UNIVERSITE DE PARIS

A method of producing a monomer of a Shiga toxin B-subunit (STxB) protein or of a variant thereof by peptide chemical synthesis, as well as to a method of producing a pentamer of the STxB protein or of the variant thereof. The methods are particularly advantageous as they overcome major issues typically observed in peptide chemical synthesis, including solubility and purity issues.

A number of anti-angiogenic strategies connected with the VEGF signalling pathway are used in current clinical treatment or trial phase, but they either cause adverse effects or are not specific. Various strategies were aimed at identifying peptides inhibiting the VEGF-A 165 /NRP-1 interaction. A well-known antiangiogenic peptide is the heptapeptide termed “A7R” having the amino acid sequence ATWLPPR, for which various derivatives have been synthesized, which include peptides having the general sequence Lys(hArg)-AA 2 -AA 3 -Arg. However, the ability of the known peptides to inhibit the VEGF-A 165 /NRP-1 interaction was too low for their use as candidate drugs for inhibiting angiogenesis in subjects in need thereof. The present inventors have now conceived a family of novel peptide-like compounds having a nanomolar affinity for NRP-1, which are thus endowed with a powerful capacity to inhibit the VEGF-A 165 /NRP-1 interaction. These novel peptide-like compounds may be relevantly used as antiangiogenic compounds, especially in subjects affected with cancer.

Targeting immune checkpoints, such as Programmed cell Death 1 (PD1), has improved survival in cancer patients by unleashing exhausted CD8+ T-cell thereby restoring anti-tumor immune responses. Most patients, however, relapse or are refractory to immune checkpoint blocking therapies. Here, the inventors show that NRP1 is recruited in the cytolytic synapse of PD1+CD8+ T-cells, interacts and enhances PD-1 activity. In mice, CD8+ T-cell specific deletion of Nrp1 improves spontaneous and anti PD 1 antibody anti-tumor immune responses. Likewise, in human metastatic melanoma, the expression of NRP1 in tumor infiltrating CD8+ T-cells predicts poor outcome of patients treated with anti-PD1 (e.g. pembrolizumab). Finally, the combination of anti-NRP1 and anti-PD1 antibodies is synergistic in human, specifically in CD8+ T-cells anti-tumor response. Thus the therapeutic inhibition of NRP1 alone or combined with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (e.g. anti-PD1 antibody) could efficiently repress tumor growth in human cancer. The present invention also relates to multispecific antibodies comprising at least one binding site that specifically binds to an immune checkpoint molecule (e.g. PD-1), and at least one binding site that specifically binds to NRP-1. The present invention also relates to a population of cells engineered to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and wherein the expression of NRP-1 in said cells is repressed.

The invention relates to polymeric compounds of formula I which allow the solubilization and/or stabilization of membrane proteins, it relates in particular to the complexes they form with membrane proteins and the method of solubilizing and/or stabilizing membrane proteins comprising the use of these compounds.

A method of producing a monomer of a Shiga toxin B-subunit (STxB) protein or of a variant thereof by peptide chemical synthesis, as well as to a method of producing a pentamer of the STxB protein or of the variant thereof. The methods are particularly advantageous as they overcome major issues typically observed in peptide chemical synthesis, including solubility and purity issues.

Despite the notion that human CD8 + T cells are the final mediators of autoimmune β-cell destruction in type 1 diabetes (TID), none of their target epitopes has been demonstrated to be naturally processed and presented by β cells. The inventors therefore performed an epitope discovery study combining HLA Class I peptidomics and transcriptomics strategies. Inflammatory cytokines increased β-cell peptide presentation in vitro, paralleling upregulation of HLA Class I expression. Peptide sources included known β-cell antigens and several insulin granule proteins. Secretogranin V (SCG5/7B2) was identified as a novel β-cell antigen, which was processed into HLA-A2- and HLA-A3-restricted epitopes recognized by circulating naïve CD8 + T cells in type 1 diabetic and healthy donors. HLA-A2-bound neo-epitopes were also represented and originated from an alternative SCG5-009 mRNA splice isoform. Accordingly, the present invention relates to antigenic peptides derived from secretogranin V and uses thereof for the diagnosis and treatment of T1D.

The present invention relates to a genetically modified human stem cell, wherein said human stem cell comprises an exogenous nucleic acid comprising a region encoding a fusion protein comprising a mutant human cytochrome P450 2B6 protein (CYP2B6*) of SEQ ID No. 1, or a variant or fragment thereof and a NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase protein of SEQ ID No. 2 or a variant or fragment thereof, operably linked to a promoter, said exogenous nucleic acid having been inserted into chromosome 17 of said human stem cell. The invention also relates to the use of said cell in the prevention and/or treatment of cancer and/or associated metastases, notably solid tumours, in particular hepatocellular carcinomas, and/or recurrent cancer and/or associated metastases.

The present invention relates to a system for controlled deposition of a fluid on a substrate and also to a method employing the system. The system comprises: a nanoinjector, a mechanical resonator fixed to the nanoinjector, the mechanical resonator being adapted to detect contact between the nanoinjector and the substrate, control means of the mechanical resonator comprising: an excitation means adapted to cause the mechanical resonator to oscillate at an oscillation frequency (fi), a detector means adapted to detect the oscillation of the mechanical resonator, a regulator means adapted to adjust the contact between the nanoinjector and the substrate by controlling the oscillation of the mechanical resonator.

CD38 is also expressed in a variety of malignant hematological diseases, including multiple myeloma. In the present invention, the inventors have generated a new antibody against CD38 that could be suitable for producing bispecific antibodies as well as CAR-T cells. In particular, the inventors report the development of Bi38-3, a new bispecific T cell engager that targeted CD38 on MM cells and recruited cytotoxic T cells through the CD3ε. Bi38-3 lacked the Fc region of natural mAb, which contributes to resistance processes, but triggered T cells to proliferate, release cytokine and lyse CD38 positive MM cells in vitro. Similarly, Bi38-3 induced autologous T cells to eliminate tumor plasma cells isolated from MM patients both at diagnosis and at relapse. The cytotoxicity triggered by Bi38-3 was restricted to cells expressing high levels of CD38 and preserved the integrity of T, B and NK lymphocytes in vitro. Importantly, Bi38-3 rapidly reduced tumor cells in an MM1.S xenograft mouse model of human MM. Taken together, the results show that the antibody of the present invention is an effective reagent to specifically eliminate CD38 positive malignant cells without significantly affecting CD38 lowly expressing cells and represents a promising novel immunotherapeutic tool for the treatment of malignant hematological diseases, and especially multiple myeloma.

Despite the notion that human CD8 + T cells are the final mediators of autoimmune β-cell destruction in type 1 diabetes (T 1 D), none of their target epitopes has been demonstrated to be naturally processed and presented by β cells. The inventors therefore performed an epitope discovery study combining HLA Class I peptidomics and transcriptomics strategies. Inflammatory cytokines increased β-cell peptide presentation in vitro, paralleling upregulation of HLA Class I expression. Peptide sources included known β-cell antigens and several insulin granule proteins. Urocortin 3 was identified as a novel β-cell antigen, which was processed into HLA-A2-and HLA-A3-restricted epitopes recognized by circulating naïve CD8 + T cells in type 1 diabetic and healthy donors. Accordingly, the present invention relates to antigenic peptides derived from urocortin-3 and uses thereof for the diagnosis and treatment of T1D.