| 摘要 |
<p>Multispecific molecules which induce effector cell-mediated killing of target cells are disclosed. The molecules are 'multispecific' because they bind to multiple (two or more), distinct targets, one of which is an Fc receptor on the surface of an immune cell. Multispecific molecules of the invention include molecules comprised of at least one portion which binds to an Fc receptor, such as an Fcη receptor (e.g., FcηRI) or an Fcα receptor, and at least one other portion which binds to a different target, such as an antigen on a tumor cell or a pathogen. Multispecific molecules of the invention also include antigen 'multimer complexes' comprised of multiple (i.e., two or more) portions which bind to a molecule on an antigen presenting cell (APC), such as an Fc receptor, linked to one or more antigens. These multimer complexes target antigens, such as self-antigens, to APCs to induce and/or enhance internalization (endocytosis), processing and/or presentation of the antigen by the APC. Therefore, these molecules can be used to induce or enhance an immune response either in vivo or in vitro against a normally non-immunogenic protein, such as a self-antigen. In a particular embodiment, at least one portion of the multispecific molecules comprises a humanized or human antibody or antibody fragment (e.g., ScFv or Fab') which binds to an Fc receptor or a receptor on a target cell (e.g., EGF-R or HER2).</p> |
