Methods and reagents for preparing and using immunological agents specific for P-glycoprotein

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/752,447, filed Nov. 15, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,088.

This invention was made with government support under grant CAR-3740333 by the National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health. The government has certain rights in the invention.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the use of immunological reagents specific for a human transmembrane efflux pump protein (P-glycoprotein) in a biochemical conformation adopted in the presence of certain cytotoxic, lipophilic drugs that are substrates for P-glycoprotein, in the presence of cellular ATP depleting agents, and by certain mutant embodiments of Pgp. The invention provides such immunological reagents for immunodiagnostic and therapeutic uses, for isolating lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells, and for anticancer drug development.

2. Background of the Invention

Many human cancers express intrinsically or develop spontaneously resistance to several classes of anticancer drugs, each with a different structure and different mechanism of action. This phenomenon, which can be mimicked in cultured mammalian cells selected for resistance to certain A plant alkaloids or antitumor antibiotics such as colchicine, vinblastine and doxorubicin (formerly known as Adriamycin), is generally referred to as multidrug resistance (“MDR”; see Roninson (ed)., 1991 , Molecular and Cellular Biology of Multidrug Resistance in Tumor Cells , Plenum Press, N.Y., 1991; Gottesman et al., 1991, in Biochemical Bases for Multidrug Resistance in Cancer , Academic Press, N.Y., Chapter 11 for reviews). The MDR phenotype presents a major obstacle to successful cancer chemotherapy in human patients.

MDR frequently appears to result from decreased intracellular accumulation of drug as a consequence of increased drug efflux related to alterations at the cellular plasma membrane. When mutant cell lines having the MDR phenotype are isolated, they are found to express an ATP-dependent non-specific molecular “pump” protein (generally known as P-glycoprotein) that is located in the plasma membrane and keeps the intracellular accumulation of an anti-cancer drug low enough to evoke the drug-resistance phenotype. This protein (which has been determined to be the gene product of the MDR1 gene in humans) facilitates active (i.e., energy-dependent) drug efflux from the cell, against a concentration gradient of (generally) lipophilic compounds, including many cytotoxic drugs.

The gene encoding P-glycoprotein (which is also known as gp170-180 and the multidrug transporter) has been cloned from cultured human cells by Roninson et al. (see co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,352, issued Apr. 27, 1993, having an effective filing date of Mar. 28, 1986), and is generally referred to as MDR 1. The protein product of the MDR 1 gene, most generally known as P-glycoprotein (“Pgp”), is a 170-180 kilodalton (kDa) transmembrane protein having the aforementioned energy-dependent efflux pump activity.

Molecular analysis of the MDR1 gene indicates that Pgp consists of 1280 amino acids distributed between two homologous halves (having 43% sequence identity of amino acid residues), each half of the molecule comprising six hydrophobic transmembrane domains and an ATP binding site within a cytoplasmic loop. Only about 8% of the molecule is extracellular, and carbohydrate moieties (approximately 30 kDa) are bound to sites in this region (Chen et al., 1986 , Cell 47: 381-387).

Expression of Pgp on the cell surface is sufficient to render cells resistant to many (but not all) cytotoxic drugs, including many anti-cancer agents. Pgp-mediated MDR appears to be an important clinical component of drug resistance in tumors of different types, and MDR1 gene expression correlates with resistance to chemotherapy in different types of cancer.

Because Pgp is involved in the resistance of different types of human malignancies to conventional chemotherapy, the expression of Pgp is an important diagnostic and prognostic factor which in many cases helps the physician to choose the most effective combination of chemotherapeutic drugs and to monitor the efficacy of treatment. One way Pgp expression has been evaluated is by detecting the binding of specific immunological reagents (antibodies) to tumor samples. However, frequently the expression level of Pgp in tumor cells is low and cannot be reproducibly detected by routine immunological methods. In addition, there are few immunological or other reagents specific for functionally-active Pgp (which are the only forms of Pgp that are clinically relevant). Thus, there is a need in the art to increase the sensitivity and specificity of immunological and immunohistochemical methods for detecting functional Pgp expression.

Pgp is also constitutively expressed in many normal cells and tissues (see Cordon-Cardo et al., 1990 , J. Histochem. Cytochem . 3: 1277; and Thiebaut et al., 1987 , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84: 7735 for reviews). In hematopoietic cells, Neyfakh et al. (1989 , Exp. Cancer Res. 185-496) have shown that certain subsets of human and murine lymphocytes efflux Rhl23, a fluorescent dye that is a Pgp substrate, and this process can be blocked by small molecule inhibitors of Pgp. It has been demonstrated more recently that Pgp is expressed on the cell-surface membranes of pluripotent stem cells, NK cells, CD4- and CD8-positive T lymphocytes, and B lymphocytes (Chaudhary et al., 1992 , Blood 8: 2735; Drach et al., 1992 , Blood 80: 2729; Kimecki et al., 1994 , Blood 83: 2451; Chaudhary et al., 1991 , Cell 66: 85). Pgp expression on the cell surface membranes of different subsets of human lymphocytes has been extensively documented (Coon et al., 1991 , Human Immunol . 32: 134; Tiirikainen et al., 1992 , Ann. Hematol . 65: 124; Schluesener et al., 1992 , Immunopharmacology 23: 37; Gupta et al., 1993 , J. Clin. Immunol . 13: 289). Although recent studies suggest that Pgp plays a role in normal physiological functions of immune cells (Witkowski et al., 1994 , J. Immunol . 153: 658; Kobayashi et al., 1994 , Biochem. Pharmacol . 48: 1641; Raghu et al., 1996 , Exp. Hematol . 24: 1030-1036, as disclosed more fully in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/658,583, filed Jun. 7, 1996, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety), the physiological role of Pgp in normal immune cells has remained unclear to date.

Expression of Pgp in hematopoietic cells provides an effective means for identifying and purifying lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells. As described more completely in co-owned and/or co-pending U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,075, issued Jul. 18, 1995 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/032,056, filed Mar. 16, 1993, functional Pgp assays (such as fluorescent dye efflux) and immunochemical methods (such as fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis) can in theory be used to purify lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells.

However, the levels of expression of Pgp on stem cells are low, and consequently the amount of an immunological reagent such as a monoclonal antibody (mAb) bound to a hematopoietic stem cell membrane using conventional procedures is generally not high enough to efficiently separate Pgp-positive cells by any conventional immunological technique (such as FACS, immunomagnetic particle separation, cell panning, or other methods known in the art). Thus, there remains a need in this art to improve the efficiency of methods for using Pgp expression to specifically purify lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells from biological sources.

Once the central role in MDR played by Pgp was uncovered, agents with a potential for reversing MDR phenotypes were developed that target Pgp. Several classes of drugs, including calcium channel blockers (e.g., verapamil), immunosuppresants (such as cyclosporines and steroid hormones), calmodulin inhibitors, and other compounds, were found to enhance the intracellular accumulation and cytotoxic action of Pgp-transported drugs (Ford et al., 1990 , Pharm. Rev . 42: 155). Many of these agents were found to inhibit either drug binding or drug transport by Pgp (Akiyama et al., 1988 , Molec. Pharm. 3: 144; Horio et al., 1988 , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84: 3580). Some of these agents themselves were found to bind to and be effluxed by Pgp, suggesting that their enhancing effects on the cytotoxicity of Pgp substrates are due, at least in part, to competition for drug binding sites on this protein (Cornwell et al., 1986 , J. Bio. Chem . 261: 7921; Tamai, 1990 , J. Biochem. Molec. Biol. 265: 16509).

Many of these agents, however, also have strong, deleterious side effects at physiologically-achievable concentrations. These systemic side effects severely limit the clinical use of these agents as specific inhibitors of Pgp or for negative selection against Pgp-expressing tumor cells. Most of the known MDR-reversing drugs used in clinical trials have major side effects unrelated to inhibition of Pgp, such as calcium channel blockage (verapamil) or immunosuppression (cyclosporines and steroids). Similarly, targeting of cytotoxic drugs to Pgp-expressing cells is capable of compromising normal tissue function in normal cells (such as kidney, liver, colonic epithelium, etc.) that normally express Pgp. These drawbacks restrict the clinically-achievable dose of such agents and ultimately, their usefulness.

Immunological reagents, specifically such agents linked to cytotoxic molecules or detectably labeled reporter molecules, provide an alternate and specific way for identifying cells expressing Pgp at the cell surface and specifically delivering cytotoxic substances directly to such cells. Immunological reagents specific for extracellular epitopes of Pgp, such as anti-Pgp antibodies, offered the prospect of specificity, since antibodies should target only Pgp. However, it has also been recognized that only antibodies which react with an extracellular epitope of Pgp are expected to react with the protein in the plasma membrane of intact cells and thereby inhibit the MDR phenotype in such cells. Antibodies directed to the cytoplasmic portion of Pgp, on the other hand, are unlikely to be useful for reversal of MDR.

In addition, antibody binding to Pgp was expected to have a more-prolonged inhibitory effect than that caused by transient binding of a competitive inhibitor. Such reagents may also provide a means for delivering cytotoxic agents specifically to Pgp-expressing tumor cells in regimens aimed to selective killing of such cells.

Monoclonal antibodies specific for Pgp are known in the art.

Hamada et al., 1986 , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83: 7785 disclose the mAbs MRK-16 and MRK-17, produced by immunizing mice with doxorubicin-resistant K-562 human leukemia cells. MRK-16 mAb was also reported to modulate vincristine and actinomycin D transport in resistant cells, and MRK-17 was shown to specifically inhibit growth of resistant cells with these drugs. Meyers et al., 1987 , Cancer Res . 49: 3209 disclose mAbs HYB-241 and HYB-612, which recognize an external epitope of Pgp.

O'Brien et al., 1989 , Proc. Amer. Assoc. Cancer Res . 30:Abs 2114 disclose that mAbs HYB-241 and HYB-612 increased the accumulation of vincristine and actinomycin D in tumor cells and increased the cytotoxicity of combinations of these drugs with verapamil.

Tsuruo et al., 1989 , Jpn. J. Cancer Res . 80: 627 reported that treatment of athymic mice that had been previously inoculated with drug resistant human ovarian cancer cells with the mAb MRK 16 caused regression of established subcutaneous tumors.

Hamada et al., 1990 , Cancer Res . 50: 3167 disclosed a recombinant chimeric antibody that combines the variable region of MRK-16 with the F c portion of a human antibody, and showed this chimeric antibody to be more effective than MRK-16 mAb in increasing cytotoxicity in vitro.

Pearson et al., 1991, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 88: 1386 disclosed that MRK-16 mAb increased the in vivo toxicity of vincristine to a human MDR colon cancer cell line grown as a xenograft in nude mice. The in vitro potentiation of drug cytotoxicity by MRK-16 mAb was, however, weak relative to known chemical inhibitors of Pgp action, and was apparently limited to only two Pgp substrates (vincristine and actinomycin D), having no effect on cytotoxicity by doxorubicin.

Cinciarelli et al., 1991 , Int. J. Cancer 47: 533 disclosed a mouse IgG2, mAb, termed MAb657, having cross reactivity to Pgp-expressing human MDR cells. This mAb was shown to increase the susceptibility of MDR cells to human peripheral blood lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity, but was not shown to have an inhibitory effect on the drug efflux activity of Pgp.

Arcesi et al., 1993 , Cancer Res . 53: 310-317 disclosed mAb 4E3 that binds to extracellular epitopes of Pgp but does not disrupt drug efflux or potentiate MDR drug-induced cytotoxicity.

Mechetner and Roninson, in co-owned and/or co-pending U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,075, issued Jul. 18, 1995, and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/032,056, filed Mar. 16, 1993, disclosed mAb UIC2, having specificity for extracellular Pgp epitopes. This antibody was also shown to effectively inhibit Pgp-mediated drug efflux in MDR cells, and to reverse the MDR phenotype in vitro thereby, for a number of structurally and functional different cytotoxic compounds and all tested chemotherapeutic drugs known to be substrates for Pgp-mediated drug efflux.

The production of UIC2 mAb demonstrated the usefulness of the development of mAbs specific for extracellular epitopes of Pgp that were capable of inhibiting drug efflux activity. As evidenced by the mAbs developed in the prior art, production of extracellular epitope-specific mAbs does not necessarily result in mAbs that can affect drug efflux. There thus remains in the art a need for developing methods for producing mAbs that are capable of inhibiting drug efflux activity in Pgp. There also remains a need in the art for methods for developing more sensitive mAbs and methods to improve the sensitivity of currently available mAbs for the detection of Pgp expression in cancer cells in vivo, for improved cancer diagnostics and therapeutic applications with both normal and tumor cells expressing Pgp. There also remains a need in the art to develop more specific and efficient tools for the isolation of lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells, especially pluripotent and totipotent stem cells.

The present invention provides methods for production of mAbs specific for certain Pgp mutants and for Pgp in a biochemical conformation adopted in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents. The invention also provides methods for improving the sensitivity of and developing mAbs specific for Pgp in said biochemical conformation, and thereby provides improved cancer diagnostic and therapeutic methods and methods for developing anticancer drugs, and improved methods for blood stem cell purification. These methods are all based on the discovery by the present inventors that certain mAbs, particularly UIC2, are specific for Pgp in a biochemical conformation adopted in certain mutant embodiments of Pgp and in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates and ATP depleting agents. The methods of the invention are based on enhanced antibody binding to Pgp in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents.

In a first aspect, the invention provides a method for producing an immunological reagent specific for P-glycoprotein in a biochemical conformation adopted by certain Pgp mutants and by Pgp in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents. In this aspect, the method comprises the steps of introducing a cell expressing a heterologous P-glycoprotein into an animal syngeneic with the species from which the cell was derived, wherein the heterologous Pgp molecule is in said biochemical conformation. The invention thus provides a method for producing immune cells in the animal expressing an antibody specific for this biochemical conformation of P-glycoprotein. In a preferred embodiment, the method of the invention provides a polyclonal antisera specific for P-glycoprotein in said biochemical conformation. In more preferred embodiments, the invention provides a monoclonal antisera specific for P-glycoprotein in said biochemical conformation. In the most preferred embodiment, the invention provides a hybridoma cell line that produces a monoclonal antibody specific for P-glycoprotein in said biochemical conformation. The invention also provides a monoclonal antibody produced using the methods of the invention.

In this aspect of the invention, a preferred embodiment of the P-glycoprotein in this specific biochemical conformation is achieved by providing a heterologous Pgp protein wherein particular amino acid residues in the ATP binding site of each half of the Pgp molecule are altered to provide a mutant or variant Pgp molecule. In preferred embodiments, the heterologous P-glycoprotein expressing-syngeneic cells express a mutant P-glycoprotein wherein each of the ATPase-specific active sites carry mutations that prevent ATP binding and/or ATP hydrolysis by these mutant Pgp proteins. In preferred embodiments, such mutants are characterized by amino acid substitution mutations in active site amino acid residues. In certain preferred embodiments, the substituted amino acid residues are lysine residues in the ATPase sites. In particularly preferred embodiments, the mutant the Pgp protein is human Pgp wherein the lysine residues at positions 433 and 1076 of the 1280 Pgp amino acid sequence are substituted with another amino acid, preferably methionine. In other preferred embodiments, the heterologous P-glycoprotein expressing-syngeneic cells express a mutant P-glycoprotein having amino acid substitution mutations at ATPase active site residues are glycine residues. In particularly preferred embodiments, the mutant the Pgp protein is human Pgp having glycine residues at positions 432 and 1075 of the 1280 Pgp amino acid sequence, preferably with serine residues.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a method for detecting functional P-glycoprotein expression in a mammalian cell, particularly a malignant mammalian cell and most particularly a multidrug resistant malignant mammalian cell. In this aspect of the invention the method comprises the steps of: (a) treating the mammalian cell with a P-glycoprotein substrate selected from the group consisting of reserpine, gramicidin, cyclosporine, vincristine, actinomycin D, taxol, verapamil and vinblastine or with an ATP-depleting agent; and then (b) reacting the mammalian cell with a detectably-labeled immunological reagent specific for P-glycoprotein in a biochemical conformation adopted in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents; and (c) detecting specific binding of the immunological reagent to the mammalian cell in the presence of the Pgp substrate or ATP depleting agent. In a preferred embodiment, the immunological reagent is a monoclonal antibody specific for P-glycoprotein in said biochemical conformation. In preferred embodiments, the immunological reagent is specific for a mutant form of Pgp wherein each of the lysine residues in the ATPase-specific active site of each half of the Pgp molecule has been changed to a residue other than lysine and preferably methionine. In a most preferred embodiment, the immunological reagent is the UIC2 monoclonal antibody (A.T.C.C. Accession No. HB 11027). Preferably, specific binding of the immunological reagent is increased in the presence of the Pgp substrate or ATP-depleting agent.

In a third aspect, the invention provides improved methods for functional P-glycoprotein specific staining using methods well-known in the art, including fluorescence-activated cell sorting, immunohistochemistry and similar staining methods. The invention also provides methods for discriminating between Pgp-specific and non-specific cell staining, whereby specific staining is associated with enhanced mAb staining of Pgp-expressing cells in the presence of a Pgp substrate or ATP depleting agent. In this aspect of the invention are provided methods wherein P-glycoprotein staining is achieved in the presence of a Pgp-mediated transport substrate or ATP-depleting agent, using an immunological reagent of the invention specific for Pgp in a biochemical conformation adopted in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents. In a preferred embodiment, the immunological reagent is a monoclonal antibody specific for P-glycoprotein in said biochemical conformation. In preferred embodiments, the immunological reagent is specific for a mutant form of Pgp wherein each of the lysine residues in the ATPase-specific active site of each half of the Pgp molecule has been changed to a residue other than lysine and preferably methionine. In a most preferred embodiment, the immunological reagent is the UIC2 monoclonal antibody (A.T.C.C. Accession No. HB 11027).

In a fourth aspect, the invention provides a method for identifying an immunological reagent, comprising antisera, antibodies, preferably monoclonal antibodies, and proteolytic or other Pgp-binding fragments thereof that are specific for P-glycoprotein in a biochemical conformation adopted by certain mutant embodiments of Pgp, and by Pgp in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents. This aspect of the methods of the invention is comprised of the steps: (a) reacting a mammalian cell expressing Pgp with a monoclonal antibody to be tested in the presence and absence of a P-glycoprotein substrate or ATP-depleting agent; and (b) detecting an increase in binding of a monoclonal antibody specific for P-glycoprotein in said biochemical conformation in the presence of a P-glycoprotein substrate or ATP-depleting agent. Preferably, the P-glycoprotein substrate is selected from the group consisting of reserpine, gramicidin, cyclosporine, vincristine, actinomycin D, taxol, verapamil and vinblastine.

In a fifth aspect, the invention provides a method for detecting and purifying lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells from a mammal, wherein the method comprising the steps of: (a) treating a biological sample comprising lymphocytes or hematopoietic stem cells with a P-glycoprotein substrate or ATP-depleting agent; (b) reacting the biological sample with a detectably-labeled immunological reagent specific for P-glycoprotein in a biochemical conformation adopted in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents; and (c) separating the lymphocytes or hematopoietic stem cells reacted with the detectably-labeled immunological reagent from the biological sample. In a preferred embodiment, the P-glycoprotein substrate is selected from the group consisting of non-toxic Pgp substrate, preferably cyclosporine and non-toxic derivatives thereof, and verapamil. In a preferred embodiment, the biological sample comprises blood, cord blood, lymph or bone marrow, with or without prior drug treatment. In a preferred embodiment, the immunological reagent is labeled with a detectable label, such as a fluorescent label, and the lymphocytes or hematopoietic stem cells reacted with the fluorescently-labeled immunological reagent. In preferred embodiments, lymphocytes or hematopoietic stem cells reacted with the detectably-labeled immunological reagent are separated from the biological sample by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, cell panning, immunomagnetic particles and other cell-separating means known in the art.

In a sixth aspect, the invention provides a method for improving detection of low levels of Pgp expression in mammalian cells, most preferably malignant mammalian cells and cells expressing the MDR phenotype, using the immunological detection methods of the invention. In preferred embodiments, the immunological detection methods include, but are not limited to, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), most preferably providing an improvement of the sensitivity of FACS detection and isolation of cells expressing P-glycoprotein. In this aspect, the method comprises treating a population of mammalian cells comprising a mammalian cell expressing P-glycoprotein with a P-glycoprotein substrate or ATP depleting agent; reacting the population of mammalian cells with a fluorescently-labeled immunological reagent specific for P-glycoprotein in a biochemical conformation adopted in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents; and performing an immunological detection method such as fluorescence activated cell sorting on the mammalian cells. In a preferred embodiment, the P-glycoprotein substrate is selected from the group consisting of reserpine, gramicidin, cyclosporine, vincristine, actinomycin D, taxol, verapamil and vinblastine. In a preferred embodiment, the immunological reagent is a monoclonal antibody specific for P-glycoprotein in said biochemical conformation. In preferred embodiments, the immunological reagent is specific for a mutant form of Pgp wherein each of the lysine residues in the ATPase-specific active site of each half of the Pgp molecule has been changed to a residue other than lysine and preferably methionine. In a most preferred embodiment, the immunological reagent is the UIC2 monoclonal antibody (A.T.C.C. Accession No. HB 11027).

In a seventh aspect, the invention provides methods for identifying and selectively eliminating tumor cells expressing functional Pgp. In this aspect of the invention, the method comprises treatment of a mammalian cell, preferably a tumor cell, expressing functional P-glycoprotein with an immunological reagent, preferably a monoclonal antibody specific for Pgp in a biochemical conformation adopted in the presence of a Pgp substrate or ATP depleting agent, said treatment also being in the presence of a Pgp substrate or ATP depleting agent, whereby the immunological reagent further comprises a cytotoxic agent. In a preferred embodiment, the immunological reagent is a monoclonal antibody specific for P-glycoprotein in said biochemical conformation. In preferred embodiments, the immunological reagent is specific for a mutant form of Pgp wherein each of the lysine residues in the ATPase-specific active site of each half of the Pgp molecule has been changed to a residue other than lysine and preferably methionine. In a most preferred embodiment, the immunological reagent is the UIC2 monoclonal antibody (A.T.C.C. Accession No. HB 11027).

Also provided by the invention are methods for determining the antigenic epitope(s) of P-glycoprotein involved in mAb UIC2 binding and methods for producing antibodies specific for such epitopes.

The invention also provides methods for discriminating between multidrug resistance in mammalian cells resulting from the expression of functional Pgp and multidrug resistance related to the expression of the multidrug resistance related protein (the MRP gene product). In this aspect, the method comprises a showing of enhanced mAb binding in the presence of a Pgp substrate or ATP depleting agent as being specific for Pgp-mediated multidrug resistance.

Use of the methods of the invention for medical diagnostics of primary and malignant disease for detecting expression, particularly low-level expression, of P-glycoprotein is also provided by the invention.

The invention also provides a means for evaluating novel cytotoxic, chemotherapeutic drugs and Pgp inhibitors. The existing methods for screening and testing of new drugs that are Pgp inhibitors are based on the cytotoxicity or dye exclusion assays. These methods are costly, laborious and time-consuming. A screening test based on the enhanced binding of UIC2 mAb or its derivatives in the presence of Pgp substrates enables the rapid, reliable and cost-effective characterization of potential new Pgp-targeted drugs.

Specific preferred embodiments of the present invention will become evident from the following more detailed description of certain preferred embodiments and the claims.

FIGS. 1A through 1H depicts the predicted nucleic acid sequence of human Pgp (Seq. I. D. No. 1), wherein the initiation (ATG) and termination (TGA) codons, as well as codons encoding mutations at amino acid positions 433 and 1076, are underlined.

FIG. 2A illustrates flow cytometric analysis of K562/I-S9 leukemia cells incubated with phycoerythrin (PE)-conjugated mAb in the presence or absence of vinblastine.

FIG. 2B illustrates flow cytometric analysis of K562/I-S9 leukemia cells incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2 mAb in the presence or absence of vinblastine at 4° C.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate flow cytometric analysis of K562/i-S9 leukemia cells incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2 mAb (FIG. 3A) or MRK16 mAb (FIG. 3B) in the presence or absence of different cytotoxic drugs.

FIG. 4 illustrates flow cytometric analysis of K562/i-S9 leukemia cells incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2 mAb in the presence of increasing concentrations of vinblastine (1-625 μM), taxol (0.96-600 μM), verapamil (1.8-1125 μM), colchicine (2-1250 μM), etoposide (1.36-850 μM) and puromycin (1.72-1075 μM).

FIGS. 5A through 5D illustrates flow cytometric analysis of mouse L cell transfectants expressing wildtype (KK-L) double mutant (MM) or single mutant (MK-H or KM-H) human Pgp incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2 (FIGS. 5A and 5C) or MRK16 (FIG. 5B or 5 D).

FIGS. 6A through 6D illustrates flow cytometric analysis of mouse L cell transfectants expressing wildtype (KK-L; FIGS. 6 A and 6 B), or double mutant (MM; FIGS. 6C and 6D) human Pgp incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2 (FIGS. 6A and 6C) or MRK16 (FIGS. 6B and 6D) in the presence of absence of taxol, vinblastine or etoposide.

FIGS. 7A through 7F illustrate flow cytometric analysis of mouse L cell transfectants expressing wildtype (KK-H) or single mutant (KM-H and MK-H) human Pgp incubated with PE-UIC2 (FIGS. 7A, 7 C and 7 E) or PE-MRK16 (FIGS. 7B, 7 D and 7 F) in the presence or absence of vinblastine, taxol or etoposide.

FIGS. 8A through 8E illustrate flow cytometric analysis of mouse L cell transfectants expressing wildtype (KK-L; FIG. 8A or KK-H; FIG. 8 B), single mutant (MK-H; FIG. 8C; or KM; FIG. 8D) or double mutant (MM; FIG. 8E) human Pgp incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2 in the presence or absence of vinblastine and the ATP depletion agents oligomycin, azide and cyanide.

FIGS. 9A through 9C illustrate flow cytometric analysis of K562/i-S9 leukemia cells incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2 in the presence or absence of vinblastine and varying concentrations of the ATP depletion agents oligomycin, azide and cyanide.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate flow cytometric analysis of KK-L cells incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2 (FIG. 10A) or MRK16 (FIG. 10B) in the presence or absence of vinblastine and varying concentrations of the ATP depletion agents oligomycin, azide and cyanide.

FIG. 11 illustrates a histogram of a 3-color flow cytometric analysis of human bone marrow cells incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2, FITC-conjugated anti-CD38 mAb, and allophycocyanin (APC)-conjugated anti-CD34 mAb, in the presence or absence of vinblastine.

FIG. 12 illustrates a dot plot representing 2-dimensional staining of human umbilical cord blood cells gated to have low expression of CD38, incubated with PE-conjugated UIC2, FITC-conjugated anti-CD38 mAb, and allophycocyanin (APC)-conjugated anti-CD34 mAb, in the presence or absence of vinblastine.

The present invention provides a variety of methods related to P-glycoprotein mediated multidrug resistance in mammalian, most preferably human, cells. For the purposes of the present invention, “multidrug resistance” is defined as cross-resistance to at least the following cytotoxic drugs: vinblastine, vincristine, doxorubicin, colchicine, actinomycin D, etoposide, taxol, puromycin, and gramicidin D; it will be recognized that cross-resistance to other cytotoxic drugs also falls within the meaning of multidrug resistance as it is understood by those with skill in the art. Such drugs are generally referred to herein as MDR drugs.

The methods of the invention are based in significant part on the discovery by the present inventors that the mAb UIC2, which is capable of inhibiting drug efflux from Pgp-expressing cells, specifically binds to Pgp in a particular biochemical conformation. For the purposes of this invention this biochemical conformation is functionally defined as the conformation adopted by human Pgp in the presence of Pgp substrates or ATP depleting agents, and results in enhanced binding of the mAb UIC2. Also within this definition are certain mutant forms of Pgp having disabling mutations in the nucleotide binding sites, wherein ATPase activity us disabled, as described below, in Loo and Clarke (1995 , J. Biol. Chem . 270: 21449-21452) and in Müller et al. (1996 , J. Biol. Chem 271: 1877-1883). For the purposes of this invention, exemplary Pgp transport substrates include a variety of lipophilic, cytotoxic natural product drugs used in cancer chemotherapy, including but not limited to Vinca alkaloids, epipodophyllotoxins, anthracyclines, etoposide, colchicine, colcemid and taxol, as well as the antibiotics monensin and actinomycin D and the interleukin cytokines. For the purposes of this invention, the term “ATP-depleting agent” is intended to include, but is not limited to, 2-deoxyglucose, cyanine, oligomycin, valinomycin and azide, as well as salts and derivatives thereof.

The invention provides methods for detecting functional P-glycoprotein expression in a mammalian cell, particularly a malignant mammalian cell and most particularly a multidrug resistant malignant mammalian cell. For the purposes of this invention, the term “functional Pgp expression” is intended to encompass the production of Pgp protein in a cell membrane, most preferably the plasma membrane, wherein the Pgp is capable of transporting an MDR drug across said membrane and against a concentration or solubility gradient. “Functional Pgp expression” is also intended to encompass Pgp protein molecules having an ATPase activity.

In the methods of the invention provided to detect functional Pgp expression in a mammalian cell, the immunological reagent is preferably provided wherein the extent and amount of specific binding of the reagent to Pgp expressed by the mammalian cell is increased in the presence of a Pgp substrate or ATP-depleting agent. For the purposes of this invention, it will be understood that the invention thus provides methods and reagents wherein specific binding of the immunological reagents is enhanced in the presence of a Pgp substrate or ATP-depleting agent, as compared with specific binding of the immunological reagent to the mammalian cell in the absence of a Pgp substrate or ATP-depleting agent. Such enhanced binding is detected using any method known to the skilled artisan, including but not limited to detection of binding of detectably-labeled embodiments of the immunological reagents of the invention, and detection of specific binding of the immunological reagents of the invention using a detectably-labeled immunological reagent that is specific for the immunological reagents of the invention (e.g., in a “sandwich-type” immunoassay).

In particular, the invention provides methods and immunological reagents for purifying hematopoietic stem cells from a biological sample, such as bone marrow or human cord blood. As provided by the invention such methods include conventional cell separation methods and techniques, including but not limited to fluorescence activated cell sorting techniques, and more specifically to the use of immunomagnetic beads and immunoaffinity columns for achieving cell separation. It will be recognized that in the practice of the methods of the invention using these separation techniques, the immunological reagents of the invention are provided in certain embodiments conjugated to immunomagnetic beads or immunoaffinity columns, to achieve separation of hematopoietic stem cells based on expression of Pgp. In other embodiments, the methods of the invention are provided wherein the immunological reagents of the invention are recognized by immunomagnetic bead-conjugated or immunoaffinity column-conjugated second immunological reagents which specifically recognize the immunological reagents of the invention (for example, based on isotypic, allotypic or species-specific antibodies or antisera). Also encompassed within the immunological detection methods useful in the practice of the invention are immunological reagents labeled with a fluorescent label and separation of the hematopoietic cells reacted with the fluorescently-labeled immunological reagent from other cells in the biological sample by fluorescence activated cell sorting. Alternative separation methods depending on specific and enhanced recognition of Pgp using the immunological reagents of this invention will be understood by those with skill in the art and are encompassed within the methods of the invention.

The invention provides methods for improving detection of low levels of Pgp expression in mammalian cells, most preferably malignant mammalian cells and cells expressing the MDR phenotype, using immunological detection methods. For the purposes of this invention, the term “low levels of Pgp expression” is intended to encompass expression levels at the lower limit of detection using conventional immunological and other techniques. Those having ordinary skill in the art will understand this description of “low level” expression as it has been disclosed, for example, for the human epithelial carcinoma cell lines KB-3-1 and KB-8 by Noonan et al. (1990 , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87: 7160-7164; Gottesman et al., 1991, in Molecular and Cellular Biology of Multidrug Resistance in Tumor Cells , Plenum Press, N.Y.).

The invention also provides methods and immunological reagents useful in detecting Pgp expression and using such expression for hematopoietic cell purification, cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, and methods for producing Pgp-specific immunological reagents. For the purposes of this invention, the term “immunological reagents” is intended to encompass antisera and antibodies, particularly monoclonal antibodies, as well as fragments thereof (including F(ab), F(ab) 2 , F(ab)′ and F, fragments). Also included in the definition of immunological reagent are chimeric antibodies, humanized antibodies, and recombinantly-produced antibodies and fragments thereof. Immunological methods used in conjunction with the reagents of the invention include direct and indirect (for example, sandwich-type) labeling techniques, immunoaffinity columns, immunomagnetic beads, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and radioimmune assay (RIA). For use in these assays, the Pgp-specific immunological reagents can be labeled, using fluorescence, antigenic, radioisotopic or biotin labels, among others, or a labeled secondary immunological detection reagent can be used to detect binding of the Pgp-specific immunological reagents (i.e., in secondary antibody (sandwich) assays).

The UIC2 mAb is one example of the immunological reagents of the invention. This mAb is directed to an epitope in an extracellular domain of human Pgp, and was made by immunizing mice with mouse cells that have been made MDR by transfection with an isolated human MDR1-encoding cDNA (see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/626,836, incorporated by reference). Briefly, immunogenic cells (preferably transfected syngeneic mouse fibroblasts) were used to immunize BALB/c mice (e.g., transfected BALB/c mouse 3T3 fibroblasts). MDR derivatives of mouse BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts were generated with human MDR1-encoding DNA, and cells selected and grown in cytotoxic concentrations of an MDR drug. Once produced, MDR fibroblasts were selected in which the transfected MDR1 gene had been amplified, by consecutive steps of selection in progressively higher concentrations of an MDR drug. This produced highly multidrug resistant cells that expressed large amounts of Pgp inserted into the cellular plasma membrane resulting in high levels of MDR (e.g., BALB/c 3T3-1000 cells are resistant to vinblastine at a concentration of 1000 ng/mL).

Such cells were used to immunize syngeneic mice. Appropriate numbers of cells were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) or intraperitoneally (i.p.) by art-recognized immunization protocols (see co-owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Serial No. 07/854,881, filed Mar. 20, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,075, issued Jul. 18, 1995, and Ser. No. 08/032,056, filed Mar. 16, 1993, each of which is incorporated in their entirety herein). Typically, 10 5 to 10 8 transfected cells were injected 5 or 6 times at two week intervals, and a final boosting was done with, for example, 10 6 cells subcutaneously and/or intravenously. At an appropriate time after the booster injection, typically 3 to 5 days thereafter, the spleen was harvested from a hyperimmune mouse, and hybridomas generated by standard procedures (see, e.g., Kearney et al., 1979 , J. Immunol . 123: 1548) using human myeloma cells, for example, P3-X63-Ag 8.653 (A.T.C.C., Rockville, Md.).

Extracellular fluids from individual hybridoma cultures were screened for specific mAb production by conventional methods, such as by indirect immunofluorescence using non-Pgp expressing control cells (e.g. non-transfected fibroblasts) and human Pgp-expressing (e.g. BALB/c 3T3-1000) cells affixed to glass slides, and FITC-labeled goat anti-mouse polyvalent immunoglobulins (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.) as the secondary, reporter antibody. The particular screening method used was not critical provided that it was capable of detecting anti-human MDR1 Pgp mAb. It is important, however, that cells are not permeabilized and fixed during screening (i.e., they are living cells), so that only antibodies reactive with extracellular protein domains are detected.

A stable hybridoma producing the UIC2 mAb was established by conventional methods, such as by consecutive rounds of subcloning by, e.g., end-point dilution, and screening the culture medium for monoclonal antibodies. The hybridoma was propagated by, for example, growth in ascites fluid in vivo in syngeneic animals, and the secreted antibody isolated and purified from ascites fluid by affinity chromatography with a Sepharose-Protein A matrix specific for an IgG isotype. It will be understood that other procedures for immunoglobulin purification well known in the art are also useful for producing hybridomas that express Pgp-specific antibodies.

Alternative methods for producing mAbs are known in the art (as described in co-owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/854,881, filed Mar. 20, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,075, issued Jul. 18, 1995, and Ser. No. 08/032,056, filed Mar. 16, 1993, each of which is incorporated in its entirety herein).

mAbs produced by the UIC2 hybridoma, as well as fragments and recombinant derivatives thereof, were characterized as to immunoglobulin isotype, reactivity with different Pgp-expressing cell lines and binding to Pgp in MDR cells using art-recognized techniques (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,075, issued Jul. 18, 1995, incorporated by reference). As provided herein, preferred mAbs of the invention specifically bind to Pgp in a biochemical conformation adopted in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents, or in certain Pgp mutants as described herein.

The present invention provides for improved production of mAbs specific for Pgp in a biochemical conformation adopted by certain mutant embodiments of Pgp, and in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents. Specifically, the invention provides certain Pgp mutants that adopt such a conformation without regard to the presence or absence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents. Means and methods of mAb production described herein are useful in this regard, the specificity of the mAb arising from the conformation of the Pgp antigen(s) used as immunogen(s).

The immunological reagents of the invention provided specifically recognize and bind to Pgp, preferably human Pgp, in a conformation adopted in the presence of Pgp substrates, ATP depleting agents, and certain mutant embodiments of Pgp. As used herein, the term “mutant embodiments of Pgp” is intended to encompass heterologous Pgp protein wherein particular amino acid residues in the ATP binding site of each half of the Pgp molecules are altered to provide a mutant or variant Pgp molecule. In preferred embodiments, the heterologous P-glycoprotein expressing-syngeneic cells express a mutant P-glycoprotein wherein each of the ATPase-specific active sites carry mutations that prevent ATP binding and/or ATP hydrolysis by these mutant Pgp proteins. In preferred embodiments, such mutants are characterized by amino acid substitution mutations in active site amino acid residues. In certain preferred embodiments, the substituted amino acid residues are lysine residues in the ATPase sites. In other preferred embodiments, the substituted amino acid residues are glycine residues. In particularly preferred embodiments, the mutant Pgp protein in human Pgp wherein the lysine residues at positions 433 and 1076 of the 1280 Pgp amino acid sequence are substituted with another amino acid, preferably methionine. In other preferred embodiments, the heterologous P-glycoprotein expressing-syngeneic cells express a mutant P-glycoprotein having amino acid substitution mutations at ATPase active site glycine residues, preferably glycine residues at positions 432 and 1075 of the 1280 Pgp amino acid sequence. Preferably, said glycine residues are substituted with serine residues. It will be understood by those with skill in the art that substitutions within the ATP binding sites may involve other amino acid residues or comprise substitutions with other amino acids than the preferred methionine or serine residues explicitly mentioned here. All such ATPase active site mutants of Pgp are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

The effect of anti-Pgp mAbs, fragments or recombinant derivatives thereof on Pgp function was assessed by studying the efflux of fluorescent or radioactively labeled drugs from NMR cells in the presence of absence of mAb. The effects of antibody preparations on drug cytotoxicity were assessed by incubating suspensions of MDR and control cells with the antibody preparation, then testing for cell growth inhibition in the absence and presence of an anti-cancer drug such as one of the Vinca alkaloids. Such assays are by definition preferred, as the mAbs of the invention are intentionally provided to be specific for substrate-bound Pgp.

Fragments of the UIC2 mAb that maintain the antigenic specificity of the complete antibody are derived by enzymatic, chemical or genetic engineering techniques (for example, partial digestion with proteolytic enzymes such as papain, pepsin or trypsin; papain digestion produces two Fab fragments and one F, fragment, while pepsin cleavage releases F(ab) 2 (two antigen-binding domains bound together) fragments). mAb fragments lacking the constant (F.) portion are advantageous over the complete antibody for in vivo applications, as such fragments are likely to possess improved tissue permeability. Furthermore, many cells and tissues in the body express receptors capable of binding to the F c portion of antibodies, resulting in undesirable non-specific binding of the complete antibody.

The methods of the invention are not intended to be limited in scope to immunological reagents comprising the UIC2 mAb and hybridomas producing this mAb. The invention provides a variety of methods, all related to specific binding of mAbs to Pgp in a biochemical conformation adopted in the presence of Pgp-mediated transport substrates or ATP depleting agents. The UIC2 mAb is provided solely as one illustrative example of an mAb that specifically binds to Pgp and mutants thereof having such a biochemical conformation.

The Examples which follow are illustrative of specific embodiments of the invention, and various uses thereof. They set forth for explanatory purposes only, and are not to be taken as limiting the invention.