Two mechanisms of the enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) efficacy of non-fucosylated therapeutic antibodies in human blood

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) has recently been identified as one of the critical mechanisms underlying the clinical efficacy of therapeutic antibodies, especially anticancer antibodies. Therapeutic antibodies fully lacking the core fucose of the Fc oligosaccharides have been found to exhibit much higher ADCC in humans than their fucosylated counterparts. However, data which show how fully non-fucosylated antibodies achieve such a high ADCC in human whole blood have not yet been disclosed. The precise mechanisms responsible for the high ADCC mediated by fully non-fucosylated therapeutic antibodies, even in the presence of human plasma, should be explained based on direct evidence of non-fucosylated antibody action in human blood.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using a human <it>ex vivo </it>B-cell depletion assay with non-fucosylated and fucosylated anti-CD20 IgG1s rituximab, we monitored the binding of the therapeutic agents both to antigens on target cells (target side interaction) and to leukocyte receptors (FcγR) on effector cells (effector side interaction), comparing the intensities of ADCC in human blood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the target side interaction, down-modulation of CD20 on B cells mediated by anti-CD20 was not observed. Simple competition for binding to the antigens on target B cells between fucosylated and non-fucosylated anti-CD20s was detected in human blood to cause inhibition of the enhanced ADCC of non-fucosylated anti-CD20 by fucosylated anti-CD20. In the effector side interaction, non-fucosylated anti-CD20 showed sufficiently high FcγRIIIa binding activity to overcome competition from plasma IgG for binding to FcγRIIIa on natural killer (NK) cells, whereas the binding of fucosylated anti-CD20 to FcγRIIIa was almost abolished in the presence of human plasma and failed to recruit NK cells effectively. The core fucosylation levels of individual serum IgG1 from healthy donors was found to be so slightly different that it did not affect the inhibitory effect on the ADCC of fucosylated anti-CD20.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that removal of fucosylated antibody ingredients from antibody therapeutics elicits high ADCC in human blood by two mechanisms: namely, by evading the inhibitory effects both of plasma IgG on FcγRIIIa binding (effector side interaction) and of fucosylated antibodies on antigen binding (target side interaction).</p

Nicotine inhibits the production of proinflammatory mediators in human monocytes by suppression of I-κB phosphorylation and nuclear factor-κB transcriptional activity through nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7

Macrophages/monocytes and the proinflammatory mediators, such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α and MIP-1α, play a critical role in the progression of immunological disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, Behçet’s disease and Crohn’s disease. In addition, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-α7 (α7nAChR) subunit is an essential regulator of inflammation. In this study, we evaluated the expression of the α7nAChR subunit on human peripheral monocytes and the effect of nicotine on the production of these proinflammatory mediators by activated monocytes. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled α-bungarotoxin demonstrated the cell surface expression of the α7nAchR subunit. Pretreatment with low-dose nicotine caused inhibition of TNF-α, PGE(2), MIP-1α and MIP-1α production, and mRNA expression of TNF-α, MIP-1α and MIP-1α and COX-2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated monocytes. These suppressive effects of nicotine were caused at the transcriptional level and were mediated through α7nAChR. Nicotine suppressed the phosphorylation of I-κB, and then inhibited the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB. These immunosuppressive effects of nicotine may contribute to the regulation of some immune diseases

LOX-1 Deletion Improves Neutrophil Responses, Enhances Bacterial Clearance, and Reduces Lung Injury in a Murine Polymicrobial Sepsis Model ▿

Inflammatory tissue injury and immunosuppression are the major causes of death in sepsis. Novel therapeutic targets that can prevent excessive inflammation and improve immune responses during sepsis could be critical for treatment of this devastating disease. LOX-1 (lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1), a membrane protein expressed in endothelial cells, has been known to mediate vascular inflammation. In the present study, we demonstrated that LOX-1 deletion markedly improved the survival rate in a murine model of polymicrobial sepsis. Wild-type (LOX-1+/+) and LOX-1 knockout (LOX-1−/−) mice were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce sepsis. LOX-1 deletion significantly reduced systemic inflammation and inflammatory lung injury during sepsis, together with decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines and reduced lung edema formation. Furthermore, LOX-1 deletion improved host immune responses after the induction of sepsis, as indicated by enhanced bacterial clearance. Interestingly, we were able to demonstrate that LOX-1 is expressed in neutrophils. LOX-1 deletion prevented neutrophil overreaction and increased neutrophil recruitment to infection sites after sepsis induction, contributing at least partly to increased immune responses in LOX-1 knockout mice. Our study results indicate that LOX-1 is an important mediator of inflammation and neutrophil dysfunction in sepsis