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Method Article
This protocol describes a blockade assay for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors using surface plasmon resonance technology. It employs a dual-step immobilization strategy and a tailored buffer system to accurately measure response units, facilitating the assessment of blockade rates for compounds or biologics. Additionally, it supports the high-throughput identification of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.
The disruption of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction is a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. Reliable screening platforms are essential for evaluating the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. A previously established human PD-1/PD-L1 blockade assay utilizing Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technology (first-generation PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor SPR screening platform) demonstrated results comparable to those obtained through Homogeneous Time-Resolved Fluorescence (HTRF) and cell-based assays, with potential for large-scale screening. Herein, an optimized version of this assay (second-generation PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor SPR screening platform) is presented, featuring a dual-step coupling process that combines amine and bio-streptavidin coupling to enhance PD-1 orientation control on the chip and reduce PD-1 protein consumption. The updated platform was successfully validated using the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor BMS-1166, showing blockade effects comparable to the previous SPR-based method and other established techniques such as ELISA. These results confirm the reliability of the approach. This optimized SPR screening platform offers a high-throughput and reliable tool for identifying novel PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, advancing cancer immunotherapy research, and highlighting the potential of SPR in immune checkpoint inhibitor screening.
Immune checkpoint blockade therapies, particularly those targeting Programmed Cell Death-1 (PD-1) and Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1), stand at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy strategies. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies have received approval for use in various cancer types, such as hematological, cutaneous, pulmonary, hepatic, urinary bladder, and renal cancers1. PD-1 is a transmembrane glycoprotein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily, characterized by a single immunoglobulin variable (IgV)-like domain at the N-terminal, a roughly 20-amino acid stalk separating the IgV domain from the plasma membrane, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic tail containing tyrosine-based signaling motifs2. PD-L1, identified as one of the ligands for PD-1, is a type I transmembrane protein featuring a transmembrane region, two extracellular domains-immunoglobulin constant (IgC) and IgV-and a relatively short cytoplasmic domain that triggers intracellular signaling pathways3. The PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitory pathway serves as a critical immune checkpoint that regulates T cell activation and autoimmunity4. PD-1 is expressed on T cells, where it interacts with PD-L1, inhibits T cell receptor signaling, and blocks the stimulation of CD28 and CD80 molecules on antigen-presenting cells and T cells5. Cancer tissues exploit this physiological mechanism by overexpressing PD-L1 during the escape phase, thus creating an immunosuppressive environment that promotes tumor growth and progression6. Inhibitors of PD-1 and PD-L1 disrupt this interaction, enabling the immune system to evade tumor-induced suppression and reinitiate the T-cell-mediated tumor-cell death process7.
Building on the foundation laid by the prominent role of immune checkpoint blockade therapies, the development of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors has marked a significant advancement in cancer immunotherapy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has endorsed nine immune checkpoint inhibitors that specifically target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. These include six PD-1 inhibitors-pembrolizumab, dostarlimab, nivolumab, cemiplimab, oripalimab, and tislelizumab-and three PD-L1 inhibitors-atezolizumab, avelumab, and durvalumab8,9. These therapies have been effectively utilized to treat a variety of cancers, such as melanoma, lung cancer, urothelial cancer, cervical cancer, gastric or gastroesophageal cancer, and other solid tumors10. Despite their efficacy, monoclonal antibody-based therapies face significant limitations, including low response rates, high costs, prolonged half-lives, severe immune-related adverse events, and restrictions to intravenous or subcutaneous delivery11,12,13. Consequently, research is increasingly focused on developing small-molecule inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. These small molecules offer distinct advantages, such as improved cellular penetration, modulation of diverse biological targets, enhanced oral bioavailability, and reduced costs, with the goal of achieving comparable therapeutic outcomes with fewer adverse effects14. However, the development of small molecule inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction is in its early stages, primarily due to the lack of a reliable high-throughput screening platform. Such platforms are essential for rapidly evaluating vast libraries of small molecules and identifying lead compounds for further validation and optimization. Overcoming this challenge is critical to advancing cancer immunotherapy.
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technology is extensively employed in detecting various biomolecules, including antibody antigens, enzymes, nucleic acids, and drugs, and is particularly effective in small molecule drug screening15,16. Unlike other biophysical techniques, SPR offers label-free detection, real-time kinetic data, and a broad detection range. In contrast, Isothermal Titration Calorimetry lacks real-time kinetic insights and requires larger sample volumes, limiting throughput. Microscale Thermophoresis is prone to buffer interference and cannot provide kinetic data, while Biolayer Interferometry has application-specific limitations based on molecular size and properties. Homogeneous Time-Resolved Fluorescence requires labeling and is susceptible to fluorescent interference. We acknowledge that HTRF is another suitable technology to explore PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. One inherent limitation of HTRF, compared to SPR, is fluorescence quenching caused by external interactions with the intramolecular excitation process (e.g., electron transfer, FRET, and bleaching), the sensitivity is too low in the drug screening process because of the small window range, and interference from fluorescent library compounds or biological proteins17. These features position SPR as a superior tool for drug discovery. Our previous studies have demonstrated that SPR is able to determine the blockade effect of small molecules against PD-1/PD-L1, which is advantageous over other techniques that require high labeling technology requirements, multiple steps, poor specificity, and high cost in the drug discovery process18.
This study introduces an optimized SPR-based platform, integrating a dual-step coupling process that utilizes both amine and bio-streptavidin coupling to enhance PD-1 orientation on the chip and minimize protein usage. This updated approach was successfully validated using the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor BMS-1166 as a positive control binder, demonstrating blockade effects comparable to both our previous SPR method and other established techniques such as ELISA19,20. This not only confirms the reliability and reproducibility of our protocol but also illustrates the effectiveness of our modified platform in facilitating high-throughput screening of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The incorporation of the bio-streptavidin capturing step provides site-directed rather than random protein orientation, allowing for reduced PD-1 concentration (40 µg/mL vs. 10 µg/mL) and cost savings by enabling the end user to immobilize streptavidin (SA) to a CM5 chip, a less expensive alternative to commercialized pre-immobilized SA chips. This makes it advantageous for large-scale, cost-effective screenings of compound/peptide libraries. Although additional characterization methods, including in silico, in vitro, and in vivo assays, are essential to evaluate the clinical potential of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors against cancer, our enhanced SPR-based screening platform stands out as an efficient tool for large-scale screening of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.
The reagents and equipment are listed in the Table of Materials.
1. Immobilization of the streptavidin (SA) protein on the CM5 chip
2. Immobilization of PD-1 protein on the SA chip
3. Regeneration scouting for PD-1 and PD-L1
4. Validation of PD-1/PD-L1 interaction
NOTE: For validation, a previously published report18 was followed with minor adjustments.
5. PD-1/PD-L1 blockade assay with small molecule inhibitor: BMS-1166
NOTE: For the blockade assay, a previously published report18 was followed with minor adjustments.
Immobilization of SA on CM5 chip
Data were analyzed via the output from the SPR instrument and associated analysis software indicating successful achievement of the target RU (2000 RU) of SA protein on flow cell 1 and flow cell 2. Flow cells 1 and 2 were immobilized with SA (40 μg/mL) on the CM5 chip surface with a final response of 1902.3 RU on flow cell 1 (Figure 1A) and 1900.7 RU on flow cell 2 (Figure 1B).
Over the past few decades, various immunotherapy approaches-including cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and CAR T-cell therapies-have significantly advanced cancer treatment21. Immune checkpoints play a crucial role in preventing immune cell-mediated collateral damage during pathogenic responses and in suppressing autoimmunity. A key example is the interaction between PD-L1 and PD-1, which forms a major immune checkpoint, allowing cancer cells to evade immune surveillance. Targeting t...
The authors have nothing to disclose.
The authors acknowledge the RI-INBRE core facility at the University of Rhode Island, supported by Grant P20GM103430 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This research was supported by a Pilot Grant Award from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island, a Small Grant Award from the Rhode Island Life Science Hub (RILSH), and a Rhode Island Foundation grant, all awarded to Chang Liu, Ph.D.
Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
50 mM NaOH | Cytiva Life Sciences | 100358 | |
50 mM NaOH | Fisher Scientific | 905376 | |
96-Well Polystyrene Microplates | Cytiva Life Sciences | BR100503 | |
Amine Coupling Kit | Cytiva Life Sciences | 35120 | |
Biacore T200 SPR System and Evaluation Software 3.2 | Cytiva Life Sciences | 28975001 | |
Biotinylated Human PD-1 Fc, Avitag Protein | Acro Biosystems | PD1-H82F1 | |
BMS1166 | MedChemExpress | HY-102011 | |
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) | Sigma-Aldrich | 276855 | |
DNase Free Water | Fisher Scientific | 188506 | |
Glycine 1.5 | Cytiva Life Sciences | BR100354 | |
Glycine 2.0 | Cytiva Life Sciences | BR100355 | |
Glycine 2.5 | Cytiva Life Sciences | BR100356 | |
Glycine 3.0 | Cytiva Life Sciences | BR100357 | |
HBS-EP+ Buffer | Cytiva Life Sciences | BR100669 | |
Human PD-L1 Fc Tag Protein | Acro Biosystems | PD-1-H5258 | |
Isopropanol | Fisher Scientific | BP2618-1 | |
Microplate Foil, 96-Well | Cytiva Life Sciences | 28975816 | |
NaCl | Sigma-Aldrich | 746398 | |
Plastic Vials 7 mm | Cytiva Life Sciences | BR100212 | |
Rubber Caps, Type 3 | Cytiva Life Sciences | BR100502 | |
Series S Sensor Chip CM5 | Cytiva Life Sciences | 29149603 | |
Sodium Acetate 4.5 | Cytiva Life Sciences | 100350 | |
Sodium Acetate 5.0 | Cytiva Life Sciences | 100351 | |
Streptavidin | Sigma-Aldrich | S4762 |
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