A novel agonistic anti-human death receptor 5 monoclonal antibody with tumoricidal activity induces caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in human leukemia Jurkat cells.

An agonistic antibody against TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand death receptor 5 (DR5) is a practicable candidate drug for antitumor therapy. In this study, a novel murine anti-human DR5 monoclonal antibody, mDRA-6(IgG1-κ), has been generated. This study aimed to explore the caspase-dependent and mitochondrial mechanisms of mDRA-6 in inducing apoptosis in human leukemia Jurkat cells. The apoptotic effects of mDRA-6 on Jurkat cells, which express DR5 on the cell surface, were detected by flow cytometry and western blot after exposure to different doses of mDRA-6 and at fixed doses of mDRA-6 at different times. It was demonstrated that mDRA-6 can induce Jurkat cell apoptosis via caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent pathways. These results indicate that the novel antibody mDRA-6 against DR5 has an antitumor function and may provide a new reagent for tumor therapy.