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Discover how PEPperPRINT Peptide Microarray products have been used in different fields of research.

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Compounds and Methods Targeting Interleukin-19

Higgs Jr., Richard Earl; Konrad, Robert John; Nickoloff, Brian Jeffrey; Siegel II, Robert William; Mertz, Prema Maria
Nov 2020
The present invention provides compounds and methods targeting human interleukin-19, including therapeutic antibodies, pharmaceutical compositions and diagnostic applications useful in the field of immune-mediated diseases including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, psoriatic arthritis, bronchial asthma and diabetic nephropathy.

SARS-CoV-2 epitope mapping on microarrays highlights strong immune-response to N protein region

Musicò, Angelo; Frigerio, Roberto; Mussida, Alessandro; Barzon, Luisa; Sinigaglia, Alessandro; Riccetti, Silvia; Gobbi, Federico; Piubelli, Chiara; Bergamaschi, Greta; Chiari, Marcella; Gori, Alessandro; Cretich, Marina
Nov 2020
10.1101/2020.11.09.374082

Abstract

A workflow for SARS-CoV-2 epitope discovery on peptide microarrays is herein reported. The process started with a proteome-wide screening of immunoreactivity based on the use of a high-density microarray followed by a refinement and validation phase on a restricted panel of probes using microarrays with tailored peptide immobilization through a click-based strategy. Progressively larger, independent cohorts of Covid-19 positive sera were tested in the refinement processes, leading to the identification of immunodominant regions on SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S), Nucleocapsid (N) protein and Orf1ab polyprotein. A summary study testing 50 serum samples highlighted an epitope of the N protein (region 155-171) providing 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity of IgG detection in Covid-19 samples thus being a promising candidate for rapid implementation in serological tests.

Generation of Chicken IgY against SARS-COV-2 Spike Protein and Epitope Mapping

Lu, Yan; Wang, Yajun; Zhang, Zhen; Huang, Jingliang; Yao, Meicun; Huang, Guobin; Ge, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Peichun; Huang, Huaxin; Wang, Yong; Li, Huiliang; Wang, Wen
Oct 2020
This new decade has started with a global pandemic of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), precipitating a worldwide health crisis and economic downturn. Scientists and clinicians have been racing against time to find therapies for COVID-19. Repurposing approved drugs, developing vaccines and employing passive immunization are three major therapeutic approaches to fighting COVID-19. Chicken immunoglobulin Y (IgY) has the potential to be used as neutralizing antibody against respiratory infections, and its advantages include high avidity, low risk of adverse immune responses, and easy local delivery by intranasal administration. In this study, we raised antibody against the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 in chickens and extracted IgY (called IgY-S) from egg yolk. IgY-S exhibited high immunoreactivity against SARS-CoV-2 S, and by epitope mapping, we found five linear epitopes of IgY-S in SARS-CoV-2 S, two of which are cross-reactive with SARS-CoV S. Notably, epitope SIIAYTMSL, one of the identified epitopes, partially overlaps the S1/S2 cleavage region in SARS-CoV-2 S and is located on the surface of S trimer in 3D structure, close to the S1/S2 cleavage site. Thus, antibody binding at this location could physically block the access of proteolytic enzymes to S1/S2 cleavage site and thereby impede S1/S2 proteolytic cleavage, which is crucial to subsequent virus-cell membrane fusion and viral cell entry. Therefore, the feasibility of using IgY-S or epitope SIIAYTMS-specific IgY as neutralizing antibody for preventing or treating SARS-CoV-2 infection is worth exploring.

Ns2b as Marker for Zika Virus Infections

Jaenisch, Thomas; Fischer, Nico; Loeffler, Felix; Sekul, Renate; Stadler, Volker; Marques, Ernesto T. A.; Lucas, Zachariah
Oct 2020
The present invention relates to protein NS2b or fragment(s) thereof as biomarker or diagnostic marker for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of Zika virus infections. The present invention further relates to peptides and cyclic peptides, compositions and arrays and multimer compounds comprising them. The present invention further relates to a method for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of Zika virus infections, comprising the use of protein NS2b or fragment(s) thereof, or of the peptides, cyclic peptides, compositions and/or arrays in immunoassays. The present invention further relates to peptide-based compounds comprising at least one fragment of protein NS2b and at least one further component and to methods for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of Zika virus infections.

Monoclonal Antibodies to Growth and Differentiation Factor 15 (gdf-15), and Uses Thereof for Treating Cancer Cachexia and Cancer

Wischhusen, Jörg; Junker, Markus; Schäfer, Tina; Pühringer, Dirk; Lucas, Zachariah
Oct 2020
The present invention relates to monoclonal anti-human-GDF-15 antibodies. The antibodies include chimeric anti-bodies and humanized antibodies. The invention also relates to monoclonal anti-human-GDF-15 antibodies including murine anti-bodies, chimeric antibodies and humanized antibodies for use in methods for the treatment of cancer cachexia and also for the treatment of cancer. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions, kits, methods and uses and cell lines capable of producing the monoclonal antibodies of the invention.

Novel Anti-Cd40 Antibodies and Use Thereof

Park, Chung Gyu; Kim, Jung Sik; Lucas, Zachariah
Sep 2020
The present invention relates to novel anti-CD40 antibodies and a use thereof and, more specifically, provided are a pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing autoimmune diseases and a composition for inhibiting immune rejection during organ transplantation, both compositions containing, as an active ingredient, novel anti-CD40 antibodies that specifically bind to a novel epitope of CD40. Novel anti-CD40 antibodies of the present invention directly target CD40, but not CD40 ligands, and block the signaling of CD40-CD154 without stimulating platelets so as to exhibit excellent antagonistic effects, thereby being expected to be usable as a preparation effective in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and the inhibition of organ transplantation rejection.

Detection of specific IgE against linear epitopes from Gal d 1 has additional value in diagnosing hen’s egg allergy in adults

Ehlers, Anna M.; Otten, Henny G.; Wierzba, Eva; Flügge, Ulrike; Le, Thuy-My; Knulst, André C.; Suer, Waltraud
Sep 2020
10.1111/cea.13730
Background Although hen’s egg allergy is more prevalent in children, up to 0.6% of adults from different European countries suffers from a persistent or newly-onset hen’s egg allergy, making accurate diagnosis in adults necessary. However, sensitisation to hen’s egg extracts, components and linear epitopes are solely studied in children. Methods Hen’s egg allergic (n=16) and tolerant (n=20) adults were selected by sensitisation towards recombinant components rGal d 1 and/or 3. Sensitisation profiles towards egg white and yolk extract and the native components Gal d 1, 2, 3 and 4 were respectively evaluated with the ImmunoCAP or the EUROLINE system. Characterisation of linear epitopes was performed with a peptide microarray containing 15mer peptides representing the entire sequence of mature Gal d 1 and 3. Results Overall, sIgE titres against hen’s egg extracts and single components overlapped largely between allergic and tolerant adults. Although the median sIgE/sIgG4 ratio to Gal d 1 was increased in allergic adults, the range was comparable between both groups. Clinically relevant sensitisation to Gal d 1 was confirmed by sIgE-binding to the linear epitopes aa30-41, aa39-50 or aa84-95 in 6/13 allergic adults, mainly suffering from objective symptoms. In comparison, these epitopes were recognized by 1/15 tolerant patient. Only a few linear epitopes were detected for Gal d 3, suggesting a greater importance of conformational epitopes for the recognition of Gal d 3. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance Specific IgE-binding to linear epitopes of Gal d 1 is highly specific in identifying hen’s egg allergic adults with objective symptoms.

Rapid response to pandemic threats: immunogenic epitope detection of pandemic pathogens for diagnostics and vaccine development using peptide microarrays

Heiss, Kirsten; Heidepriem, Jasmin; Fischer, Nico; Weber, Laura K; Dahlke, Christine; Jaenisch, Thomas; Loeffler, Felix F
J. Proteome Res..
Sep 2020
10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00484
Emergence and re-emergence of pathogens bearing the risk of becoming a pandemic threat are on the rise. Increased travel and trade, growing population density, changes in urbanization, and climate have a critical impact on infectious disease spread. Currently, the world is confronted with the emergence of a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, responsible for yet more than 500 000 deaths globally. Outbreaks caused by viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, Ebola, influenza, and Zika have increased over the last decade, underlining the urgent need for a rapid development of diagnostics and vaccines. Hence, the rational identification of biomarkers for diagnostic measures on the one hand, and antigenic targets for vaccine development on the other, are of utmost importance. Peptide microarrays can display large numbers of putative target proteins translated into overlapping linear (and cyclic) peptides. Using these highly diverse libraries, covering tens of thousands of peptides, allow for the in-depth analysis of antibody signatures in a multiplexed, high-throughput fashion. In this review, we highlight synthesis platforms that facilitate fast and highly flexible generation of high-density peptide microarrays. We further outline the multifaceted applications of these peptide array platforms for the development of serological tests and vaccines, to quickly encounter pandemic threats.

Expression of different L1 isoforms of Mastomys natalensis papillomavirus as mechanism to circumvent adaptive immunity

Fu, Yingying; Cao, Rui; Schäfer, Miriam; Stephan, Sonja; Braspenning-Wesch, Ilona; Schmitt, Laura; Bischoff, Ralf; Müller, Martin; Schäfer, Kai; Vinzón, Sabrina E; Rösl, Frank; Hasche, Daniel
Aug 2020
10.7554/eLife.57626
Although many high-risk mucosal and cutaneous human papillomaviruses (HPVs) theoretically have the potential to synthesize L1 isoforms differing in length, previous seroepidemiological studies only focused on the short L1 variants, co-assembling with L2 to infectious virions. Using the multimammate mouse Mastomys coucha as preclinical model, this is the first study demonstrating seroconversion against different L1 isoforms during the natural course of papillomavirus infection. Intriguingly, positivity with the cutaneous MnPV was accompanied by a strong seroresponse against a longer L1 isoform, but to our surprise, the raised antibodies were non-neutralizing. Only after a delay of around 4 months, protecting antibodies against the short L1 appeared, enabling the virus to successfully establish an infection. This argues for a novel humoral immune escape mechanism that may also have important implications on the interpretation of epidemiological data in terms of seropositivity and protection of PV infections in general.

Efficient elimination of primary B-ALL cells in vitro and in vivo using a novel 4-1BB-based CAR targeting a membrane-distal CD22 epitope

Velasco-Hernandez, Talia; Zanetti, Samanta Romina; Roca-Ho, Heleia; Gutierrez-Aguera, Francisco; Petazzi, Paolo; Sánchez-Martínez, Diego; Molina, Oscar; Baroni, Matteo Libero; Fuster, Jose Luis; Ballerini, Paola; Bueno, Clara; Fernandez-Fuentes, Narcis; Engel, Pablo; Menendez, Pablo
J Immunother Cancer.
Aug 2020
10.1136/jitc-2020-000896
Background There are few therapeutic options available for patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) relapsing as CD19– either after chemotherapy or CD19-targeted immunotherapies. CD22-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells represent an attractive addition to CD19-CAR T cell therapy because they will target both CD22+CD19– B-ALL relapses and CD19– preleukemic cells. However, the immune escape mechanisms from CD22-CAR T cells, and the potential contribution of the epitope binding of the anti-CD22 single-chain variable fragment (scFv) remain understudied. Methods Here, we have developed and comprehensively characterized a novel CD22-CAR (clone hCD22.7) targeting a membrane-distal CD22 epitope and tested its cytotoxic effects against B-ALL cells both in in vitro and in vivo assays. Results Conformational epitope mapping, cross-blocking, and molecular docking assays revealed that the hCD22.7 scFv is a high-affinity binding antibody which specifically binds to the ESTKDGKVP sequence, located in the Ig-like V-type domain, the most distal domain of CD22. We observed efficient killing of B-ALL cells in vitro, although the kinetics were dependent on the level of CD22 expression. Importantly, we show an efficient in vivo control of patients with B-ALL derived xenografts with diverse aggressiveness, coupled to long-term hCD22.7-CAR T cell persistence. Remaining leukemic cells at sacrifice maintained full expression of CD22, ruling out CAR pressure-mediated antigen loss. Finally, the immunogenicity capacity of this hCD22.7-scFv was very similar to that of other CD22 scFv previously used in adoptive T cell therapy. Conclusions We report a novel, high-affinity hCD22.7 scFv which targets a membrane-distal epitope of CD22. 4-1BB-based hCD22.7-CAR T cells efficiently eliminate clinically relevant B- CD22high and CD22low ALL primary samples in vitro and in vivo. Our study supports the clinical translation of this hCD22.7-CAR as either single or tandem CD22–CD19-CAR for both naive and anti-CD19-resistant patients with B-ALL.

IgM Fc AND J-CHAIN MUTATIONS THAT AFFECT IgM SERUM HALF-LIFE

Baliga, Ramesh; Keyt, Bruce; NG, Dean; Huynh, Phuong N.
Jul 2020
This disclosure provides an IgM antibody or IgM-like antibody comprising a variant J-chain and/or variant IgM heavy chain constant regions that can confer increased serum half-life upon the antibody.

Identification of the atypically modified autoantigen Ars2 as the target of B-cell receptors from activated B cell–type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Thurner, Lorenz; Hartmann, Sylvia; Bewarder, Moritz; Fadle, Natalie; Regitz, Evi; Schormann, Claudia; Quiroga, Natalia; Kemele, Maria; Klapper, Wolfram; Rosenwald, Andreas; Trümper, Lorenz; Bohle, Rainer Maria; Nimmesgern, Anna; Körbel, Christina; Lascke, Matthias W.; Menger, Michael D.; Barth, Stefan; Kubuschok, Boris; Mottok, Anja; Kaddu-Mulindwa, Dominic; Hansmann, Martin-Leo; Pöschel, Viola; Held, Gerhard; Murawski, Niels; Stilgenbauer, Stephan; Neumann, Frank; Preuss, Klaus-Dieter; Pfreundschuh, Michael
1.
Jul 2020
10.3324/haematol.2019.241653
It has been suggested that B-cell receptor (BCRs) stimulation by specific antigens plays a pathogenic role in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Here, it was the aim to screen for specific reactivities of DLBCL-BCRs in the spectrum of autoantigens and antigens of infectious origin. Arsenite resistance protein 2 (Ars2) was identified as the BCR target of 3/5 ABC-type DLBCL cell lines and 2/11 primary DLBCL cases. Compared to controls, Ars2 was hypo-phosphorylated exclusively in cases and cell lines with Ars2-specific BCRs. In a validation cohort, hypo-phosphorylated Ars2 was found in 8/31 ABC-type, but only 1/20 germinal center B cell (GBC)-like type DLBCL. Incubation with Ars2 induced BCR-pathway activation and increased proliferation, while an Ars2/ETA-toxin conjugate induced killing of cell lines with Ars2-reactive BCRs. Ars2 appears to play a role in a subgroup of ABC-type DLBCLs. Moreover, transformed DLBCL lines with Ars2-reactive BCRs still show growth advantage after incubation with Ars2. These results provide knowledge about the pathogenic role of a specific antigen stimulating the BCR pathway in DLCBL.

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