{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Novel bispecific nanobody mitigates experimental intestinal inflammation in mice by targeting TNF-α and IL-23p19 bioactivities.
{Author}: Wang J;Kang G;Lu H;de Marco A;Yuan H;Feng Z;Gao M;Wang X;Wang H;Zhang X;Wang Y;Zhang M;Wang P;Feng Y;Liu Z;Cao X;Huang H;
{Journal}: Clin Transl Med
{Volume}: 14
{Issue}: 3
{Year}: 2024 03
{Factor}: 8.554
{DOI}: 10.1002/ctm2.1636
{Abstract}: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) pose significant challenges in terms of treatment non-response, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Although biological medicines that target TNF-α (tumour necrosis factor-α) have shown clinical success in some IBD patients, a substantial proportion still fails to respond.
We designed bispecific nanobodies (BsNbs) with the ability to simultaneously target human macrophage-expressed membrane TNF-α (hmTNF-α) and IL-23. Additionally, we fused the constant region of human IgG1 Fc (hIgG1 Fc) to BsNb to create BsNb-Fc. Our study encompassed in vitro and in vivo characterization of BsNb and BsNb-Fc.
BsNb-Fc exhibited an improved serum half-life, targeting capability and effector function than BsNb. It's demonstrated that BsNb-Fc exhibited superior anti-inflammatory effects compared to the anti-TNF-α mAb (infliximab, IFX) combined with anti-IL-12/IL-23p40 mAb (ustekinumab, UST) by Transwell co-culture assays. Notably, in murine models of acute colitis brought on by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid(TNBS) and dextran sulphate sodium (DSS), BsNb-Fc effectively alleviated colitis severity. Additionally, BsNb-Fc outperformed the IFX&UST combination in TNBS-induced colitis, significantly reducing colon inflammation in mice with colitis produced by TNBS and DSS.
These findings highlight an enhanced efficacy and improved biostability of BsNb-Fc, suggesting its potential as a promising therapeutic option for IBD patients with insufficient response to TNF-α inhibition.
A bispecific nanobody (BsNb) was created to target TNF-α and IL-23p19, exhibiting high affinity and remarkable stability. BsNb-Fc inhibited the release of cytokines in CD4+T cells during co-culture experiments. BsNb-Fc effectively alleviated colitis severity in mouse model with acute colitis induced by DSS or TNBS, outperforming the IFX&UST combination.