New strategy for the extension of the serum half-life of antibody fragments

Bioconjug Chem. 2009 Dec;20(12):2286-92. doi: 10.1021/bc9002772.

Abstract

Antibody fragments can recognize their cognate antigen with high affinity and can be produced at high yields, but generally display rapid blood clearance profiles. For pharmaceutical applications, the serum half-life of antibody fragments is often extended by chemical modification with polymers or by genetic fusion to albumin or albumin-binding polypeptides. Here, we report that the site-specific chemical modification of a C-terminal cysteine residue in scFv antibody fragments with a small organic molecule capable of high-affinity binding to serum albumin substantially extends serum half-life in rodents. The strategy was implemented using the antibody fragment F8, specific to the alternatively spliced EDA domain of fibronectin, a tumor-associated antigen. The unmodified and chemically modified scFv-F8 antibody fragments were studied by biodistribution analysis in tumor-bearing mice, exhibiting a dramatic increase in tumor uptake for the albumin-binding antibody derivative. The data presented in this paper indicate that the chemical modification of the antibody fragment with the 2-(3-maleimidopropanamido)-6-(4-(4-iodophenyl)butanamido)hexanoate albumin-binding moiety may represent a general strategy for the extension of the serum half-life of antibody fragments and for the improvement of their in vivo targeting performance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibody Affinity
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Female
  • Half-Life
  • Immunoglobulin Fragments / chemistry*
  • Immunoglobulin Fragments / isolation & purification
  • Immunoglobulin Fragments / metabolism*
  • Immunoglobulin Fragments / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred Strains
  • Neoplasms, Experimental
  • Serum Albumin / chemistry*
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin Fragments
  • Serum Albumin