B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is expressed on normal and malignant plasma cells and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention. BCMA binds to two ligands that promote tumor cell survival, a proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL) and B-cell activating factor. To selectively target BCMA for plasma cell malignancies, we developed antibodies with ligand blocking activity that could promote cytotoxicity of multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines as naked antibodies or as antibody-drug

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... ugates. We show that SG1, an inhibitory BCMA antibody, blocks APRIL -dependent activation of nuclear factor-KB in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Cytotoxicity of SG1 was assessed as a naked antibody after chimerization with and without Fc mutations that enhance Fc;RIIIA binding. The Fc mutations increased the antibody-dependent cellmediated cytotoxicity potency of BCMA antibodies against MM lines by f100-fold with a z2-fold increase in maximal lysis. As an alternative therapeutic strategy, anti-BCMA antibodies were endowed with direct cytotoxic activity by conjugation to the cytotoxic drug, monomethyl auristatin F. The most potent BCMA antibody-drug conjugate displayed IC 50 values of V130 pmol/L for three different MM lines. Hence, BCMA antibodies show cytotoxic activity both as naked IgG and as drug conjugates and warrant further evaluation as therapeutic candidates for plasma cell malignancies. [Mol Cancer