Evolutionary relationship between the natural anti-Gal antibody and the Gal alpha 1----3Gal epitope in primates.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Galili U
PROVIDER: S-EPMC304431 | biostudies-literature | 1987 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the poorest prognosis of all malignancies and is largely resistant to standard therapy. Novel treatments against PDAC are desperately needed. Anti-Gal is the most abundant natural antibody in humans, comprising about 1% of immunoglobulins and is also naturally produced in apes and Old World monkeys. The anti-Gal ligand is a carbohydrate antigen called "α-gal epitopes" with the structure Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R. These epitopes are expressed as major carbohydrate antigens in non-primate mammals, prosimians, and New World monkeys. Anti-Gal is exploited in cancer vaccines to increase the immunogenicity of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Cancer cells or PDAC tumor lysates are processed to express α-gal epitopes. Vaccination with these components results in in vivo opsonization by anti-Gal IgG in PDAC patients. The Fc portion of the vaccine-bound anti-Gal interacts with Fcγ receptors of APCs, inducing uptake of the vaccine components, transport of the vaccine tumor membranes to draining lymph nodes, and processing and presentation of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Cancer vaccines expressing α-gal epitopes elicit strong antibody production against multiple TAAs contained in PDAC cells and induce activation of multiple tumor-specific T cells. Here, we review new areas of clinical importance related to the α-gal epitope/anti-Gal antibody reaction and the advantages in immunotherapy against PDAC.
| S-EPMC4616216 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The natural anti-Gal antibody is one of the multiple natural anti-carbohydrate antibodies produced in humans against a wide range of carbohydrate antigens on GI bacteria. The antibody is unique to humans, apes, and Old World monkeys, and it binds specifically to a mammalian carbohydrate antigen called the ?-gal epitope that is synthesized in nonprimate mammals, lemurs (prosimians) and New World monkeys by the glycosylation enzyme ?1,3GT. The ?1,3GT gene (GGTA1) appeared in mammals >100 million years ago, prior to the split between marsupial and placental mammals. This gene has been conserved in its active form, in all mammals, except for Old World monkeys, apes, and humans. Inactivation of the ?1,3GT gene in ancestral Old World primates occurred 20–30 million years ago and could have been associated with epidemics of enveloped viruses in the Eurasia-Africa continent. It is suggested that prior to such epidemics, few ancestral Old World primates acquired deletion point mutations that inactivated the ?1,3GT gene and eliminated ?-gal epitopes. This resulted in loss of immune tolerance to the ?-gal epitope and thus, in production of the anti-Gal antibody against antigens on bacteria colonizing the GI tract. This accidental inactivation of the ?1,3GT gene in very small populations is analogous to the highly rare blood type “Bombay” individuals who do not synthesize blood group H (O antigen) because of inactivation of the ?1,2-fucosyltransferase gene. The loss of immune tolerance to blood group H antigen has resulted in production of natural anti-blood group H antibodies in the blood group Bombay individuals. It is suggested that anti-Gal protected against infections by enveloped viruses presenting ?-gal epitopes, which were lethal to the parental primate populations that conserved active ?1,3GT and thus, synthesized ?-gal epitopes. Alternative causes for the elimination of Old World primates synthesizing ?-gal epitopes could be bacteria or protozoa parasites presenting ?-gal or ?-gal-like epitopes, and bacterial toxins, or detrimental viruses that used ?-gal epitopes in these primates as “docking receptors.” Ultimately, any of these proposed selective processes could result in extinction of Old World primates synthesizing ?-gal epitopes on their cells. These ancestral primates were replaced by offspring populations lacking ?-gal epitopes and producing the anti-Gal antibody, which continues to be produced by Old World monkeys, apes, and humans. New World monkeys and lemurs were protected from pathogens of the Old World by oceanic barriers, thus they continue to synthesize ?-gal epitopes and lack the ability to produce the anti-Gal antibody. This scenario of few individuals in a large population having a mutation(s) that inactivates a glycosyltransferase gene thus, resulting in production of evolutionary advantageous natural antibodies against the eliminated carbohydrate antigen, may reflect one of the mechanisms inducing changes in the carbohydrate profile of various mammalian populations.
| S-EPMC7150209 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The ?-Gal epitope (Gal?1,3Gal?1,4GlcNAc?R) is ubiquitously presented in non-primate mammals, marsupials and New World Monkeys, but it is absent in humans, apes and Old World monkeys. However, the anti-Gal antibody (~1% of immunoglobulins) is naturally generated in human, and is found as the immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM and IgA isotypes. Owing to the specific binding of the anti?Gal antibody with the ??Gal epitope, humans have a distinct anti???gal reactivity, which is responsible for hyperacute rejection of organs transplanted from ??gal donors. In addition, the ?1,3 galactosyltransferases (?1,3GT) can catalyze the synthesis of the ??Gal epitope. Therefore, the ?1,3GT gene, which encodes the ?1,3GT, is developed profoundly. The distributions of the ??Gal epitope and anti?Gal antibody, and the activation of ?1,3GT, reveal that the enzyme of ?1,3GT in ancestral primates is ineffective. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of the human ?1,3?GT pseudogene to the corresponding different species sequence, and according to the evolutionary tree of different species, the results of evolutionary inactivation of the ?1,3GT gene in ancestral primates attribute to the mutations under a stronger selective pressure. However, on the basis of the structure, the mechanism and the specificity of the ??Gal epitope and anti?Gal antibody, they can be applied to clinical exploitation. Knocking out the ?1,3GT gene will eliminate the xenoantigen, Gal(?1,3)Gal, so that the transplantation of ?1,3GT gene knockout pig organ into human becomes a potential clinically acceptable treatment for solving the problem of organ shortage. By contrast, the ??Gal epitope expressed through the application of chemical, biochemical and genetic engineering can be exploited for the clinical use. Targeting anti?Gal?mediated autologous tumor vaccines, which express ??Gal epitope to antigen?presenting cells, would increase their immunogenicity and elicit an immune response, which will be potent enough to eradicate the residual tumor cells. For tumor vaccines, the way of increasing immunogenicity of certain viral vaccines, including flu vaccines and human immunodeficiency virus vaccines, can also be used in the elderly. Recently, ??Gal epitope nanoparticles have been applied to accelerate wound healing and further directions on regeneration of internally injured tissues.
| S-EPMC4687435 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Anti-Gal is the most abundant antibody in humans, constituting 1% of immunoglobulins. Anti-Gal binds specifically α-gal epitopes (Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R). Immunogenicity of autologous tumor associated antigens (TAA) is greatly increased by manipulating tumor cells to express α-gal epitopes and bind anti-Gal. Glycolipids with αgal epitopes (α-gal glycolipids) injected into tumors insert into the tumor cell membrane. Anti-Gal binding to the multiple α-gal epitopes de novo presented on the tumor cells results in targeting of these cells to APC via the interaction between the Fc portion of the bound anti-Gal and Fcγ; receptors on APC. The APC process and present immunogenic TAA peptides and thus, effectively activate tumor specific CD4+ helper T cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells which destroy tumor cells in micrometastases. The induced immune response is potent enough to overcome immunosuppression by Treg cells. A phase I clinical trial indicated that α-gal glycolipid treatment has no adverse effects. In addition to achieving destruction of micrometastases in cancer patients with advance disease, α-gal glycolipid treatment may be effective as neo-adjuvant immunotherapy. Injection of α-gal glycolipids into primary tumors few weeks prior to resection can induce a protective immune response capable of destroying micrometastases expressing autologous TAA, long after primary tumor resection.
| S-EPMC3226304 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Application of ?-gal nanoparticles to wounds and burns induces accelerated healing by harnessing the natural anti-Gal antibody which constitutes ~1% of human immunoglobulins. ?-gal nanoparticles present multiple ?-gal epitopes (Gal?1-3Gal?1-4GlcNAc-R), the carbohydrate ligand of anti-Gal. Studied ?-gal nanoparticles were comprised of glycolipids with ?-gal epitopes, phospholipids, and cholesterol. Binding of anti-Gal to ?-gal nanoparticles in wounds activates the complement cascade, resulting in formation of chemotactic complement cleavage peptides that induce rapid recruitment of many macrophages. The Fc/Fc? receptors interaction between anti-Gal coating ?-gal nanoparticles and the recruited macrophages activates macrophages to produce cytokines/growth factors that promote wound healing and recruit stem cells. Studies of wound healing by ?-gal nanoparticles were feasible in ?1,3galactosyltransferase knockout mice and pigs. In contrast to other nonprimate mammals, these mice and pigs lack the ?-gal epitope, and thus they are not immunotolerant to it and produce anti-Gal. Treatment of skin wounds and burns with ?-gal nanoparticles resulted in 40-60% decrease in healing time in comparison with control wounds treated with saline. This accelerated healing is associated with increased recruitment of macrophages and extensive angiogenesis in wounds, faster regrowth of epidermis, and regeneration of the dermis. The accelerated healing further decreases and may completely eliminate fibrosis and scar formation in wounds. Since healing of internal injuries is mediated by mechanisms similar to those in external wound healing, it is suggested that ?-gal nanoparticles treatment may also improve regeneration and restoration of biological function following internal injuries such as surgical incisions, myocardial ischemia following infarction, and nerve injuries.
| S-EPMC4397477 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common causes of death from cancer. Despite the availability of various treatment modalities, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the 5-year survival remains poor. Although gemcitabine-based chemotherapy is typically offered as the standard care, most patients do not survive longer than 6 months. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are needed. The ?-gal epitope (Gal?1-3Gal?1-4GlcNAc-R) is abundantly synthesized from glycoproteins and glycolipids in non-primate mammals and New World monkeys, but is absent in humans, apes and Old World monkeys. Instead, they produce anti-Gal antibody (Ab) (forming approximately 1% of circulating immunoglobulins), which specifically interacts with ?-gal epitopes. Anti-Gal Ab can be exploited in cancer immunotherapy as vaccines that target antigen-presenting cells (APC) to increase their immunogenicity. Tumor cells or tumor cell membranes from pancreatic cancer are processed to express ?-gal epitopes. Subsequent vaccination with such processed cell membranes results in in vivo opsonization by anti-Gal IgG in cancer patients. The interaction of the Fc portion of the vaccine-bound anti-Gal with Fc? receptors of APC induces effective uptake of the vaccinating tumor cell membranes by the APC, followed by effective transport of the vaccinating tumor membranes to the regional lymph nodes, and processing and presentation of the tumor-associated antigens. Activation of tumor-specific B and T cells could elicit an immune response that in some patients is potent enough to eradicate the residual cancer cells that remain after completion of standard therapy. This review addresses these topics and new avenues of clinical importance related to this unique antigen/antibody system (?-gal epitope/anti-Gal Ab) and advances in immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer.
| S-EPMC7657191 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The alpha-Gal epitope (α-Gal) with the determining element galactose-α1,3-galactose can lead to clinically relevant allergic reactions and rejections in xenotransplantation. These immune reactions can develop because humans are devoid of this carbohydrate due to evolutionary loss of the enzyme α1,3-galactosyltransferase (GGTA1). In addition, up to 1% of human IgG antibodies are directed against α-Gal, but the stimulus for the induction of anti-α-Gal antibodies is still unclear. Commensal bacteria have been suggested as a causal factor for this induction as α-Gal binding tools such as lectins were found to stain cultivated bacteria isolated from the intestinal tract. Currently available tools for the detection of the definite α-Gal epitope, however, are cross-reactive, or have limited affinity and, hence, offer restricted possibilities for application. In this study, we describe a novel monoclonal IgG1 antibody (27H8) specific for the α-Gal epitope. The 27H8 antibody was generated by immunization of Ggta1 knockout mice and displays a high affinity towards synthetic and naturally occurring α-Gal in various applications. Using this novel tool, we found that intestinal bacteria reported to be α-Gal positive cannot be stained with 27H8 questioning whether commensal bacteria express the native α-Gal epitope at all.
| S-EPMC9391071 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This review describes the significance of the α-gal epitope (Galα-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R) as the core of human blood-group A and B antigens (A and B antigens), determines in mouse models the principles underlying the immune response to these antigens, and suggests future strategies for the induction of immune tolerance to incompatible A and B antigens in human allografts. Carbohydrate antigens, such as ABO antigens and the α-gal epitope, differ from protein antigens in that they do not interact with T cells, but B cells interacting with them require T-cell help for their activation. The α-gal epitope is the core of both A and B antigens and is the ligand of the natural anti-Gal antibody, which is abundant in all humans. In A and O individuals, anti-Gal clones (called anti-Gal/B) comprise >85% of the so-called anti-B activity and bind to the B antigen in facets that do not include fucose-linked α1-2 to the core α-gal. As many as 1% of B cells are anti-Gal B cells. Activation of quiescent anti-Gal B cells upon exposure to α-gal epitopes on xenografts and some protozoa can increase the titer of anti-Gal by 100-fold. α1,3-Galactosyltransferase knockout (GT-KO) mice lack α-gal epitopes and can produce anti-Gal. These mice simulate human recipients of ABO-incompatible human allografts. Exposure for 2-4 weeks of naïve and memory mouse anti-Gal B cells to α-gal epitopes in the heterotopically grafted wild-type (WT) mouse heart results in the elimination of these cells and immune tolerance to this epitope. Shorter exposures of 7 days of anti-Gal B cells to α-gal epitopes in the WT heart result in the production of accommodating anti-Gal antibodies that bind to α-gal epitopes but do not lyse cells or reject the graft. Tolerance to α-gal epitopes due to the elimination of naïve and memory anti-Gal B cells can be further induced by 2 weeks in vivo exposure to WT lymphocytes or autologous lymphocytes engineered to present α-gal epitopes by transduction of the α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene. These mouse studies suggest that autologous human lymphocytes similarly engineered to present the A or B antigen may induce corresponding tolerance in recipients of ABO-incompatible allografts. The review further summarizes experimental works demonstrating the efficacy of α-gal therapies in amplifying anti-viral and anti-tumor immune-protection and regeneration of injured tissues.
| S-EPMC10338101 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Humoral deficiencies represent a broad group of disorders. The aim of the study was to compare the levels of antibodies against pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides (anti-PCP) and natural anti-galactosyl (anti-Gal) antibodies in (1) patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), (2) patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), and (3) a healthy population and to explore their diagnostic and prognostic potential. Serum immunoglobulin levels and levels of anti-Gal IgG, IgA, and IgM and anti-PCP IgG and IgG2 were determined in 59 CLL patients, 30 CVID patients, and 67 healthy controls. Levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, anti-Gal IgA, anti-Gal IgM, and anti-PCP IgA were lower in CLL and CVID patients than in healthy controls (p value for all parameters <?0.0001). Decrease in the levels of IgA, IgM, anti-Gal IgA, and anti-PCP IgA was less pronounced in the CLL group than in the CVID group. IgA decline, anti-Gal IgA, anti-PCP IgA, and anti-PCP IgG2 were negatively correlated with CLL stage. We devise the evaluation of anti-Gal antibodies to be a routine test in humoral immunodeficiency diagnostics, even in cases of immunoglobulin substitution therapy. Significant reductions, mainly in anti-Gal IgA, IgM, and anti-PCP IgA levels, may have prognostic importance in CLL patients.
| S-EPMC5748103 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Carbohydrate antigens displaying Gal?(1,3)Gal epitopes are recognized by naturally occurring antibodies in humans. These anti-Gal antibodies comprise up to 1% of serum IgG and have been viewed as detrimental as they are responsible for hyperacute organ rejections. In order to model this condition, ?(1,3)galactosyltransferase-knockout mice are inoculated against the Gal?(1,3)Gal epitope. In our study, two ?-Gal trisaccharide epitopes composed of either Gal?(1,3)Gal?(1,4)GlcNAc or Gal?(1,3)Gal?(1,4)Glc linked to a squaric acid ester moiety were examined for their ability to elicit immune responses in KO mice. Both target epitopes were synthesized using a two-component enzymatic system using modified disaccharide substrates containing a linker moiety for coupling. While both glycoconjugate vaccines induced the required high anti-Gal IgG antibody titers, it was found that this response had exquisite specificity for the Gal?(1,3)Gal?(1,4)GlcNAc hapten used, with little cross reactivity with the Gal?(1,3)Gal?(1,4)Glc hapten. Our findings indicate that while homogenous glycoconjugate vaccines provide high IgG titers, the carrier and adjuvanting factors can deviate the specificity to an antigenic determinant outside the purview of interest.
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