(February 24, 2021) WEBINAR: Bispecific Antibody Inhalation Therapy for Redirecting Stem Cells from the Lungs to Repair Heart Injury
Overview:
Learning Objectives:
- PT-BsAbs can treat cardiovascular diseases
- PT-BsAbs redirect HSCs via pulmonary blood circulation to the heart
- Hematopoietic stem cells from the lungs can be used to treat heart injury
- Inhalation of PT-BsAbs had more therapeutic benefits than intravenous injection
Acute myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death globally and while stem cell therapy has promise, there has been little progress. The heart is particularly difficult to treat due to slow cardiomyocyte turnover and the development of fibrosis as the extracellular matrix is remodeled. The lung has been identified as a reservoir of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and major biogenesis site for platelets. Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are mainly used for treating cancers and autoimmune diseases, but we show that BsAbs can also treat cardiovascular disease.
Platelet-targeting bispecific antibodies (PT-BsAbs) were synthesized with click chemistry to conjoin the platelet binding motif, CD42b, with the HSC binding ligand, CD34. When administered by inhalation to a mouse MI model, the PT-BsAbs penetrate the respiratory tract barrier, transfer through the alveolar membrane, and enter the pulmonary blood circulation. During this, the PT-BsAbs bind HSCs to platelets, which naturally migrate to sites of cardiac injury. We showed inhalation therapy resulted in faster and higher accumulation of HSCs in the heart, mainly localizing to the border zone of the MI heart. Ultimately, based on echocardiograms, Western blot analysis, flow cytometry, qPCR, immunofluorescence assays, and histology, the PT-BsAb therapy improved cardiac repair and modulated inflammation in the MI microenvironment.
In this webinar, the development of BsAb therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and its potential was discussed.
Reference:
Liu, M., Lutz, H., Zhu, D., Huang, K., Li, Z., Dinh, P.‐U. C., Gao, J., Zhang, Y., Cheng, K., Bispecific Antibody Inhalation Therapy for Redirecting Stem Cells from the Lungs to Repair Heart Injury. Adv. Sci. 2021, 8, 2002127.
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202002127
Publication
About the Speaker (s)
Halle Lutz Ph.D Candidate
DVM/PhD Student at North Carolina State University- College of Veterinary Medicine
Halle is in the combined DVM/PhD program at the NC State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with minors in Chemistry and Chinese. Her undergraduate research thesis, “Cell-Mediated Drug Delivery as a Treatment to Inhibit Restenosis,” led her to join Dr. Ke Cheng’s biotherapeutics lab. Her research currently focuses on the treatment of heart and lung diseases using regenerative medicine.