Integrating Biochemical and Computational Approaches Reveal Structural Insights in Trastuzumab scFv-Fc Antibody Engineering

Antibody-based agents have become a preferred treatment for various diseases, including cancer, due to significant advances in antibody engineering. The use of single-chain Fv-Fcs (scFv-Fcs) has been a promising engineering approach for therapeutic design. The concept is that the Fc provides increas...

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Main Authors: Olga Bednova, Jessica Pougoue Ketchemen, Hazem Mslati, Mark Barok, Heikki Joensuu, Natalie Zeytuni, Francesco Gentile, Leon Sanche, Humphrey Fonge, Jeffrey Victor Leyton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Biomolecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/5/606
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author Olga Bednova
Jessica Pougoue Ketchemen
Hazem Mslati
Mark Barok
Heikki Joensuu
Natalie Zeytuni
Francesco Gentile
Leon Sanche
Humphrey Fonge
Jeffrey Victor Leyton
author_facet Olga Bednova
Jessica Pougoue Ketchemen
Hazem Mslati
Mark Barok
Heikki Joensuu
Natalie Zeytuni
Francesco Gentile
Leon Sanche
Humphrey Fonge
Jeffrey Victor Leyton
author_sort Olga Bednova
collection DOAJ
description Antibody-based agents have become a preferred treatment for various diseases, including cancer, due to significant advances in antibody engineering. The use of single-chain Fv-Fcs (scFv-Fcs) has been a promising engineering approach for therapeutic design. The concept is that the Fc provides increased stability and target binding and ultimately improves performance. However, the structural and dynamic relationship between the variable and Fc domains, which are fused in close proximity, and the impact on stability and target binding are not well understood. This study evaluated trastuzumab-derived scFv-Fc antibodies, focusing on the impact of their design on important biopharmaceutical parameters. Computational modelling and molecular dynamics, alongside experimental studies, were used to ascertain their dynamics, expression and purification, stabilities, and binding potencies. The results showed that the scFv subunits exhibited stochastic interplays that lead to diverse shapes and were associated with functional performance. This new understanding of scFv-Fc antibodies and their structural and functional nuances provides important details to further guide the design of more effective and less toxic therapeutics.
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series Biomolecules
spelling doaj-art-b5a61a33db6343fc82a18d6240c845852025-08-20T01:56:29ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2025-04-0115560610.3390/biom15050606Integrating Biochemical and Computational Approaches Reveal Structural Insights in Trastuzumab scFv-Fc Antibody EngineeringOlga Bednova0Jessica Pougoue Ketchemen1Hazem Mslati2Mark Barok3Heikki Joensuu4Natalie Zeytuni5Francesco Gentile6Leon Sanche7Humphrey Fonge8Jeffrey Victor Leyton9Département de Médecine Nucléaire et Radiobiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, CanadaFaculté de Pharmacie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, CanadaDepartment of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, CanadaDépartement de Médecine Nucléaire et Radiobiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, CanadaFaculté de Pharmacie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, CanadaAntibody-based agents have become a preferred treatment for various diseases, including cancer, due to significant advances in antibody engineering. The use of single-chain Fv-Fcs (scFv-Fcs) has been a promising engineering approach for therapeutic design. The concept is that the Fc provides increased stability and target binding and ultimately improves performance. However, the structural and dynamic relationship between the variable and Fc domains, which are fused in close proximity, and the impact on stability and target binding are not well understood. This study evaluated trastuzumab-derived scFv-Fc antibodies, focusing on the impact of their design on important biopharmaceutical parameters. Computational modelling and molecular dynamics, alongside experimental studies, were used to ascertain their dynamics, expression and purification, stabilities, and binding potencies. The results showed that the scFv subunits exhibited stochastic interplays that lead to diverse shapes and were associated with functional performance. This new understanding of scFv-Fc antibodies and their structural and functional nuances provides important details to further guide the design of more effective and less toxic therapeutics.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/5/606trastuzumabantibody engineeringHER2scFv-Fcmolecular dynamic simulation
spellingShingle Olga Bednova
Jessica Pougoue Ketchemen
Hazem Mslati
Mark Barok
Heikki Joensuu
Natalie Zeytuni
Francesco Gentile
Leon Sanche
Humphrey Fonge
Jeffrey Victor Leyton
Integrating Biochemical and Computational Approaches Reveal Structural Insights in Trastuzumab scFv-Fc Antibody Engineering
Biomolecules
trastuzumab
antibody engineering
HER2
scFv-Fc
molecular dynamic simulation
title Integrating Biochemical and Computational Approaches Reveal Structural Insights in Trastuzumab scFv-Fc Antibody Engineering
title_full Integrating Biochemical and Computational Approaches Reveal Structural Insights in Trastuzumab scFv-Fc Antibody Engineering
title_fullStr Integrating Biochemical and Computational Approaches Reveal Structural Insights in Trastuzumab scFv-Fc Antibody Engineering
title_full_unstemmed Integrating Biochemical and Computational Approaches Reveal Structural Insights in Trastuzumab scFv-Fc Antibody Engineering
title_short Integrating Biochemical and Computational Approaches Reveal Structural Insights in Trastuzumab scFv-Fc Antibody Engineering
title_sort integrating biochemical and computational approaches reveal structural insights in trastuzumab scfv fc antibody engineering
topic trastuzumab
antibody engineering
HER2
scFv-Fc
molecular dynamic simulation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/5/606
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