Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40221417›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Structure-guided disulfide engineering restricts antibody conformation to elicit TNFR agonism.

Isabel G Elliott, Hayden Fisher, H T Claude Chan, Tatyana Inzhelevskaya, C Ian Mockridge, Christine A Penfold, Patrick J Duriez, Christian M Orr, Julie Herniman, Kri T J Müller and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Isabel G Elliott *School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4535-5932
Hayden Fisher *School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0093-0921
H T Claude ChanAntibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
Tatyana InzhelevskayaAntibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
C Ian MockridgeAntibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
Christine A PenfoldAntibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
Patrick J DuriezAntibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
Christian M OrrDiamond Light Source, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6137-8969
Julie HernimanSchool of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4834-1093
Kri T J MüllerAntibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5674-6125
Jonathan W EssexSchool of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2639-2746
Mark S CraggAntibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK.
Ivo TewsSchool of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK. Ivo.Tews@soton.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4704-1139

Funding

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) C1477/A20537Cancer Research UK (CRUK) C328/A25139Cancer Research UK (CRUK) C34999/A18087Cancer Research UK (CRUK) DRCDDRPGM- Apr2020\100005Cancer Research UK (CRUK) DRCPGM\100039RCUK | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) BB/Y009339/1RCUK | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) EP/R029407/1RCUK | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) EP/X035603/1Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A promising strategy in cancer immunotherapy is activation of immune signalling pathways through antibodies that target co-stimulatory receptors. hIgG2, one of four human antibody isotypes, is known to deliver strong agonistic activity, and modification of hIgG2 hinge disulfides can influence immune-stimulating activity. This was shown for antibodies directed against the hCD40 receptor, where cysteine-to-serine exchange mutations caused changes in antibody conformational flexibility. Here we demonstrate that the principles of increasing agonism by restricting antibody conformation through disulfide modification can be translated to the co-stimulatory receptor h4-1BB, another member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily. Furthermore, we explore structure-guided design of the anti-hCD40 antibody ChiLob7/4 and show that engineering additional disulfides between opposing F(ab') arms can elicit conformational restriction, concomitant with enhanced agonism. These results support a mode where subtle increases in rigidity can deliver significant improvements in immunostimulatory activity, thus providing a strategy for the rational design of more powerful antibody therapeutics.

Indexed as

Antibodies, MonoclonalDisulfidesImmunoglobulin GProtein EngineeringReceptors, Tumor Necrosis FactorAnimalsHumansImmunotherapyMiceProtein ConformationAntibodies, MonoclonalDisulfidesImmunoglobulin GReceptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor

Identifiers

PMID40221417
PMCPMC11993666

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.