title: A fully human antitumor immunoRNase selective for ErbB-2-positive carcinomas.
abstract: We report the preparation and characterization of a novel, fully human antitumor immunoRNase (IR). The IR, a human RNase and fusion protein made up of a human single chain variable fragment (scFv), is directed to the ErbB-2 receptor and overexpressed in many carcinomas. The anti-ErbB-2 IR, named hERB-hRNase, retains the enzymatic activity of the wild-type enzyme (human pancreatic RNase) and specifically binds to ErbB-2-positive cells with the high affinity (K(d) = 4.5 nm) of the parental scFv. hERB-hRNase behaves as an immunoprotoxin and on internalization by target cells becomes selectively cytotoxic in a dose-dependent manner at nanomolar concentrations. Administered in five doses of 1.5 mg/kg to mice bearing an ErbB-2-positive tumor, hERB-hRNase induced a dramatic reduction in tumor volume. hERB-hRNase is the first fully human antitumor IR produced thus far, with a high potential as a poorly immunogenic human drug devoid of nonspecific toxicity, directed against ErbB-2-positive malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Naples Federico II, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Lorenzo
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arciello
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cozzolino
authors.forename: Donald B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laccetti
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piccoli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Alessio
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004355:Drug Stability; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000922:Immunotoxins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012260:Ribonucleases