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The bioorthogonal keto group has attracted interest for the site-specific chemical conjugation of recombinant proteins under mild conditions,e.g. with aminooxy-functionalised fluorescent probes,radiometal chelates,toxins or polymers. However,the cotranslational incorporation of the corresponding non-canonical amino acid p-acetyl-L-phenylalanine (Apa) into proteins expressed in Escherichia coli by means of amber suppression using a previously described system with a mutated tRNA and an engineered tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Methanococcus jannaschii shows limited efficiency and considerable promiscuity towards endogenous amino acids. Employing a one-plasmid system that encodes all three components required for selection,i.e. the modified aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS),the cognate amber suppressor tRNA and the enhanced green fluorescent protein equipped with an amber stop codon and serving as reporter,we have generated an Apa-specific aaRS&tRNA pair with considerably improved efficiency (17-fold increased expression) and also fidelity (6-fold). To this end,both the aaRS and the tRNA were subjected to doped random mutagenesis and selection in altogether four evolutionary cycles using fluorescence-activated bacterial cell sorting as well as automated screening of microcultures. The resulting aaRS&tRNA pair was applied to the functionalisation of an Anticalin with specificity towards oncofetal fibronectin by introducing a keto group at a permissible site for subsequent conjugation with a fluorescent dye,thus allowing visualisation of this tumour target under the microscope. View Publication

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy targeting CD19 has yielded remarkable outcomes in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. To identify potential CAR targets in acute myeloid leukemia (AML),we probed the AML surfaceome for overexpressed molecules with tolerable systemic expression. We integrated large transcriptomics and proteomics datasets from malignant and normal tissues,and developed an algorithm to identify potential targets expressed in leukemia stem cells,but not in normal CD34+CD38- hematopoietic cells,T cells,or vital tissues. As these investigations did not uncover candidate targets with a profile as favorable as CD19,we developed a generalizable combinatorial targeting strategy fulfilling stringent efficacy and safety criteria. Our findings indicate that several target pairings hold great promise for CAR therapy of AML. View Publication

Several progenitor cell populations have been reported to exist in hearts that play a role in cardiac turnover and/or repair. Despite the presence of cardiac stem and progenitor cells within the myocardium,functional repair of the heart after injury is inadequate. Identification of the signaling pathways involved in the expansion and differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) will broaden insight into the fundamental mechanisms playing a role in cardiac homeostasis and disease and might provide strategies for in vivo regenerative therapies. To understand and exploit cardiac ontogeny for drug discovery efforts,we developed an in vitro human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived CPC model system using a highly enriched population of KDR(pos)/CKIT(neg)/NKX2.5(pos) CPCs. Using this model system,these CPCs were capable of generating highly enriched cultures of cardiomyocytes under directed differentiation conditions. In order to facilitate the identification of pathways and targets involved in proliferation and differentiation of resident CPCs,we developed phenotypic screening assays. Screening paradigms for therapeutic applications require a robust,scalable,and consistent methodology. In the present study,we have demonstrated the suitability of these cells for medium to high-throughput screens to assess both proliferation and multilineage differentiation. Using this CPC model system and a small directed compound set,we identified activin-like kinase 5 (transforming growth factor-β type 1 receptor kinase) inhibitors as novel and potent inducers of human CPC differentiation to cardiomyocytes. Significance: Cardiac disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality,with no treatment available that can result in functional repair. This study demonstrates how differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells can be used to identify and isolate cell populations of interest that can translate to the adult human heart. Two separate examples of phenotypic screens are discussed,demonstrating the value of this biologically relevant and reproducible technology. In addition,this assay system was able to identify novel and potent inducers of differentiation and proliferation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac progenitor cells. View Publication