Formation of novel erythropoietin conjugates using transglutaminase

Abstract

The invention provides biologically active erythropoietin (EPO) conjugate compositions wherein a transglutaminase reaction is employed to covalently and site specifically conjugate the EPO molecule to a non-antigenic hydrophilic polymer that can also be covalently linked to an organic molecule either of which modification increases the circulating serum half-life of the composition.

1 . An erythropoietic conjugate having the biological properties of causing bone marrow cells to increase production of reticulocytes and red blood cells, comprising a moiety of the formula:  
         EPO-[Lys-Gln-Z-X-(M) n ] y    (II)  
       where EPO is erythropoietin or its pharmaceutical acceptable derivatives having the biological properties of causing bone marrow cells to increase production of reticulocytes and red blood cells; Lys is a lysine residue selected from one or more lysine residues within the primary sequence of EPO; y is an integer from 1 to 8 indicating the number of modified lysine residues; Gln is a glutamine residue; Z is peptide or protein containing the Gln residue that is capable of acting as transglutaminase amine acceptor, X is an optional hydrophilic polymer; M is an optional organic molecule characterized in that it is capable of increasing the circulating half-life of the EPO molecule; N is an integer from 0 to 15, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts or esters thereof.  
     
     
         2 . The erythropoietic conjugate of claims  1  that cause bone marrow cells to increase production of red blood cells, and said increase is sustained after administration of said erythropoietin conjugate for a greater period of time than that seen after administration of unconjugated erythropoietin.  
     
     
         3 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 2 , where the sustained effect is due to increased serum half life over unmodified mammalian erythropoietin.  
     
     
         4 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 1  wherein M is one to about six organic moieties, which are each independently selected from a fatty acid group, a fatty acid ester group, a lipid or a phospholipid.  
     
     
         5 . The erythropoietin conjugate of  claim 1  wherein the hydrophilic polymer is a polyalkylene oxide.  
     
     
         6 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 1 , wherein said erythropoietin or erythropoietic moiety is selected from recombinant and non-recombinant mammalian erythropoietin.  
     
     
         7 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 5 , wherein the polyalkylene oxide is a substituted polyethylene oxide.  
     
     
         8 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 5 , wherein the polyalkylene oxide is selected from polyethylene glycol homopolymers, polypropylene glycol homopolymers, alkyl-polyethylene oxides, bispolyethylene oxides and co-polymers or block co-polymers of polyalkyene oxides.  
     
     
         9 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 2  wherein said glutamine residue is bonded to from one to eight of LYS 20, LYS 45, LYS 52, LYS 97, LYS 116, LYS 140, LYS 152, LYS 154 of the mature chain EPO.  
     
     
         10 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 5 , wherein said polyalkylene oxide is a polyethylene glycol homopolymer having a molecular weight of between about 200 and about 100,000.  
     
     
         11 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 1  wherein said hydrophilic polymeric group is a linear or branched polyalkane glycol chain, a carbohydrate chain, an amino acid chain or a polyvinyl pyrolidone chain, and wherein said hydrophilic polymeric group has a molecular weight of about 800 to about 120,000 Daltons.  
     
     
         12 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 11  wherein said hydrophilic polymeric group is a linear or branched polyalkane glycol chain with a molecular weight greater than 2,000 Daltons.  
     
     
         13 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 11  wherein said hydrophilic polymeric group is a linear or branched polyethylene glycol chain or a linear or branched substituted polyethylene glycol chain, n is an integer other than 0 and the organic moiety is selected from an alkyl group, a C 6 -C 40  fatty acid group, a C 6 -C 40  fatty acid ester group, a lipid group and a phospholipid group.  
     
     
         14 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 13  wherein said hydrophilic polymeric group is a linear or branched polyethylene glycol chain that is terminally substituted with an organic moiety selected from an alIkyl group, a C 6 -C 40  fatty acid group, a C 6 -C40 fatty acid ester group, a lipid group or a phospholipid group.  
     
     
         15 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 14  wherein said organic moiety is palmitoyl.  
     
     
         16 . The erythropoietic conjugate of  claim 14  wherein the organic moiety is disteroylphosphatidyl ethanolamine (DSPE).  
     
     
         17 . The erythropoetic conjugate of  claim 14  wherein the glutamine-hydrophilic polymer-organic moiety is covalently bonded to from one to eight of LYS 20, LYS 45, LYS 52, LYS 97, LYS 116, LYS 140, LYS 152, LYS 154 of the mature chain EPO.  
     
     
         18 . The conjugate of  claim 1  where A is a glutamine-containing TGase substrate, X is PEG or other water soluble polymer and is optional, and M is biotin, dansyl, or other organic moiety imparting biophysical characteristics to EPO that are useful for research, diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.  
     
     
         19 . A method of preparing an EPO conjugate having erythropoietic activity of the formula:  
         EPO-[Lys-Gln-Z-X-(M) n ] y    (II)  
       where EPO is erythropoietin or its pharmaceutical acceptable derivatives having the biological properties of causing bone marrow cells to increase production of reticulocytes and red blood cells; Lys is a lysine residue selected from one or more lysine residues within the primary sequence of EPO; y is an integer from 1 to 8 indicating the number of modified lysine residues; Gln is a glutamine residue; Z is peptide or protein containing the Gln residue that is capable of acting as transglutaminase amine acceptor, X is an optional hydrophilic polymer; M is an optional organic molecule characterized in that it is capable of increasing the circulating half-life of the EPO molecule; N is an integer from 0 to 15, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts or esters thereof; 
 comprising contacting an erythropoetic or an erythropoetic protein having a water accessible lysine residue with a preconstructed hydrophilic polymer-organic moiety complex of the formula Gln-Z-X(M) n , capable of acting as a transglutaminase substrate, in the presence of transglutaminase under conditions such that an EPO-polymer-organic moiety conjugate is formed.  
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said polymer is a polyalkylene oxide.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said polyalkylene oxide is an alpha-substituted polyalkylene oxide.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said polyalkylene oxide is a polyethylene glycol.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the transglutaminase is a mammalian protein.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the transglutaminase is a bacterial protein.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the transglutaminase is a prokaryotic protein.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19  where A is a peptide, protein, or other polymer containing a glutamine residue capable of acting as an amine acceptor TGase substrate, X is PEG or other water soluble polymer and is optional, and M is biotin, dansyl, or other moiety imparting biophysical characteristics to EPO that are useful for research, diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.  
     
     
         27 . A method of treating anemia comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of conjugate of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said conjugate is characterized by increased serum half-life-compared to the unconjugated erythropoietin.  
     
     
         29 . An erythropoietic protein or protein conjugate containing recombinant or non-recombinant mammalian erythropoietin in which any or all of the residues LYS 20, LYS 45, LYS 52, LYS 97, LYS 116, LYS 140, LYS 152, LYS 154 have been modified by recombinant, enzymatic or chemical means to modify the TGase substrate properties and thereby increase the circulation half life or otherwise alter the biological activity of said erythropoietic protein.