3 research outputs found
High-Resolution Accurate-Mass Mass Spectrometry Enabling In-Depth Characterization of <i>in Vivo</i> Biotransformations for Intact Antibody-Drug Conjugates
Antibody-drug
conjugates (ADCs) represent a promising class of
therapeutics for the targeted delivery of highly potent cytotoxic
drugs to tumor cells to improve bioactivity while minimizing side
effects. ADCs are composed of both small and large molecules and therefore
have complex molecular structures. <i>In vivo</i> biotransformations
may further increase the complexity of ADCs, representing a unique
challenge for bioanalytical assays. Quadrupole-time-of-flight mass
spectrometry (Q-TOF MS) with electrospray ionization has been widely
used for characterization of intact ADCs. However, interpretation
of ADC biotransformations with small mass changes, for the intact
molecule, remains a limitation due to the insufficient mass resolution
and accuracy of Q-TOF MS. Here, we have investigated <i>in vivo</i> biotransformations of multiple site-specific THIOMAB antibody-drug
conjugates (TDCs), in the intact form, using a high-resolution, accurate-mass
(HR/AM) MS approach. Compared with conventional Q-TOF MS, HR/AM Orbitrap
MS enabled more comprehensive identification of ADC biotransformations.
It was particularly beneficial for characterizing ADC modifications
with small mass changes such as partial drug loss and hydrolysis.
This strategy has significantly enhanced our capability to elucidate
ADC biotransformations and help understand ADC efficacy and safety <i>in vivo</i>
Development of Efficient Chemistry to Generate Site-Specific Disulfide-Linked Protein– and Peptide–Payload Conjugates: Application to THIOMAB Antibody–Drug Conjugates
Conjugation
of small molecule payloads to cysteine residues on
proteins via a disulfide bond represents an attractive strategy to
generate redox-sensitive bioconjugates, which have value as potential
diagnostic reagents or therapeutics. Advancement of such “direct-disulfide”
bioconjugates to the clinic necessitates chemical methods to form
disulfide connections efficiently, without byproducts. The disulfide
connection must also be resistant to premature cleavage by thiols
prior to arrival at the targeted tissue. We show here that commonly
employed methods to generate direct disulfide-linked bioconjugates
are inadequate for addressing these challenges. We describe our efforts
to optimize direct-disulfide conjugation chemistry, focusing on the
generation of conjugates between cytotoxic payloads and cysteine-engineered
antibodies (i.e., THIOMAB antibody–drug conjugates, or TDCs).
This work culminates in the development of novel, high-yielding conjugation
chemistry for creating direct payload disulfide connections to any
of several Cys mutation sites in THIOMAB antibodies or to Cys sites
in other biomolecules (e.g., human serum albumin and cell-penetrating
peptides). We conclude by demonstrating that hindered direct disulfide
TDCs with two methyl groups adjacent to the disulfide, which have
heretofore not been described for any bioconjugate, are more stable
and more efficacious in mouse tumor xenograft studies than less hindered
analogs
Modulating Antibody–Drug Conjugate Payload Metabolism by Conjugation Site and Linker Modification
Previous investigations
on antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) stability
have focused on drug release by linker-deconjugation due to the relatively stable payloads such
as maytansines. Recent development of ADCs has been focused on exploring
technologies to produce homogeneous ADCs and new classes of payloads
to expand the mechanisms of action of the delivered drugs. Certain
new ADC payloads could undergo metabolism in circulation while attached
to antibodies and thus affect ADC stability, pharmacokinetics, and
efficacy and toxicity profiles. Herein, we investigate payload stability
specifically and seek general guidelines to address payload metabolism
and therefore increase the overall ADC stability. Investigation was
performed on various payloads with different functionalities (e.g.,
PNU-159682 analog, tubulysin, cryptophycin, and taxoid) using different
conjugation sites (HC-A118C, LC-K149C, and HC-A140C) on THIOMAB antibodies.
We were able to reduce metabolism and inactivation of a broad range
of payloads of THIOMAB antibody-drug conjugates by employing optimal
conjugation sites (LC-K149C and HC-A140C). Additionally, further payload
stability was achieved by optimizing the linkers. Coupling relatively
stable sites with optimized linkers provided optimal stability and
reduction of payloads metabolism in circulation in vivo