Cytotoxic Activity of Disulfide-stabilized Recombinant Immunotoxin RFB4(dsFv)-PE38 (BL22) Toward Fresh Malignant Cells from Patients with B-cell Leukemias

Chemical conjugates of anti-CD22 monoclonal antibodies and toxins have been used to treat CD22+ hematological malignancies. A new anti-CD22 recombinant immunotoxin RFB4(dsFv)-PE38, composed of the Fv portion of the monoclonal antibody RFB4 fused to a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin A, is being developed to target CD22+ tumor cells. To explore the potential clinical utility of this recombinant toxin in treating patients with B-cell malignancies, the fresh cells of patients were incubated ex vivo with RFB4(dsFv)-PE38. Specific cytotoxicity was demonstrated in the malignant cells of 25 of 28 patients with a variety of B-cell malignancies, including acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemias and large cell, mantle cell, and follicular lymphomas. The IC50S, the concentrations necessary for 50% inhibition of protein synthesis, were 3-10 ng/ml in five patients and 10-50 ng/ml in seven patients. Cytotoxicity correlated with cell death upon direct examination of the malignant cells. Significant cytotoxicity was observed with cells containing as few as 350 CD22 sites/cell. A more active derivative of RFB4(dsFv)-PE38, RFB4(dsFv)-PE38KDEL, was produced and was slightly to more than 10-fold more cytotoxic toward patient cells and about twice as toxic to mice. Thus, RFB4(dsFv)-PE38 was specifically cytotoxic toward malignant cells from patients with B-cell leukemias. These data support the testing of RFB4(dsFv)-PE38 in patients with CD22+ leukemias and lymphomas, which is presently under way.