Abstract
The use of proteins for medical applications has revolutionized therapies of many diseases/disorders that were often incurable with small-molecule medicines. However, since the first use of proteins as medicines, their immunogenicity has been a major problem. Over the years, the quality and safety of therapeutic protein products have improved dramatically. Nevertheless, even the protein medicines of the newest generation may still cause adverse immunological events, posing a safety risk for patients and/or compromising their efficacy. Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins is a complex, multifactorial phenomenon. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge about immune mechanisms underlying the immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins and discuss influencing factors and clinical consequences of protein immunogenicity as well as strategies for immunogenicity assessment and mitigation.
Sadly, Wim Jiskoot passed away by the time of publication of this sixth edition.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aledort L (1994) Inhibitors in hemophilia patients: current status and management. Am J Hematol 47:208–217
Antonelli G, Dianzani F (1999) Development of antibodies to interferon beta in patients: technical and biological aspects. Eur Cytokine Netw 10:413–422
Bachmann MF, Rohrer UH, Kündig TM, Bürki K, Hengartner H, Zinkernagel RM (1993) The influence of antigen organization on B cell responsiveness. Science 262:1448–1451
Barbosa MD, Vielmetter J, Chu S, Smith DD, Jacinto J (2006) Clinical link between MHC class II haplotype and interferon-beta (IFN-β) immunogenicity. Clin Immunol 118:42–50
Barnard JG, Babcock K, Carpenter JF (2013) Characterization and quantitation of aggregates and particles in interferon-β products: potential links between product quality attributes and immunogenicity. J Pharm Sci 102:915–928
Bartelds GM, Krieckaert CL, Nurmohamed MT, van Schouwenburg PA, Lems WF, Twisk JW, Dijkmans BA, Aarden L, Wolbink GJ (2011) Development of antidrug antibodies against adalimumab and association with disease activity and treatment failure during long-term follow-up. JAMA 305:1460–1468
Bertolotto A, Deisenhammer F, Gallo P, Sölberg SP (2004) Immunogenicity of interferon beta: differences among products. J Neurol 251:II15-II24
Billiet T, Vande Casteele N, Van Stappen T, Princen F, Singh S, Gils A, Ferrante M, Van Assche G, Cleynen I, Vermeire S (2015) Immunogenicity to infliximab is associated with HLA-DRB1. Gut 64:1344–1345
Bloem K, van Leeuwen A, Verbeek G, Nurmohamed MT, Wolbink GJ, van der Kleij D, Rispens T (2015) Systematic comparison of drug-tolerant assays for anti-drug antibodies in a cohort of adalimumab-treated rheumatoid arthritis patients. J Immunol Methods 418:29–38
Brandse JF, Mathôt RA, van der Kleij D, Rispens T, Ashruf Y, Jansen JM, Rietdijk S, Löwenberg M, Ponsioen CY, Singh S, van den Brink GR, D'Haens GR (2016) Pharmacokinetic features and presence of antidrug antibodies associate with response to infliximab induction therapy in patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 14:251–258
Brinks V, Weinbuch D, Baker M, Dean Y, Stas P, Kostense S, Rup B, Jiskoot W (2013) Preclinical models used for immunogenicity prediction of therapeutic proteins. Pharm Res 30:1719–1728
Casadevall N, Nataf J, Viron B, Kolta A, Kiladjian JJ, Martin-Dupont P, Michaud P, Papo T, Ugo V, Teyssandier I, Varet B, Mayeux P (2002) Pure red-cell aplasia and antierythropoietin antibodies in patients treated with recombinant erythropoietin. N Engl J Med 346:469–475
Chung CH, Mirakhur B, Chan E, Le QT, Berlin J, Morse M, Murphy BA, Satinover SM, Hosen J, Mauro D, Slebos RJ, Zhou Q, Gold D, Hatley T, Hicklin DJ, Platts-Mills TA (2008) Cetuximab-induced anaphylaxis and IgE specific for galactose-α-1,3-galactose. N Engl J Med 358:1109–1117
Cousens L, Najafian N, Martin WD, De Groot AS (2014) Tregitope: immunomodulation powerhouse. Hum Immunol 75:1139–1146
de Mattos BR, Garcia MP, Nogueira JB, Paiatto LN, Albuquerque CG, Souza CL, Fernandes LG, Tamashiro WM, Simioni PU (2015) Inflammatory bowel disease: an overview of immune mechanisms and biological treatments. Mediat Inflamm 2015:1–11
Deegan PB (2012) Fabry disease, enzyme replacement therapy and the significance of antibody responses. J Inherit Metab Dis 35:227–243
Ehlinger C, Spear N, Doddareddy R, Shankar G, Schantz A (2019) A generic method for the detection of polyethylene glycol specific IgG and IgM antibodies in human serum. J Immunol Methods 474:112669
Fakharzadeh SS, Kazazian HH Jr (2000) Correlation between factor VIII genotype and inhibitor development in hemophilia a. Semin Thromb Hemost 26:167–172
Fijal B, Ricci D, Vercammen E, Palmer PA, Fotiou F, Fife D, Lindholm A, Broderick E, Francke S, Wu X, Colaianne J, Cohen N (2008) Case–control study of the association between select HLA genes and anti-erythropoietin antibody-positive pure red-cell aplasia. Pharmacogenomics 9:157–167
Finco D, Baltrukonis D, Clements-Egan A, Delaria K, Gunn GR 3rd, Lowe J, Maia M, Wong T (2011) Comparison of competitive ligand-binding assay and bioassay formats for the measurement of neutralizing antibodies to protein therapeutics. J Pharm Biomed Anal 54:351–358
Fineberg SE, Kawabata TT, Finco-Kent D, Fountaine RJ, Finch GL, Krasner AS (2007) Immunological responses to exogenous insulin. Endocr Rev 28:625–652
Food and Drug Administration (2002) Adalimumab. 2002. Pharmacology reviews: adalimumab product approval information—licensing action. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2008/125057s110TOC.cfm. Accessed on 4 Nov 2017
Gorovits B, Clements-Egan A, Birchler M, Liang M, Myler H, Peng K, Purushothama S, Rajadhyaksha M, Salazar-Fontana L, Sung C, Xue L (2016) Pre-existing antibody: biotherapeutic modality-based review. AAPS J 18:311–320
Griswold KE, Bailey-Kellogg C (2016) Design and engineering of deimmunized biotherapeutics. Curr Opin Struct Biol 39:79–88
Hamuro L, Kijanka G, Kinderman F, Kropshofer H, Bu DX, Zepeda M, Jawa V (2017) Perspectives on subcutaneous route of administration as an immunogenicity risk factor for therapeutic proteins. J Pharm Sci 106:2946–2954
Han PD, Cohen RD (2004) Managing immunogenic responses to infliximab: treatment implications for patients with Crohn’s disease. Drugs 64:1767–1777
Harding FA, Stickler MM, Razo J, DuBridge RB (2010) The immunogenicity of humanized and fully human antibodies: residual immunogenicity resides in the CDR regions. MAbs 2:256–265
Hausl C, Ahmad RU, Sasgary M, Doering CB, Lollar P, Richter G, Schwarz HP, Turecek PL, Reipert BM (2005) High-dose factor VIII inhibits factor VIII-specific memory B cells in hemophilia A with factor VIII inhibitors. Blood 106:3415–3422
Hermeling S, Crommelin DJ, Schellekens H, Jiskoot W (2004) Structure-immunogenicity relationships of therapeutic proteins. Pharm Res 21:897–903
Jawa V, Cousens LP, Awwad M, Wakshull E, Kropshofer H, De Groot AS (2013) T-cell dependent immunogenicity of protein therapeutics: preclinical assessment and mitigation. Clin Immunol 149:534–555
Jiskoot W, Kijanka G, Randolph TW, Carpenter JF, Koulov AV, Mahler HC, Joubert MK, Jawa V, Narhi LO (2016) Mouse models for assessing protein immunogenicity: lessons and challenges. J Pharm Sci 105:1567–1575
Kijanka G, Jiskoot W, Sauerborn M, Schellekens H, Brinks V (2012) Immunogenicity of 12 therapeutic proteins. In: Hovgaard L, Frokjaer S, van de Weert M (eds) Pharmaceutical formulation development of peptides and proteins. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp 297–322
Krishna M, Palme H, Duo J, Lin Z, Corbett M, Dodge R, Piccoli S, Myler H, Pillutla R, Desilva B (2015) Development and characterization of antibody reagents to assess anti-PEG IgG antibodies in clinical samples. Bioanalysis 7:1869–1883
Li C, Desai AK, Gupta P, Dempsey K, Bhambhani V, Hopkin RJ, Ficicioglu C, Tanpaiboon P, Craigen WJ, Rosenberg AS, Kishnani PS (2021) Transforming the clinical outcome in CRIM-negative infantile Pompe disease identified via newborn screening: the benefits of early treatment with enzyme replacement therapy and immune tolerance induction. Genet Med 23:845–855
Lipsky PE, Calabrese LJ, Kavanaugh A, Sundy JS, Wright D, Wolfson M, Becker MA (2014) Pegloticase immunogenicity: the relationship between efficacy and antibody development in patients treated for refractory chronic gout. Arthritis Res Ther 16:R60
Liu L (2015) Antibody glycosylation and its impact on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of monoclonal antibodies and fc-fusion proteins. J Pharm Sci 104:1866–1884
Maini R, St Clair EW, Breedveld F, Furst D, Kalden J, Weisman M, Smolen J, Emery P, Harriman G, Feldmann M, Lipsky P (1999) Infliximab (chimeric anti-tumour necrosis factor α monoclonal antibody) versus placebo in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving concomitant methotrexate: a randomised phase III trial. Lancet 354:1932–1939
Malucchi S, Bertolotto A. (2008) Clinical aspects of immunogenicity to biopharmaceuticals. In: Weert MV, Møller EH. Immunogenicity of biopharmaceuticals Springer, New York, NY; 47: 27–56
Mire-Sluis AR, Barrett YC, Devanarayan V, Koren E, Liu H, Maia M, Parish T, Scott G, Shankar G, Shores E, Swanson SJ, Taniguchi G, Wierda D, Zuckerman LA (2004) Recommendations for the design and optimization of immunoassays used in the detection of host antibodies against biotechnology products. J Immunol Methods 289:1–16
Moore WV, Leppert P (1980) Role of aggregated human growth hormone (hGH) in development of antibodies to hGH. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 51:691–697
Moss AC, Brinks V, Carpenter JF (2013) Review article: Immunogenicity of anti-TNF biologics in IBD–the role of patient, product and prescriber factors. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 38:1188–1197
Oldenburg J, Lacroix-Desmazes S, Lillicrap D (2015) Alloantibodies to therapeutic factor VIII in hemophilia a: the role of von Willebrand factor in regulating factor VIII immunogenicity. Haematologica 100:149–156
Perini P, Facchinetti A, Bulian P, Massaro AR, Pascalis DD, Bertolotto A, Biasi G, Gallo P (2001) Interferon-Beta (INF-Beta) antibodies in interferon-beta1a- and interferon-beta1b-treated multiple sclerosis patients. Prevalence, kinetics, cross-reactivity, and factors enhancing interferon-beta immunogenicity in vivo. Eur Cytokine Netw 12:56–61
Praditpornsilpa K, Kupatawintu P, Mongkonsritagoon W, Supasyndh O, Jootar S, Intarakumthornchai T, Pongskul C, Prasithsirikul W, Achavanuntakul B, Ruangkarnchanasetr P, Laohavinij S, Eiam-Ong S (2009) The association of anti-R-HuEpo-associated pure red cell aplasia with HLA-DRB1*09-DQB1*0309. Nephrol Dial Transplant 24:1545–1549
Prümmer O (1997) Treatment-induced antibodies to interleukin-2. Biotherapy 10:15–24
Richter WF, Bhansali SG, Morris ME (2012) Mechanistic determinants of biotherapeutics absorption following sc administration. AAPS J 14:559–570
Ross C, Clemmesen KM, Svenson M, Sørensen PS, Koch-Henriksen N, Skovgaard GL, Bendtzen K (2000) Immunogenicity of interferon-beta in multiple sclerosis patients: influence of preparation, dosage, dose frequency, and route of administration. Ann Neurol 48:706–712
Rougeot C, Marchand PM, Dray F, Girard F, Job JC, Pierson M, Ponte C, Rochiccioli P, Rappaport R (1991) Comparative study of biosynthetic human growth hormone immunogenicity in growth hormone deficient children. Horm Res 35:76–81
Ryff JC (1997) Clinical investigation of the immunogenicity of interferon-alpha 2a. J Interf Cytokine Res 17:S29–S33
Schellekens H (2002a) Bioequivalence and the immunogenicity of biopharmaceuticals. Nat Rev Drug Discov 1:457–462
Schellekens H (2002b) Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins: clinical implications and future prospects. Clin Ther 24:1720–1740
Schellekens H, Casadevall N (2004) Immunogenicity of recombinant human proteins: causes and consequences. J Neurol 251:II4–II9
Schellekens H, Jiskoot W (2006) Erythropoietin-associated PRCA: still an unsolved mystery. J Immunotoxicol 3:123–130
Schellekens H, Hennink WE, Brinks V (2013) The immunogenicity of polyethylene glycol: facts and fiction. Pharm Res 30:1729–1734
Shankar G, Devanarayan V, Amaravadi L, Barrett YC, Bowsher R, Finco-Kent D, Fiscella M, Gorovits B, Kirschner S, Moxness M, Parish T, Quarmby V, Smith H, Smith W, Zuckerman LA, Koren E (2008) Recommendations for the validation of immunoassays used for detection of host antibodies against biotechnology products. J Pharm Biomed Anal 48:1267–1281
Shankar G, Arkin S, Cocea L, Devanarayan V, Kirshner S, Kromminga A, Quarmby V, Richards S, Schneider CK, Subramanyam M, Swanson S, Verthelyi D, Yim S (2014) Assessment and reporting of the clinical immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins and peptides—harmonized terminology and tactical recommendations. AAPS J 16:658–673
Singh SK (2011) Impact of product-related factors on immunogenicity of biotherapeutics. J Pharm Sci 100:354–387
van Beers MM, Jiskoot W, Schellekens H (2010) On the role of aggregates in the immunogenicity of recombinant human interferon beta in patients with multiple sclerosis. J Interf Cytokine Res 30:767–775
van de Casteele N, Gils A, Singh S, Ohrmund L, Hauenstein S, Rutgeerts P, Vermeire S (2013) Antibody response to infliximab and its impact on pharmacokinetics can be transient. Am J Gastroenterol 108:962–971
van Schie KA, Hart MH, de Groot ER, Kruithof S, Aarden LA, Wolbink GJ, Rispens T (2015a) The antibody response against human and chimeric anti-TNF therapeutic antibodies primarily targets the TNF binding region. Ann Rheum Dis 74:311–314
van Schie KA, Wolbink GJ, Rispens T (2015b) Cross-reactive and pre-existing antibodies to therapeutic antibodies–effects on treatment and immunogenicity. MAbs 7:662–671
van Schie KA, Kruithof S, van Schouwenburg PA, Vennegoor A, Killestein J, Wolbink G, Rispens T (2017) Neutralizing capacity of monoclonal and polyclonal anti-natalizumab antibodies: the immune response to antibody therapeutics preferentially targets the antigen-binding site. J Allergy Clin Immunol 139:1035–1037
van Schouwenburg PA, Rispens T, Wolbink GJ (2013a) Immunogenicity of anti-TNF biologic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol 9:164–172
van Schouwenburg PA, Krieckaert CL, Rispens T, Aarden L, Wolbink GJ, Wouters D (2013b) Long-term measurement of anti-adalimumab using pH-shift-anti-idiotype antigen binding test shows predictive value and transient antibody formation. Ann Rheum Dis 72:1680–1686
Vincent FB, Morand EF, Murphy K, Mackay F, Mariette X, Marcelli C (2013) Antidrug antibodies (ADA) to tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-specific neutralising agents in chronic inflammatory diseases: a real issue, a clinical perspective. Ann Rheum Dis 72:165–178
Weigle WO (1971) Recent observations and concepts in immunological unresponsiveness and autoimmunity. Clin Exp Immunol 9:437–447
Xue L, Rup B (2013) Evaluation of pre-existing antibody presence as a risk factor for posttreatment anti-drug antibody induction: analysis of human clinical study data for multiple biotherapeutics. AAPS J 15:893–896
Further Reading
Brinks V, Jiskoot W, Schellekens H (2011) Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins: the use of animal models. Pharm Res 28:2379–2385
Ducret A, Ackaert C, Bessa J, Bunce C, Hickling T, Jawa V, Kroenke MA, Lamberth K, Manin A, Penny HL, Smith N, Terszowski G, Tourdot S, Spindeldreher S (2011) Assay format diversity in pre-clinical immunogenicity risk assessment: toward a possible harmonization of antigenicity assays. MAbs 14:1993522
Filipe V, Hawe A, Schellekens H, Jiskoot W (2010) Aggregation and immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins, in aggregation of therapeutic proteins. Wiley, Hoboken, NJ
Hermeling S, Crommelin DJA, Schellekens H, Jiskoot W (2007) Immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. In: Gad SC (ed) Handbook of pharmaceutical biotechnology. Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, pp 911–931
Moussa EM, Panchal JP, Moorthy BS, Blum JS, Joubert MK, Narhi LO, Topp EM (2016) Immunogenicity of therapeutic protein aggregates. J Pharm Sci 105:417–430
Schellekens H (2010) The immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Discov Med 9:560–564
Schellekens H, Crommelin D, Jiskoot W (2007) Immunogenicity of antibody therapeutics. In: Dübel S (ed) Handbook of therapeutic antibodies. Wiley, Weinheim, pp 267–276
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rispens, T., Jiskoot, W., Kijanka, G. (2024). Immunogenicity of Therapeutic Proteins. In: Crommelin, D.J.A., Sindelar, R.D., Meibohm, B. (eds) Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30023-3_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30023-3_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-30022-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-30023-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)