A relatively non-toxic prodrug, which is a substrate for the enzyme, is then administered and converted to a cytotoxic drug at the tumor site where the enzyme is localized, resulting in tumor cell death [1–4]. For ADEPT to be effective, the prodrug must be cleaved to a cytotoxic agent only by the administered enzyme [4]. Therefore, endogenously expressed human enzymes cannot be utilized for ADEPT, since the prodrug will be converted to a cytotoxic drug not only in the vicinity

of tumor, but also at sites where endogenous enzyme is expressed causing systemic toxicity. On the other hand, if a non-human enzyme is used, it will be immunogenic, preventing multiple administrations [2]. One strategy find more for achieving effective ADEPT is to change the substrate specificity of a human enzyme such that it can cleave prodrugs that are not substrates of wild type enzyme. Recently, we have reported a mutated human purine nucleoside phosphorylase that is capable of utilizing adenosine-based prodrugs as substrate [5]. The endogenously expressed human

purine nucleoside phosphorylase (hPNP) cleaves 6-oxo purines to their corresponding free base and ribose-1-phosphate, but does not use adenosine or adenosine-based prodrugs [5, 6]. However, following two mutations (Glu201Gln:Asn243Asp) in the purine binding BI 10773 supplier pocket of hPNP the resulting enzyme (hDM) effectively cleaves adenosine-based prodrugs including 2-fluoro-2′-deoxyadenosine (F-dAdo), Cladribine, and 2-fluoroadenosine to their corresponding cytotoxic base [5]. When the activity of hDM was tested in vitro, generation of the toxic metabolite 2-fluoroadenine (F-Ade) due to phosphorolysis this website of F-dAdo resulted in inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells [5]. Therefore, hDM-F-dAdo constitutes an attractive enzyme-prodrug combination

for use in ADEPT. We now report the further development of hDM for use in ADEPT. To localize hDM to Calpain tumors, it was fused at its C-terminus to an anti-HER2/neu single chain Fv (scFv), C6 MH3B1 via a rigid α-helical linker. C6 MH3B1 is the result of affinity maturation of the scFv C6.5 isolated from a fully human non-immune phage library [7] and exhibits high specificity, affinity, and most importantly a slow dissociation rate from the tumor associated antigen, HER2/neu [7]. The fusion protein, hDM-C6 MH3B1 forms an active trimer capable of cleaving F-dAdo to F-Ade in a dose-dependent manner with kinetic parameters comparable to those previously reported [5]. In vitro hDM-C6 MH3B1 localizes to tumor cells and its cleavage of F-dAdo results in tumor cell death. The F-Ade generated will also inhibit the proliferation of neighboring tumor cells that lack expression of the tumor antigen, the so called “”bystander effect”". Moreover, we showed that F-Ade is as toxic to slowly growing and non-proliferating cells as it is to rapidly dividing tumor cells.