Go to JCI Insight
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Neuroscience
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • Vascular biology
    • All ...
  • Videos
    • ASCI Milestone Awards
    • Video Abstracts
    • Conversations with Giants in Medicine
  • Reviews
    • View all reviews ...
    • Clinical innovation and scientific progress in GLP-1 medicine (Nov 2025)
    • Pancreatic Cancer (Jul 2025)
    • Complement Biology and Therapeutics (May 2025)
    • Evolving insights into MASLD and MASH pathogenesis and treatment (Apr 2025)
    • Microbiome in Health and Disease (Feb 2025)
    • Substance Use Disorders (Oct 2024)
    • Clonal Hematopoiesis (Oct 2024)
    • View all review series ...
  • Viewpoint
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Editorials
    • Commentaries
    • Editor's notes
    • Reviews
    • Viewpoints
    • 100th anniversary
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • Reviews
  • Review series
  • ASCI Milestone Awards
  • Video Abstracts
  • Conversations with Giants in Medicine
  • In-Press Preview
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Editorials
  • Commentaries
  • Editor's notes
  • Reviews
  • Viewpoints
  • 100th anniversary
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
Augmented antibody-based anticancer therapeutics boost neutrophil cytotoxicity
Niels Heemskerk, Mandy Gruijs, A. Robin Temming, Marieke H. Heineke, Dennis Y. Gout, Tessa Hellingman, Cornelis W. Tuk, Paula J. Winter, Suzanne Lissenberg-Thunnissen, Arthur E.H. Bentlage, Marco de Donatis, Marijn Bögels, Thies Rösner, Thomas Valerius, Jantine E. Bakema, Gestur Vidarsson, Marjolein van Egmond
Niels Heemskerk, Mandy Gruijs, A. Robin Temming, Marieke H. Heineke, Dennis Y. Gout, Tessa Hellingman, Cornelis W. Tuk, Paula J. Winter, Suzanne Lissenberg-Thunnissen, Arthur E.H. Bentlage, Marco de Donatis, Marijn Bögels, Thies Rösner, Thomas Valerius, Jantine E. Bakema, Gestur Vidarsson, Marjolein van Egmond
View: Text | PDF
Research Article

Augmented antibody-based anticancer therapeutics boost neutrophil cytotoxicity

  • Text
  • PDF
Abstract

Most clinically used anticancer mAbs are of the IgG isotype, which can eliminate tumor cells through NK cell–mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and macrophage-mediated antibody-dependent phagocytosis. IgG, however, ineffectively recruits neutrophils as effector cells. IgA mAbs induce migration and activation of neutrophils through the IgA Fc receptor (FcαRI) but are unable to activate NK cells and have poorer half-life. Here, we combined the agonistic activity of IgG mAbs and FcαRI targeting in a therapeutic bispecific antibody format. The resulting TrisomAb molecules recruited NK cells, macrophages, and neutrophils as effector cells for eradication of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, TrisomAb had long in vivo half-life and strongly decreased B16F10gp75 tumor outgrowth in mice. Importantly, neutrophils of colorectal cancer patients effectively eliminated tumor cells in the presence of anti-EGFR TrisomAb but were less efficient in mediating killing in the presence of IgG anti-EGFR mAb (cetuximab). The clinical application of TrisomAb may provide potential alternatives for cancer patients who do not benefit from current IgG mAb therapy.

Authors

Niels Heemskerk, Mandy Gruijs, A. Robin Temming, Marieke H. Heineke, Dennis Y. Gout, Tessa Hellingman, Cornelis W. Tuk, Paula J. Winter, Suzanne Lissenberg-Thunnissen, Arthur E.H. Bentlage, Marco de Donatis, Marijn Bögels, Thies Rösner, Thomas Valerius, Jantine E. Bakema, Gestur Vidarsson, Marjolein van Egmond

×

Figure 3

TrisomAb induces effective FcγR- and FcαR-mediated ADCC and ADCP of cancer cells.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
TrisomAb induces effective FcγR- and FcαR-mediated ADCC and ADCP of canc...
(A) ADCC of A431 cells by NK cells (effector/target 5:1) in the presence of 0, 0.1, and 1 μg/mL TrisomAb, IgA, and IgG α-EGFR antibodies. CellTiter-Blue Cell Viability Assay was performed after 4 hours. (B) ADCC of B16F10gp75 cells by NK cells (E/T 5:1) in the presence of 0, 0.1, 1, and 10 μg/mL TrisomAb, IgA, and IgG α-gp75 antibodies. CellTiter-Blue Cell Viability Assay was performed after 4 hours. (C) Confocal live-cell imaging of antibody-mediated induction of apoptosis (caspase-3/7 activity, yellow) in A431 cells (blue) by NK cells (red). Scale bars: 25 μm. (D) Quantification of caspase-3/7 activity and (E) tumor area for different therapeutic antibodies. (F) ADCP of A431 cells by monocyte-derived macrophages in the presence of 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 μg/mL TrisomAb, IgA, and IgG α-EGFR antibodies. Percentage of phagocytic events was measured by flow cytometry 4 hours after incubation with macrophages at an effector to target ratio of 5:1. (G) ADCP of B16F10gp75 cells by monocyte-derived macrophages in the presence of 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 μg/mL TrisomAb, IgA, and IgG α-gp75 antibodies. Percentage of phagocytic events was measured by flow cytometry 4 hours after incubation with macrophages at an effector to target ratio of 5:1. Data are from 3 independent experiments; caspase-3/7 activation and tumor area were quantified for 8 tumor colonies (5–30 cells) per group; error bars show SEM. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01 by 2-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple-comparison correction in A, B, and D–G.

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

Sign up for email alerts