The invention concerns the field of antibodies directed against the alpha subunit of the receptor for interleukin7 (IL-7), designated CD127 or p90 IL-7R or IL-7Ralpha or IL-7Rα− sometimes also noted IL-7Ra−, especially of the alpha chain of the receptor for human IL-7 expressed on human cells. These antibodies have antagonist properties for IL-7-IL-7R interaction, may present cytotoxic activity against CD127 positive cells but do not increase the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) induced by TSLP, a cytokine also using CD127 as part of its receptor. Alternatively, or in addition, these antibodies do not induce the internalization of CD127 and/or inhibit the IL7-induced internalization of CD127. According to another aspect of the invention antibodies are provided which recognize a human CD127 epitope comprising sequences from the 2b site of CD127, in particular the epitope comprises human CD127 sequences of domain D1 and of the 2b site of CD127, in particular the epitope comprises at least one sequence from D1 comprising SEQ ID No: 115 (in particular comprising SEQ ID No: 110) and a sequence from the 2b site comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No: 116 and optionally also comprises SEQ ID No: 117 (in particular comprises SEQ ID No: 111).

Accordingly the antibodies of the invention are suitable for use in order to remedy to a condition diagnosed in a human patient which results from pathogenesis related to lymphopoiesis, when IL-7 signalling pathways provide contribution to said pathogenesis, especially when an increase in the maturation, more precisely the upregulation of costimulatory molecules, of dendritic cells is undesirable.

Biochemistry

CD127 is common to the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) and to the TSLP receptor (TSLPR). The IL-7R is constituted of a heterodimer of CD127 and the common gamma chain (γc) of interleukin receptors. The common gamma chain γc is sometime referred to herein and in the literature as CD132. IL-7R is bound by Interleukin 7. The TSLP receptor is a heterodimer of CD127 and cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2). The TSLP receptor is bound by TSLP. In the literature, TSLPR is sometimes used to designate both the CRLF2 chain of the receptor, and the CD127/CRLF2 complex. In order to avoid confusion, in what follows TSLPR usually designates the complex.

CD127 (Swiss Prot accession number P16871) may exist in four isoforms. The canonical isoform, also termed H20 (Swiss Prot P16871.1) is a single-pass transmembrane protein and has 459 amino acids consisting, from N- to C-terminal, of a 20 amino-acid signal peptide, a 219 amino acid exracellular domain, a 25 amino-acid transmembrane domain and a 195 amino-acid intracellular domain. Other isoforms share the sequence of all of (or most of) the extracellular domain of H20 and display varied C-terminal sequences. Isoforms 2 and 4 are secreted (Swiss Prot P16871-4 and P16871-3), while isoform 3 (Swiss Prot P16871-2) is also a transmembrane protein. The sequence of CD127, without the signal peptide, is provided herein as SEQ ID No: 57. When referring to numbered amino acids of CD127 in the present application, said sequence will serve as reference for the numbering. CD127 is reported to have the sequence of SEQ ID No:113, and its extracellular domain, when the signal peptide is removed, has the sequence of SEQ ID No:114. Unless otherwise stated, the numbering used herein for amino acids of CD127 is the numbering from SEQ ID No:114.

CD127 is a Cytokine Receptor Homology class I (CRH I) receptor. As is well known in the art, the extracellular domain of these receptors consists of two fibronectin 3 domains, termed D1 and D2. The precise crystallographic structure of CD127 has been published and discussed in e.g. McElroy et al., 2009; McElroy et al., 2012 and Walsh, 2012 and in particular has been disclosed as protein structure data in the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB) database, with the accession number 3UP1. D1 is generally considered to be involved in the binding with IL-7, while D2 is involved in the binding to the γc chain (and also with IL-7). Importantly, the site 2b of domain D2, essentially consisting of amino acids 109 to 127 of SEQ ID No:114 (see Walsh, 2012) is critical for the CD127-γc interaction, in particular to allow or increase binding of CD127 with γc in the presence of IL-7. In particular, mutations at P112 and L115, which have been identified in patients suffering from Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), are thought to destabilize the hydrophobic core of the D2 domain which likely results in their pathogenic feature. As said above, the 2b site consists essentially of amino acids 109 to 127; the skilled person will appreciate that the extremities of such a domain may not necessarily be defined unambiguously with a single-base precision and that the 2b site may be understood to comprise, at either or both ends of the mentioned sequence, 1, 2, or 3 more or less amino acids. Therefore, when referring herein to the 2b site of CD127, this should be understood to refer to a sequence of CD127 starting at position 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111 or 112 and ending at position 124, 125, 126 or 127; in particular to such a sequence which is thought or shown to constitute an essential binding site with the γc chain of the IL7-R, in particular in the presence of IL-7.

IL-7R signalling. Binding of IL-7 to IL-7R triggers the activation of several signalling pathways, including the Janus kinases (JAK)-1 and -3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) and phosphatidylinostol 3-kinase (PI3-k). STAT1 and STAT3 pathways are reported to be activated, although they do not seem to be the main pathways. The activation of the STAT5 pathway is required for the induction of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and the prevention of the entry of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax in the mitochondrion and thus for survival of thymic developing T cell precursors. The activation of the PI3-k pathway results in the phosphorylation and cytoplasmic retention of the pro-apoptotic protein Bad.

TSLPR signalling. Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin, (TSLP) is an epithelial Cell Cytokine that is active in lymphopoiesis and in particular is involved in regulation of development of cells of the immune system, said regulation impacting in particular the maturation of said cells. Human TSLP (Genbank accession number AF338732) is a factor which exerts polarization of dendritic cells and promotes T and B cell proliferation and differentiation. TSLP also suppresses the generation of Treg cells (Lei et al., 2011).

TSLP-induced signaling pathways have been shown to be different, at the molecular level, from IL-7-induced pathways. In particular, while TSLP binding to its receptor also activates Jak-1, it does not activate Jak-3 but does activate Jak-2. These differences are consistent with the observation that Jak-1 associates with CD127, shared by both receptors while Jak-2 associates with CRLF2 and Jak-3 with γc (Rochman et al., 2010). The activation of the STAT5 pathway is also reported for TSLP-induced signaling (Zhong et al., 2014). One major effect of TSLP is to lead to the activation of dendritic cells, inducing the overexpression of costimulatory molecules such as CD80, thereby promoting TH-2 mediated inflammatory responses (Reche et al., 2001).

Cellular Biology

“CD127-posititive cells” designates cells expressing CD127 at their cell surface. In most cases, CD127-positive cells express CD127 in a complex forming the IL-7R (IL-7R-positive cells) and/or in a complex forming the TSLPR (TSLPR-positive cells). CD127 is expressed by various cells, including by both memory and naive T cells. CD127 is in particular expressed by effector T cells (Teff), including resting and memory T cells, and by immature B cells, but is especially not expressed by resting natural regulatory T cells (natural Treg). IL-7Rα is essential for promoting thymocyte differenciation and clonal expansion of lymphocytes.

The importance of the IL7-CD127 pathway for naïve T-cell homeostasis is underlined by several recent studies showing that expression levels of membrane-bound IL-7Rα on conventional CD4+T cells correlate with frequencies of recent thymic emigrant (RTE)-CD4+T cells in healthy individuals and HIV-infected patients as well as in patients with MS (Albuquerque et al., 2007) (Broux et al., 2010). IL-7Rα is also a component of the TSLP receptor. The secretion of TSLP by Hassall's corpuscles, structures composed of epithelial cells in the thymic medulla, has been demonstrated to condition CD11c+myeloid dendritic cells (MDCs) to induce the differentiation of thymocytes into Treg (Watanabe et al., 2005a). Accordingly, signals from the IL-7 receptor are required for Treg development as shown in IL-7Rα knockout mice (Mazzucchelli et al., 2008). In (Haas et al., 2011), the authors showed a reduced IL-7Rα expression on conventional T cells and upregulated IL-7 plasma levels together with reduction of recent thymic emigrant-Treg frequencies and Treg function in MS, without clear genetic influence (Haas et al., 2011).

Dissecting how IL-7 regulates its cognate receptor membrane trafficking is crucial to the in-depth understanding of the role of IL-7/IL-7R in lymphocyte function. Previous studies have suggested that IL-7 stimulation of T cells leads to surface down-modulation of CD127 within 30 minutes, possibly because of receptor internalization. At later time points (2-6 hours), IL-7 was shown to induce transcriptional down-regulation of CD127. However, the actual dynamics of CD127 internalization and the regulation of trafficking mechanisms by IL-7 remain to be elucidated (Henriques et al., 2010). It was also suggested that IL-7-induced signaling is dependent on CD127 internalization and that subsequent receptor degradation relies on JAK3 activity and is mediated by both proteasomes and lysosomes.

Physiopathology

Dendritic cells express high levels of costimulatory molecules after maturation, such as CD80, which promotes T cell mediated immune responses. They also produce the cytokine TARC (CCL17), which induces chemotaxis in T cells. As such, mature dendritic cells contribute to the physiopathology of several immune-mediated diseases where T cell responses are at play, as for example in asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, multiple sclerosis and uveitis. Mature dendritic cells also play a key role in the rejection process of cells, tissues or organ allografts. Therefore many therapeutic strategies aim at preventing dendritic cells maturation.

The presence or absence of costimulatory molecules on antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells significantly influences the qualitative and quantitative nature of an immune response. Overexpression of CD80 by dendritic cells causes DC maturation and increases memory T cell activation (Bour-Jordan et al., 2011). Mechanistically, interaction of CD28 with CD80 occupies the central cluster of the immunological synapse and is colocalized with the engaged TCR, thereby stabilizing the immune synapse (Dustin and Shaw, 1999) (Grakoui et al., 1999). The interaction between CD28 and CD80 actually generates the appropriate spacing for TCR to efficiently interact with HLA molecules (Shaw and Dustin, 1997). Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The appearance of demyelinating patches in the CNS of patients with MS is associated with an inflammatory infiltrate mainly composed of macrophages and T lymphocytes. On a mechanistic level, the MS is considered as a autoimmune disease. MS is typically considered as a disease primarily mediated by CD4+T cells. Particular subsets of CD4+: Th1 and more recently Th17, were implicated in the pathophysiology of the disease. At present, it is still difficult to assign specific roles to each subpopulation Th1 and Th17. Furthermore, inhibition of leucocyte trafficking by antagonism of the alpha4 (α4)-integrin has now been validated as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as MS and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and as well for the treatment of atherosclerosis (Zhi et al., 2014). α4β7 is expressed on a more restricted set of leucocytes including activated macrophage, subsets of lymphocytes, NK cells, mast cells and eosinophils.

Human IL-7 induces strong expression of α4 and β7 integrins in vitro on human T lymphocytes and dramatically increases the frequency of human T lymphocytes expressing α4, β7 and α4/β7 integrins (FIG. 19), which are required for T lymphocytes homing and retention in non-lymphoid tissues such as intestine, brain and skin (Denucci et al., 2009; Gorfu et al., 2009).

Naive T cells are partly responsible for acute rejection of transplanted organs and tissues. These cells can be controlled by current immunosuppressive drugs (calcineurin inhibitors) and by monoclonal antibodies that block costimulation (anti-adhesion, CD80/86 inhibitors). Memory T cells are also responsible for transplant rejection. Memory T cells accumulate in man due to the acquired immune history, mainly former reactions against viruses. It has been shown that memory T cells can be reactivated by alloantigens as a result of “heterologous immunity”, which is the cross-reaction of our anti-viral defenses with alloantigens (Adams et al., 2003). Heterologous immunity represents a potent barrier to tolerance induction since memory T cells, in contrast to naive T cells, are programmed to activate quickly, with a reduced requirement for costimulatory signals. Memory T cells may also be involved in chronic rejection. Beside their role in organ and tissue transplantation, naïve and memory T cells are also co-responsible for many autoimmune diseases. This is the case for ulcerative colitis (Shinohara et al., 2011), rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis or graft-versus-host disease.

Furthermore, several malignant cells have been shown to display IL-7R. This is the case for Sezary cutaneous lymphoma (60% of them), or childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in which about 15% of the cases develop gain-of-function mutation in CD127, rendering these tumors partially IL-7 dependent (Shochat et al., 2011).

The depletion of T lymphocytes has been an obvious immunosuppressive approach to counteract allograft rejection or fight autoimmunity. However, total T cell depletion might not be favorable for the induction of immunological tolerance. Targeting T cell subpopulations or selectively activated T cells, without modifying Treg cells, could constitute a pro-tolerogenic approach (Haudebourg et al., 2009). CD127 may thus be regarded as a potential attractive therapeutic target for monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) aimed at modulating immune responses since such monoclonal antibodies could have the potential of depleting effector but not regulatory lymphocytes. It has been assumed accordingly that they might show efficacy in transplantation, autoimmunity (Michel et al., 2008) and malignancies by antagonizing access of IL-7 to IL-7-R and thereby limiting T and B cell function and growth.

A therapy with a monoclonal antibody against CD127+cells that interferes with the IL-7 pathway could fulfill that goal by eliminating/neutralizing naïve and memory T cells and/or reducing their number while preserving Treg cells or by eliminating or reducing the number of CD127-positive malignant cells. A therapy with a monoclonal antibody against CD127+cells might however act as a double edge sword if it leads to dendritic cells activation. Indeed, CD127 is also expressed by dendritic cells in association with CRLF2, forming the TSLP receptor. In the presence of TSLP, dendritic cells get activated and promote T cell-mediated immune responses. Some monoclonal antibodies against CD127, presumably by modifying the way TSLP interacts with TSLP receptor, have the property to increase the maturation of dendritic cells induced by TSLP (as shownFIG. 7with the medium condition). As a consequence, a therapy with a monoclonal antibody against CD127 that would not increase the maturation of dendritic cells induced by TSLP would present a therapeutic advantage. It would present the benefit of IL7R blockade without the drawback of activating dendritic cells in an inflamed environment containing TSLP.

In a publication (Racapé et al., 2009) the authors analyzed the interest of IL-7 receptor alpha (IL7Rα) as a potential therapeutic target in transplantation. Having reviewed the expression of IL-7Rα on various T cells and IL-7 responsive cells, the authors determined whether targeting memory T cells expressing IL-7Rα could prolong allograft survival in mice and conclude that targeting IL-7 or IL-7Rα would advantageously spare Treg cells. Among the perspectives, the authors pointed out that targeting either IL-7 or IL-7Rα in therapeutic treatment might have different consequences on the survival of the cells expressing CD127 and might elicit different type of lymphopenia. The question of the effects of antibodies that would be directed against IL-7Rα depending upon whether they would be blocking or neutralizing or cytotoxic antibodies was also posed from a conceptual point of view. The authors nevertheless did not show having obtained and assayed such antibodies and rather expressed the need for further study to assess the relevancy of the hypothesis.

In view of the drawbacks of available therapeutic approaches in immune related diseases and other diseases involving the IL-7/IL-7Rα such as different types of cancers, including some breast cancers, there is still a need for further drug candidates, especially for candidates active with respect to more selective targets for the purpose of controlling e.g. modulating immune activation in human patients.

In this context, monoclonal antibodies against IL-7Rα having antagonist properties toward IL-7Rα have been disclosed in WO2010/017468 and their humanized versions in WO2011/094259 with a view to treat autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. The described antibodies are said to be antagonist for IL-7 binding to its receptor, and active against TH17 and TH1 cells expansion and survival which were said to require IL-7 interaction with their CD127 receptor. The effect of these antibodies on the maturation of immune cells, and particularly of dendritic cells, has not been considered. Besides, these antibodies are said not to inhibit TSLP-induced production of TARC (p. 107 of WO2011/094259). Similarly, anti-CD127 antibodies reported in WO2011/104687 or in WO2013/056984, which are contemplated for use in the treatment of diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, have not been discussed with respect to their possible effect on the maturation of dendritic cells and their interaction with TSLP-induced signalling has not been reported. In addition, as published by Kern et al (Kern et al., 2013; Kern et al., 2015) and as shown herein, the anti-CD127 antibodies of the prior art induce internalization of the receptor. Since antagonist anti-CD127 antibodies that also induce internalization of CD127 fail to control cutaneous type IV hypersensitivity (FIG. 10), whereas antagonist anti-CD127 antibodies that do not induce internalization do, it might be that the internalization process activates the signalling pathway, mitigating the antagonist effect of the antibodies. Last, the antibodies of the prior art recognize an epitope which does not comprise any sequence from the 2b site of CD127 (i.e. in particular from amino acids 109-127 of SEQ ID No:114); and have not been shown to disrupt the binding of CD127 with the γc chain of the IL7-R.

Despite recent interest in the development of CD127 antibodies, efforts have thus concentrated on the inhibition of IL7-induced IL-7R signalling. Nonetheless, TSLP and the TSLPR have been involved in a number of pathologies. TSLP has been shown to play a role in skin and lung diseases (He and Geha, 2010) and to associate to various pathologies including airway inflammatory disease and atopic dermatitis in human and mice (Ying et al., 2008) (Jariwala et al., 2011). In addition TSLP has been shown to associate to regulation of intestinal immunity and inflammation (Taylor et al., 2009). Other pathologies involving TSLP and the TSLPR include pediatric B-cell leukemia (van Bodegom et al., 2012), lung- and skin-specific allergic disorders, autoimmunity-related diseases (Roan et al., 2012) and cancer, including breast cancer (Olkhanud et al., 2011).

Therefore, while it is abundantly acknowledged in the prior art that anti-CD127 antibodies are promising candidates for the treatment of immunity-related diseases through antagonism of the IL-7-induced and/or IL-7-R mediated mechanisms, and that such antibodies would also bind CD127 in the context of the TSLP receptor and interfere with TSLP-induced and/or TSLP receptor-mediated mechanisms, their possible involvement in maturation of dendritic cells was not questioned and the improvement consisting in obtaining antibodies that do not display the effect of increasing the maturation of dendritic cells and/or that do not induce internalization of CD127 and/or that inhibit IL7-induced internalization, was never suggested in the prior art.

Following their surprising discovery of the undesired increase induced by existing anti-CD127 antibodies in the maturation of dendritic cells induced by TSLP (although the antibodies inhibit TSLP-induced production of TARC), the inventors have developed antibodies which do not display such increase and thus are more suitable for treatment of diseases, in particular of autoimmune diseases. Moreover, the inventors have discovered that antibodies which do not induce internalization and/or inhibit 1L7-induced internalization of CD127 have high efficiency, especially in vivo compared to prior art antibodies such as MD707-13.

The invention provides means suitable in this context, relating to monoclonal antibodies against IL-7Rα that interfere only negatively with the TSLP pathway. Accordingly the monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) of the invention do not increase TSLP-induced dendritic cell maturation, contrary to what was observed by the inventors with conventional anti-CD127 antibodies. In addition or alternatively, the antibodies of the invention do not induce internalization of CD127 and/or inhibit IL7-induced internalization of CD127. In a particular embodiment, the antibodies provided in the invention combine these DC maturation- and/or internalization-related properties with antagonist activity toward IL-7/IL-7-R signaling. In particular embodiments, the antibodies of the invention inhibit IL7-induced expression of α4, β7 and α4/β7 integrins in T cells, in particular in vivo. These Mabs with novel mechanisms of action therefore constitute new products for evaluating therapeutic benefits of CD127 targeting.

Furthermore, the inventors disclose the epitope recognized by a preferred antibody of the invention, thus allowing for straightforward development of alternative antibodies and/or fragments or antigen-binding domains thereof or structurally-related antigen-binding domains from other types of polypeptides, which bind the relevant epitope and preserve the desired features.

Epitopes from CD127 recognized by N13B2 were identified by array-based oligo-peptide scanning (sometimes called overlapping peptide scan or pepscan analysis) and comprise the amino acid sequences of human CD127 consisting of the sequences of ep1 (SEQ ID No: 110), ep2 (SEQ ID No: 111) and ep3 (SEQ ID No:86). This technique uses a library of oligo-peptide sequences from overlapping and non-overlapping segments of a target protein and tests for their ability to bind the antibody of interest. By combining non-adjacent peptide sequences from different parts of the target protein and enforcing conformational rigidity onto this combined peptide (such as by using CLIPS scaffolds) (Timmerman et al., 2007), discontinuous epitopes can be mapped with very high reliability and precision (Cragg, 2011) (Gaseitsiwe et al., 2010). Further determination of the epitope, using proteolysis protection procedures, allowed to determine that the conformational epitope comprises the amino acid sequences of human CD127 having the sequences of SEQ ID No: 115, SEQ ID No: 116 and SEQ ID No: 117. The epitope therefore comprises sequences from the 2b site of CD127. Furthermore, the epitope comprises sequences in both domains D1 and D2 of CD127 and more specifically sequences from the D1 domain along with sequences from the 2b site. Epitopes according to the invention are described in more detail below. In particular, said epitopes consist of SEQ ID No:115 (or SEQ ID No:110), SEQ ID No:116 (or SEQ ID No:86) and SEQ ID No:117 (or SEQ ID No:111) in their conformational arrangement in the native CD127.

In a particular embodiment, the monoclonal antibodies also exert a cytotoxic action against target CD127+ cells that also physically reduce their number (contraction of the subpopulation).

The invention thus concerns a macromolecule, such as an antibody, an antigen-binding fragment of an antibody or a chimeric molecule comprising an antibody or a fragment thereof, which (i) binds specifically the alpha chain of the receptor to IL-7 (designated CD127) through antibody-antigen interaction, especially of the alpha chain of the IL-7 receptor expressed by human CD127 positive cells, and which (ii) does not increase the maturation of dendritic cells induced by TSLP (characterized e.g. by increased expression of cell surface antigens CD80 and/or CD40) and/or (iii) does not induce internalization of CD127 and/or inhibits IL7-induced internalization of CD127.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, said macromolecule comprises a VH chain comprising at least one of the following amino acid sequences:VHCDR1 SEQ ID No:10;VHCDR2 SEQ ID No:12;VHCDR3 SEQ ID No:14 or SEQ ID No: 48;VH SEQ ID No:22
and/or a VL chain comprising at least one of the following amino acid sequences:VLCDR1 SEQ ID No:16 or SEQ ID No: 50;VLCDR2 SEQ ID No:18 or SEQ ID No: 52;VLCDR3 SEQ ID No:20;VL SEQ ID No:24.

In particular embodiments, the macromolecule exhibits cytotoxic activity against human T cells expressing CD127 (CD127+ cells). In other embodiments, the macromolecule does not exhibit cytotoxic activity against human T cells expressing CD127 (CD127+ cells).

The invention also concerns compositions comprising said macromolecule, methods of obtaining said macromolecules and uses of said macromolecules and compositions.

As used herein, a macromolecule designates any molecule, especially a molecule of biological origin or a molecule comprising fragments of biological origin, having a molecular weight of more than 500 Da. Macromolecules include, but are not limited to, polypeptides and modified polypeptides such as glycosylated polypeptides and conjugates thereof. As used herein, a macromolecule which “binds specifically CD127 through antibody-antigen interactions” means that the interactions between said macromolecule and CD127 essentially consist in the same interactions as these between an antibody specific to CD127 and CD127. In particular, said macromolecule may comprise the residues of the antibody that are involved in said interaction, in a spatial configuration allowing the formation of the same chemical bounds with the CD127 protein. In a particular embodiment, the macromolecule comprises at least one CDR sequence of a VH chain and/or of a VL chain of an antibody. In a preferred embodiment, the macromolecule comprises all of the CDR sequences of the VH chain and/or of the VL chain of an antibody. In a preferred embodiment, the macromolecule comprises the entire VH chain and/or the entire VL chain of an antibody.

In particular embodiments, the macromolecule is produced, designed or selected to recognize an epitope defined as follows (defined by at least one of the following features):

(a) the epitope comprises sequences, in particular at least 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 consecutive amino acids, taken from the 2b site of CD127, in particular from amino acids 109-127 of SEQ ID No:114, more particularly from amino acids 110-125, 110-120, 112-120 of SEQ ID No:114, more particularly from amino acids 114-119 of SEQ ID No:114 (corresponding to SEQ ID No:116); in particular, the epitope comprises SEQ ID No:116, in particular comprises SEQ ID No:86; in particular, the epitope comprises P112 or L115 of CD127;
(b) in addition to the features of (a) above, the epitope comprises sequences, in particular at least 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 consecutive amino acids, taken from the D1 domain of CD127, in particular from amino acids 1-98 of SEQ ID No:114; in particular, the epitope comprises the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID No:115 (in particular comprises the amino acid sequence of ep1 (SEQ ID No:110)
(c) in addition to the features of (a), and optionally of (b) above, the epitope comprises sequences, in particular 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 consecutive amino acids, taken from amino acids 180-220 of SEQ ID No:114, in particular from amino acids 190 to 200; in particular the epitope comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No:117; in particular comprises the amino acid sequence of ep2 (SEQ ID No:111);
(d) the epitope comprises the sequences of SEQ ID No:115 and the sequences of SEQ ID No:116, or the epitope comprises the sequence of SEQ ID No:117 and the sequences of SEQ ID No:116; in particular the epitope comprises the sequences of SEQ ID No:115, SEQ ID No:116 and SEQ ID No:117;
(e) the epitope comprises sequences of CD127 as defined in (a), (b) (c) and/or (d) above, and no other amino acid sequences (of more than 3, 4, or 5 consecutive amino acids) of CD127 than the ones explicitly mentioned, i.e. in particular, the epitope comprises only the following sequences from CD127:one sequence taken from site 2b, in particular consisting of amino acids 109-127 of SEQ ID No:114, or amino acids 110-125, 110-120, or 112-120 of SEQ ID No:114, or amino acids 114-119 of SEQ ID No:114 (corresponding to SEQ ID No:116), or the sequence corresponding to SEQ ID No:86, and/or consisting of a sequence of 3 amino acids or more than 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 amino acids and of 19 amino acids or less than 19, 18, 15, 11 amino acids taken from site 2b, in particular such a sequence comprising P112 or L115 of CD127;optionally, in addition to the sequence of site 2b, one sequence taken from domain D1 of CD127, in particular from amino acids 98 of SEQ ID No:114, in particular one sequence consisting of SEQ ID No:110 or of SEQ ID No:115, and/or consisting of a sequence of 3 amino acids or more than 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 amino acids and of 20 amino acids or less than 20, 18, 16, 11 amino acids comprising SEQ ID No:115 or comprised in the sequence of SEQ ID No:115;optionally, in addition to the sequence of site 2b and to the optional sequence from domain D1 if present, one sequence taken from amino acids 180 to 220 of SEQ ID No:114; in particular one sequence consisting of SEQ ID No:111 or of SEQ ID No:117, and/or consisting of a sequence of 3 amino acids or more than 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 amino acids and of 20 amino acids or less than 20, 18, 16, 11 amino acids comprising SEQ ID No:117 or comprised in the sequence of SEQ ID No:117;said epitope possibly comprising additional amino acids, provided these additional amino acids are not taken from the sequence of CD127 (i.e. provided the epitope does not comprise more than 3, 4 or 5 consecutive amino acids from the sequence of CD127 apart from the sequence from site 2b and possibly the optional sequences from domain D1 and from amino acids 180-220 of SEQ ID No:114 described above);
(f) the epitope, in addition to the feature described in (a), (b), (c) or (d) above, does not comprise more than 3, 4 or 5 consecutive amino acids taken from the region 99-108 of SEQ ID No:114, does not comprise more than 3, 4 or 5 consecutive amino acids taken from the region 128-179 of SEQ ID No:114 and/or does not comprise more than 3, 4 or 5 consecutive amino acids from the region 220-239 of SEQ ID No:114, in particular does not comprise more than 3, 4 or 5 consecutive amino acids from either region 99-108, 128-179 and 220-239 of SEQ ID No:114;
(g) the epitope comprises the combination of sequences of CD127 as defined in (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and/or (f) above, wherein some amino acids have been mutated, in particular deleted and/or substituted, in particular substituted by an amino acid with similar properties (conservative substitutions); in particular, the epitope consists of or comprises sequences having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% sequence identity with the sequences of CD127 as defined in (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and/or (f) above, in combination as defined in (b), (c) or (d) where relevant;
(h) the epitope is a conformational epitope having the features defined in (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and/or (g) above, i.e. comprises or consists of the sequences as defined in (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and/or (g) above in a conformation which mimics the conformation of said sequences within the native CD127 (either as a monomer or as a dimer with γc and/or associated with IL-7);
(i) the epitope comprises a fragment of CD127 (i.e. a stretch of consecutive amino acids) with the features of (a), (b), (c), (d), (g) and/or (h) above;
(j) the epitope has the features defined in (g) above and is obtained by a technology such as the CLIPS technology which allows the synthesis of peptide assemblies with predictable structure.

In particular embodiments of epitopes with the features of (b) and (c), the epitope includes the amino acid sequence of CD127 which is intercalated between the two sequences ep1 and ep2, and optionally do not extend to include any, or do not extend to include more than one amino acid of the sequence of the human CD127 sequence upstream (i.e. N-terminal of the sequence of ep1) and/or downstream (i.e. C-terminal of the sequence of ep2) of these sequences. In other particular embodiments, the epitope is such that none of the ep1 or ep2 sequences is extended to include any of their adjacent amino acids in the human CD127 sequence, or to include more than 7, 5 or 1 consecutive amino acids from their adjacent amino acids in the sequence of human CD127 which is intercalated between ep1 and ep2; the extension of the ep1 and ep2 sequences may in this case also be limited upstream (of ep1) or downstream (of ep2) as above. In particular embodiments, the sequences of CD127 which comprise the epitope sequences above are not extended to comprise their adjacent amino acids from the human CD127 sequence by more than 1 amino acid N-terminal or by more than 7 amino acids C-terminal adjacent to ep1, or by more than 30 amino acids N-terminal or 30 amino acids C-terminal adjacent to ep2.

In embodiments where the macromolecule is produced, designed or selected to recognize an epitope comprising several non-contiguous amino acid sequences of CD127 (i.e. sequences which are not contiguous in the primary sequence of CD127), it is possible to produce or select antibodies which recognizes an epitope comprising one of said CD127 sequences, and then select among these antibodies those that recognize the other CD127 sequence(s) (said later selection may also be performed by successive selections if more than two non-adjacent CD127 sequences are to be recognized).

The present invention also includes the conformational epitope recognized by the antagonist antibodies of the invention. The present invention also includes antibodies that bind this conformational epitope. The embodiments include a CD127 conformational epitope comprising (i) the domain having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO. 115 and/or the domain having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO. 117 and (ii) the domain having at least 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO. 116. More particularly, the CD127 conformational epitope comprising amino acid residues 73-79 and/or 114-119 and amino acid residues 193-196 of SEQ ID No:114. The present invention includes antibodies that bind this conformational epitope. In particular embodiments, the macromolecule is produced, designed or selected to recognize a conformational epitope comprising the amino acid sequences of human CD127 having the sequences of SEQ ID No: 115, SEQ ID No: 116 and SEQ ID No: 117.

In particular, in the above embodiments, the antibody is raised against an immunogen which consists of or comprises an epitope as described, i.e. is initially produced by immunization of an animal which is not a human, in particular a mammal, with an antigen comprising or consisting of said epitope. Accordingly, the invention also relates to an antigen of which the epitope is as described above, in particular to its use as an immunogen in the production of antibodies and/or to its use in selection and/or testing methods to produce an antibody or antigen-binding fragment or other macromolecule. The invention also relates to said methods using said antigen. Since antigens may comprise non-peptidic constituents in addition to peptidic constituents and/or may comprise peptidic constituents which do not form part of the epitope, it should be understood herein that, unless otherwise stated or obvious from the context, when referring to the sequence of an antigen and/or to the features of said sequence, said sequence or features should be understood to designate the sequence (or features thereof) of the epitope part of the antigen. If the antigen comprises amino acids which do not form part of the epitope, said amino acids preferably do not comprise more than 3, 4 or 5 consecutive amino acids of CD127.

Accordingly and unless it appears technically irrelevant, the definitions and features disclosed herein with respect to the antibodies or their fragments similarly apply to any macromolecule of the invention.

Binding of CD127

In accordance to the invention, “binding” to the IL-7Rα protein refers to an antigen-antibody type interaction and encompasses “specific binding” properties of the antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof which specific binding means that the antibodies or antigen-binding fragments bind to the IL-7Rα protein while they do not bind or bind with a significantly weaker affinity to other proteins (e.g. the common cytokine receptor γ-chain). Specific binding is preferably defined and/or determined in physiological conditions, especially in terms of pH and salt content of the testing solution. Binding and binding specificity can be assayed in accordance with the tests disclosed in the Examples and in particular can be assayed by Biacore, ELISA, or Western Blot analysis.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof target and bind the IL-7-R alpha chain when it is complexed in the TSLP-Receptor (with CCRF2; Genbank accession Number AF338733; Reche et al., 2001).

In a particular embodiment, the antibodies or fragments thereof or chimeric molecules of the invention bind to CD127 as an isolated protein with a dissociation constant (Kd) lower than 5E-10 M. In a preferred embodiment, the dissociation constant (Kd) is lower than 1E-10 M or lower than 9E-11 M, or lower than 5E-11 M.

In particular embodiments, the antibodies or fragments thereof or chimeric molecule or other macromolecule of the invention binds to an antigen of human CD127 comprising the sequences of epi (SEQ ID No: 110) and/or ep2 (SEQ ID No: 111). In particular embodiments, the antigen comprises a fragment of human CD127 comprising both epi and ep2 (i.e. the antigen comprises the sequences of epi and ep2 and the intercalated sequences of human CD127). In other embodiments, the antigen comprises only epi and ep2 sequences from human CD127, possibly in addition to other sequences from other origin, which are distinct from human CD127 sequences. In yet other embodiments, epi and/or ep2 sequences are extended to include a few additional amino acids from human CD127, in particular up to one amino acid N-terminal to epi, up to 7 amino acids C-terminal to epi, up to 1, 10, 20 or 30 amino acids N-terminal to ep2, up to 7; 10, 20 or 30 amino acids C-terminal to ep2. Particular antigens include: an antigen as above, preferably comprising both epi and ep2, wherein the sequence of CD127 comprising epi does not extend to comprise the amino acids adjacent to said sequence in the sequence of human CD127, or does not extend to comprise more than 1 amino acid N-terminal or more than 7 amino acids C-terminal of epi in the sequence of human CD127; and an antigen as above wherein the sequence of CD127 comprising ep2 does not extend to comprise the amino acids adjacent to said sequence in the sequence of human CD127, or does not extend to comprise more than 30 amino acids N-terminal or more than 30 amino acids C-terminal of ep2 in the sequence of human CD127; and antigens having both these features. In particular embodiments, the antibodies or fragments thereof or chimeric molecule or other macromolecule of the invention binds to an antigen of human CD127 comprising the sequences of SEQ ID No: 115, SEQ ID No: 116 and SEQ ID No: 117.

In some embodiments, the antigen does not overlap with or does not comprise an epitope of IL-7R that is recognized by a monoclonal antibody selected from the group consisting of C1GM, C2M3, P3A9, P4B3, P2D2, P2E11, HAL403a and HAL403b (described in WO 2011104687 A1). In some embodiments, the antibody is raised against an antigen or binds to an epitope which does not comprise any, or does not comprise some of residues 182, K84, K100, T105, and Y192 of interleukin-7 receptor alpha, in particular does not comprise K100 and/or does not comprise T105. In some embodiments, the antigen or epitope does not comprise K194, or does not comprise any or does not comprise all of the residues selected from the group consisting of residues D190, H191, and K194 of human IL-7R. In particular embodiments, the antigen or epitope comprises neither 182 nor K84, or comprises neither K100 nor T105, or does not comprise Y192, or comprises neither D190, H191, Y192 nor K194.

While CD127 is common to both the IL-7R and the TSLPR, it must be noted that an anti-CD127 antibody will not necessarily recognize (i.e. bind to in suitable conditions) CD127 in both contexts. Moreover, even if the antibody binds to CD127 both in the context of the IL-7R and the TSLPR, it will not necessarily have the same effect on the IL-7-IL-7R interaction and the TSLP-TSLPR interaction. It could, for example, prevent the binding of IL-7 to IL-7R and not the binding of TSLP to TSLPR. Furthermore, the binding of the antibody to either receptor may have different effects, beyond the different effects on ligand-receptor interaction. Indeed, the binding of the antibody might modify the conformation of the receptor, independently of the ligand or in combination with the ligand, and thereby activate or inactivate the receptor. The effect may be different for either receptor and it may actually be inverted: an antibody which inactivates the IL-7R may activate the TSLPR, and vice-versa.

As used herein, activating a receptor means triggering at least some of the biochemical changes that occur upon binding of the ligand to its receptor. These changes may include modification of the receptor structure (e.g. dimerization); phosphorylation of the receptor and recruitment and/or phosphorylation of receptor-bound proteins (such as Janus kinases, STAT transcription factors etc) and/or changes to the cellular localization of the receptor (e.g. receptor internalization). As used herein, deactivating a receptor means preventing, or reverting, at least some of the biochemical modifications associated with the binding of its ligand to the receptor. For instance, a receptor may be constitutively activated (i.e. activated even in the absence of a ligand) and deactivated in the presence of an agent such as the antibody of the invention. Alternatively, or additionally, ligand-induced activation may be completely, or partially, inhibited by deactivating the receptor. Deactivation may therefore occur, among other mechanisms, through preventing binding of the ligand (and subsequent “activation” events), and/or preventing structural changes associated with the binding of the ligand (e.g. dimerization) and/or modification of the cellular location of the receptor (e.g. the deactivating agent may trigger receptor internalization and/or degradation and thus prevent activation by the ligand).

Absence of Increased TSLP-Induced Dendritic Cell Maturation

Antibodies of the invention may bind CD127 in the TSLP receptor (i.e. may bind CD127 when it is in a complex with the CRLF2, forming the TSLP receptor). Therefore, the antibodies of the invention may interfere with TSLP-induced and/or TSLP receptor-mediated signaling.

The inventors have surprisingly found that existing antibodies directed against (or which recognize) CD127 in the TLSP receptor and which display some antagonism with TSLP-TSLPR interaction nevertheless increase the maturation of dendritic cells induced by TSLP: said maturation is higher in cells treated with TSLP and the antibodies than in cells treated with TSLP alone. These conventional antibodies increase TSLP-dependent dendritic cell maturation. In preferred embodiments, the antibodies or fragments of the invention do not synergize with TSLP for the maturation of immune cells, in particular dendritic cells. In other words, the antibodies of the invention do not increase the maturation of immune cells induced by TSLP. This effect is particularly desired on the maturation of dendritic cells.

It should be emphasized that the capacity of anti-CD127 antibodies to inhibit TSLP-induced production of TARC cannot be considered a valid predictor of a negative (or at least non-positive) effect of the antibodies on TSLP-induced signaling and its downstream consequences (in particular the maturation of dendritic cells). Indeed, as the inventors have discovered, even antibodies efficiently inhibiting TSLP-induced production of TARC may increase TSLP-dependent maturation of dendritic cells as measured by expression of CD40 or CD80 with the TSLPR.

TSLP-induced dendritic cell maturation can be measured by the expression of cell marker CD40 and/or CD80 (Inaba et al., 1995; Watanabe et al., 2005b) as a marker which is a determinant of the maturation of some immune cells, especially of the so-called TH-2 differentiation observed in some autoimmune diseases, asthma and transplantation. In particular embodiments, the increase in dendritic cell maturation induced by TSLP is assessed by determining an elevated expression of the cell surface marker(s) CD40 and/or CD80 in TSLPR-positive cells treated with TSLP and with the macromolecule of the invention compared with TSLPR-positive cells treated with TSLP alone.

In a particular embodiment, the macromolecules, in particular the antibodies or fragment thereof, which do not increase TSLP-induced dendritic cell maturation do not increase expression of CD80 by more than 25% when compared to stimulation with TSLP alone (without macromolecule). Preferably, the expression of CD80 is not increased by more than 20%, preferably not by more than 10% and even more preferably not by more than 5%. In a particular preferred embodiment, the expression of CD80 is not increased or is decreased in cells stimulated with TSLP and with the macromolecule when compared to cells stimulated with TSLP alone.

In a particular embodiment, the macromolecules which do not increase TSLP-induced dendritic cell maturation do not increase expression of CD40 by more than 50% when compared to stimulation with TSLP alone (without macromolecule). Preferably, the expression of CD40 is not increased by more than 25%, preferably not by more than 10% and even more preferably not by more than 5%. In a particular preferred embodiment, the expression of CD40 is not increased or is decreased in cells stimulated with TSLP and with the macromolecule when compared to cells stimulated with TSLP alone.

Measurement of dendritic cells maturation is also illustrated in the examples (see in particular Example 9) and can be performed according to any standard method known from the skilled person, in particular any method suitable to determine CD80 and/or CD40 expression on dendritic cells, as a marker of dendritic cell maturation.

In order to assay the properties of anti-CD127 antibodies with respect to absence of unwanted potentiation of TSLP signaling, cells expressing the TSLPR, such as mammalian pro B cells (such as BA/F3 cells illustrated herein), may be used.

Inhibition of IL7-Induced Expression of α4, β7 and α4/β7 Integrins

In particular embodiments, the antibodies (or macromolecules) of the invention inhibit IL7-induced expression of α4, β7 and α4/β7 integrins in vitro. IL7-induced expression of α4, β7 and α4/β7 integrins, as used herein, designates either or both the increase in the level of expression of α4 and β7 integrins and the increase in the number or ratio of T lymphocytes expressing α4, β7 and/or α4/β7 integrins. The inhibition may be partial, i.e. the level of expression of α4, β7and α4/β7 integrins in the presence of IL7 is increased over baseline level (i.e. the level with neither antibody nor IL7) in the presence of antibodies, but less than in the absence of antibodies; or the inhibition may be complete, i.e. the level of expression of α4, β7and α4/β7 integrins in the presence of IL7 and of the antibody is no higher than baseline level.

In particular embodiments, the antibodies of the invention inhibit expression of α4, β7 and/or α4/β7 integrins in vitro, i.e. the level of expression of α4, β7 and/or α4/β7 integrins is lower in cells treated with antibodies (and with and/or without IL7) than in untreated cells (i.e. without antibody or IL7). The extent of inhibition may be dose-dependent. The inhibition of expression may be measured as set forth in the Examples section, which the skilled person may adapt e.g. to specific antibodies, antibody fragments or antigen-binding domains or other macromolecules disclosed herein and/or to specific disease models as needed.

In preferred embodiments, the antibodies (or macromolecules) of the invention inhibit expression of α4, β7 and/or α4/β7 integrins in vivo. As used herein, this expression means that (i) the expression of α4, β7 and/or α4/β7 integrins, (ii) the number and/or ratio of α4, β7and/or α4/β7-positive T-lymphocytes and/or (iii) the engraftment of α4, β7 and/or α4/β7-positive T-lymphocytes is reduced in samples obtained from animals treated with antibodies relative to untreated animals. As used herein, engraftment designates the incorporation of grafted tissue or cells into the body of the host, a process which typically occurs over a time period of a few hours to a few days. In particular embodiments, the animal is a mammal, in particular a non-human mammal, especially a mouse. In particular embodiments, the animal is a human. In particular embodiments, the effect is observed on human lymphocytes injected in a recipient animal, preferably an immunodeficient mouse. In particular embodiments, two weeks after injection of human PBMC in immunodeficient mice, the average percentage of integrin β7-positive T cells is reduced by at least 25%, preferably by at least 50%, in antibody-treated mice relative to untreated mice. In particular embodiments, two weeks after injection of human PBMC in immunodeficient mice, the average percentage of integrin β7-positive engrafted T cells is reduced by at least 25%, preferably by at least 50%, and even more preferably at least 70% in antibody-treated mice relative to untreated mice. The effect of the antibody or macromolecule of the invention may be determined using the methods put forth in the Examples section, in particular Example 16 for the expression of α4/β7 integrins and engraftment, which the skilled person may adapt as needed e.g. to the specific antibody, fragment or antigen-binding domain thereof or other macromolecule and/or to a specific disease model.

Inhibitors of CD127 Internalization

Internalization is the cellular process by which a cell surface receptor such as CD127 is transported inside the cell cytoplasmic space (possibly in/at the surface of intracellular compartments or membranes) and thus is no longer accessible from the extracellular space, i.e. the internalized receptor may not be directly contacted by a ligand in the extracellular space. A ligand, whether a natural ligand of the receptor or any artificial ligand or other molecule bound to the receptor, may be internalized together with the receptor. Most receptors undergo constant internalization and their cell surface expression is maintained constant either through the replacement of internalized and degraded receptors by newly synthesized/maturated receptors or through direct recycling, i.e. transport of the internalized receptor back to the cell surface.

Some stimuli may lead to increased rate of internalization and/or decreased rate of replacement/recycling, thus leading to a net decrease in cell surface expression of the receptor. As used herein, IL7-induced internalization of CD127 designates the decrease of cell surface expression of CD127 induced by the presence of IL7 (or observed in the presence of IL-7) in the extracellular medium, as observed in vitro after a limited time of incubation in order to exclude longer-term effects such as transcriptional down-regulation. Said limited time is typically in the order of tens of minutes, preferably less than 2 hours, more preferably less than 1 hour and even more preferably 45 minutes or less, 30 minutes or less or 15 minutes or less.

In a preferred embodiment, the antibody of the invention inhibits the IL7-induced internalization of CD127. Thus, when incubated with the antibody of the invention, the presence of IL7 induces no decrease in the cell surface expression of CD127, or induces a less strong decrease in the cell surface expression of CD127 than cells incubated without antibodies. In particular embodiments, when incubated with antibodies of the invention, the level of CD127 cell surface expression when cells are incubated at 37° C. for 15 minutes with 5 ng/mL IL7 is at least 80%, preferably at least 90% of the cell surface expression level in cells incubated without IL7. In vitro, the cell surface expression is preferably measured after a limited time as indicated above. Besides, as most cellular internalization processes are inhibited at low temperature, the effect is usually best observed at physiological temperature, in particular 37° C. However, it is also contemplated to incubate cells at low temperature, in particular 4° C.

It is known that antibodies to a receptor may induce internalization of the receptor, meaning that the cell surface expression of the receptor is decreased in the presence of the antibody. This may arise in particular by inducing a change in the conformation of the receptor which mimics that induced by the natural, internalization-inducing, ligand, and this effect may depend on the epitope recognized by the antibodies. As used herein, ‘an antibody induces the internalization of CD127’ means that cells incubated in the presence of an antibody display decreased cell surface expression of CD127 compared to cells incubated in the absence of the antibody. Cell surface expression is preferably measured in vitro after a limited incubation time and in temperature conditions as mentioned above. In a preferred embodiment, the antibody of the invention does not induce the internalization of CD127. Thus, the cell surface expression of CD127 in cells incubated in the presence of the antibody is not reduced, or is not significantly reduced, relative to cell surface expression in cells incubated in otherwise identical conditions, but in the absence of the antibody. In particular embodiments, when incubated at 37° C. for 30 to 45 minutes in the presence of 50 ng/mL of antibody, the level of CD127 cell surface expression is at least 80%, preferably at least 90% of its level in cells incubated in the absence of the antibody. This effect may be observed in the absence of IL7 (in both antibody-treated and-untreated cells), in the presence of IL7, and/or both.

Either of the two CD127 internalization-related feature described above (i.e. inhibition of IL7-induced internalization or non-induction of internalization) may contribute to increased efficiency of the antibodies, while the combination of both features is possibly even more efficient. Disclosed herein is an antibody representing a preferred embodiment, wherein in the presence of both IL7 and said antibody, the cell surface expression of CD127 is not significantly decreased. In such preferred embodiments, after a 45-minute incubation in the presence of 50 ng/mL of antibody, including 15 minutes in the presence of 5 ng/mL IL7, at 37° C., the level of CD127 cell surface expression is at least 80%, preferably at least 90% of its level in control cells, incubated in medium containing no antibody or IL7.

Disruption of CD127-γc Chain Interaction

According to a particular embodiment, the macromolecule, in particular an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, of the invention may disrupt the binding of CD127 to the γc chain of the IL7-R. This means that, under conditions (in particular chemical and physical conditions) where CD127 and γc chain are bound together in the absence of antibody, and in particular in the presence of IL-7, the presence of the antibody significantly reduces said bond. In particular embodiments, in the presence of antibody and of IL-7, CD127 does not bind to γc. In particular, in the presence of the antibody and of IL-7, the amount of γc chain found associated with (or bound to) CD127 is less than 80%, preferably less than 50%, even more preferably less than 25% or 10% of the amount bound in the absence of the antibody (or in the presence of another anti CD-127 antibody such as MD707-13) in otherwise identical conditions, in particular in the presence of IL-7. Such a feature of the antibody may be assessed in particular by co-immunoprecipitation methods, well known to the skilled person for testing the interaction of proteins and illustrated herein in Example 21. In particular, cells may be incubated in the presence or absence of the tested antibody, then solubilized in conditions allowing for the preservation of protein complexes, and the resulting lysate may be subjected to an anti-CD127 immunoprecipitation and the presence of γc in the CD127-containing immunoprecipitated complex assessed by western blotting using anti-γc antibodies (conversely, the immunoprecipitation may be performed using anti-γc antibodies and the presence of CD127 assessed using anti-CD127 antibodies).

One method for obtaining such antibodies is to raise said antibodies against an epitope comprising sequences from the 2b site of CD127, or to select antibodies which recognize such an epitope. Indeed, the binding of the antibody to this site, critical for interaction with γc, is likely to disrupt, e.g. by competition or steric hindrance, the interaction of γc with CD127.

It is also possible, in particular, to select antibodies having this desirable feature, from anti-CD127 antibodies, e.g. from an antibody library (including when this library was not obtained by using an immunogen comprising sequences of the 2b site), through conventional screening procedures known to the skilled person and readily adaptable to such end. In particular, for example, CD127 (or its extracellular domain alone) may be bound to 96-well plates or similar substrates commonly used for such screening. The antibodies constituting the library may be added individually, each in one well, and the γc chain added to each well. After washing the plates, the presence of γc in each well may be tested, e.g. by methods based on fluorescence. In wells containing an antibody with the desired feature, no γc (or small amounts thereof) will be detected. It is obviously possible to modify this procedure, e.g. to rather spot the antibodies on a solid substrate in individual spots; allow CD127 to bind to the spotted antibodies, and allow γc chain to bind to the thus immobilized CD127 chains.

Antagonist Towards IL-7-IL-7R Interaction

According to a particular embodiment, a macromolecule, in particular an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, of the invention further has antagonist properties toward interleukin 7 (IL-7) thereby antagonizing access, i.e. binding of IL-7 to CD127 on CD127 positive cells.

“Antagonist properties towards IL-7-1L-7R interaction” means that antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof of the invention, which target the IL-7Ralpha, have the effect of preventing the accessibility of the IL-7 receptor expressed on CD127 cells, especially human effector T cells, in particular human memory T cells, for its binding partner IL-7, especially human IL-7. As a result of antagonizing binding of IL-7, the antibodies of the invention or their functional fragments lead to lymphopenia by preventing IL-7-dependent thymic T cells generation.

The antagonist properties may be in particular antagonism toward IL-7R signaling induced by IL-7. An antagonist of IL-7R signaling induced by IL-7 can be identified by measuring the inhibition of STAT5 phosphorylation as described in the Examples. The IL7-induced phosphorylation of STAT5 is a marker of IL7R activation and an antibody antagonizing 1L7-1L7R interaction is expected to decrease IL7-induced phosphorylation of STAT5.

In particular embodiments, the macromolecule of the invention is an antagonist of IL-7R signaling induced by IL-7. In a particular embodiment, the macromolecule of the invention inhibits IL7-induced phosphorylation of STAT5. In preferred embodiments, the inhibition of STAT5 phosphorylation is greater than 50% at antibody concentrations as low as 50 ng/ml and/or the inhibition of STAT5 phosphorylation is greater than 80% at antibody concentrations as low as 100 ng/ml. Inhibition of STAT5 phosphorylation may be assessed by methods known to the skilled person and in particular by the method set forth in the examples section (in particular Example 3).

“Antagonist for Binding of TSLP”

Since the antibodies of the invention bind CD127 in the IL-7R, they may also bind CD127 in the TSLPR and, particularly by steric hindrance and/or by competition on common binding sites, they may inhibit the binding of TSLP to the TSLPR. In other words, the antibodies of the invention may present antagonist activity for the binding of TSLP.

“Inhibitor of TSLP-Induced TARC Production”

In a particular embodiment, the antibodies of the invention may inhibit TSLP-induced TARC production of CD127-positive cells. As mentioned above, TSLP-stimulated dendritic cells produce elevated levels of TARC. This may result from their binding to the TSLPR and their potential action as antagonists of TSLP binding.

In a particular embodiment, the antibodies of the invention, and their antigen-binding fragments have been selected for their ability to not increase their maturation (maturation being e.g. determined an increased expression of CD40 and/or CD80 cell surface marker).

The level of TSLP-induced TARC production may be lower in cells treated with TSLP together with the anti-CD127 antibodies or fragments thereof or chimeric molecules as described herein than in cells treated with TSLP alone. In other words, the macromolecules of the invention may be inhibitors of TSLP-induced TARC production. In an embodiment of the invention, the antibody or fragment thereof or chimeric molecule as described herein decreases the levels of TARC production. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the level of TARC production in cells treated with TSLP and the antibody, fragment or chimeric molecule is reduced by more than 10%, preferably more than 20%, compared to the level in cells treated with TSLP alone, at antibody concentrations as low as 1 μg/ml. Measurement of TARC production is illustrated in the examples (in particular Example 9) and can be carried out on CD127-positive immune cells, in particular dendritric cells, from a blood sample using any standard method known from the skilled person.

“Cytotoxic Activity”

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the antibodies of the invention or their antigen-binding fragments directed against the CD127 molecule present in the IL-7 receptor have furthermore the property of being cytotoxic against human cells, especially human T cells expressing said receptor. Human cells expressing CD127 as a chain of IL-7 receptor, which are the target of the antibodies of the invention and fragments thereof, are mainly T lymphocytes and more precisely are subpopulations of effector T lymphocytes including naïve and memory T cells but are not regulatory T cells (Treg), especially not resting natural Treg. Memory T cells are generated as a result of antigen priming and mainly defined by their functional characteristics, including ability to undergo recall proliferation upon re-activation and differentiation into secondary effector and memory cells. Similarly, the targeted TSLP receptor (as a complex including the IL-7-R alpha chain) regulates T helper lymphocyte, B cell and dendritic cell differentiation.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof, having “cytotoxic activity against T cells” or cytotoxic properties (cytotoxic antibodies) give rise to depletion in the effector T cell population by killing these cells and accordingly reduce the number of these cells when administered. To the contrary, these antibodies do not alter the subpopulation of regulatory T cells or do not alter it to a significant extent, allowing the Treg cells to perform their function. In this context, in a particular embodiment, it has been observed that the ratio of regulatory T (Treg) versus effector T (Teff) cells raises following administration of antibodies of the invention. In a particular embodiment, antibodies of the invention enable to raise said ratio of about 10% or more. In a particular embodiment, the increase in the ratio of Treg versus Teff is of about 20%.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the cytotoxic antibodies show Antibody-Dependant Cellular Cytotoxicity (ADCC). According to another embodiment, the antibodies of the invention have no ADCC properties. Antibody ADCC potential was considered positive when specific cytoxicity was superior to 10%. ADCC properties can be evaluated in an ADCC assay such as the test described in the Examples (in particular Example 10). When the antibody is a rat antibody the effector cells used in the ADCC assay are LAK (Lymphokine-activated killer) cells of rat. When the antibodies are humanized the ADCC assay can be carried out on human NK cells.

The antibodies of the invention which have both cytotoxic and antagonist properties for CD127 positive cells enable cumulative effects of these properties with respect to the depletion of effector T cells, especially of memory T cells especially, thereby enabling a stronger depletion(exhaustion of the pool of CD127+ cells) and corresponding reduction in the number of target T cells.

The paragraphs above as well as the Examples describe how to test for these functional characteristics. The following sections will detail various structural characteristics and possible modifications of the antibodies or fragments or chimeric molecules. In light of these guidances, the skilled person will be able to obtain antibodies or fragments having the structural characteristics below along with the desired functional characteristics, in particular starting from an antibody which has the desired functional characteristics, such as N13B2, because in some cases it can be predicted that adopting some of the structural features will not modify the functional features and/or by testing for the loss of functional characteristics after the introduction of a new structural characteristic. Furthermore, with the disclosure herein of the epitope recognized by the antibody, the development of other antibodies sharing the same functional features is a routine procedure, since antibodies raised against the same or a similar epitope could be selected for their ability to provoke similar effects upon binding to CD127. Again, straightforward testing procedures being disclosed herein, the skilled person may use these tests to select suitable antibodies.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the macromolecule is N13B2 or an antibody having at least one of the CDRs of N13B2, or the fragments are fragments of N13B2. Accordingly, the invention relates to an antibody or fragment thereof which VH comprises at least one of the following amino acid sequences, or one of their preferable humanized variants described below:VHCDR1 SEQ ID No:10;VHCDR2 SEQ ID No:12;VHCDR3 SEQ ID No:14;

and/or which VL comprises at least one of the following amino acid sequences, or one of their preferable humanized variants described below:VLCDR1 SEQ ID No:16;VLCDR2 SEQ ID No:18;VLCDR3 SEQ ID No:20.

In a particular embodiment, the macromolecule comprises at least 2, 3, 4 or 5 of the CDR sequences of N13B2 i.e. VHCDR1 SEQ ID No:10, VHCDR2 SEQ ID No:12, VHCDR3 SEQ ID No:14, VLCDR1 SEQ ID No:16, VLCDR2 SEQ ID No:18 and VLCDR3 SEQ ID No:20, any number of which may be replaced by one of their preferable humanized variants described below. In a particular embodiment, the macromolecule comprises all six CDR sequences of N13B2, any number of which may be replaced by one of their preferable humanized variants described below. In particular embodiments, the macromolecule comprises the VH chain having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No:22 and/or the VL chain having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No:24. In particular embodiments, the macromolecule comprises the heavy chain having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No:2 and/or of SEQ ID No:6 and/or the light chain having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No:4. Other particular embodiments relative to the VH and VL chains are humanized variants disclosed below. In a particular embodiment, the constant chain has the sequence of the rat IgG1 Fc chain ofFIG. 12(Uniprot P20759) and/or the sequence of SEQ ID No:34.

Fragments

An “antigen-binding fragment” of an antibody of the invention is a part of the antibody, i.e. a molecule corresponding to a portion of the structure of the antibody of the invention that exhibits antigen-binding capacity for alpha chain of the IL-7 receptor for human IL-7, possibly in its native form; such fragment especially exhibits the same or substantially the same antigen-binding specificity for said antigen compared to the antigen-binding specificity of the corresponding four-chain antibody. Advantageously, the antigen-binding fragments have a similar binding affinity as the corresponding 4-chain antibodies. However, antigen-binding fragment that have a reduced antigen-binding affinity with respect to corresponding 4-chain antibodies are also encompassed within the invention. The antigen-binding capacity can be determined by measuring the affinity of the antibody and of the considered fragment. These antigen-binding fragments may also be designated as functional fragments of antibodies.

Antigen-binding fragments of antibodies are fragments which comprise their hypervariable domains designated CDRs (Complementary Determining Regions) or part(s) thereof encompassing the recognition site for the antigen, i.e., IL-7Ra of human IL-7, thereby defining antigen recognition specificity. Each Light and Heavy chain (respectively VL and VH) of a four-chain immunoglobulin has three CDRs, designated VL-CDR1, VL-CDR2, VL-CDR3 and VH-CDR1, VH-CDR2, VH-CDR3, respectively. Thus the invention relates in particular to fragments of antibodies of the invention, which comprise or consist in all or a selection of CDRs among VL-CDR1 (SEQ ID No:16), VL-CDR2 (SEQ ID No:18), VL-CDR3 (SEQ ID No:20) and VH-CDR1 (SEQ ID No:10), VH-CDR2 (SEQ ID No:12) and VH-CDR3 (SEQ ID No:14), their humanized variants disclosed below, or functional portions thereof, i.e. portions that exhibit the desired binding specificity preferably with a high affinity for IL-7Ra of human IL-7.

Particular antigen-binding fragments of the invention are fragments of the VH chain of an antibody of the invention that combine its CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 domains, in particular those having the amino acid sequence disclosed herein, including the humanized variants disclosed below. Other fragments of the invention are fragments of the VL chain of an antibody of the invention that combine its CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 domains, in particular those having the amino acid sequence disclosed herein, including the humanized variants disclosed below. Fragments that comprise or consist in VH-CDR3 and/or VL-CDR3, in particular those having the amino acid sequence disclosed herein, including the humanized variants disclosed below, or functional portions thereof are especially preferred when CDR3 regions appear to be determinant in antigen recognition specificity.

The skilled person will be able to determine the location of the various regions/domains of antibodies by reference to the standard definitions in this respect set forth, including a reference numbering system (Martin, 2001) or by reference to the numbering system of Kabat (Kabat et al., 1992) or by application of the IMGT “collier de perle” algorithm (http://www.imgt.org/IMGTindex/Colliers.html, Lefranc et al., 1999). In this respect, for the definition of the sequences of the invention, it is noted that the delimitation of the regions/domains may vary from one reference system to another. Accordingly, the regions/domains as defined in the present invention encompass sequences showing variations in length or localization of the concerned sequences within the full-length sequence of the variable domains of the antibodies, of approximately +/−10%.

In addition, de-immunization residues may be present in the variable CDR domains of the antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof. In a particular embodiment, the antibody or fragment thereof is deimmunized.

Based on the structure of four-chain immunoglobulins, antigen-binding fragments can thus be defined by comparison with sequences of antibodies in the available databases and prior art (Martin, 2001), and especially by comparison of the location of the functional domains in these sequences, noting that the positions of the framework and constant domains are well defined for various classes of antibodies, especially for IgGs, in particular for mammalian IgGs. Such comparison also involves data relating to 3-dimensional structures of antibodies.

For illustration purpose of specific embodiments of the invention, antigen-binding fragments of an antibody that contain the variable domains comprising the CDRs of said antibody encompass Fv, dsFv, scFv, Fab, Fab′, F(ab′)2 which are well defined with reference to (Kabat et al., 1992), (Martin, 2001) and also (Delves et al., 2011) Fv fragments consist of the VL and VH domains of an antibody associated together by hydrophobic interactions; in dsFv fragments, the VH:VL heterodimer is stabilized by a disulphide bond; in scFv fragments, the VL and VH domains are connected to one another via a flexible peptide linker thus forming a single-chain protein. Fab fragments are monomeric fragments obtainable by papain digestion of an antibody; they comprise the entire L chain, and a VH-CH1 fragment of the H chain, bound together through a disulfide bond. The F(ab′)2 fragment can be produced by pepsin digestion of an antibody below the hinge disulfide; it comprises two Fab′ fragments, and additionally a portion of the hinge region of the immunoglobulin molecule. The Fab′ fragments are obtainable from F(ab′)2 fragments by cutting a disulfide bond in the hinge region. F(ab′)2 fragments are divalent, i.e. they comprise two antigen-binding sites, like the native immunoglobulin molecule; on the other hand, Fv (a VH-VL dimmer constituting the variable part of Fab), dsFv, scFv, Fab, and Fab′ fragments are monovalent, i.e. they comprise a single antigen-binding site.

Chimeric Antibodies

According to another embodiment of the invention, the antibodies are modified and are, as a result, chimeric antibodies, comprising domains or strand(s) of amino acid residues of different antibodies, in particular antibodies obtained from different animal species, combined together in a functional antibody. In a particular embodiment, the macromolecule of the invention is a chimeric antibody consisting in an assembly of antibody fragments from at least two different species. In a particular embodiment, a chimeric antibody comprises the constant region of a human antibody. Such constant regions are illustrated in the examples by Fc fragments G1 (SEQ ID No:26) or Fc fragments G4 (SEQ ID No:28) or CL kappa fragment (SEQ ID No:30). Alternatively, human Fc fragments depicted inFIG. 12(Uniprot P01857, Uniprot P01859, Uniprot P01861) and/or with the sequences of SEQ ID No:31, SEQ ID No:32, SEQ ID No:33 or SEQ ID No:112 may be used. In a particular embodiment, a chimeric antibody comprises the variable region of a rodent antibody and the constant region of a human antibody. In a particular embodiment, a chimeric antibody comprises the VH chain with the sequence of SEQ ID No:2 (N13B2-G1m-VH-FcG1m(E333A)) or the sequence of SEQ ID No:6 (N13B2-G4m-VH-FcG4m(S228P)) and the VL chain with the sequence of SEQ ID No:4 (N13B2-G1m-VL-CLkappa).

Affitins, Anticalins and Other Antibody Mimetics

Macromolecules of the invention also comprise artificial proteins with the capacity to bind antigens mimicking that of antibodies, also termed herein antigen-binding antibody mimetic. Such proteins comprise affitins and anticalins. Affitins are artificial proteins with the ability to selectively bind antigens. They are structurally derived from the DNA binding protein Sac7d, found inSulfolobus acidocaldarius, a microorganism belonging to the archaeal domain. By randomizing the amino acids on the binding surface of Sac7d, e.g. by generating variants corresponding to random substitutions of 11 residues of the binding interface of Sac7d, an affitin library may be generated and subjecting the resulting protein library to rounds of ribosome display, the affinity can be directed towards various targets, such as peptides, proteins, viruses and bacteria. Affitins are antibody mimetics and are being developed as tools in biotechnology. They have also been used as specific inhibitors for various enzymes (Krehenbrink et al., 2008). The skilled person may readily develop affitins with the required binding properties using methods know in the art, in particular as disclosed in patent application WO2008068637 and the above-cited publication, in particular the generation of phage display and/or ribosome display libraries and their screening using an antigen as disclosed herein. Anticalins are artificial proteins that are able to bind to antigens, either to proteins or to small molecules. They are antibody mimetic derived from human lipocalins which are a family of naturally binding proteins. Anticalins are about eight times smaller with a size of about 180 amino acids and a mass of about 20 kDa (Skerra, 2008). Anticalin phage display libraries have been generated which allow for the screening and selection, in particular of anticalins with specific binding properties. The skilled person may readily develop affitins with the required binding properties using methods know in the art, in particular as disclosed in EP patent EP1270725 B1, US patent U.S. Pat. No. 8,536,307 B2, (Schlehuber and Skerra, 2002) and the above-cited publication, in particular the generation of phage display and/or ribosome display libraries and their screening using an antigen as disclosed herein. Anticalins and affitins may both be produces in a number of expression system comprising bacterial expression systems. Thus, the invention provides affitins, anticalins and other similar antibody mimetics with the features of the antibodies described herein, in particular with regard to binding to CD127, non-induction and/or inhibition of CD127 internalization, maturation of DCs, all of which are contemplated as macromolecules of the invention. Humanization

In a particular embodiment, the macromolecules of the invention are humanized antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof. Accordingly having been originally obtained in animals, especially in rodents and in particular in rats, following immunization of animals and production of monoclonal antibodies from hybridoma, the antibodies of the invention are modified in their VH and/or VL sequences by substitution of amino acid residues, in the framework and optionally in addition in the CDR sequences. The humanization can be performed by resurfacing or by CDR grafting according to known techniques. Resurfacing is especially achieved by the substitution of rodent residues for human amino acid residues. The substitution is performed in a way that maintains the framework structure of the original antibody and also the CDRs presentation, thereby enabling that the frameworks and CDRs interactions in the resurfaced antibody preserve native conformation of the surface contacting the antigen so that it retains antigen binding affinity.

Preferred embodiments of the antibody of the invention are represented by the humanized versions of the (rat) N13B2 antibody comprising the following light and heavy chains:

The heavy chain of N13B2-h1, having the sequence of SEQ ID No: 36, wherein the CDR sequences of the rat N13B2 have been conserved, as well as a few other amino acids outside the CDR sequences, and wherein all other amino acids match the sequence of a human antibody. This heavy chain has 87.8% identity with a human antibody heavy chain. The following residues outside the CDR sequences have been conserved: V at Kabat position H24 (position 24 inFIG. 23; A in the human sequence), V at Kabat position H37 (position 37 inFIG. 23; I in the human sequence), A at Kabat position H49 (position 49 inFIG. 23; S in the human sequence) and D at Kabat position H73 (position 74 inFIG. 23; N in the human sequence);

The heavy chain of N13B2-h2, having the sequence of SEQ ID No: 38, wherein, compared with the heavy chain of N13B2-h1, amino acids at Kabat positions H37, H49 and H73, outside the CDR sequences, have been modified to match the sequence of a human antibody heavy chain;

The heavy chain of N13B2-h3, having the sequence of SEQ ID No: 40, wherein, compared with the heavy chain of N13B2-h2, the M at Kabat position H96 (position 100 inFIG. 23), within the CDR3 sequence, has been mutated to L to match the sequence of a human antibody heavy chain and/or to avoid post-translational modification. Other possible residues for this position include in particular A, F and I and more preferably F or I. Accordingly, a possible humanized variant for the CDR3 sequence of N13B2 VH has the sequence of SEQ ID No: 48.

The light chain of N13B2-h1, having the sequence of SEQ ID No: 42, wherein the CDR sequences of the rat N13B2 have been conserved, as well as a few other amino acids outside the CDR sequences, and wherein all other amino acids match the sequence of a human antibody. This light chain has 80% identity with a human antibody light chain. The following residues outside the CDR sequences have been conserved: V at Kabat position L48 (position 48 inFIG. 24; I in the human sequence), Y at Kabat position L71 (position 71 inFIG. 24; F in the human sequence) and F at Kabat position L87 (position 87 inFIG. 24; Y in the human sequence);

The light chain of N13B2-h2, having the sequence of SEQ ID No: 44, wherein, compared with the light chain of N13B2-h1, the three amino acids at Kabat positions L48, L71 and L87, outside the CDR sequences, have been modified to match the sequence of a human antibody light chain;

The light chain of N13B2-h3, having the sequence of SEQ ID No: 46, wherein, compared with the light chain of N13B2-h2, amino acids Kabat positions L31 (position 31 inFIG. 24) and/or L52 (position 53 inFIG. 24), within the CDR1 and CDR2 sequences respectively, have been mutated from N to Q and from S to T respectively, to match the sequence of a human antibody light chain and/or to avoid post-translational modification. Other possible amino acids for the L31 position include H and R. Other possible mutations for the CDR3 sequence involve conserving the S in position L52 and mutating the N in position L51 (position 52 inFIG. 24) to Q, H, K or R. Accordingly, a possible humanized variant for the CDR1 sequence of N13B2 VL has the sequence of SEQ ID No: 50, and a possible humanized variant for the CDR2 sequence of N13B2 VL has the sequence of SEQ ID No: 52.

Multi-Functional Antibodies or Fragments

These basic antigen-binding fragments of the invention can be combined together to obtain multivalent antigen-binding fragments, such as diabodies, tribodies or tetrabodies. These multivalent antigen-binding fragments are also part of the present invention.

The above-mentioned modifications may be combined where relevant. In particular embodiments, the macromolecule is an antibody which is a chimeric antibody or an humanized antibody and/or a deimmunized antibody.

Methods of Obtaining Antibodies of the Invention

An antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof of the invention is in particular advantageously raised against a molecule which is the CD127 expressed by human T cells, possibly raised from an immunization under the form of native polypeptide or recombinant molecule.

Immunization can be carried out according to the protocol disclosed in the Examples below: Recombinant CD127 Fc Chimera (10975-H03H Sino Biological, Beijing, China) was used to immunize rats such as rats of the LOU/C Igk1a strain available at the University of Louvain, Belgium). Alternatively, an antigen comprising the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID No:115 (in particular comprising SEQ ID No: 110) and/or of SEQ ID No:117 (in particular comprising SEQ ID No: 111) and/or of SEQ ID No:116, said antigen additionally comprising other sequences, in particular other sequences of human CD127, or not, as disclosed above, may be used as the immunogen. Hybridoma were obtained by fusing spleen mononuclear cells with the LOU rat immunocytoma IR983F, a non-secreting and azaguanine resistant cell line, according to a previously described procedure (Chassoux et al., 1988). Hybridoma were first screened according to the capacity of the secreted monoclonal antibodies to bind to recombinant CD127 molecule (CD127 Fc Chimera; 10975-H03H, Sino Biological, Beijing, China). Hybridoma were then screened for the capacity of their monoclonal antibodies to bind to the CD127 expressed by human T cells and for the capacity to inhibit induction of STAT-5 phosphorylation induced by IL-7 on human leukocytes, as exemplified inFIG. 1, and for their capacity not to increase the maturation of dendritic cells induced by TSLP.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a humanized antibody of the invention is derived from the antibody designated N13B2 by mutation of one or more of the CDR region(s) of its Variable Heavy chain (VH) and/or of its Variable Light chain (VL), in particular an antibody keeping at least one or two original CDR region among CDR3, CDR2 and CDR1 regions in either of VH and/or VL, said modified antibody having less than 10% of mutated amino acid residues, preferably one or no mutated amino acid residue, in individually considered CDR regions with respect to the original CDR1, CDR2 or CDR3 region, wherein said original CDR regions arei. VHCDR1 having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID No 10ii. VHCDR2 having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID No 12iii. VHCDR3 having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID No 14iv. VLCDR1 having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID No:16v. VLCDR2 having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID No:18vi. VLCDR3 having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID No:20;

Accordingly, the VHCDR3 may have the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 48; the VLCDR1 may have the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 50; the VLCDR2 may have the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 52.

In a particular embodiment, an antigen-binding fragment of the invention is an antigen-binding fragment of the N13B2 antibody which is modified as described in the previous paragraphs, said modified antigen-binding fragment having less than 10% of mutated amino acid residues with respect to the original antigen-binding fragment.

In view of the teaching provided by the present invention, in order to express antibodies of the invention, the skilled person will be able to prepare hybridoma or to use alternative technologies such as expression libraries and expression systems, followed by selection of antibodies having the structure of those secreted by the hybridoma and having its properties, in particular its binding and neutralization properties. cDNA libraries can adequately be prepared from the RNA expressed in hybridoma of the invention and the appropriate sequences selected and expressed. Alternatively, cDNA encoding the antibodies of the invention or their fragments are prepared by synthesis.

“Hybridoma cells” according to the invention are cells generated from fusion of antibody producing cells (B Lymphocytes) from an animal previously immunized with a selected immunogen and fusion partner which are myeloma cells enabling to provide immortality to the resulting fusion cell. Myeloma cells and antibody producing cells (B cells such as splenocytes) can be of the same origin, and are eukaryotic cells in particular mammalian cells of the same animal. They can be alternatively of different origin, thus giving rise to a heterohybridoma. Myeloma cells such as the LOU rat immunocytoma IR983F, a non-secreting and azaguanine resistant cell line are chosen among cells that fail to produce immunoglobulins in order to enable the prepared hybridoma to secrete only monoclonal antibodies of the desired specificity. Other cells suitable for promoting ADCC such as those described in the following pages for the preparation of the antibodies through expression in recombinant cells may be used instead of the rat immunocytoma. Such cells are advantageously cells having a low or no fucosylation capacity.

Preparation of hybridoma suitable for carrying out the invention is performed according to conventional techniques. Embodiments are described in detail in the Examples of the present application of which the particular disclosed features can be adapted to other cells used as fusion partners.

The antigen-binding fragments of the antibody may be obtained starting from the antibody, especially by using enzymatic digestion according to well-known techniques including papain or pepsin digestion, or using any appropriate cleavage technique. They may be alternatively expressed in host cells modified by recombination with nucleic acid sequences encoding the amino acid sequence of said fragments, or may be synthesized, especially chemically synthesized. Accordingly, the antibodies of the invention, including the modified antibodies and the antigen-binging fragments of the antibodies can also be prepared by classical genetic engineering techniques, such as those described by Sambrook et al. (Deininger, 1990) and updated versions). The invention accordingly relates to the versions of the VH and VL polypeptides that encompass the signal peptide or not. The signal peptide may be necessary during the preparation of the polypeptides in cells.

With a view to use the antibody of the invention or their functional fragments for administration to a human patient, it might be beneficial to derive humanized monoclonal antibodies or chimeric monoclonal antibodies and/or de-immunized antibodies, from antibodies of the invention which would be non-primate antibodies such as those illustrated in the Examples, especially to lower the immune reaction of the receiving host or patient against said antibodies. Functional fragments of these variant antibodies may be obtained also as humanized, chimeric or de-immunized variants.

An antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, which is a humanized antibody can also be derived by substitution of amino acid residue(s) present in constant region(s) of variable chains (VH and/or VL) of a non-human antibody of the invention, for human amino acid residue(s) having corresponding location in human antibodies according to standard definition and numbering, wherein the substitution level is from 1% to 20%, in particular from 1% to 18 of the residues in said framework regions. Said constant regions include those of framework regions (FwRs) defined in four-chain antibodies identified in particular by reference to Kabat numbering.

Particular examples of modified antibodies according to the invention encompass chimeric antibodies, humanized antibodies and/or a de-immunized antibodies.

A particular modified antibody has modified amino acid residues in the CDRs regions, said modification resulting in a de-immunization by loss of the T cell epitopes in the variable domain of the non-human antibody. De-immunization can be performed after determination of the T cell epitopes in the antibody variable domain, especially by in silico prediction, followed by point mutation in the sequence of the variable chains of the antibody that eliminates the functional T cell epitopes. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the modification of the CDR(s) regions, especially of the CDR3 regions are limited to the extent necessary to de-immunization with a view to administration to the human body, e.g. to decrease binding affinity of T cell receptors for HLA-classII/peptide complexes. In a particular embodiment, the CDR3 region(s) of the VH and/or of the VL is(are) not modified. In another embodiment the FR regions and/or the CH regions are also modified, especially humanized.

Antibodies within the frame of the invention encompass accordingly an antibody based on the above defined features, which is a humanized antibody especially one obtained by substitution of amino acid residue(s) present in framework region(s) of an antibody of the invention, for human amino acid residue(s) having corresponding location in human antibodies according to standard definition and numbering. The substitution level of amino acid residues in the framework regions and/or in the CDRs for humanization, including de-immunization, is from 1% to 20% in particular from 1% to 18% of the residues in said framework regions and/or CDRs regions. As mentioned above, the humanization primarily targets the Framework regions of the original antibodies. In some cases, humanization may alternatively or also concern CDR region(s) especially CDR1 and/or CDR2 region(s) and is more particularly designated as de-immunization. In particular embodiments, no more than one amino acid is modified in each CDR region. Examples of humanized and/or deimmunized antibodies derived from the rat antibody N13B2 are disclosed herein.

Humanization can hence be achieved considering the human germline Light chain or Heavy chain frameworks that show the highest sequence identity with the sequence of the non-human antibody or fragment, and selecting the amino acid residues, especially residues exposed at the surface in the antibody, to be substituted in said non-human antibody or fragment thereof, in order to conform to the corresponding human residue(s). In a particular embodiment some of or all the FRL and/or some of or all the FRH regions are fully human, i.e., are characteristic of human framework sequences. In another embodiment selected residues in some or all the FR regions are substituted.

Methods for humanizing antibodies are also well known in the art and are described for instance by Routledege et al. (Edward G. Routledge, 1993). These methods can also apply to antigen-binding fragments, such as scFvs. By way of example, the method known as “resurfacing” consists in replacing the set of surface residues in the frameworks of the variable region of a nonhuman antibody with a human set of surface residues, while the method known as CDR grafting consists of transferring the CDRs from a non-human antibody into the framework regions of a human antibody. CDR grafting is generally completed by framework optimization, consisting in the replacement of some residues of the human framework, in order to optimize the binding affinity. The step of framework optimization has been recently simplified by the use of combinatorial libraries (Rosok et al., 1996) (Baca et al., 1997).

The invention relates in particular to humanized antibodies derived by CDR grafting from the rat N13B2 antibody. Human VH and VL sequences having sequences with strong homology to the VH and VL sequences, respectively, of rat N13B2 were selected in a database. The CDR sequences of N13B2 were grafted onto these human sequences. Some residues outside the CDR sequences might have a significant impact on antigen recognition or affinity, in particular residues in immediate proximity to the CDRs and residues known as Vernier residues. As detailed above and in the Examples section, in particular in Example 12, several versions of the humanized antibodies were tested: the most conservative where all rat sequences were conserved for the CDR and the above-mentioned structurally important residues, a version where human sequences were selected for the structurally important residues and the version closest to the human sequences, where, in addition to the structurally important residues outside the CDR, a few residues inside the CDR were modified from the initial rat sequence in order in particular to prevent post translational modifications such as oxidation or deamidation.

Another recent strategy available for antibody humanization preserves only the original nonhuman CDR3 sequences of light and heavy chains while the remaining sequence is selected from naive human V gene libraries (Rader et al., 1998).

The chimeric, humanized and/or de-immunized antibodies of the invention can belong to any class of immunoglobulins, like the non-modified antibodies. Preferably, they belong to a subclass of the IgG class such as IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 or IgG4.

Methods for preparing recombinant antigen-binding fragments, or chimeric antibodies by combining the variable regions of an antibody with appropriate linkers, or with the constant regions of another antibody, are well known in the art.

The antibodies of the invention are said to be monoclonal antibodies, meaning that a composition of these antibodies is homogeneous, especially identical, in terms of antigen-binding specificity and accordingly in terms of variable region composition. Hence the antibodies may qualify as monoclonal even if they are obtained by techniques alternative to the technique of hybridoma.

According to another embodiment, the invention also relates to a chimeric molecule which comprises an antibody according to any of the definition provided herein or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, wherein said antibody or functional fragment thereof is associated with a functionally different molecule. A chimeric molecule of the invention may be either a fusion chimeric protein or a conjugate resulting from any suitable form of attachment including covalent attachment, grafting, chemical bonding with a chemical or biological group or with a molecule, such as a PEG polymer or another protective group or molecule suitable for protection against proteases cleavage in vivo, for improvement of stability and/or half-life of the antibody or functional fragment. With similar techniques, especially by chemical coupling or grafting, a chimeric molecule can be prepared with a biologically active molecule said active molecule being for example chosen among toxins, in particularPseudomonasexotoxin A (Risberg et al., 2011), the A-chain of plant toxin ricin (van Oosterhout et al., 2001) or saporintoxin (Flavell et al., 2006), especially a therapeutic active ingredient, a vector (including especially a protein vector) suitable for targeting the antibody or functional fragment to specific cells or tissues of the human body, or it may be associated with a label or with a linker, especially when fragments of the antibody are used.

PEGylation of the antibody or functional fragments thereof is a particular interesting embodiment as it improves the delivery conditions of the active substance to the host, especially for a therapeutic application. PEGylation can be site specific to prevent interference with the recognition sites of the antibodies or functional fragments, and can be performed with high molecular weight PEG. PEGylation can be achieved through free Cysteine residues present in the sequence of the antibody or functional fragment or through added free Cysteine residues in the amino sequence of the antibody or functional fragment.

The invention concerns also a composition comprising antibodies or functional fragments thereof as defined herein, wherein the antibodies or functional fragments thereof are a homogeneous population of antibodies or functional fragments thereof or are monoclonal antibodies or functional fragments thereof.

In some cases it is possible to use a composition of products to obtain the desired effect, where each of the products in the composition generates at least one desired effect. In the present case, for example, it is possible to combine molecules having an inhibitory effect on the IL-7-IL-7R interaction and molecules having cytotoxic effect against CD127 positive cells. Such combinations are included in the invention. Importantly, in the invention, the composition of products should not synergize with TSLP for the maturation of dendritic cells. Usually, this involves combining products of which none individually synergizes with TSLP for the maturation of dendritic cells.

In a particular embodiment, the invention concerns a composition or an assembly of compounds comprising antibodies, fragments or chimeric molecules as described herein, said composition comprising (i) a population of antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof or chimeric molecules having cytotoxic activity against CD127 positive cells, especially CD127+ T cells and (ii) a population of antibodies or functional fragments thereof or chimeric molecules having antagonist properties towards human IL-7, these populations of antibodies being either combined in a mixture or separated and, in this latter option, formulated for combined or sequential administration. The antibodies and/or functional fragments and/or chimeric molecules do not synergize with TSLP for the maturation of dendritic cells.

The definitions provided herein especially by reference to the antibodies of the invention, similarly apply to the antigen-binding fragments thereof except where it is technically obviously not relevant. These definitions also apply to macromolecules (in particular chimeric antibodies or chimeric molecules) or compositions comprising these antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof or derived from these antibodies, as disclosed in the present application. It is further specified that the antigen-binding fragments of the antibodies of the invention are derived from the antibodies from a conceptual or design point of view but may be prepared through various techniques, not necessarily having recourse to the antibodies as products.

The invention also relates to a nucleic acid molecule encoding a macromolecule according to any of the definitions provided herein. In particular embodiments, the nucleic acid of the invention encodes an amino acid chosen from the group consisting of SEQ ID No:2; SEQ ID No:4; SEQ ID No:6; SEQ ID No:8; SEQ ID No:10; SEQ ID No:12; SEQ ID No:14; SEQ ID No:16; SEQ ID No:18; SEQ ID No:20; SEQ ID No:22, SEQ ID No:24, SEQ ID No:36, SEQ ID No:38, SEQ ID No:40, SEQ ID No:42, SEQ ID No:44, SEQ ID No:46, SEQ ID No:48, SEQ ID No:50, SEQ ID No:52, SEQ ID No:54, SEQ ID No:56, SEQ ID No:110, SEQ ID No:111, SEQ ID No:86, SEQ ID No:115, SEQ ID No:116 and SEQ ID No:117. In particular embodiments, the nucleic acid of the invention comprises or consists in the sequence of SEQ ID No: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53 or 55.

Such a nucleic acid suitable for the preparation of macromolecules of the invention is especially chosen in the group of:i. a polynucleotide encoding a VH region and having the sequence of SEQ ID No 1 or SEQ ID No: 5 or SEQ ID No:54 or the variable region of a VH region and having the sequence of SEQ ID No:21 or SEQ ID No: 35 or SEQ ID No:37 or SEQ ID No:39;ii. a polynucleotide encoding a VL region having the sequence of SEQ ID No 3 or SEQ ID No: 7 or SEQ ID No:56 or the variable region of a VL region and having the sequence of SEQ ID No:23, or SEQ ID No: 41 or SEQ ID No:43 or SEQ ID No:45;iii. a polynucleotide encoding a VHCDR1 region having the sequence of SEQ ID No:9,iv. a polynucleotide encoding a VHCDR2 region having the sequence of SEQ ID No:11,v. a polynucleotide encoding a VHCDR3 region having the sequence of SEQ ID No:13 or of SEQ ID No:47,vi. a polynucleotide encoding a VLCDR1 region having the sequence of SEQ ID No 15 or of SEQ ID No:49,vii. a polynucleotide encoding a VLCDR2 region having the sequence of SEQ ID No 17 or of SEQ ID No:51,viii. a polynucleotide encoding a VLCDR3 region having the sequence of SEQ ID No 19.

The invention also relates to a polynucleotide having modified nucleotides with respect to the sequence of SEQ ID No 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53 or 55, and which:(a) encodes a polypeptide having amino acid sequence of respectively SEQ ID No 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 or 56 and/or(b) has at least 85%, preferably at least 90%, more preferably at least 95%, and most preferably at least 98% or at least 99% identity over its whole length with one of the polynucleotides having respectively sequence of SEQ ID No 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53 or 55 and/or,(c) is a fragment of the polynucleotide having sequence of sequence SEQ ID No: 1, 3, 5, 7, 21, 23, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 53 or 55, and encodes a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an antigen-binding fragment.

Polynucleotides of the invention can also be optimized sequences, especially for the expression in host cells. Optimization techniques in this field are conventional ones.

Polynucleotide fragments of the invention have advantageously a sequence of at least 9 nucleotides, in particular at least 18 nucleotides and are shorter than their sequence of origin, especially shorter than full-length illustrated VH or VL sequences respectively.

According to a particular embodiment, polynucleotides of the invention may advantageously comprise, besides a sequence encoding a macromolecule according to the invention, upstream from the sequence encoding the antibody chains, a sequence encoding a signal peptide allowing secretion of said protein when expressed in a production cell. They may also comprise one or more sequence(s) encoding one or more marker peptide(s) for detecting, and/or facilitating the purification of, said protein.

The invention also concerns a vector for the cloning and/or for the expression of a polynucleotide disclosed herein. In a particular embodiment, the vector of the invention is a plasmid suitable for cloning and/or expressing in mammalian cells, which comprises regulation sequences for transcription and expression.

The invention further relates to cells or cell lines recombined with a polynucleotide of the invention, especially a mammalian or an avian cell or cell line. For example Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells, genetically modified to reduce global fucosylation. Indeed, Antibodies lacking core fucosylation show a significantly enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) (von Horsten et al., 2010). Another example is the EB66 cell line which naturally has low fucosylation properties (Olivier et al., 2010).

Thus the invention also relates to a method of preparing an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, which comprises:(a) obtaining a hybridoma after immunizing an animal, especially a mammal with the human alpha chain of the human IL-7 receptor, preferably with an antigen thereof comprising the sequences of human CD127 with the sequences of SEQ ID No:115 (and/or SEQ ID No: 110) and/or SEQ ID No:117 (and/or SEQ ID No: 111) and/or SEQ ID No:116 (and/or SEQ ID No:86), said antigen comprising other sequences of human CD127 or not, as disclosed above, and, where necessary, boosting said animal with the same immunogen, recovering spleen or lymph node cells from the animal responding to immunization and fusing said cells with myeloma cells to isolate monoclonal antibodies and/or(b) expressing polynucleotides coding for such antibodies such as polynucleotides disclosed herein with their nucleotide sequence in the recombinant form in cells in conditions enabling the recovery of antibodies, and(c) recovering antibodies recognizing an epitope as defined herein, in particular comprising sequences from the 2b site of CD127 and in particular comprising such sequences and in addition sequences from the D1 domain of CD127, in particular antibodies having the desired binding affinity against the alpha chain of the human IL-7 receptor.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the antibodies or their fragment are prepared in cells that present low fucosylation properties, such as EB66 avian cells.

The invention also relates to a method of selection of antibodies comprising the steps of obtaining, possibly through one of the methods described herein, antibodies or fragments thereof which specifically bind CD127, in particular an antigen thereof as disclosed above, and selecting among these antibodies those that do not increase the TSLP-induced maturation of immune cells, in particular dendritic cells, that do not induce internalization of CD127 and/or that inhibit IL7-induced internalization of CD127 and/or that inhibit in vitro and/or in vivo expression of α4, β7 and/or α4/β7 integrins. The selection may be performed using any of the procedures described in the Examples section to test for increase or decrease of TSLP-induced expression of cell surface markers CD40 and/or CD80 or to test for effects on internalization of CD127 or to test for effects on the expression of α4, β7 and α4/β7 integrins. Such tests can conveniently be performed in e.g. 96-well plates to allow for fast and efficient screening of a large number of candidate antibodies and the readout can be performed by classical immunostaining and flow cytometry analysis. Thus, the invention relates to a method of selecting antibodies, antigen-binding fragments thereof or other macromolecule which comprises or consists of at least one of the following steps:a. Testing (e.g. as described in Example 1, Example 2, Example 6 and/or Example 7) a macromolecule with the binding capacity of the macromolecule to CD127, in particular to an antigen thereof as disclosed herein;b. Testing (e.g. as described inFIG. 16and/or Example 5) the internalization of CD127 in CD127-expressing cells induced by the presence of the macromolecule;c. Testing (e.g. as described inFIG. 16and/or Example 5) the inhibition by the macromolecule of IL7-induced internalization of CD127 in CD127-expressing cells;d. Testing (e.g. as inFIG. 5,FIG. 6and/or Example 9) the increase of the maturation of DCs induced by TSLP in the presence of the macromolecule;and optionally comprising at least one of the following steps:e. Testing (e.g. as inFIG. 1,FIG. 2and/or Example 3) the inhibition by the macromolecule of IL-7 induced signalling, in particular STAT5 phosphorylation;f. Testing (e.g. as in Example 9,FIG. 5and/orFIG. 6) the inhibition by the macromolecule of TSLP-induced production of TARC;g. Testing (e.g. as in Example 16,FIG. 19and/orFIG. 20) the inhibition by the macromolecule of the expression of α4, β7 and/or α4/β7 integrin expression, in particular cell surface expression on T-lymphocytes;h. Testing (e.g. as in Example 21,FIG. 28) the disruption by the antibody of the binding of CD127 to the γc chain, in particular in the presence of IL-7.Each of these testing steps being followed by the selection of one or more macromolecules having the desired functional features, as disclosed herein.
As mentioned above, when it is desired that the antibody recognizes an epitope comprising sequences which are not contiguous in the sequence of CD127, it is possible to test successively the recognition of (or binding to) fragments of the epitope consisting (or essentially consisting) of a single contiguous sequence of CD127. For example, if it is desired to obtain an antibody recognizing an epitope comprising sequences SEQ ID No:115, SEQ ID No:116 and SEQ ID No:117, it is possible to first select antibodies recognizing an epitope essentially consisting of SEQ ID No:116, and then secondly to select, among these first selected antibodies, antibodies recognizing an epitope essentially consisting of SEQ ID No:115, and then to select, among these secondly selected antibodies, antibodies recognizing an epitope essentially consisting of SEQ ID No:117. Obviously, the order of selection may be modified relative to this order, provided solely as an example.

Another object of the invention is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a macromolecule according to the invention, with a pharmaceutical vehicle, wherein said pharmaceutical composition optionally further comprises a different active ingredient.

The invention also relates to a composition comprising as an active ingredient, a macromolecule of the invention or a pharmaceutical composition as defined above, in a formulation suitable for controlling human CD127 positive cells survival or expansion, in particular human CD127 positive effector cells, especially CD127+ memory T cells survival or expansion, especially memory T cells which are both CD127+ and CD8+, or which are both CD127+ and CD4+ cells, when administered to a human patient. In a particular embodiment, the composition comprising the macromolecule of the invention as an active ingredient is in a formulation suitable for controlling the differentiation and/or maturation of dendritic cells when administered to a patient.

A composition of the invention may further comprise an additional compound having a therapeutic immunomodulator effect, in particular on cells involved in allergy or autoimmunity. For illustration purposes, exemplary immunomodulators of interest are other monoclonal antibodies targeting T cells, such as anti-CD3, anti-ICOS or anti-CD28 antibodies or recombinant proteins or antibodies targeting accessory cells such as CTLA4Ig or anti-CD40 antibodies.

The invention concerns also an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof or a chimeric molecule as defined or illustrated herein, for use as active ingredient in a combination or add-on therapeutic regimen in a patient in need thereof. Also contemplated is the use of a macromolecule, nucleic acid, cell or cell line of the invention as a therapeutically active ingredient in a combination or in an add-on therapeutic regimen in a patient in need thereof.

A macromolecule according to the invention, a nucleic acid, vector, cell, cell line, pharmaceutical composition or a composition as defined herein are in particular proposed for use in a human patient for treating pathologic conditions influenced by immune responses, especially by memory T cells responses. Accordingly, the inventors proposed that the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, chimeric molecule according to the invention, pharmaceutical composition or composition as defined herein be used for the treatment of autoimmune or allergic diseases in particular allergic skin disorders, intestinal disorders or for transplant rejection or for the treatment of leukemia such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (e.g. T-ALL) or lymphoma such as Hodgkin lymphoma, or the treatment of a cancer disease such as breast cancer associated with CD127+ cells, renal cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, or for the treatment of a T cell cutaneous lymphoma, such as Sezary lymphoma, or for the treatment of the acute lymphoblastoid leukemia with gain-of-function mutation of the IL-7-R/TSLP pathway.

In various embodiments, the invention is related to the use of macromolecules as defined herein in order to deplete CD127-positive cells while preserving CD127-negative cells.

In various embodiments, the invention is related to the use of macromolecules as defined herein in order to prevent differentiation and/or expansion and/or maturation of CD127-positive cells, in particular differentiation, expansion, or maturation induced by IL-7 and/or TSLP, while having little or no direct effect on CD127-negative cells.

In a particular embodiment, the invention relates to the use of macromolecules defined herein in order to eliminate/neutralize naïve and memory T cells by interfering with IL-7-induced signaling, while preserving Treg cells.

In a particular embodiment, the invention also relates to the use of macromolecules defined herein in order to deplete subpopulations of lymphocytes, or other cell populations expressing CD127 (including normal or pathologic T and B lymphocytes, NK cells, dendritic cells and other cell types including epithelial cells) as a result of cytotoxic action of the antibodies, possibly but not exclusively through ADCC (Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity) and optionally through CDC (Complement-Dependent Cytotoxicity).

In the embodiments above, the contemplated used are also applicable to nucleic acids, vectors, cells, cell lines and compositions of the invention.

By “treatment” or “therapeutic treatment”, it is meant that the performed steps of administration result in improving the clinical condition of an animal or a human patient in need thereof, who suffers from disorder(s) associated with the IL-7 pathway, i.e. involving the activation or proliferation of CD127 positive cells. Such treatment aims at improving the clinical status of the animal or human patient, by eliminating or alleviating the symptoms associated with the disorder(s) related to the IL-7 pathway, i.e. involving the activation or proliferation of CD127 positive cells. In a preferred embodiment, the treatment according to the invention enables restoring to health. In a preferred embodiment, said treatment does not have undesired negative effects due to increased maturation of immune cells, in particular of dendritic cells.

The invention includes the use of the macromolecules in the treatment of pathologic conditions involving the alteration of immune response in a human patient leading to dominant tolerogenic state or, to the contrary, lack of tolerance where control of the level of the immune response would be needed as well as destruction of malignant CD127-positive cells.

The invention provides means suitable for use in pathologies such as those induced by transplant rejection, autoimmune diseases, allergic diseases, respiratory diseases, chronic viral infections, lymphoma, leukemia or other cancer diseases including those resulting from solid tumors (e.g. breast cancer) when these pathologies are associated with CD127 positive cells as well as the IL-7 signalling pathway and where an increase in the maturation of dendritic cells must be avoided.

In a particular embodiment, the invention relates to the use of a macromolecule, nucleic acid, cell, cell line or composition of the invention in a human patient for the treatment of an autoimmune disease or an allergic disease or for the treatment of leukemia such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia or for the treatment of lymphoma, or for the treatment of cancer disease, or for the treatment of a chronic viral infection, or for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, or for the treatment of respiratory diseases, or for the treatment of symptoms related to a transplantation.

In a particular embodiment, the invention relates to a method of treatment comprising the administration of a macromolecule, nucleic acid, cell, cell line or composition of the invention in a human patient for the treatment of an autoimmune disease or an allergic disease or for the treatment of leukemia such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia or for the treatment of lymphoma, or for the treatment of cancer disease, or for the treatment of a chronic viral infection, or for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, or for the treatment of respiratory diseases, or for the treatment of symptoms related to a transplantation.

Additional features and properties of the invention will be apparent from the Examples and figures which follow.

