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complement C5 in complex with the LCP0195 nanobodycomplement C5 in complex with the LCP0195 nanobody
Structural highlights
DiseaseCO5_HUMAN Defects in C5 are the cause of complement component 5 deficiency (C5D) [MIM:609536. A rare defect of the complement classical pathway associated with susceptibility to severe recurrent infections, predominantly by Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Neisseria meningitidis. Note=An association study of C5 haplotypes and genotypes in individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus infection shows that individuals homozygous for the C5_1 haplotype have a significantly higher stage of liver fibrosis than individuals carrying at least 1 other allele (PubMed:15995705). FunctionCO5_HUMAN Activation of C5 by a C5 convertase initiates the spontaneous assembly of the late complement components, C5-C9, into the membrane attack complex. C5b has a transient binding site for C6. The C5b-C6 complex is the foundation upon which the lytic complex is assembled. Derived from proteolytic degradation of complement C5, C5 anaphylatoxin is a mediator of local inflammatory process. It induces the contraction of smooth muscle, increases vascular permeability and causes histamine release from mast cells and basophilic leukocytes. C5a also stimulates the locomotion of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (chemokinesis) and direct their migration toward sites of inflammation (chemotaxis). Publication Abstract from PubMedThe bispecific antibody gefurulimab (also known as ALXN1720) was developed to provide patients with a subcutaneous treatment option for chronic disorders involving activation of the terminal complement pathway. Gefurulimab blocks the enzymatic cleavage of complement component 5 (C5) into the biologically active C5a and C5b fragments, which triggers activation of the terminal complement cascade. Heavy-chain variable region antigen-binding fragment (VHH) antibodies targeting C5 and human serum albumin (HSA) were isolated from llama immune-based libraries and humanized. Gefurulimab comprises an N-terminal albumin-binding VHH connected to a C-terminal C5-binding VHH via a flexible linker. The purified bispecific VHH antibody has the expected exact size by mass spectrometry and can be formulated at greater than 100 mg/mL. Gefurulimab binds tightly to human C5 and HSA with dissociation rate constants at pH 7.4 of 54 pM and 0.9 nM, respectively, and cross-reacts with C5 and serum albumin from cynomolgus monkeys. Gefurulimab can associate with C5 and albumin simultaneously, and potently inhibits the terminal complement activity from human serum initiated by any of the three complement pathways in Wieslab assays. Electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography revealed that the isolated C5-binding VHH recognizes the macroglobulin (MG) 4 and MG5 domains of the antigen and thereby is suggested to sterically prevent C5 binding to its activating convertase. Gefurulimab also inhibits complement activity supported by the rare C5 allelic variant featuring an R885H substitution in the MG7 domain. Taken together, these data suggest that gefurulimab may be a promising candidate for the potential treatment of complement-mediated disorders. Characterization of the bispecific VHH antibody gefurulimab (ALXN1720) targeting complement component 5, and designed for low volume subcutaneous administration.,Jindal S, Pedersen DV, Gera N, Chandler J, Patel R, Neill A, Cone J, Zhang Y, Yuan CX, Millman EE, Carlin D, Puffer B, Sheridan D, Andersen GR, Tamburini P Mol Immunol. 2023 Dec 23;165:29-41. doi: 10.1016/j.molimm.2023.12.004. PMID:38142486[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. References
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