@phdthesis{Thomas2021,
  author    = {Thomas, Sarah Katharina},
  title     = {Design of novel IL-4 antagonists employing site-specific chemical and biosynthetic glycosylation},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-17517},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-175172},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The cytokines interleukin 4 (IL-4) and IL-13 are important mediators in the humoral immune response and play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, allergies, and atopic dermatitis. Hence, IL-4 and IL-13 are key targets for treatment of such atopic diseases. For cell signalling IL-4 can use two transmembrane receptor assemblies, the type I receptor consisting of receptors IL-4R and γc, and type II receptor consisting of receptors IL-4R and IL-13R1. The type II receptor is also the functional receptor of IL-13, receptor sharing being the molecular basis for the partially overlapping effects of IL-4 and IL-13. Since both cytokines require the IL-4R receptor for signal transduction, this allows the dual inhibition of both IL-4 and IL-13 by specifically blocking the receptor IL-4R. This study describes the design and synthesis of novel antagonistic variants of human IL-4. Chemical modification was used to target positions localized in IL-4 binding sites for γc and IL-13R1 but outside of the binding epitope for IL-4R. In contrast to existing studies, which used synthetic chemical compounds like polyethylene glycol for modification of IL-4, we employed glycan molecules as a natural alternative. Since glycosylation can improve important pharmacological parameters of protein therapeutics, such as immunogenicity and serum half-life, the introduced glycan molecules thus would not only confer a steric hindrance based inhibitory effect but simultaneously might improve the pharmacokinetic profile of the IL-4 antagonist. For chemical conjugation of glycan molecules, IL-4 variants containing additional cysteine residues were produced employing prokaryotic, as well as eukaryotic expression systems. The thiol-groups of the engineered cysteines thereby allow highly specific modification. Different strategies were developed enabling site-directed coupling of amine- or thiol- functionalized monosaccharides to introduced cysteine residues in IL-4. A linker-based coupling procedure and an approach requiring phenylselenyl bromide activation of IL-4 thiol-groups were hampered by several drawbacks, limiting their feasibility. Surprisingly, a third strategy, which involved refolding of IL-4 cysteine variants in the presence of thiol- glycans, readily allowed synthesis of IL-4 glycoconjugates in form of mixed disulphides in milligram amount. This approach, therefore, has the potential for large-scale synthesis of IL-4 antagonists with highly defined glycosylation. Obtaining a homogenous glycoconjugate with exactly defined glycan pattern would allow using the attached glycan structures for fine-tuning of pharmacokinetic properties of the IL-4 antagonist, such as absorption and metabolic stability. The IL-4 glycoconjugates generated in this work proved to be highly effective antagonists inhibiting IL-4 and/or IL-13 dependent responses in cell-based experiments and in in vitro binding studies. Glycoengineered IL-4 antagonists thus present valuable alternatives to IL-4 inhibitors used for treatment of atopic diseases such as the neutralizing anti-IL-4R antibody Dupilumab.},
  subject      = {Glykosylierung},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Schmittwolf2004,
  author    = {Schmittwolf, Carolin},
  title     = {Analyse des Differenzierungspotentials muriner h{\"a}matopoetischer und neuraler Stammzellen nach Modifikation ihrer Genexpression},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-8812},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2004},
  abstract  = {In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde das Differenzierungspotential muriner h{\"a}matopoetischer und neuraler Stammzellen nach Modifikation ihrer Genexpression untersucht. Zur Ver{\"a}nderung der Genexpression wurden f{\"u}r die beiden adulten Stammzelltypen zwei unterschiedliche experimentelle Ans{\"a}tze gew{\"a}hlt: In h{\"a}matopoetischen Stammzellen wurden molekulare Regulatoren der H{\"a}matopoese durch retroviral vermittelten Gentransfer {\"u}berexprimiert und anschließend ihr in vitro Verhalten und in vivo in Maustransplantationsmodellen ihre Rekonstitutionsf{\"a}higkeit untersucht. Neurale Stammzellen wurden gleichzeitig mit den Chromatin-modifizierenden Substanzen Trichostatin A (TSA) und 5-Aza-2´-desoxycytidin (AzadC) behandelt, im Anschluß ihre Sensitivit{\"a}t gegen{\"u}ber der Behandlung in vitro bestimmt und ihr h{\"a}matopoetisches Entwicklungspotential in vivo analysiert. In h{\"a}matopoetischen Stammzellen wurde der Transkriptionsfaktor HOXB4, die h{\"a}matopoetische Vorl{\"a}uferkinase 1 (HPK1) oder eine Kinase-inaktive Mutante der HPK1 (HPK1M46) durch retrovirale Transduktion {\"u}berexprimiert. Der Transfer wildtypischer HPK1 oder HPK1M46 Gene in Knochenmarkzellen hatte in vitro keinen meßbaren Einfluß auf die Proliferation und Anzahl primitiver Vorl{\"a}uferzellen, was auch nach Expression verschiedener Proteinmengen beobachtet wurde. Das Repopulationsverhalten h{\"a}matopoetischer Stammzellen, die mit wildtypischer HPK1 transduziert wurden, war vergleichbar mit dem kontrolltransduzierter Stammzellen. Nach HPK1M46 Transduktion zeigten h{\"a}matopoetische Stammzellen in vivo ein reduziertes Langzeitrepopulationsverhalten und Knochenmarkzellen ex vivo ein eingeschr{\"a}nktes Koloniebildungspotential. Sowohl mit wildtypischer HPK1 als auch mit HPK1M46 transduzierte h{\"a}matopoetische Stammzellen wiesen ein normales Multilinienbesiedlungspotential auf. Nach Transduktion von Knochenmarkzellen mit HOXB4, einem wichtigen Regulator der Selbsterneuerung h{\"a}matopoetischer Stammzellen, konnten diese in vitro expandiert werden, ohne daß sie, wie dies bei kontrolltransduzierten Knochenmarkzellen auftrat, ph{\"a}notypisch Differenzierungsmarker ausbildeten. Nach HOXB4 Transduktion akkumulierte eine homogene, Mac-1niedrig exprimierende Zellpopulation im Gegensatz zu einer Mac-1hoch, Gr-1 sowie c-kit positiven Population, die sich in den Kontrollkulturen entwickelte. Auf mRNS Ebene wurden nur in den Kontrollkulturen Transkripte hochreguliert, die f{\"u}r differenzierende Zellen spezifisch sind, wie z. B. Zyklin D1 w{\"a}hrend myeloider Differenzierung. Die {\"U}berexpression von HOXB4 erm{\"o}glichte eine konstante Proliferationsrate und hatte auf das Verh{\"a}ltnis von asymmetrischen zu symmetrischen Zellteilungen jedoch keinen Einfluß. Entsprechend blieb das Expressionsmuster an Zyklinen, Zyklin-abh{\"a}ngigen Kinasen und Mitgliedern des Transkriptionsaktivators AP-1 in HOXB4 transduzierten Knochenmarkzellen {\"u}ber den beobachteten Zeitraum konstant. Durch die {\"U}berexpression von HOXB4 kann somit in kultivierten Knochenmarkzellen in vitro eine stabile Proliferationsrate induziert und parallel eine fortschreitende Differenzierung der Knochenmarkkultur aufgehalten oder zumindest verz{\"o}gert werden. Sowohl wildtypische als auch bcl-2 transgene neurale Stammzellen, die mit den Epigenotyp-ver{\"a}ndernden Substanzen TSA und AzadC behandelt wurden, zeigten nach Transplantation in bestrahlte adulte Rezipienten h{\"a}matopoetisches Entwicklungspotential, das unbehandelte neurale Stammzellen nicht aufwiesen. Die Frequenz chim{\"a}rer Tiere konnte durch Verwendung bcl-2 transgener neuraler Stammzellen erh{\"o}ht werden und bereits in vitro wiesen wildtypische und bcl-2 transgene neurale Stammzellen unterschiedliche Sensitivit{\"a}t gegen{\"u}ber der TSA/AzadC Behandlung auf. Diese von behandelten neuralen Stammzellen vermittelte Rekonstitution des h{\"a}matopoetischen Systems war langanhaltend und fand sowohl in der myeloiden als auch in der lymphoiden Linie statt. Eine erfolgreiche h{\"a}matopoetische Besiedlung war auch nach Transplantation klonaler neuraler Stammzellen zu beobachten, so daß eine Verunreinigung mit h{\"a}matopoetischen Zellen als Ursache der Rekonstitution ausgeschlossen werden konnte. Die beobachtete Generierung der morphologisch und ph{\"a}notypisch intakten h{\"a}matopoetischen Zellen aus neuralen Zellen war nicht das Ergebnis einer Zellfusion von Rezipientenzellen mit injizierten Donorzellen. Denn die h{\"a}matopoetischen Donorzellen trugen einen normalen 2n Karyotyp und wiesen keine Heterokaryons auf, die f{\"u}r Fusionen charakteristisch w{\"a}ren. Somit ist es m{\"o}glich, durch die Ver{\"a}nderung des Epigenotyps neuraler Stammzellen gefolgt von einer Transplantation in eine h{\"a}matopoetische Mikroumgebung eine Transdifferenzierung neuraler in h{\"a}matopoetische Zellen zu induzieren.},
  subject      = {Maus},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Gjorgjevikj2014,
  author    = {Gjorgjevikj, Maja},
  title     = {IL-4 analogues with site-specific chemical modification as screening tools for foldamers},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-113531},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {The cytokine Interleukin-4 (IL-4) plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology and progression of asthma and other atopic diseases. Its activities are signaled into the cells upon binding to and signaling through a shared receptor complex composed of the subunits IL-4Rα and common γc. Another cytokine, Interleukin-13 shares many functions with IL-4. This can be explained by the fact that both, IL-4 and IL-13, can signal via a shared receptor complex comprising the IL-4R and the IL-13R1 subunit. Therefore, the IL-4Rα receptor subunit has become a highly promising drug target, since it mediates IL-4 and IL-13 responses and blocking IL-4Rα will abrogate IL-4 as well as IL-13 effector functions. Currently, an IL-4 based mutein (Pitrakinra), acting as a dual IL-4/IL-13 receptor antagonist is in clinical development. This work describes the generation and production of biologically active IL-4 muteins, which contain a single additional engineered cysteine. The introduction of a free thiol group allows site-specific chemical modification. The muteins were expressed in E. coli in insoluble form, refolded and purified. The thiol group of the mutein was protected as mixed disulfide with the tripeptide glutathione. A first attempt to chemically reduce the engineered cysteine residue failed, because the three native disulfide bonds of IL-4 exhibit a similar reactivity and chemical reduction of the native disulfide resulted in full deactivation and precipitation of the IL-4 protein. Therefore, an enzymatic approach was developed which specifically reduces the mixed disulfide bonds with an attached glutathion moiety and thus leaves the native structurally essential disulfide bonds unaltered. For optimization, four different IL-4 cysteine muteins with four cysteine residues introduced at positions close to the IL-4Rα binding site were tested and their reduction rates by glutaredoxin was determined. The enzymatic reduction occured at different rates for all four muteins indicating that accessibility is an important influence and must be determined individually for each mutant protein. After optimization of the pH value and particularly the reaction time, all muteins could be prepared with the engineered thiol group being released in reasonable yield. The proteins exhibiting the free thiol group were then modified by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) or maleimido-PEG. The effects of these modifications at different positions on binding to IL-4R were measured employing SPR biosensor technology. In the second project of this study, foldamers, which represent a new class of stable, compactly folded biomolecules and can specifically interact with proteins and nucleic acids, were examined to identify their potential as new drugs to interfere with IL-4 activities. Fragment-based drug discovery offers great promise for providing new starting points for drug discovery and facilitates the lead optimization. As foldamers equipped with a thiol-group for tethering could not to be produced; only the effect of foldamers present in a synthesized foldamer library on the binding to IL-4R could be tested. Two libraries containing different foldamers based on aromatic amide were synthesized by Michael Grotz and Dr. Michael Deligny and tested in our lab for their capability to disrupt the ligand-receptor interaction of IL-4 and its receptor IL-4Rα [ECD] using surface plasmon resonance technology. None of the studied foldamers could specifically inhibit the IL-4/IL-4Rα interaction. Some foldamers showed non-specific binding. The study presented here shows the design and production of a potentially new type of IL-4 antagonists, which employ site-specific chemical modification to exert their antagonistic function.},
  subject      = {Il 4},
  language  = {en}
}