Susumu Iwasa

Evaluation of oral mucoadhesive microspheres in man on the basis of the pharmacokinetics of furosemide and riboflavin, compounds with limited gastrointestinal absorption sites

When sustained‐release adhesive and non‐adhesive microspheres which release the same drugs at similar rates are administered orally, drug absorption after administration of adhesive microspheres should, if the gastrointestinal residence of adhesive microspheres is prolonged as a result of mucoadhesion, be higher than that after administration of non‐adhesive microspheres. The gastrointestinal transit of oral adhesive microspheres in man has been evaluated pharmacokinetically using furosemide and riboflavin, compounds with limited absorption sites in the upper small intestine.

Utilization of an amorphous form of a water-soluble GPIIb/IIIa antagonist for controlled release from biodegradable microspheres.

AbstractPurpose. We prepared injectable microspheres for controlled release of TAK-029, a water-soluble GPIIb/IIIa antagonist and discussed the characteristics of controlled release from microspheres. Methods. Copoly(dl-lactic/glycolic)acid (PLGA) microspheres were used for controlled release of TAK-029 [4-(4-amidinobenzoylglycyl)-3-methoxycarbonyl-2-oxopiperazine-l-acetic acid]. They were prepared with a solid-in-oil-in-water (S/O/W) emulsion solvent evaporation technique using either a crystalline form or an amorphous form of the drug. Results. An amorphous form of TAK-029 gave more homogeneous S/O dispersion and higher viscosity than its crystalline form when added to dichloromethane solution of PLGA, resulting in a high drug entrapment into microspheres and a well-controlled release of the drug. Additions of sodium chloride into an external aqueous phase and L-arginine into an oil phase also increased entrapment of the drug, and reduced initial burst of the drug from the microspheres. The micro-spheres demonstrated a desirable plasma level profile in therapeutic range (20−100 ng/ml) for 3 weeks in rats after single subcutaneous injection. Conclusions. A well-controlled release of TAK-029, a water-soluble neutral drug, with small initial burst was achieved by utilizing its amorphous form as a result of possible interaction with PLGA and L-arginine.

Efficient production of a functional mouse/human chimeric Fab′ against human urokinase-type plasminogen activator by Bacillus brevis

Abstract Expression/secretion vectors for the production of Fab′ and single-chain (sc) Fab′ by Bacillus brevis have been constructed. For the production of Fab′, the cDNAs encoding the L chain and Fd′ fragment (Fd with the hinge region) of a mouse-human chimeric Fab′ against human urokinase-type plasminogen activator were fused directly with the translation-start and signal-peptide-encoding regions of the mwp gene, the gene for one of the major cell-wall proteins of Bacillus brevis. The two fused genes were placed tandemly downstream from the promoter of the cell-wall protein gene operon (cwp) of B. brevis. For the production of scFab′, the two cDNAs were linked with a synthetic oligonucleotide encoding a flexible peptide linker of 17 or 24 amino acids, and fused with the translation start and signal-peptide-encoding regions of the mwp gene. Fab′ was efficiently produced by B. brevis, being accumulated at a level of 100 mg/l in the culture medium in a simple shake-flask culture, which is the highest level obtained so far for a gram-positive bacterium. On the other hand, the scFab′ remained at a level of a few milligrams per liter in the culture medium. The Fab′ produced by B. brevis showed comparable antigen-binding activity to that of the parental antibody. The L chain and Fd′ fragment, constituting the Fab′, had the correct N-terminal amino acid sequences. These results indicate that B. brevis is a very promising host for the production of native Ig fragments.

Enhancement of anti-tumor activity of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) by immunocomplexing with a monoclonal antibody against rIL-2.

We have investigated biological properties of an immune complex of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and a monoclonal antibody against rIL-2 in mice for induction of killer cells and for anti-tumor activity. We have also examined the clearance of subcutaneously-injected immune complex in mice and compared it with that of rIL-2 alone. Plasma rIL-2 levels were sustained longer in mice given the immune complex than in mice given rIL-2 alone at a dose of 10μg/mouse, and they were detectable even at 24 hours after the administration of the immune complex, while they fell to undetectable levels by 6 hours after the administration of rIL-2 alone. A more significant portion of rIL-2 was detected in lymph nodes after subcutaneous injection of the immune complex than that of rIL-2 alone. Splenic lymphocytes from mice given the immune complex demonstrated a higher killer cell activity against YAC-1 cells than those from mice given rIL-2 alone. The immune complex also exerted more significant anti-tumor effect in a dose-dependent manner in Meth-A fibrosarcoma-bearing mice than rIL-2 alone. Our results indicate that immunocomplexing of rIL-2 with an antibody against rIL-2 provides a useful tool as the drug delivery system for cancer therapy using rIL-2.

Expression and characterization of a chimeric bispecific antibody against fibrin and against urokinase-type plasminogen activator

We have produced a chimeric bispecific antibody that has dual specificity of human fibrin and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA). Complementary DNAs for variable regions of both anti-fibrin and anti-u-PA antibodies were cloned from two murine hybridomas secreting respective antibodies using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques, and joined to cDNAs for human constant regions to form chimeric antibody genes. Both of two expression vectors for chimeric anti-fibrin and chimeric anti-u-PA antibodies were sequentially introduced into Chinese hamster ovary cells, and stable transfectants secreting the chimeric bispecific antibody were obtained. The highest producer transfectant (SULF/C2-30) secreted high level (about 40 micrograms ml-1) of total chimeric IgG and about 2% of the IgG had the bispecific activity of binding with both antigens. The chimeric bispecific antibody was purified by a combination of affinity chromatographies employing antigen-coupled columns and hydroxyapatite high-performance liquid chromatography. The purified chimeric bispecific antibody significantly enhanced the thrombolytic potency of single chain u-PA in an in vitro clot lysis assay as well as the original murine bispecific antibody.

Degranulation of eosinophils mediated by intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and its ligands is involved in adhesion molecule expression on endothelial cells–selective induction of VCAM-1

BACKGROUND Adhesion molecules and eosinophils may play an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic inflammatory reactions. OBJECTIVE We attempted to clarify eosinophil activation, such as degranulation, by signaling through adhesion molecule and to determine whether degranulation is involved in adhesion molecule expression on endothelial cells. METHODS Eosinophils were cultured with or without recombinant soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and the levels of eosinophil cationic protein and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin were determined. The influence of these eosinophil granule proteins or supernatant from eosinophil cultured with ICAM-1 on the expression of ICAM-1 or vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) on endothelial cells was also examined by flow-cytometric analysis. RESULTS Supernatant levels of eosinophil granule protein were significantly increased by culture for 4 hourss or 16 hours with recombinant soluble ICAM-1, suggesting degranulation by adherence to ICAM-1. Both granule proteins and the supernatants of eosinophils cultured with recombinant soluble ICAM-1 induced expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 on endothelial cells, with the latter showing a more prominant increase. CONCLUSION Degranulation mediated through adherence to endothelial cells by ICAM-1 and its ligands may be involved in the expression of adhesion molecules, such as ICAM-1 or VCAM-1, on these cells. Our finding of the selective induction of VCAM-1 expression suggests that eosinophil adherence to endothelial cells, even if it is because of ICAM-1, may be involved in selective eosinophil recruitment and accumulation at sites of allergic inflammation.

Therapeutic Effect of Ansamitocin Targeted to Tumor by a Bispecific Monoclonal Antibody

We have constructed a murine hybrid hybridoma that secretes a bispecific monoclonal antibody (mAb) by fusing a hybridoma secreting an anti‐ansamitocins mAb with a hybridoma secreting an anti‐human transferrin receptor (TfR) mAb that binds to human A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells. The bispecific mAb, reactive to both ansamitocins and TfR, was purified by a combination of hydrophobic column chromatography and hydroxyapatite high‐performance liquid chromatography, and evaluated in in vivo experiments using human tumor cell‐implanted nude mice. Ansamitocin P‐3 targeted through one of the antigen combining sites of the bispecific mAb was potentially more effective in suppressing the growth of established A431 tumor xenografts implanted on nude mice than unconjugated ansamitocin P‐3 or the immunoconjugate of ansamitocin P‐3 and monospecific anti‐ansamitocins antibody, and the targeted ansamitocin P‐3 finally eradicated the tumor mass. The bispecific mAb also played an important role in reducing such undesirable side‐effects of ansamitocin P‐3 as the loss of body weight, the damage to liver functions and the decrease in the number of white blood cells.

Sustained release of a water-soluble GP IIb/IIIa antagonist from copoly(dl-lactic/glycolic)acid microspheres

Sustained release of TAK-029 [4-(4-amidinobenzoylglycyl)-3-methoxycarbonyl-2-oxopiperazine-l-acetic acid], a glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa antagonist, from injectable microspheres was achieved by a W/O/W emulsion solvent evaporation technique using copoly(d-lactic/glycolic)acid (PLGA). Entrapment of the drug into microspheres increased with addition of sodium chloride into an external aqueous polyvinyl alcohol solution. Addition of l-arginine to an internal water phase dose-dependently reduced initial burst of the drug from the microspheres in vitro and in vivo, probably by forming hydrophobic diffusion barriers with rigid inner structure and increased glass transition temperature (Tg). Microspheres obtained using sodium chloride and l-arginine demonstrated sustained plasma levels of TAK-029 for 3 weeks after subcutaneous injection in rats, while causing a slight increase of its plasma levels in 2–3 weeks.

Efficient production of anti-(hepatitis B virus) antibodies and their neutralizing activity in chimpanzees

For industrial production of human monoclonal antibodies (hmAb) against hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), we scaled-up a short-term perfusion culture in serum-free medium, which was chosen as the most suitable culture method, to a 50–1 fermentor equipped with a rotating shear filter. Using hydrophobic chromatography as the initial step of hmAb purification, the mAb HBW4, HBW6 and W471 were isolated in good quality from the respective culture broths in yields of approximately 75%. Each of the three purified hmAb alone, and a cocktail of the three, protected chimpanzees against HB virus, when injected intravenously 3 h after viral challenge, as long as the serum antibody levels were significant. A pharmacokinetic study using cynomolgus monkeys demostrated that the hmAb have a long plasma half-life and bioavailability of approximately 76% upon intramuscular injection in primates. Thus, anti-HBsAg hmAb produced by an industrial process are expected to be successfully used in clinical fields.

A hyman hybrid hybridoma producing a bispecific monoclonal antibody that can target tumor cells for attack by Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A

By fusing a human hybridoma producing an IgG2ķ antibody against human A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells with an Epstein-Barr virus-transformed human B lymphocyte producing an IgG2ķ antibody against Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A, we established a hybrid hybridoma producing a bispecific monoclonal antibody reacting with both A431 cells and the exotoxin. Human IgG was purified from the culture supernatant of the hybrid hybridoma, and the bispecific monoclonal antibody in the IgG preparation was further separated from the two parental antibodies by hydroxyapatite high-performance liquid chromatography. The human bispecific monoclonal antibody thus obtained efficiently targeted the antibody-reative cells, A431, for attack by the exotoxin in vitro.