Roeland Vanhauwaert, Julien Oury, Bernhardt Vankerckhoven, Christophe Steyaert, Stine Marie Jensen, Dana L. E. Vergoossen, Christa Kneip, Leah Santana, Jamie L. Lim, Jaap J. Plomp, Roy Augustinus, Shohei Koide, Christophe Blanchetot, Peter Ulrichts, Maartje G. Huijbers, Karen Silence, Steven J. Burden
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) is essential for the formation, function, and preservation of neuromuscular synapses. Activation of MuSK by a MuSK agonist antibody may stabilize or improve the function of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in patients with disorders of the NMJ, such as congenital myasthenia (CM). Here, we generated and characterized ARGX-119, a first-in-class humanized agonist monoclonal antibody specific for MuSK, that is being developed for treatment of patients with neuromuscular diseases. We performed in vitro ligand-binding assays to show that ARGX-119 binds with high affinity to the Frizzled-like domain of human, nonhuman primate, rat, and mouse MuSK, without off-target binding, making it suitable for clinical development. Within the Fc region, ARGX-119 harbors L234A and L235A mutations to diminish potential immune-activating effector functions. Its mode of action is to activate MuSK, without interfering with its natural ligand neural Agrin, and cluster acetylcholine receptors in a dose-dependent manner, thereby stabilizing neuromuscular function. In a mouse model of DOK7 CM, ARGX-119 prevented early postnatal lethality and reversed disease relapse in adult Dok7 CM mice by restoring neuromuscular function and reducing muscle weakness and fatigability in a dose-dependent manner. Pharmacokinetic studies in nonhuman primates, rats, and mice revealed a nonlinear PK behavior of ARGX-119, indicative of target-mediated drug disposition and in vivo target engagement. On the basis of this proof-of-concept study, ARGX-119 has the potential to alleviate neuromuscular diseases hallmarked by impaired neuromuscular synaptic function, warranting further clinical development.
期刊介绍:
Science Translational Medicine is an online journal that focuses on publishing research at the intersection of science, engineering, and medicine. The goal of the journal is to promote human health by providing a platform for researchers from various disciplines to communicate their latest advancements in biomedical, translational, and clinical research.
The journal aims to address the slow translation of scientific knowledge into effective treatments and health measures. It publishes articles that fill the knowledge gaps between preclinical research and medical applications, with a focus on accelerating the translation of knowledge into new ways of preventing, diagnosing, and treating human diseases.
The scope of Science Translational Medicine includes various areas such as cardiovascular disease, immunology/vaccines, metabolism/diabetes/obesity, neuroscience/neurology/psychiatry, cancer, infectious diseases, policy, behavior, bioengineering, chemical genomics/drug discovery, imaging, applied physical sciences, medical nanotechnology, drug delivery, biomarkers, gene therapy/regenerative medicine, toxicology and pharmacokinetics, data mining, cell culture, animal and human studies, medical informatics, and other interdisciplinary approaches to medicine.
The target audience of the journal includes researchers and management in academia, government, and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. It is also relevant to physician scientists, regulators, policy makers, investors, business developers, and funding agencies.