| 1. |
- Horikoshi, Momoko, et al.
(författare)
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New loci associated with birth weight identify genetic links between intrauterine growth and adult height and metabolism.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 45:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Birth weight within the normal range is associated with a variety of adult-onset diseases, but the mechanisms behind these associations are poorly understood. Previous genome-wide association studies of birth weight identified a variant in the ADCY5 gene associated both with birth weight and type 2 diabetes and a second variant, near CCNL1, with no obvious link to adult traits. In an expanded genome-wide association meta-analysis and follow-up study of birth weight (of up to 69,308 individuals of European descent from 43 studies), we have now extended the number of loci associated at genome-wide significance to 7, accounting for a similar proportion of variance as maternal smoking. Five of the loci are known to be associated with other phenotypes: ADCY5 and CDKAL1 with type 2 diabetes, ADRB1 with adult blood pressure and HMGA2 and LCORL with adult height. Our findings highlight genetic links between fetal growth and postnatal growth and metabolism.
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| 2. |
- Bonvicini, Gillian, et al.
(författare)
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ImmunoPET imaging of amyloid-beta in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease with a bispecific, brain-penetrating fusion protein
- 2022
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Ingår i: Translational Neurodegeneration. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 2047-9158. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Hijacking the transferrin receptor (TfR) is an effective strategy to transport amyloid-beta (A beta) immuno-positron emission tomography (immunoPET) ligands across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Such ligands are more sensitive and specific than small-molecule ligands at detecting A beta pathology in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to determine if this strategy would be as sensitive in rats and to assess how TfR affinity affects BBB transport of bispecific immunoPET radioligands.Methods: Two affinity variants of the rat TfR antibody, OX26, were chemically conjugated to a F(ab')(2) fragment of the anti-A beta antibody, bapineuzumab (Bapi), to generate two bispecific fusion proteins: OX26(5)-F(ab')(2)-Bapi and OX26(76)-F(ab')(2)-Bapi. Pharmacokinetic analyses were performed 4 h and 70 h post-injection of radioiodinated fusion proteins in wild-type (WT) rats. [I-124]I-OX26(5)-F(ab')(2)-Bapi was administered to TgF344-AD and WT rats for in vivo PET imaging. Ex vivo distribution of injected [I-124]I-OX26(5)-F(ab')(2)-Bapi and A beta pathology were assessed.Results: More [I-125]I-OX26(5)-F(ab')(2)-Bapi was taken up into the brain 4 h post-administration than [I-124]I-OX26(76)-F(ab')(2)-Bapi. [I-124]I-OX26(5)-F(ab')(2)-Bapi PET visualized A beta pathology with significantly higher signals in the TgF344-AD rats than in the WT littermates without A beta pathology. The PET signals significantly correlated with A beta levels in AD animals.Conclusion: Affinity to TfR affects how efficiently a TfR-targeting bispecific fusion protein will cross the BBB, such that the higher-affinity bispecific fusion protein crossed the BBB more efficiently. Furthermore, bispecific immunoPET imaging of brain A beta pathology using TfR-mediated transport provides good imaging contrast between TgF344-AD and WT rats, suggesting that this immunoPET strategy has the potential to be translated to higher species.
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| 3. |
- Gustavsson, Tobias, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term effects of immunotherapy with a brain penetrating Aβ antibody in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease
- 2023
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Ingår i: Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1758-9193. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundBrain-directed immunotherapy is a promising strategy to target amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the present study, we compared the therapeutic efficacy of the Aβ protofibril targeting antibody RmAb158 with its bispecific variant RmAb158-scFv8D3, which enters the brain by transferrin receptor-mediated transcytosis.MethodsAppNL−G−F knock-in mice received RmAb158, RmAb158-scFv8D3, or PBS in three treatment regimens. First, to assess the acute therapeutic effect, a single antibody dose was given to 5 months old AppNL−G−F mice, with evaluation after 3 days. Second, to assess the antibodies’ ability to halt the progression of Aβ pathology, 3 months old AppNL−G−F mice received three doses during a week, with evaluation after 2 months. Reduction of RmAb158-scFv8D3 immunogenicity was explored by introducing mutations in the antibody or by depletion of CD4+ T cells. Third, to study the effects of chronic treatment, 7-month-old AppNL−G−F mice were CD4+ T cell depleted and treated with weekly antibody injections for 8 weeks, including a final diagnostic dose of [125I]RmAb158-scFv8D3, to determine its brain uptake ex vivo. Soluble Aβ aggregates and total Aβ42 were quantified with ELISA and immunostaining.ResultsNeither RmAb158-scFv8D3 nor RmAb158 reduced soluble Aβ protofibrils or insoluble Aβ1-42 after a single injection treatment. After three successive injections, Aβ1-42 was reduced in mice treated with RmAb158, with a similar trend in RmAb158-scFv8D3-treated mice. Bispecific antibody immunogenicity was somewhat reduced by directed mutations, but CD4+ T cell depletion was used for long-term therapy. CD4+ T cell-depleted mice, chronically treated with RmAb158-scFv8D3, showed a dose-dependent increase in blood concentration of the diagnostic [125I]RmAb158-scFv8D3, while concentration was low in plasma and brain. Chronic treatment did not affect soluble Aβ aggregates, but a reduction in total Aβ42 was seen in the cortex of mice treated with both antibodies.ConclusionsBoth RmAb158 and its bispecific variant RmAb158-scFv8D3 achieved positive effects of long-term treatment. Despite its ability to efficiently enter the brain, the benefit of using the bispecific antibody in chronic treatment was limited by its reduced plasma exposure, which may be a result of interactions with TfR or the immune system. Future research will focus in new antibody formats to further improve Aβ immunotherapy.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Ken G., et al.
(författare)
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Autotransporter-mediated display of a naïve Affibody library on the outer membrane of E. coli
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Development of new affinity proteins using combinatorial protein engineering is today established for generation of monoclonal antibodies and also essential for discovery of binders that are based on non-immunoglobulin proteins. Phage display is the most frequently used method, but yeast display is becoming increasingly popular, partly due to the option of utilizing fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for isolation of new candidates. Escherichia coli have several properties that are valuable for library applications and then in particular the high transformation efficiency. Although the first studies on display of recombinant peptides and proteins on E. coli were reported over 25 years ago, the method is still not fully established for directed evolution of affinity proteins. More recently, the use of various autotransporters and intimins for secretion and anchoring on the outer membrane have shown promising results and in particular for directed evolution of different enzymes. Here, we report on display of a large naïve Affibody library on the outer membrane of E. coli using the autotransporter AIDA-I. The expression cassette was first engineered by removing non-essential sequences, followed by introduction of an Affibody library, comprising more than 109 variants, into the new display vector. Selections by FACS against five different target molecules resulted in a panel of binders with down to nanomolar affinities.
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Ken G., et al.
(författare)
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Autotransporter-Mediated Display of a Naive Affibody Library on the Outer Membrane of Escherichia coli
- 2019
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Ingår i: Biotechnology Journal. - : WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH. - 1860-6768 .- 1860-7314. ; 14:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Development of new affinity proteins using combinatorial protein engineering is today established for generation of monoclonal antibodies and also essential for discovery of binders that are based on non-immunoglobulin proteins. Phage display is most frequently used, but yeast display is becoming increasingly popular, partly due to the option of utilizing fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for isolation of new candidates. Escherichia coli has several valuable properties for library applications and in particular the high transformation efficiency. The use of various autotransporters and intimins for secretion and anchoring on the outer membrane have shown promising results and particularly for directed evolution of different enzymes. Here, the authors report on display of a large naive affibody library on the outer membrane of E. coli using the autotransporter Adhesin Involved in Diffuse Adherence (AIDA-I). The expression cassette is first engineered by removing non-essential sequences, followed by introduction of an affibody library, comprising more than 10(9) variants, into the new display vector. The quality of the library and general performance of the method is assessed by FACS against five different targets, which resulted in a panel of binders with down to nanomolar affinities, suggesting that the method has potential as a complement to phage display for generation of affibody molecules.
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| 7. |
- Andersson, Ken G., 1987-
(författare)
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Combinatorial Protein Engineering Of Affibody Molecules Using E. Coli Display And Rational Design Of Affibody-Based Tracers For Medical Imaging
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Directed evolution is today an established strategy for generation of new affinity proteins. This thesis describes the development of a cell-display method using Escherichia coli for directed evolution of Affibody molecules. Further, the thesis describes rational design of Affibody-based tracers, intended for future patient stratification using medical imaging. Fusing recombinant proteins to various autotransporters is a promising approach for efficient surface display on the surface of E. coli, as well as for construction of high-complexity libraries. In paper I, we successfully engineered an expression vector for display of Affibody molecules using the autotransporter AIDA-I. In paper II, a large Affibody library of 2.3x109 variants was constructed and screening using FACS resulted in new specific binders in the nanomolar range. In paper III, we demonstrated Sortase-mediated secretion and conjugation of binders directly from the E. coli surface. The three following studies describe rational design of Affibody-based tracers against two cancer-associated targets for molecular imaging. First, anti-HER3 Affibody molecules were labelled with 111In, and SPECT imaging showed that the conjugates specifically targeted HER3-expressing xenografts. Furthermore, labeling with 68Ga for PET imaging showed that tumor uptake correlated with HER3 expression, suggesting that the tracers have potential for patient stratification. The last study describes the development and investigation of anti-EGFR Affibody-based imaging agents. Labeled with 89Zr, the Affibody tracer demonstrated higher tumor uptake at 3 h post injection than the anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab at 48 h post injection. In conclusion, this thesis describes new tools and knowledge that will hopefully contribute to the development of affinity proteins for biotechnology, therapy and medical imaging in the future.
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| 8. |
- Andersson, Ken G, et al.
(författare)
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Comparative evaluation of 111In-labeled NOTA‑conjugated affibody molecules for visualization of HER3 expression in malignant tumors
- 2015
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Ingår i: Oncology Reports. - : Spandidos Publications. - 1021-335X .- 1791-2431. ; 34:2, s. 1042-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 3 (HER3) in malignant tumors has been associated with resistance to a variety of anticancer therapies. Several anti-HER3 monoclonal antibodies are currently under pre-clinical and clinical development aiming to overcome HER3-mediated resistance. Radionuclide molecular imaging of HER3 expression may improve treatment by allowing the selection of suitable patients for HER3-targeted therapy. Affibody molecules are a class of small (7kDa) high-affinity targeting proteins with appreciable potential as molecular imaging probes. In a recent study, we selected affibody molecules with affinity to HER3 at a low picomolar range. The aim of the present study was to develop an anti-HER3 affibody molecule suitable for labeling with radiometals. The HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA and HEHEHE-Z08699-NOTA HER3-specific affibody molecules were labeled with indium‑111 (111In) and assessed invitro and invivo for imaging properties using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Labeling of HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA and HEHEHE-Z08699-NOTA with 111In provided stable conjugates. Invitro cell tests demonstrated specific binding of the two conjugates to HER3-expressing BT‑474 breast carcinoma cells. In mice bearing BT‑474 xenografts, the tumor uptake of the two conjugates was receptor‑specific. Direct invivo comparison of 111In-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA and 111In-HEHEHE-Z08699‑NOTA demonstrated that the two conjugates provided equal radioactivity uptake in tumors, although the tumor-to-blood ratio was improved for 111In-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA [12±3 vs. 8±1, 4h post injection (p.i.)] due to more efficient blood clearance. 111In-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA is a promising candidate for imaging of HER3-expression in malignant tumors using SPECT. Results of the present study indicate that this conjugate could be used for patient stratification for anti-HER3 therapy.
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| 9. |
- Andersson, Ken G., et al.
(författare)
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Coupled release and site-specific conjugation of Affibody molecules from the surface of E. coli using Sortase A
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Combinatorial protein engineering using libraries displayed on various microorganisms is a powerful method forgeneration of new affinity proteins. Successful efforts often result in broad panels of isolated binders, which are thentypically subcloned, produced, purified and characterized in various assays. Many such assays also require conjugation tofor example reporters or other functional molecules and the downstream production and modification thus tends to be verylaborious and limits the number of candidates that can be screened. Staphylococcal sortase A is a natural transpeptidasethat catalyzes the ligation between a LPXTG motif and N-terminal glycines and is today used in a variety of applicationsfor site-specific conjugation of different molecules to recombinant proteins. We have previously developed a surfacedisplay method for combinatorial protein engineering of Affibody molecules on the outer membrane of E. coli usingautodisplay. Here, we introduced a sortase-A recognition motif into the displayed recombinant proteins and evaluatedsortase-mediated release and specific conjugation of various reporters to Affibody molecules. The approach has potentialto significantly increase the flexibility and throughput of downstream characterization of affinity proteins after directedevolution using cell display and FACS.
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| 10. |
- Andersson, Ken G., et al.
(författare)
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Feasibility of imaging of epidermal growth factor receptor expression with ZEGFR:2377 affibody molecule labeled with Tc-99m using a peptide-based cysteine-containing chelator
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Journal of Oncology. - : SPANDIDOS. - 1019-6439 .- 1791-2423. ; 49:6, s. 2285-2293
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in a number of malignant tumors and is a molecular target for several specific anticancer antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The overexpression of EGFR is a predictive biomarker for response to several therapy regimens. Radionuclide molecular imaging might enable detection of EGFR overexpression by a non-invasive procedure and could be used repeatedly. Affibody molecules are engineered scaffold proteins, which could be selected to have a high affinity and selectivity to predetermined targets. The anti-EGFR ZEGFR:2377 affibody molecule is a potential imaging probe for EGFR detection. The use of the generator-produced radionuclide Tc-99m should facilitate clinical translation of an imaging probe due to its low price, availability and favorable dosimetry of the radionuclide. In the present study, we evaluated feasibility of ZEGFR:2377 labeling with Tc-99m using a peptide-based cysteine-containing chelator expressed at the C-terminus of ZEGFR:2377. The label was stable in vitro under cysteine challenge. In addition, Tc-99m-ZEGFR:2377 was capable of specific binding to EGFR-expressing cells with high affinity (274 pM). Studies in BALB/C nu/nu mice bearing A431 xenografts demonstrated that Tc-99m-ZEGFR:2377 accumulates in tumors in an EGFR-specific manner. The tumor uptake values were 3.6 1 and 2.5 0.4% ID/g at 3 and 24 h after injection, respectively. The corresponding tumor-to-blood ratios were 1.8 0.4 and 8 3. The xenografts were clearly visualized at both time-points. This study demonstrated the potential of Tc-99m-labeled ZEGFR:2377 for imaging of EGFR in vivo.
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