A Hybrid Protein–Polymer Nanoworm Potentiates Apoptosis Better than a Monoclonal Antibody

B-cell lymphomas continue to occur with a high incidence. The chimeric antibody known as Rituximab (Rituxan) has become a vital therapy for these patients. Rituximab induces cell death via binding and clustering of the CD20 receptor by Fcγ expressing effector cells. Because of the limited mobility of effector cells, it may be advantageous to cluster CD20 directly using multivalent nanostructures. To explore this strategy, this manuscript introduces a nanoparticle that assembles from a fusion between a single chain antibody and a soluble protein polymer. These hybrid proteins express in Escherichia coli and do not require bioconjugation between the antibody and a substrate. Surprisingly a fusion between an anti-CD20 single chain antibody and a soluble protein polymer assemble worm-like nanostructures, which were characterized using light scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. These nanoworms competitively bind CD20 on two B-cell lymphoma cell lines, exhibit concentration-dependent induction of apoptosis, and induce apoptosis better than Rituximab alone. Similar activity was observed in vivo using a non-Hodgkin lymphoma xenograft model. In comparison to Rituximab, systemic nanoworms significantly slowed tumor growth. These findings suggest that hybrid nanoworms targeted at CD20 may be useful treatments for B-cell related malignancies. Because of the ubiquity of antibody therapeutics, related nanoworms may have uses against other molecular targets.