Abstract LB130: Identification of fully human CCR8 antibodies that demonstrate excellent ADCC function, potent blocking activity, and robust anti-tumor immune responses
Authors: Liang Huichao , Guo Yanan , Yin Meimei , Kawagishi Aki , Terada Takaho , Kihara Yoshihiko , Kanke Toru , Guo Chaoshe , An W. Frank , Yang Yi 
Published: April 2024

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated significant benefits in treating various types of tumors. However, a considerable number of patients do not respond to this therapy. One proposed mechanism for resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors is the infiltration of large numbers of regulatory T cells (Tregs) into tumors, which hinders the development of effective antitumor immunity and is often linked to poor prognosis. CCR8 is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) which is predominantly expressed on Tregs infiltrating tumors. The development of CCR8-specific human antibodies to deplete CCR8+ Tregs is a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.

Here, we report the development and characterization of fully human monoclonal antibodies targeting CCR8 that exhibit potent antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity. These antibodies were generated in CCR8 knock-out RenMab® mice, which were immunized with native CCR8 antigen prepared via a proprietary cell-free membrane protein synthesis technology. Epitope mapping of the antibodies revealed recognition of a unique epitope on the N-terminus extracellular domain of CCR8. Binding assays indicated cross-reactivity of the antibodies across multiple species; importantly, however, these antibodies did not recognize related chemokine receptors, such as CCR2, CCR4, CCR5, or CX3CR1. In vitro, CCR8 antibodies effectively inhibited calcium flux induced by CCL1 binding to the CCR8 receptor. Furthermore, introduction of DE (S239D, I332E) mutations in the Fc region enhanced ADCC activity of these antibodies. To compare the efficacy of these antibodies with anti-CCR8 benchmarks in vivo, we generated benchmark analogs in-house with the same DE mutations and established syngeneic MC38 tumor models in humanized B-hCCR8 mice. In this assay, our CCR8 antibodies demonstrated potent anti-tumor activity. Notably, one mutant clone with optimized developability demonstrated robust inhibition of tumor growth when compared to both benchmark analogs and its original clone. Taken together, our fully human CCR8 antibodies demonstrate enhanced ADCC function, strong blocking activity, and superior in vivo anti-tumor activity, which may support further development into a novel cancer immunotherapy targeting Tregs.

Citation Format: Huichao Liang, Yanan Guo, Meimei Yin, Aki Kawagishi, Takaho Terada, Yoshihiko Kihara, Toru Kanke, Chaoshe Guo, W. Frank An, Yi Yang. Identification of fully human CCR8 antibodies that demonstrate excellent ADCC function, potent blocking activity, and robust anti-tumor immune responses [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr LB130.