Homodimerization of tumor-reactive monoclonal antibodies markedly increases their ability to induce growth arrest or apoptosis of tumor cells

Maria Ana Ghetie, Erika M. Podar, Amy Ilgen, Brian E. Gordon, Jonathan W. Uhr, Ellen S. Vitetta

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

104 Scopus citations

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that exert antitumor activity can do so by virtue of their effector function and/or their ability to signal growth arrest or cell death. In this study, we demonstrate that mAbs which have little or no signaling activity-i.e., anti-CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22 and Her-2- can become potent antitumor agents when they are converted into IgG-IgG homodimers. The homodimers exert antigrowth activity by signaling G0/G1 arrest or apoptosis, depending upon which cell surface molecule they bind. This activity is specific and, in the case of the anti-CD19 mAb, did not require an Fc portion. These results offer the possibility that homodimers of other tumor-reactive mAbs which have little antitumor activity as monomers might be potent, anti-tumor agents.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7509-7514
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume94
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 8 1997

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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