| 1. |
- Ekerljung, Lina, et al.
(författare)
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Dimeric HER2-specific affibody molecules inhibit proliferation of the SKBR-3 breast cancer cell line
- 2008
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Ingår i: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications - BBRC. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-291X .- 1090-2104. ; 377:2, s. 489-494
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- HER2-specific affibody molecules in different formats have previously been shown to be useful tumor targeting agents for radionuclide-based imaging and therapy applications, but their biological effect on tumor cells is not well known. In this study, two dimeric ((ZHER2:4)2 and (ZHER2:342)2) and one monomeric (ZHER2:342) HER2-specific affibody molecules are investigated with respect to biological activity. Both (ZHER2:4)2 and (ZHER2:342)2 were found to decrease the growth rate of SKBR-3 cells to the same extent as the antibody trastuzumab. When the substances were removed, the cells treated with the dimeric affibody molecules continued to be growth suppressed while the cells treated with trastuzumab immediately resumed normal proliferation. The effects of ZHER2:342 were minor on both proliferation and cell signaling. The dimeric (ZHER2:4)2 and (ZHER2:342)2 both reduced growth of SKBR-3 cells and may prove therapeutically useful either by themselves or as carriers of radionuclides or other cytotoxic agents.
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| 2. |
- Ekerljung, Lina, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of HER2-binding affibody molecules on intracellular signaling pathways
- 2006
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Ingår i: Tumor Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1010-4283 .- 1423-0380. ; 27:4, s. 201-210
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: HER2, which is overexpressed in 25-30% of human breast cancers, is a tyrosine kinase receptor critical for the signal transduction network that regulates proliferation, migration and apoptosis of cells. METHOD: We report the effects of two novel HER2-binding affibody molecules (Affibody), (ZHER2:4)2 and ZHER2:342, on intracellular signal transduction pathways (Erk1/2, Akt and PLCgamma1) using quantitative immunoblotting techniques and their biological effects in cell culture. The clinically approved antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin) was used as reference substance. RESULTS: Our data showed that, although all substances target HER2, the effects on the receptor and signaling molecules differed. For example, HER2 phosphorylation was induced by trastuzumab and (ZHER2:4)2 but inhibited by ZHER2:342. The effects these substances had on signal transduction correlated to some degree with changes in growth and migration, e.g. (ZHER2:4)2 stimulated phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and PLCgamma1, as well as growth and migration, while ZHER2:342 did not. ZHER2:342 even inhibited phosphorylation of PLCgamma1 and migration. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that ZHER2:342 is a promising small agent (7 kDa) that may be used as an alternative, or complement, to trastuzumab. If radiolabelled, it can hopefully also be used for HER2 imaging and radionuclide therapy.
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| 3. |
- Ekerljung, Lina, 1980-
(författare)
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EGFR- and HER2-Binding Affibody Molecules : Cellular studies of monomeric, dimeric and bispecific ligands
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Abnormal expression and signaling of the ErbB receptors is associated with the development and progression of several forms of cancer. In this thesis, new ErbB-targeting affibody molecules are evaluated regarding their cellular effects in vitro. Since ligand binding to an ErbB receptor might have an impact on the cell it is important to be aware of these effects as they may have consequences for the continued growth of the tumor when used in vivo. The affibody molecules are intended for tumor targeting with the prospect of clinical use in imaging or therapy. Three types of affibody molecules were studied, HER2-binding, EGFR-binding and bispecific binders that target both EGFR and HER2. The HER2-targeting (ZHER2:342)2 showed promising characteristics. It sensitized SKBR-3 cells to irradiation and decreased cell growth to the same extent as the clinically approved antibody Herceptin. The monomeric version, ZHER2:342, did not induce any large effects on intracellular signaling or biological outcome. This makes (ZHER2:342)2 interesting for therapy purposes, while ZHER2:342 may be better suited for imaging. The bispecific affibody molecules were all able to simultaneously bind to both EGFR and HER2, but none of the six constructs resulted in any large effects on cellular outcome. Interestingly, all three monovalent binders are more functional when positioned at the N-terminal part of the construct and the (S4G)3 linker renders higher affinity of the bispecific binders compared to (G4S)3. Tumors that co-express several ErbB receptors are often more aggressive and associated with a worse prognosis, suggesting that the total ErbB expression pattern might be more informative than the expression level of one receptor regarding cancer prognosis and prediction of response to targeted therapies. Bispecific ligands could thus be used as imaging agents with prognostic value. Another aspect of dual targeting is the possibility of increased tumor specificity since tumors are more likely than healthy tissue to express high amounts of two receptors.
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| 4. |
- Friedman, Mikaela, et al.
(författare)
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Engineering and characterization of a bispecific HER2 x EGFR-binding affibody molecule
- 2009
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Ingår i: Biotechnology and applied biochemistry. - 0885-4513 .- 1470-8744. ; 54, s. 121-131
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- HER2 (human epidermal-growth-factor receptor-2; ErbB2) and EGFR (epidermal-growth-factor receptor) are overexpressed in various forms of cancer, and the co-expression of both HER2 and EGFR has been reported in a number of studies. The simultaneous targeting of HER2 and EGFR has been discussed as a strategy with which to potentially increase efficiency and selectivity in molecular imaging and therapy of certain cancers. In an effort to generate a molecule capable of bispecifically targeting HER2 and EGFR, a gene fragment encoding a bivalent HER2-binding affibody molecule was genetically fused in-frame with a bivalent EGFR-binding affibody molecule via a (G(4)S)(3) [(Gly(4)-Ser)(3)]-encoding gene fragment. The encoded 30 kDa affibody construct (Z(HER2))(2)-(G(4)S)(3)-(Z(EGFR))(2), with potential for bs (bispecific) binding to HER2 and EGFR, was expressed in Escherichia coli and characterized in terms of its binding capabilities. The retained ability to bind HER2 and EGFR separately was demonstrated using both biosensor technology and flow-cytometric analysis, the latter using HER2- and EGFR-overexpressing cells. Furthermore, simultaneous binding to HER2 and EGFR was demonstrated in: (i) a sandwich format employing real-time biospecific interaction analysis where the bs affibody molecule bound immobilized EGFR and soluble HER2; (ii) immunofluorescence microscopy, where the bs affibody molecule bound EGFR-overexpressing cells and soluble HER2; and (iii) a cell-cell interaction analysis where the bs affibody molecule bound HER2-overexpressing SKBR-3 cells and EGFR-overexpressing A-431 cells. This is, to our knowledge, the first reported bs affinity protein with potential ability for the simultaneous targeting of HER2 and EGFR. The potential future use of this and similar constructs, capable of bs targeting of receptors to increase the efficacy and selectivity in imaging and therapy, is discussed.
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| 5. |
- Nordberg, Erika, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of an EGFR-binding affibody molecule on intracellular signaling pathways
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Journal of Oncology. - : Spandidos Publications. - 1019-6439 .- 1791-2423. ; 36:4, s. 967-972
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Effects on intracellular signaling were studied in cells treated with the affibody molecule (Z(EGFR:955))(2) that targets the epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR). EGFR is over-expressed in many types of cancers and plays a fundamental role in cell signaling and it is of interest to find targeting agents capable of blocking the receptor. The clinically approved antibody cetuximab (Erbitux (R)) and the natural ligand EGF were included as reference molecules. Two EGFR-rich cell lines, A-431 and U-343, were exposed to the three targeting agents and lysed. The cell lysates were immunoprecipitated with the receptors, or directly separated by SDS-Pace. Autophosphorylation of the receptors and phosphorylation of the downstream signaling proteins Erk and Akt, were evaluated by Western blotting. Although the three different agents compete for the same binding site on EGFR, they influenced the signaling differently. The affibody molecule did not induce autophosphorylation of EGFR or my other receptor in the EGFR-family but, in spite of this, induced phosphorylation of Erk in both cell lines and Akt in the A-431 cells. Thus, the results suggest that the signaling pattern induced by (Z(EGFR:955))(2) is only partly similar to that induced by cetuximab. This makes the affibody molecule a potentially interesting alternative to cetuximab for EGFR-targeted therapy since it might give different therapy-related effects on tumor cells and different side effects on normal tissues.
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| 6. |
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