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Neoantigens derived from somatic mutations are specific to cancer cells and are ideal targets for cancer immunotherapy. KRAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene and drives the pathogenesis of several cancers. Here we show the identification and development of an affinity-enhanced T cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a peptide derived from the most common KRAS mutant, KRAS G12D , presented in the context of HLA-A*11:01. The affinity of the engineered TCR is increased by over one million-fold yet fully able to distinguish KRAS G12D over KRAS WT . While crystal structures reveal few discernible differences in TCR interactions with KRAS WT versus KRAS G12D , thermodynamic analysis and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that TCR specificity is driven by differences in indirect electrostatic interactions. The affinity enhanced TCR, fused to a humanized anti-CD3 scFv, enables selective killing of cancer cells expressing KRAS G12D . Our work thus reveals a molecular mechanism that drives TCR selectivity and describes a soluble bispecific molecule with therapeutic potential against cancers harboring a common shared neoantigen., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The role of Notch signaling and its ligand JAGGED1 (JAG1) in tumor biology has been firmly established, making them appealing therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Here, we report the development and characterization of human/rat-specific JAG1-neutralizing mAbs. Epitope mapping identified their binding to the Notch receptor interaction site within the JAG1 Delta/Serrate/Lag2 domain, where E228D substitution prevented effective binding to the murine Jag1 ortholog. These antibodies were able to specifically inhibit JAG1-Notch binding in vitro , downregulate Notch signaling in cancer cells, and block the heterotypic JAG1-mediated Notch signaling between endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. Functionally, in vitro treatment impaired three-dimensional growth of breast cancer cell spheroids, in association with a reduction in cancer stem cell number. In vivo testing showed variable effects on human xenograft growth when only tumor-expressed JAG1 was targeted (mouse models) but a more robust effect when stromal-expressed Jag1 was also targeted (rat MDA-MB-231 xenograft model). Importantly, treatment of established triple receptor-negative breast cancer brain metastasis in rats showed a significant reduction in neoplastic growth. MRI imaging demonstrated that this was associated with a substantial improvement in blood-brain barrier function and tumor perfusion. Lastly, JAG1-targeting antibody treatment did not cause any detectable toxicity, further supporting its clinical potential for cancer therapy., (©2019 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Recent data have expanded our understanding of Notch signalling by identifying a C2 domain at the N-terminus of Notch ligands, which has both lipid- and receptor-binding properties. We present novel structures of human ligands Jagged2 and Delta-like4 and human Notch2, together with functional assays, which suggest that ligand-mediated coupling of membrane recognition and Notch binding is likely to be critical in establishing the optimal context for Notch signalling. Comparisons between the Jagged and Delta family show a huge diversity in the structures of the loops at the apex of the C2 domain implicated in membrane recognition and Jagged1 missense mutations, which affect these loops and are associated with extrahepatic biliary atresia, lead to a loss of membrane recognition, but do not alter Notch binding. Taken together, these data suggest that C2 domain binding to membranes is an important element in tuning ligand-dependent Notch signalling in different physiological contexts., (© 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.)

The Notch signaling pathway is essential for many aspects of development, cell fate determination, and tissue homeostasis. Notch signaling can be modulated by posttranslational modifications to the Notch receptor, which are known to alter both ligand binding and receptor activation. We have modified the ligand-binding region (EGF domains 11-13) of human Notch1 (hN1) with O-fucose and O-glucose glycans and shown by flow cytometry and surface plasmon resonance that the Fringe-catalyzed addition of GlcNAc to the O-fucose at T466 in EGF12 substantially increases binding to Jagged1 and Delta-like 1 (DLL1) ligands. We have subsequently determined the crystal structures of EGF domains 11-13 of hN1 modified with either the O-fucose monosaccharide or the GlcNAc-fucose disaccharide at T466 of EGF12 and observed no change in backbone structure for each variant. Collectively, these data demonstrate a role for GlcNAc in modulating the ligand-binding site in hN1 EGF12, resulting in an increased affinity of this region for ligands Jagged1 and DLL1. We propose that this finding explains the Fringe-catalyzed enhancement of Notch-Delta signaling observed in flies and humans, but suggest that the inhibitory effect of Fringe on Jagged/Serrate mediated signaling involves other regions of Notch.

CD46 is a complement regulator with important roles related to the immune response. CD46 functions as a pathogen receptor and is a potent costimulator for the induction of interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-secreting effector T helper type 1 (T(H)1) cells and their subsequent switch into interleukin 10 (IL-10)-producing regulatory T cells. Here we identified the Notch family member Jagged1 as a physiological ligand for CD46. Furthermore, we found that CD46 regulated the expression of Notch receptors and ligands during T cell activation and that disturbance of the CD46-Notch crosstalk impeded induction of IFN-γ and switching to IL-10. Notably, CD4(+) T cells from CD46-deficient patients and patients with hypomorphic mutations in the gene encoding Jagged1 (Alagille syndrome) failed to mount appropriate T(H)1 responses in vitro and in vivo, which suggested that CD46-Jagged1 crosstalk is responsible for the recurrent infections in subpopulations of these patients.