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Biology subjects

Hossain, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Hossain, R..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Multispecific nanobody degraders co-deplete membrane receptors and enable targeted delivery of diverse payloads

Targeting membrane receptors underlies the success of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), yet single-receptor formats can be limited by heterogeneous expression, compensatory signaling, and variable internalization. Here we developed Multivalent Interchangeable Nanobody Degradation System (MINDS), a modular nanobody-Fc chassis that co-engages multiple membrane receptors, promotes their lysosomal co-depletion, and enables delivery of diverse intracellular payloads. As a proof of concept, we generated Tritazumab, a trispecific nanobody-Fc targeting three oncogenic receptors EGFR, cMET, and TfR1. Tritazumab incorporates a high-affinity, non-transferrin-competing anti-TfR1 nanobody that drives efficient uptake and lysosomal trafficking, enabling coordinated depletion of all three receptors. Across non-small cell lung cancer models, Tritazumab achieved rapid and sustained multi-receptor surface loss with picomolar degradation potency, reaching near-maximal depletion within approximately 1.5 hours. Conjugation of Tritazumab to MMAE preserved receptor binding and produced substantially greater antiproliferative activity and improved tumor selectivity relative to clinical ADCs in matched cell models, along with potent in vivo tumor growth inhibition and acceptable tolerability in a xenograft model. Extending the platform beyond cytotoxic payloads, a BRD4 molecular glue conjugate improved the selectivity window by > 100-fold and showed marked in vivo efficacy, while an EZH2-targeting PROTAC conjugate achieved an approximately 1,000-fold increase in intracellular degradation potency relative to the free PROTAC. These findings establish MINDS as a modular multispecific degrader-payload platform that integrates receptor co-depletion to enhance anticancer selectivity and efficacy.

cancer biology↗

Deletion of genes encoding PU.1 and Spi-B leads to B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia associated with driver mutations in Janus Kinases

Precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is associated with recurrent mutations that occur in cancer-initiating cells. There is a need to understand how spontaneous driver mutations influence clonal evolution in leukemia. The ETS-transcription factors PU.1 and Spi-B (encoded by Spi1 and Spib) execute a critical role in B cell development and serve as complementary tumour suppressors by opposing the proliferative events mediated by IL-7R signaling. Here, we used a mouse model to conditionally delete Spi1 and Spib genes in developing B cells. These mice developed B-ALL with a median time to euthanasia of 18 weeks. We performed RNA and whole-exome sequencing (WES) on leukemias isolated from Mb1-Cre{Delta}PB mice and identified single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in Jak1, Jak3 and Ikzf3 genes, resulting in amino acid changes and in the gain of early stop-codons. JAK3 mutations resulted in amino acid substitutions located in the pseudo-kinase (R653H, V670A) and in the kinase (T844M) domains. Introduction of these mutations into wild-type pro-B cells conferred survival and proliferation advantages. We conclude that mutations in Janus kinases represent secondary drivers of leukemogenesis in the absence of Spi-B and PU.1 transcription factors. This mouse model represents an useful tool to study clonal evolution and tumour heterogeneity in B-ALL.

cancer biology↗