title: Antitumor activity of anti-CD30 immunotoxin (Ber-H2/saporin) in vitro and in severe combined immunodeficiency disease mice xenografted with human CD30+ anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.
abstract: To develop a novel adjunctive therapy for CD30 (Ki-1)+ anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL), we investigated in preclinical studies the antitumor activity of an immunotoxin (IT) constructed by coupling the plant ribosome-inactivating protein saporin (SO6) to the monoclonal antibody (MoAb) Ber-H2 that is directed against the CD30 molecule, a new member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) super-family. The activity of Ber-H2/SO6 IT was tested both in vitro against the CD30+ ALCL-derived cell line JB6 and in vivo using our severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) mouse model of human xenografted CD30+ ALCL. In vitro, the Ber-H2/SO6 IT was selectively and highly toxic to the JB6 cell line [50% inhibiting concentration (IC50), 3.23 x 10(-12) mol/L as SO6]. In vivo, a 3-day treatment with nontoxic doses of Ber-H2/SO6 (50% of LD50) induced lasting complete remissions (CR) in 80% of mice when started 24 hours after tumor transplantation. In contrast, injection of the IT at later stages of tumor growth (mice bearing subcutaneous tumors of 40- to 60-mm3 volume), induced CR in only 6 of 21 (approximately 30%) mice and significantly delayed tumor growth rate (P < .01). This finding suggests that maximum effect of the anti-CD30 IT is observed when tumor cell burden is small. Persistent tumors from IT-treated mice consisted of CD30+ cells, thus excluding the possibility that selection of CD30-negative mutant clones during IT therapy was responsible for resistance to treatment. We conclude that Ber-H2/SO6 IT is an effective agent against CD30+ ALCL growing in SCID mice, suggesting its possible role as adjuvant therapy in patients with CD30+ ALCL refractory to standard treatments.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology, University of Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pasqualucci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wasik
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Teicher
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flenghi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bolognesi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stirpe
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Polito
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Falini
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kadin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D000076985:Saporins; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000922:Immunotoxins; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen; D010940:Plant Proteins; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D000076985:Saporins