoxic broad antitumor activity of humanized Fc-free tumor-specific 4-1BB-agonistic trimerbodies and their synergy with checkpoint blockers, which may provide a way to elicit responses in most patients with cancer while avoiding Fc-mediated adverse reactions.This work was supported by grants from the European Union [IACT Project (602262), H2020-iNEXT (1676)]; the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF2017-89437-P, CTQ2017-83810-R, RTC-2016-5118-1, RTC-2017-5944-1), partially supported by the European Regional Development Fund; the Carlos III Health Institute (PI16/00357), co-founded by the Plan Nacional de Investigación and the European Union; the CRIS Cancer Foundation (FCRIS-IFI-2018); and the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC, 19084). C. Domínguez-Alonso was supported by a predoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PRE2018-083445). M. Zonca was supported by the Torres Quevedo Program from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, co-founded by the European Social Fund (PTQ-16-08340).Peer reviewe

Programming Controlled Adhesion of E. coli to Target Surfaces, Cells, and Tumors with Synthetic Adhesins

In this work we report synthetic adhesins (SAs) enabling the rational design of the adhesion properties of E. coli. SAs have a modular structure comprising a stable β-domain for outer membrane anchoring and surface-exposed immunoglobulin domains with high affinity and specificity that can be selected from large repertoires. SAs are constitutively and stably expressed in an E. coli strain lacking a conserved set of natural adhesins, directing a robust, fast, and specific adhesion of bacteria to target antigenic surfaces and cells. We demonstrate the functionality of SAs in vivo, showing that, compared to wild type E. coli, lower doses of engineered E. coli are sufficient to colonize solid tumors expressing an antigen recognized by the SA. In addition, lower levels of engineered bacteria were found in non-target tissues. Therefore, SAs provide stable and specific adhesion capabilities to E. coli against target surfaces of interest for diverse applications using live bacteria.Ministerio de Economıía y Competitividad (España)Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (España)European Research Council"La Caixa" FoundationPeer reviewe

Programming Controlled Adhesion of <i>E. coli</i> to Target Surfaces, Cells, and Tumors with Synthetic Adhesins

In this work we report synthetic adhesins (SAs) enabling the rational design of the adhesion properties of <i>E. coli</i>. SAs have a modular structure comprising a stable β-domain for outer membrane anchoring and surface-exposed immunoglobulin domains with high affinity and specificity that can be selected from large repertoires. SAs are constitutively and stably expressed in an <i>E. coli</i> strain lacking a conserved set of natural adhesins, directing a robust, fast, and specific adhesion of bacteria to target antigenic surfaces and cells. We demonstrate the functionality of SAs <i>in vivo</i>, showing that, compared to wild type <i>E. coli</i>, lower doses of engineered <i>E. coli</i> are sufficient to colonize solid tumors expressing an antigen recognized by the SA. In addition, lower levels of engineered bacteria were found in non-target tissues. Therefore, SAs provide stable and specific adhesion capabilities to <i>E. coli</i> against target surfaces of interest for diverse applications using live bacteria