Self-Assembling Multi-Antigen T Cell Hybridizers for Precision Immunotherapy of Multiple Myeloma

Bispecific T-cell engagers show promise in treating multiple myeloma (MM), but challenges remain in adaptability and targeting flexibility. This paper presents a novel T-cell based immunotherapy, Multi-Antigen TCell Hybridizers (MATCH), a modular, self-assembling T-cell engager designed for versatile and patient-specific cancer targeting. MATCH consists of two components: a B-cell-targeting Fab' fragment conjugated to a 25-base morpholino oligonucleotide (Fab'B cell antigen-MORF1) and a T-cell engaging anti-CD3 Fab' fragment conjugated to the complementary morpholino oligonucleotide (Fab'CD3-MORF2). Upon hybridization of MORF1 and MORF2, MATCH enables pre-targeting of malignant cells followed by in situ post-assembly of the bispecific complex, facilitating targeted T-cell recruitment. To enhance antigen specificity based on MM patient expression profile, a panel of Fab'-MORF1 conjugates targeting key MM surface markers (Fab'BCMA-MORF1, Fab'SLAMF7-MORF1, Fab'CD38-MORF1) is developed, which pairs interchangeably with Fab'CD3-MORF2 for T-cell engagement. MATCH effectively induces immune synapse formation and exhibits potent, antigen-specific cytotoxicity across MM cells. Ex vivo validation in patient-derived bone marrow samples confirms significant tumor cell depletion. Preliminary in vivo studies in humanized mouse model demonstrated effective cancer inhibition along with favorable pharmacokinetics and distribution profiles. These findings support MATCH as a flexible and customizable immunotherapy platform with strong translational potential for the treatment of MM.