FCRL1 on chronic lymphocytic leukemia, hairy cell leukemia, and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma as a target of immunotoxins

Blood. 2008 Jan 1;111(1):338-43. doi: 10.1182/blood-2007-07-102350. Epub 2007 Sep 25.

Abstract

FCRL1 (Fc receptor-like 1) is a cell-surface membrane protein belonging to FCRL family and is preferentially expressed on B cells. To evaluate FcRL1 as an immunotherapy target for B-cell malignancies, we prepared anti-FCRL1 mAbs without cross-reactivity to other FCRL family proteins and analyzed FCRL1 protein expression on malignant cells from patients and on B-cell lines. Frequent FCRL1 expression was observed by flow cytometry on 12 B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) cell lines and many patient samples: 12 of 14 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 7 of 7 follicular lymphoma (FL), 13 of 17 hairy cell leukemia (HCL), and 2 of 3 mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Two recombinant immunotoxins, E3(Fv)-PE38 and E9(Fv)-PE38, were constructed. Both immunotoxins bound to FCRL1-positive cells with similar affinities (3.4 and 3.2 nM) and were cytotoxic to cell lines, but E9(Fv)-PE38 was 4- to 20-fold more cytotoxic than E3(Fv)-PE38. The concentrations that inhibited response by 50% (IC(50)s) of E9(Fv)-PE38 on 11 different FCRL1-positive cell lines ranged from 1.0 ng/mL to 90 ng/mL and correlated with the FCRL1 expression levels. Our results suggest that anti-FCRL1 immunotoxin E9(Fv)-PE38 exhibits remarkably specific cytotoxicity and merits further evaluation for the treatment of FCRL1-positive malignancies, including CLL, HCL, FL, MCL, and other B-NHL.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology
  • Antibody Specificity
  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy*
  • Immunotoxins / immunology
  • Immunotoxins / pharmacology
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Leukemia, Hairy Cell / immunology
  • Leukemia, Hairy Cell / therapy*
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / immunology
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / therapy*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / immunology
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / therapy*
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / immunology
  • Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / therapy*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Receptors, Fc
  • Receptors, Immunologic / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • FCRLA protein, human
  • Immunotoxins
  • Receptors, Fc
  • Receptors, Immunologic