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Production and quality control assessment of a GLP-grade immunotoxin, D2C7-(scdsFv)-PE38KDEL, for a phase I/II clinical trial

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Abstract

D2C7-(scdsFv)-PE38KDEL (D2C7-IT) is a novel recombinant Pseudomonas exotoxin A-based immunotoxin (IT), targeting both wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRwt) and mutant EGFR variant III (EGFRvIII) proteins overexpressed in glioblastomas. Initial pre-clinical testing demonstrated the anti-tumor efficacy of D2C7-IT against orthotopic glioblastoma xenograft models expressing EGFRwt, EGFRvIII, or both EGFRwt and EGFRvIII. A good laboratory practice (GLP) manufacturing process was developed to produce sufficient material for a phase I/II clinical trial. D2C7-IT was expressed under the control of the T7 promoter in Escherichia coli BLR (λ DE3). D2C7-IT was produced by a 10-L batch fermentation process and was then purified from inclusion bodies using anion exchange, size exclusion, and an endotoxin removal process that achieved a yield of over 300 mg of purified protein. The final vialed batch of D2C7-IT for clinical testing was at a concentration of 0.12 ± 0.1 mg/mL, the pH was at 7.4 ± 0.4, and endotoxin levels were below the detection limit of 10 EU/mL (1.26 EU/mL). The stability of the vialed D2C7-IT has been monitored over a period of 42 months through protein concentration, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), isoelectric focusing, size exclusion chromatography, cytotoxicity, sterility, and pH measurements. The vialed D2C7-IT is currently being tested in a phase I/II clinical trial by intratumoral convection-enhanced delivery for 72 h in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (NCT02303678, D2C7 for Adult Patients with Recurrent Malignant Glioma; clinicaltrials.gov).

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jenna Lewis for the editorial assistance of the manuscript. The study was funded by the following grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the USA: P01-CA154291-03 (to D. D. Bigner). This research was also supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke and Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan, Charles N. Pegram, Hailan Piao, Scott E. Szafranski, Chien-Tsun Kuan & Darell D. Bigner

  2. Duke University Medical Center, Box 3156, 181 MSRB-1, 203 Research Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan & Hailan Piao

  3. Duke University Medical Center, Box 3156, 203 Research Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Charles N. Pegram & Chien-Tsun Kuan

  4. Duke University Medical Center, Box 3156, 163 MSRB-1, 203 Research Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Scott E. Szafranski

  5. Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Building 37, Room 5106, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Ira H. Pastan

  6. Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Ira H. Pastan

  7. Duke University Medical Center, Box 3156, 177 MSRB-1, 203 Research Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Darell D. Bigner

Authors
  1. Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan
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  2. Charles N. Pegram
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  3. Hailan Piao
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  4. Scott E. Szafranski
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  5. Chien-Tsun Kuan
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  6. Ira H. Pastan
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  7. Darell D. Bigner
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Correspondence to Vidyalakshmi Chandramohan.

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Author 1 declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author 2 declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author 3 declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author 4 declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author 5 declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author 6 is inventor on immunotoxin patents, all of which have been assigned to NIH. Author 7 owns stock in Istari Oncology and is a consultant to Genetron Health.

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Chandramohan, V., Pegram, C.N., Piao, H. et al. Production and quality control assessment of a GLP-grade immunotoxin, D2C7-(scdsFv)-PE38KDEL, for a phase I/II clinical trial. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 101, 2747–2766 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-8063-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-8063-x

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