Biology subjects

Ilina, T. V.

Publications and source records attributed to Ilina, T. V..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Discovery of a novel mesothelin specific human antibody VH domain

Antibody based therapeutics targeting mesothelin (MSLN) have shown limited anticancer activity in clinical trials. Novel antibodies with high affinity and better therapeutic properties are needed. In the current study, we have isolated and characterized a novel VH domain 3C9 from a large size human immunoglobulin heavy chain variable (VH) domain library. 3C9 exhibited high affinity [KD (dissociation constant) < 3 nM] and binding specificity in a membrane proteome array (MPA). In a mouse xenograft model, 3C9 fused to human Fc became visible at tumor sites as early as 8 hours post infusion and persisted at the tumor site for more than 10 days. Both CAR-T cells and antibody domain drug conjugations (DDCs) generated with 3C9 were highly effective at killing MSLN positive cells in vitro without off-target effects. The X-ray crystal structure of full-length MSLN in complex with 3C9 reveals interaction of the 3C9 domains with two distinctive residues patches on the MSLN surface. 3C9 fused to human Fc domain drug conjugate was efficacious to inhibit tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model. This newly discovered VH antibody domain holds promise as a therapeutic candidate for MSLN-expressing cancers.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Development of Resistance to 4'-Ethynyl-2-Fluoro-2'-Deoxyadenosine (EFdA) by Wild-Type and Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Resistant Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

4-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2-deoxyadenosine (EFdA, MK-8591, islatravir) is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor (NRTTI) with exceptional potency against WT and drug-resistant HIV strains. However, HIV resistance to EFdA is not well characterized. We therefore developed resistance to EFdA by serial passages using progressively increasing concentrations of EFdA. The starting virus was either WT or clinically relevant NRTI-resistant viruses K65R, M184V, and D67N/K70R/T215F/K219Q). In all cases, the selected mutations included M184V. Additional mutations in the RT connection domain (R358K and E399K) and one mutation in the RNase H domain (A502V) were noted. Site-specific mutagenesis validated the role for M184V as the primary determinant for resistance to EFdA; none of the connection domain mutations contributed significantly to phenotypic resistance to EFdA. A novel EFdA resistance mutation was also observed in the background of M184V. The A114S/M184V combination of mutations imparted higher resistance to EFdA (~24-fold) than M184V (-8-fold) or A114S (~2-fold) alone. Virus fitness data suggested that A114S affects HIV fitness by itself and in the presence of M184V. This is consistent with biochemical experiments that showed decreases in the enzymatic efficiency (kcat/Km) of WT RT vs. A114S (2.1-fold) and A114S/M184V/502V (6.5-fold), whereas there was no significant effect of A502V on RT or virus fitness. The observed EFdA resistance of M184V by itself and in combination with A114S combined with the strong published in vitro and in vivo data, confirm that EFdA is an excellent candidate as a potential HIV therapeutic.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

An inhibitor-interaction intermediate of HIV-1 protease, revealed by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry and NMR spectroscopy

Some of drug-resistant mutants of HIV-1 protease (PR), such as a clinically-relevant drug- resistant PR mutant (Flap+(I54V)) containing L10I, G48V, I54V and V82A mutations, produce significant changes in the balance between entropy and enthalpy of the drug-PR interactions, compared to the wild-type (WT) PR. Here, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the entropy-enthalpy compensation effects, we compared nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), fluorescence spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) data of a WT PR with Flap+(I54V) and related mutants: (1) Flap+(I54V); (2) Flap+(I54A) which evolves from Flap+(I54V) in the continued presence of inhibitor yet does not exhibit entropy-enthalpy compensation; and (3) Flap+(I54), a control mutant that contains only L10I, G48V and V82A mutations. Our data indicate that WT and Flap+(I54A) show enthalpy-driven inhibitor-interaction, while Flap+(I54) and Flap+(I54V) exhibit entropy-driven inhibitor interaction. Interestingly, Flap+(I54A) exhibited significantly slower heat flow in the competitive ITC experiment with a strong binder, darunavir, and a weak binder, acetyl-pepstatin, but did not exhibit such slow heat flow in the direct inhibitor-titration experiments. NMR confirmed replacement of the weak binder by the strong binder in a competitive manner. This difference in the heat flow of the competitive binding experiment compared to the direct experiment can only be explained by assuming an inhibitor-bound intermediate pathway. A similar, but attenuated, tendency for slow heat flow was also detected in the competitive experiment with WT. Overall, our data suggests that an inhibitor-bound intermediate affects the entropy-enthalpy compensation of inhibitor-PR interaction.

biochemistry↗