1. Academic Validation
  2. Tofacitinib suppresses antibody responses to protein therapeutics in murine hosts

Tofacitinib suppresses antibody responses to protein therapeutics in murine hosts

  • J Immunol. 2014 Jul 1;193(1):48-55. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1400063.
Masanori Onda 1 Kamran Ghoreschi 2 Scott Steward-Tharp 2 Craig Thomas 3 John J O'Shea 2 Ira H Pastan 4 David J FitzGerald 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; ondam@mail.nih.gov fitzgerd@helix.nih.gov.
  • 2 Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; and.
  • 3 Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
  • 4 Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892;
Abstract

Immunogenicity remains the "Achilles' heel" of protein-based therapeutics. Anti-drug Abs produced in response to protein therapeutics can severely limit both the safety and efficacy of this expanding class of agent. In this article, we report that monotherapy of mice with tofacitinib (the JAK Inhibitor) quells Ab responses to an immunotoxin derived from the Bacterial protein Pseudomonas exotoxin A, as well as to the model Ag keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Thousand-fold reductions in IgG1 titers to both Ags were observed 21 d post immunization. In fact, suppression was evident for all IgG isotypes and IgM. A reduction in IgG3 production was also noted with a thymus-independent type II Ag. Mechanistic investigations revealed that tofacitinib treatment led to reduced numbers of CD127+ pro-B cells. Furthermore, we observed fewer germinal center B cells and the impaired formation of germinal centers of mice treated with tofacitinib. Because normal Ig levels were still present during tofacitinib treatment, this agent specifically reduced anti-drug Abs, thus preserving the potential efficacy of biological therapeutics, including those used as Cancer therapeutics.

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