Real Time Analysis of Binding between Rituximab (Anti-CD20 Antibody) and B Lymphoma Cells

CD20, expressed on greater than 90% of B-lymphocytic lymphomas, is an attractive target for antibody therapy. Rituximab is a chimeric murine/human-engineered monoclonal antibody which can selectively deplete CD20-expressing cells in peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues. The immobilization of B-lymphoblast-like Burkitt's lymphoma Raji cells on the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gold electrode surface using arginine glycine aspartic acid (RGD) tripeptide was electrochemically confirmed. The real-time processes of attachment of Raji cells on the gold electrode and the subsequent binding of Rituximab to the cells were studied using a QCM biosensor. The interaction between Rituximab and Raji cells led to the increased resonant frequency shifts (Delta f(0)) in the studied antibody concentration range from 5 to 250 mu g mL(-1) following the Langmuir adsorption model. From these observations, the apparent binding constant between a single-layer of Rituximab and Raji cells was calculated to be 1.6 x 10(6) M-1. Control experiments using other therapeutic antibodies (i.e., Trastuzumab and Bevacizumab) and different cells (i.e., T cells and endothelial cells) proved the specific interaction between Rituximab and B cells. The effects of Ca2+ and Mn2+ ions on the Rituximab Raji cell interaction were also studied providing the enhanced QCM signals, in particular with Ca2+, further indicating that CD20 is a calcium ion channel that can transport these metal ions into the cells and accelerate the cell lysis induced by Rituximab. Thus, the real time capability of QCM and its simplicity of operation are shown to be highly suitable for multipurpose studies on living cells including cell-immobilization, cytotoxicity of drugs, and the cell action mechanisms.