Efficient killing of CD22+ tumor cells by a humanized diabody-RNase fusion protein

We report on the generation of a dimeric immunoenzyme capable of simultaneously delivering two ribonuclease (RNase) effector domains on one molecule to CD22(+) tumor cells. As targeting moiety a diabody derived from the previously humanized scFv SGIII with grafted specificity of the murine anti-CD22 mAb RFB4 was constructed. Further engineering the interface of this construct (V(L)36(Leu -> Tyr)) resulted in a highly robust bivalent molecule that retained the same high affinity as the murine mAb RFB4 (K-D = 0.2 nM). A dimeric immunoenzyme comprising this diabody and Rana pipiens liver ribonuclease I (rapLRI) was generated, expressed as soluble protein in bacteria, and purified to homogeneity. The dimeric fusion protein killed several CD22(+) tumor cell lines with high efficacy (IC50 = 3-20 nM) and exhibited 9- to 48-fold stronger cytotoxicity than a monovalent rapLRI-scFv counterpart. Our results demonstrate that engineering of dimeric antibody ribonuclease fusion proteins can markedly enhance their biological efficacy. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.