1
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Šprager E, Möller J, Lin Y, Reisinger V, Bratkovič T, Lunder M, Vašl J, Krajnc A. Identification of Acyl-Protein Thioesterase-1 as a Polysorbate-Degrading Host Cell Protein in a Monoclonal Antibody Formulation Using Activity-Based Protein Profiling. J Pharm Sci 2024; 113:2128-2139. [PMID: 38772451 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2024.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Polysorbate (PS) degradation in monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulations poses a significant challenge in the biopharmaceutical industry. PS maintains protein stability during drug product's shelf life but is vulnerable to breakdown by low-abundance residual host cell proteins (HCPs), particularly hydrolytic enzymes such as lipases and esterases. In this study, we used activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) coupled with mass spectrometry to identify acyl-protein thioesterase-1 (APT-1) as a polysorbate-degrading HCP in one case of mAb formulation with stability problems. We validated the role of APT1 by matching the polysorbate degradation fingerprint in the mAb formulation with that of a recombinant APT1 protein. Furthermore, we found an agreement between APT1 levels and PS degradation rates in the mAb formulation, and we successfully halted PS degradation using APT1-specific inhibitors ML348 and ML211. APT1 was found to co-purify with a specific mAb via hitchhiking mechanism. Our work provides a streamlined approach to identifying critical HCPs in PS degradation, supporting quality-by-design principles in pharmaceutical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest Šprager
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Novartis Technical Research & Development, Biologics Technical Development Mengeš, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing LLC, Slovenia
| | - Jens Möller
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Analytical Characterization, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing GmbH, Kundl, Austria
| | - Yuhsien Lin
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Analytical Characterization, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing GmbH, Kundl, Austria
| | - Veronika Reisinger
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Analytical Characterization, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing GmbH, Kundl, Austria
| | - Tomaž Bratkovič
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mojca Lunder
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jožica Vašl
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Biologics Technical Development Mengeš, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing LLC, Slovenia
| | - Aleksander Krajnc
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Biologics Technical Development Mengeš, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing LLC, Slovenia.
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2
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Guadarrama-Pérez V, Aguilar C, Porras-Sanjuanico A, Merino E, Ramírez OT, Barona-Gómez F, Palomares LA. Expression in CHO cells of a bacterial biosynthetic pathway producing a small non-ribosomal peptide aldehyde prevents proteolysis of recombinant proteins. Metab Eng 2024; 82:79-88. [PMID: 38290598 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
A significant problem during recombinant protein production is proteolysis. One of the most common preventive strategies is the addition of protease inhibitors, which has drawbacks, such as their short half-life and high cost, and their limited prevention of extracellular proteolysis. Actinomycetes produce the most commonly used inhibitors, which are non-ribosomal small aldehydic peptides. Previously, an unprecedented biosynthetic route involving a condensation-minus non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPSs) and a tRNA utilizing enzyme (tRUE) was shown to direct the synthesis of one of these inhibitor peptides, livipeptin. Here, we show that expression of the livipeptin biosynthetic pathway encoded by the lvp genes in CHO cells resulted in the production of this metabolite with cysteine protease inhibitory activity, implying that mammalian tRNAs were recruited by the lvp system. CHO cells transiently expressing the biosynthetic pathway produced livipeptin without affecting cell growth or viability. Expression of the lvp system in CHO cells producing two model proteins, secreted alkaline phosphatase (hSeAP) and a monoclonal antibody, resulted in higher specific productivity with reduced proteolysis. We show for the first time that the expression of a bacterial biosynthetic pathway is functional in CHO cells, resulting in the efficient, low-cost synthesis of a protease inhibitor without adverse effects on CHO cells. This expands the field of metabolic engineering of mammalian cells by expressing the overwhelming diversity of actinomycetes biosynthetic pathways and opens a new option for proteolysis inhibition in bioprocess engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Guadarrama-Pérez
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Cuernavaca, Mor, 62210, México.
| | - César Aguilar
- Evolution of Metabolic Diversity Laboratory, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (LANGEBIO), Cinvestav-IPN, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico; Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Alberto Porras-Sanjuanico
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Cuernavaca, Mor, 62210, México.
| | - Enrique Merino
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular. Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mor, 62210, Mexico.
| | - Octavio T Ramírez
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Cuernavaca, Mor, 62210, México.
| | - Francisco Barona-Gómez
- Evolution of Metabolic Diversity Laboratory, Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (LANGEBIO), Cinvestav-IPN, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico; Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333, BE, the Netherlands.
| | - Laura A Palomares
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Cuernavaca, Mor, 62210, México.
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3
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Geng SL, Zhao XJ, Zhang X, Zhang JH, Mi CL, Wang TY. Recombinant therapeutic proteins degradation and overcoming strategies in CHO cells. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:182. [PMID: 38285115 PMCID: PMC10824870 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13008-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian cell lines are frequently used as the preferred host cells for producing recombinant therapeutic proteins (RTPs) having post-translational modified modification similar to those observed in proteins produced by human cells. Nowadays, most RTPs approved for marketing are produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Recombinant therapeutic antibodies are among the most important and promising RTPs for biomedical applications. One of the issues that occurs during development of RTPs is their degradation, which caused by a variety of factors and reducing quality of RTPs. RTP degradation is especially concerning as they could result in reduced biological functions (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity) and generate potentially immunogenic species. Therefore, the mechanisms underlying RTP degradation and strategies for avoiding degradation have regained an interest from academia and industry. In this review, we outline recent progress in this field, with a focus on factors that cause degradation during RTP production and the development of strategies for overcoming RTP degradation. KEY POINTS: • The recombinant therapeutic protein degradation in CHO cell systems is reviewed. • Enzymatic factors and non-enzymatic methods influence recombinant therapeutic protein degradation. • Reducing the degradation can improve the quality of recombinant therapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Lei Geng
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Xiao-Jie Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Ji-Hong Zhang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Chun-Liu Mi
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Tian-Yun Wang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China.
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China.
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4
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Vitharana S, Stillahn JM, Katayama DS, Henry CS, Manning MC. Application of Formulation Principles to Stability Issues Encountered During Processing, Manufacturing, and Storage of Drug Substance and Drug Product Protein Therapeutics. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:2724-2751. [PMID: 37572779 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
The field of formulation and stabilization of protein therapeutics has become rather extensive. However, most of the focus has been on stabilization of the final drug product. Yet, proteins experience stress and degradation through the manufacturing process, starting with fermentaition. This review describes how formulation principles can be applied to stabilize biopharmaceutical proteins during bioprocessing and manufacturing, considering each unit operation involved in prepration of the drug substance. In addition, the impact of the container on stabilty is discussed as well.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua M Stillahn
- Legacy BioDesign LLC, Johnstown, CO 80534, USA; Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | | | - Charles S Henry
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Mark Cornell Manning
- Legacy BioDesign LLC, Johnstown, CO 80534, USA; Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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5
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Elsayed A, Jaber N, Al-Remawi M, Abu-Salah K. From cell factories to patients: Stability challenges in biopharmaceuticals manufacturing and administration with mitigation strategies. Int J Pharm 2023; 645:123360. [PMID: 37657507 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Active ingredients of biopharmaceuticals consist of a wide array of biomolecular structures, including those of enzymes, monoclonal antibodies, nucleic acids, and recombinant proteins. Recently, these molecules have dominated the pharmaceutical industry owing to their safety and efficacy. However, their manufacturing is hindered by high cost, inadequate batch-to-batch equivalence, inherent instability, and other quality issues. This article is an up-to-date review of the challenges encountered during different stages of biopharmaceutical production and mitigation of problems arising during their development, formulation, manufacturing, and administration. It is a broad overview discussion of stability issues encountered during product life cycle i.e., upstream processing (aggregation, solubility, host cell proteins, color change), downstream bioprocessing (aggregation, fragmentation), formulation, manufacturing, and delivery to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amani Elsayed
- College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nisrein Jaber
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Al Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Mayyas Al-Remawi
- Faculty of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman 1196, Jordan.
| | - Khalid Abu-Salah
- King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Department of Nanomedicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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6
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Li X. Recent applications of quantitative mass spectrometry in biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 234:115581. [PMID: 37494866 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Biopharmaceutical products have seen rapid growth over the past few decades and continue to dominate the global pharmaceutical market. Aligning with the quality by design (QbD) framework and realization, recent advances in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) instrumentation and related techniques have enhanced biopharmaceutical characterization capabilities and have supported an increased development of biopharmaceutical products. Beyond its routine qualitative characterization, the quantitative feature of LC-MS has unique applications in biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing. This review describes the recent applications and implications of the advancement of quantitative MS methods in biopharmaceutical process development, and characterization of biopharmaceutical product, product-related variants, and process-related impurities. We also provide insights on the emerging applications of quantitative MS in the lifecycle of biopharmaceutical product development including quality control in the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) environment and process analytical technology (PAT) practices during process development and manufacturing. Through collaboration with instrument and software vendors and regulatory agencies, we envision broader adoption of phase-appropriate quantitative MS-based methods for the analysis of biopharmaceutical products, which in turn has the potential to enable manufacture of higher quality products for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research and Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, NJ 07065, USA.
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7
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Knight TJ, Povey JF, Vito D, Mohindra A, Jaques CM, Smales CM. Manipulation of mRNA translation elongation influences the fragmentation of a biotherapeutic Fc-fusion protein produced in CHO cells. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:3408-3420. [PMID: 36082414 PMCID: PMC9826484 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian cells, particularly Chinese hamster ovary cells, are the dominant system for the production of protein-based biotherapeutics, however, product degradation, particularly of Fc-fusion proteins, is sometimes observed that impacts the quality of the protein generated. Here, we identify the site of fragmentation of a model immunoglobulin G1 Fc-fusion protein, show that the observed clipping and aggregation are decreased by reduced temperature culturing, that the fragmentation/clipping is intracellular, and that reduced clipping at a lower temperature (<37°C) relates to mesenger RNA (mRNA) translation elongation. We subsequently show that reduced fragmentation can be achieved at 37°C by addition of chemical reagents that slow translation elongation. We then modified mRNA translation elongation speeds by designing different transcript sequences for the Fc-fusion protein based on alternative codon usage and improved the product yield at 37°C, and the ratio of intact to a fragmented product. Our data suggest that rapid elongation results in misfolding that decreases product fidelity, generating a region susceptible to degradation/proteolysis, whilst the slowing of mRNA translation improves the folding, reducing susceptibility to fragmentation. Manipulation of mRNA translation and/or the target Fc-fusion transcript is, therefore, an approach that can be applied to potentially reduce fragmentation of clipping-prone Fc-fusion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya J. Knight
- School of Biosciences, Industrial Biotechnology CentreUniversity of KentCanterbury, KentUK
| | - Jane F. Povey
- School of Biosciences, Industrial Biotechnology CentreUniversity of KentCanterbury, KentUK
| | - Davide Vito
- School of Biosciences, Industrial Biotechnology CentreUniversity of KentCanterbury, KentUK
| | | | | | - C. Mark Smales
- School of Biosciences, Industrial Biotechnology CentreUniversity of KentCanterbury, KentUK,National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and TrainingBlackrock Co.DublinIreland
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8
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Ai Y, Gunawardena HP, Li X, Kim YI, Dewald HD, Chen H. Standard-Free Absolute Quantitation of Antibody Deamidation Degradation and Host Cell Proteins by Coulometric Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2022; 94:12490-12499. [PMID: 36018377 PMCID: PMC10492508 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c02709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Proteomic absolute quantitation strategies mainly rely on the use of synthetic stable isotope-labeled peptides or proteins as internal standards, which are highly costly and time-consuming to synthesize. To circumvent this limitation, we recently developed a coulometric mass spectrometry (CMS) approach for absolute quantitation of proteins without the use of standards, based on the electrochemical oxidation of oxidizable surrogate peptides, followed by mass spectrometry measurement of the peptide oxidation yield. Previously, CMS was only applied for single-protein quantitation. In this study, first, we demonstrated absolute quantitation of multiple proteins in a mixture (e.g., β-lactoglobulin B, α-lactalbumin, and carbonic anhydrase) by CMS in one run, without using any standards. The CMS quantitation result was validated with a traditional isotope dilution method. Second, CMS can be used for absolute quantitation of a low-level target protein in a mixture; for instance, 500 ppm of PLBL2, a problematic host cell protein (HCP), in the presence of a highly abundant monoclonal antibody (mAb) was successfully quantified by CMS with no use of standards. Third, taking one step further, this study demonstrated the unprecedented quantitative analysis of deamidated peptide products arising from the mAb heavy chain deamidation reaction. In particular, absolute quantitation of the deamidation succinimide intermediate which had not been performed before due to the lack of standard was conducted by CMS, for the first time. Overall, our data suggest that CMS has potential utilities for quantitative proteomics and biotherapeutic drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongling Ai
- Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Harsha P Gunawardena
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Yong-Ick Kim
- Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Howard D Dewald
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, Chemistry Building, 133 University Terrace, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
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9
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Two major mechanisms contributing to copurification of CHO host cell proteins and strategies to minimize their negative impact. Protein Expr Purif 2022; 197:106113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2022.106113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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10
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Hu L, Liu S, Xia L, Cong X, Xu C, Wang L, Li Y. CHO cathepsin B identified as the protease responsible for a target bispecific antibody fragmentation. Protein Expr Purif 2022; 199:106144. [PMID: 35839975 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2022.106144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In a previous work we demonstrated that CHO protease caused fragmentation of an expressed bispecific antibody (bsAb) and this detrimental host cell protein (HCP) can be effectively removed through an optimized Protein A wash step. In addition, preliminary evidence suggested that the responsible protease belongs to the threonine or cysteine protease family. In the current study, this protease was further identified as cathepsin B. First, we identified several CHO proteases in the further fractionated Protein A wash using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and this allowed us to select four candidate proteases. Next, by examining the cleavage pattern of each individual protease and comparing it with that observed during purification, cathepsin B was identified as the protease responsible for the observed bsAb fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixia Hu
- Technology and Process Development (TPD), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- ,Analytical Sciences (AS), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China
| | - Lisha Xia
- Technology and Process Development (TPD), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China
| | - Xiaoji Cong
- Technology and Process Development (TPD), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China
| | - Chu Xu
- ,Analytical Sciences (AS), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China
| | - Li Wang
- Technology and Process Development (TPD), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China
| | - Yifeng Li
- Technology and Process Development (TPD), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China.
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11
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The potential of emerging sub-omics technologies for CHO cell engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107978. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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12
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Li X, Wang F, Li H, Richardson DD, Roush DJ. The measurement and control of high-risk host cell proteins for polysorbate degradation in biologics formulation. Antib Ther 2022; 5:42-54. [PMID: 35155990 PMCID: PMC8826928 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonionic surfactant polysorbates, including PS-80 and PS-20, are commonly used in the formulation of biotherapeutic products for both preventing surface adsorption and acting as stabilizer against protein aggregation. Trace levels of residual host cell proteins (HCPs) with lipase or esterase enzymatic activity have been shown to degrade polysorbates in biologics formulation. The measurement and control of these low abundance, high-risk HCPs for polysorbate degradation are an industry-wide challenge to achieve desired shelf life of biopharmaceuticals in liquid formulation, especially for high-concentration formulation product development. Here, we reviewed the challenges, recent advances, and future opportunities of analytical method development, risk assessment, and control strategies for polysorbate degradation during formulation development with a focus on enzymatic degradation. Continued efforts to advance our understanding of polysorbate degradation in biologics formulation will help develop high-quality medicines for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: Xuanwen Li, Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co. Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, WPP042A-4015, West Point, PA 19486. Tel: 215-652-1829;
| | - Fengqiang Wang
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Hong Li
- Biologics Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Douglas D Richardson
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - David J Roush
- Biologics Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
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13
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Cid R, Bolívar J. Platforms for Production of Protein-Based Vaccines: From Classical to Next-Generation Strategies. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1072. [PMID: 34439738 PMCID: PMC8394948 DOI: 10.3390/biom11081072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, vaccination has become one of the most effective strategies to control and reduce infectious diseases, preventing millions of deaths worldwide. The earliest vaccines were developed as live-attenuated or inactivated pathogens, and, although they still represent the most extended human vaccine types, they also face some issues, such as the potential to revert to a pathogenic form of live-attenuated formulations or the weaker immune response associated with inactivated vaccines. Advances in genetic engineering have enabled improvements in vaccine design and strategies, such as recombinant subunit vaccines, have emerged, expanding the number of diseases that can be prevented. Moreover, antigen display systems such as VLPs or those designed by nanotechnology have improved the efficacy of subunit vaccines. Platforms for the production of recombinant vaccines have also evolved from the first hosts, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to insect or mammalian cells. Traditional bacterial and yeast systems have been improved by engineering and new systems based on plants or insect larvae have emerged as alternative, low-cost platforms. Vaccine development is still time-consuming and costly, and alternative systems that can offer cost-effective and faster processes are demanding to address infectious diseases that still do not have a treatment and to face possible future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Cid
- ADL Bionatur Solutions S.A., Av. del Desarrollo Tecnológico 11, 11591 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
| | - Jorge Bolívar
- Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health-Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
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14
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Dovgan T, Golghalyani V, Zurlo F, Hatton D, Lindo V, Turner R, Harris C, Cui T. Targeted CHO cell engineering approaches can reduce HCP-related enzymatic degradation and improve mAb product quality. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:3821-3831. [PMID: 34125434 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Host cell proteins (HCP) that co-purify with biologics produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells have been shown to impact product quality through proteolytic degradation of recombinant proteins, leading to potential product losses. Several problematic HCPs can remain in the final product even after extensive purification. Each recombinant cell line has a unique HCP profile that can be determined by numerous upstream and downstream factors, including clonal variation and the protein sequence of the expressed therapeutic molecule. Here, we worked with recombinant cell lines with high levels of copurifying HCPs, and showed that in those cell lines even modest downregulation (≤50%) of the difficult to remove HCP Cathepsin D, through stable short hairpin RNA interference or monoallelic deletion of the target gene using CRISPR-Cas9, is sufficient to greatly reduce levels of co-purifying HCP as measured by high throughput targeted LC-MS. This reduction led to improved product quality by reducing fragmentation of the drug product in forced degradation studies to negligible levels. We also show the potential of cell engineering to target other undesired HCPs and relieve the burden on downstream purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Dovgan
- Cell Culture and Fermentation Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Cambridge, AstraZeneca, UK.,Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Cambridge, AstraZeneca, UK
| | - Vahid Golghalyani
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Cambridge, AstraZeneca, UK
| | - Fabio Zurlo
- Cell Culture and Fermentation Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Cambridge, AstraZeneca, UK
| | - Diane Hatton
- Cell Culture and Fermentation Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Cambridge, AstraZeneca, UK
| | - Viv Lindo
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Cambridge, AstraZeneca, UK
| | - Richard Turner
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Cambridge, AstraZeneca, UK
| | - Claire Harris
- Cell Culture and Fermentation Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Cambridge, AstraZeneca, UK
| | - Tingting Cui
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Cambridge, AstraZeneca, UK
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15
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Li X, Chandra D, Letarte S, Adam GC, Welch J, Yang RS, Rivera S, Bodea S, Dow A, Chi A, Strulson CA, Richardson DD. Profiling Active Enzymes for Polysorbate Degradation in Biotherapeutics by Activity-Based Protein Profiling. Anal Chem 2021; 93:8161-8169. [PMID: 34032423 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Polysorbate is widely used to maintain stability of biotherapeutic proteins in pharmaceutical formulation development. Degradation of polysorbate can lead to particle formation in drug products, which is a major quality concern and potential patient risk factor. Enzymatic activity from residual host cell enzymes such as lipases and esterases plays a major role for polysorbate degradation. Their high activity, often at very low concentration, constitutes a major analytical challenge in the biopharmaceutical industry. In this study, we evaluated and optimized the activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) approach to identify active enzymes responsible for polysorbate degradation. Using an optimized chemical probe, we established the first global profile of active serine hydrolases in harvested cell culture fluid (HCCF) for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) production from two Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. A total of eight known lipases were identified by ABPP with enzyme activity information, while only five lipases were identified by a traditional abundance-based proteomics (TABP) approach. Interestingly, phospholipase B-like 2 (PLBL2), a well-known problematic HCP was not found to be active in process-intermediates from two different mAbs. In a proof-of-concept study with downstream samples, phospholipase A2 group VII (PLA2G7) was only identified by ABPP and confirmed to contribute to polysorbate-80 degradation for the first time. The established ABBP approach is approved to be able to identify low-abundance host cell enzymes and fills the gap between lipase abundance and activity, which enables more meaningful polysorbate degradation investigations for biotherapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Divya Chandra
- Biologics Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Simon Letarte
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Gregory C Adam
- Quantitative Biosciences, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Jonathan Welch
- Biologics Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Rong-Sheng Yang
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Shannon Rivera
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Smaranda Bodea
- Chemical Biology, Merck & Co., Inc., 33 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Alex Dow
- Biologics Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - An Chi
- Chemical Biology, Merck & Co., Inc., 33 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Christopher A Strulson
- Biologics Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Douglas D Richardson
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
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16
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Hu L, Tang J, Zhang X, Li Y. Sodium caprylate wash during Protein A chromatography as an effective means for removing protease(s) responsible for target antibody fragmentation. Protein Expr Purif 2021; 186:105907. [PMID: 34022391 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2021.105907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
For recombinant proteins produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, fragmentation is a common phenomenon that results in generation of product-related low-molecular-weight (LMW) species. Recently while purifying a bispecific antibody (bsAb), we observed that the target protein experienced cleavage at a couple of potential sites, leading to truncated products. Further studies suggest that the cleavage can likely be attributed to residual CHO cell protease activity. In order to maximally remove potential protease(s) that contribute fragmentation, we optimized Protein A chromatography by adding sodium caprylate (SC) to the wash buffer. Upon optimization, fragmentation of Protein A eluate happened to a much lesser degree as compared to that of eluate from unoptimized process, and the increased sample stability is in accordance with significantly reduced host cell protein (HCP) level. Taken together, the data suggest that SC wash during Protein A chromatography is an effective means for removing HCPs including endogenous protease(s) that are responsible for target antibody fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixia Hu
- Technology and Process Development (TPD), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China
| | - Jiaqin Tang
- Technology and Process Development (TPD), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Technology and Process Development (TPD), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China
| | - Yifeng Li
- Technology and Process Development (TPD), WuXi Biologics, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai, 200131, China.
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17
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Nie S, Greer T, O'Brien Johnson R, Zheng X, Torri A, Li N. Simple and Sensitive Method for Deep Profiling of Host Cell Proteins in Therapeutic Antibodies by Combining Ultra-Low Trypsin Concentration Digestion, Long Chromatographic Gradients, and BoxCar Mass Spectrometry Acquisition. Anal Chem 2021; 93:4383-4390. [PMID: 33656852 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a powerful tool for the analysis of host cell proteins (HCP) during antibody drug process development due to its sensitivity, selectivity, and adaptability. However, the enormous dynamic range between the therapeutic antibody and accompanying HCPs poses a significant challenge for LC-MS based detection of these low abundance impurities. To address this challenge, enrichment of HCPs via immunoaffinity, protein A, 2D-LC, or other strategies is typically performed. However, these enrichments are time-consuming and sometimes require a large quantity of sample. Here, we report a simple and sensitive strategy to analyze HCPs in therapeutic antibody samples without cumbersome enrichment by combining an ultra-low trypsin concentration during digestion under nondenaturing conditions, a long chromatographic gradient, and BoxCar acquisition (ULTLB) on a quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Application of this strategy to the NIST monoclonal antibody standard (NISTmAb) resulted in the identification of 453 mouse HCPs, which is a significant increase in the number of identified HCPs without enrichment compared to previous reports. Known amounts of HCPs were spiked into the purified antibody drug substance, demonstrating that the method sensitivity is as low as 0.5 ppm. Thus, the ULTLB method represents a sensitive and simple platform for deep profiling of HCPs in antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Nie
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Tyler Greer
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Reid O'Brien Johnson
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Xiaojing Zheng
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Albert Torri
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
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18
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Li X, An Y, Liao J, Xiao L, Swanson M, Martinez-Fonts K, Pavon JA, Sherer EC, Jawa V, Wang F, Gao X, Letarte S, Richardson DD. Identification and characterization of a residual host cell protein hexosaminidase B associated with N-glycan degradation during the stability study of a therapeutic recombinant monoclonal antibody product. Biotechnol Prog 2021; 37:e3128. [PMID: 33476097 PMCID: PMC8365702 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Host cell proteins (HCPs) are process‐related impurities derived from host organisms, which need to be controlled to ensure adequate product quality and safety. In this study, product quality attributes were tracked for several monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) under the intended storage and accelerated stability conditions. One product quality attribute not expected to be stability indicating is the N‐glycan heterogeneity profile. However, significant N‐glycan degradation was observed for one mAb under accelerated and stressed stability conditions. The root cause for this instability was attributed to hexosaminidase B (HEXB), an enzyme known to remove terminal N‐acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). HEXB was identified by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS)‐based proteomics approach to be enriched in the impacted stability batches from mAb‐1. Subsequently, enzymatic and targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) MS assays were developed to support process and product characterization. A potential interaction between HEXB and mAb‐1 was initially observed from the analysis of process intermediates by proteomics among several mAbs and later supported by computational modeling. An improved bioprocess was developed to significantly reduce HEXB levels in the final drug substance. A risk assessment was conducted by evaluating the in silico immunogenicity risk and the impact on product quality. To the best of our knowledge, HEXB is the first residual HCP reported to have impact on the glycan profile of a formulated drug product. The combination of different analytical tools, mass spectrometry, and computational modeling provides a general strategy on how to study residual HCP for biotherapeutics development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yan An
- Biologics Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jing Liao
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Li Xiao
- Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Michael Swanson
- Predictive and Clinical Immunogenicity, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kirby Martinez-Fonts
- Biologics Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jorge Alexander Pavon
- Biologics Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Edward C Sherer
- Computational and Structural Chemistry, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Vibha Jawa
- Predictive and Clinical Immunogenicity, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Fengqiang Wang
- Biologics Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Xinliu Gao
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Simon Letarte
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Douglas D Richardson
- Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
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19
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Johnson RO, Greer T, Cejkov M, Zheng X, Li N. Combination of FAIMS, Protein A Depletion, and Native Digest Conditions Enables Deep Proteomic Profiling of Host Cell Proteins in Monoclonal Antibodies. Anal Chem 2020; 92:10478-10484. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Reid O’Brien Johnson
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Tyler Greer
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Milos Cejkov
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Xiaojing Zheng
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
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20
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Li SW, Wright M, Healey JF, Hutchinson JM, O’Rourke S, Mesa KA, Lollar P, Berman PW. Gene editing in CHO cells to prevent proteolysis and enhance glycosylation: Production of HIV envelope proteins as vaccine immunogens. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233866. [PMID: 32470085 PMCID: PMC7259603 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Several candidate HIV subunit vaccines based on recombinant envelope (Env) glycoproteins have been advanced into human clinical trials. To facilitate biopharmaceutical production, it is necessary to produce these in CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cells, the cellular substrate used for the manufacturing of most recombinant protein therapeutics. However, previous studies have shown that when recombinant Env proteins from clade B viruses, the major subtype represented in North America, Europe, and other parts of the world, are expressed in CHO cells, they are proteolyzed and lack important glycan-dependent epitopes present on virions. Previously, we identified C1s, a serine protease in the complement pathway, as the endogenous CHO protease responsible for the cleavage of clade B laboratory isolates of -recombinant gp120s (rgp120s) expressed in stable CHO-S cell lines. In this paper, we describe the development of two novel CHOK1 cell lines with the C1s gene inactivated by gene editing, that are suitable for the production of any protein susceptible to C1s proteolysis. One cell line, C1s-/- CHOK1 2.E7, contains a deletion in the C1s gene. The other cell line, C1s-/- MGAT1- CHOK1 1.A1, contains a deletion in both the C1s gene and the MGAT1 gene, which limits glycosylation to mannose-5 or earlier intermediates in the N-linked glycosylation pathway. In addition, we compare the substrate specificity of C1s with thrombin on the cleavage of both rgp120 and human Factor VIII, two recombinant proteins known to undergo unintended proteolysis (clipping) when expressed in CHO cells. Finally, we demonstrate the utility and practicality of the C1s-/- MGAT1- CHOK1 1.A1 cell line for the expression of clinical isolates of clade B Envs from rare individuals that possess broadly neutralizing antibodies and are able to control virus replication without anti-retroviral drugs (elite neutralizer/controller phenotypes). The Envs represent unique HIV vaccine immunogens suitable for further immunogenicity and efficacy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia W. Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Meredith Wright
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - John F. Healey
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jennie M. Hutchinson
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Sara O’Rourke
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Kathryn A. Mesa
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Pete Lollar
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Phillip W. Berman
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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21
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Cui T, Chi B, Heidbrink Thompson J, Kasali T, Sellick C, Turner R. Cathepsin D: Removal strategy on protein A chromatography, near real time monitoring and characterisation during monoclonal antibody production. J Biotechnol 2019; 305:51-60. [PMID: 31442501 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2019.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) fragmentation is a well-known degradation pathway that results in product loss and can significantly impact product quality, efficacy, or even cause immunogenic reactions, thus potentially endangering patients' health. It is recognised that residual proteases present among host cell proteins (HCPs) such as those expressed by Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) can induce fragmentation, and failure of their complete removal during downstream processing could cause fragmentation during mAb production and in the final drug product. We identified, using a protease inhibitor screen, an aspartic protease that contributes to proteolytic fragmentation of partially purified mAbs in multiple projects. Subsequent LC-MS analysis indicated that cathepsin D, a typical aspartic protease, was responsible for the observed fragmentation of in-process samples. To address the issue, an alternative chromatography wash was implemented at the capture step and has been demonstrated to be an effective and scalable solution to mitigate the residual cathepsin D associated fragmentation risk. Furthermore, a near real time targeted mass spectrometry method has been developed to proactively monitor the presence of cathepsin D during upstream and downstream process. Our approach demonstrated an emerging HCP mitigation strategy through integrated upstream and downstream involvement and holds great promise for a range of future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Cui
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D BioPharmaceuticals Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom.
| | - Bertie Chi
- CMC Analytical Development, Kymab Ltd., Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny Heidbrink Thompson
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D BioPharmaceuticals Unit, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
| | - Toyin Kasali
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D BioPharmaceuticals Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | | | - Richard Turner
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceutical Development, R&D BioPharmaceuticals Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
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22
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Kufer R, Haindl M, Wegele H, Wohlrab S. Evaluation of Peptide Fractionation and Native Digestion as Two Novel Sample Preparation Workflows to Improve HCP Characterization by LC–MS/MS. Anal Chem 2019; 91:9716-9723. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Regina Kufer
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Markus Haindl
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Harald Wegele
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Wohlrab
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
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23
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Investigation of cathepsin D–mAb interactions using a combined experimental and computational tool set. Biotechnol Bioeng 2019; 116:1684-1697. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.26968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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24
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Wilson LJ, Lewis W, Kucia-Tran R, Bracewell DG. Identification of upstream culture conditions and harvest time parameters that affect host cell protein clearance. Biotechnol Prog 2019; 35:e2805. [PMID: 30868763 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
During early stage bioprocess development, characterizing interactions between unit operations is a key challenge. Such interactions include the release of host cell enzymes early in the process causing losses in product quality downstream. Using a CHO-expressed IgG1 system, the impact of cell culture duration was investigated using a 50 L bioreactor and performing scale-down protein A purification. While antibody titer doubled during the last week of culture, the post-protein A host cell protein (HCP) levels increased from 243 to 740 ppm. Effects of pH and temperature were then explored using fed-batch ambr250 bioreactors, and parameters enabling higher titers were linked to a decrease in post-protein A product purity. These trade-offs between titer and product quality were visualized using a window of operation. The downstream space was explored further by exposing shake flask material to shear representative of disc stack centrifugation, prior to purification, and by adding polishing chromatography. While product quality decreased with progressing cultivation, cells became more shear resistant. Polishing chromatography resulted in product fragmentation which increased fourfold from Day 10 to 24, adding constraint to achieving both efficient HCP clearance as well as high monomer purities. These examples highlight the importance of adopting integrated approaches to upstream and downstream development strategies to enable whole process optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa J Wilson
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Biopharm Process Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, Herts, UK
| | - Will Lewis
- Department of Biopharm Process Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, Herts, UK
| | - Richard Kucia-Tran
- Department of Biopharm Process Research, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, Herts, UK
| | - Daniel G Bracewell
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
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25
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Yang B, Li W, Zhao H, Wang A, Lei Y, Xie Q, Xiong S. Discovery and characterization of CHO host cell protease-induced fragmentation of a recombinant monoclonal antibody during production process development. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2019; 1112:1-10. [PMID: 30836312 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2019.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) fragmentation is a widespread issue of protein stability that needs to be carefully monitored for critical mAb quality control during the production process development. This study describes here the discovery and characterization of CHO host cell protease-induced fragmentation of a therapeutic mAb-X in the formulation samples from an early production process. The fragmentation was observed in the sodium dodecyl sulfate capillary electrophoresis (CE-SDS) analysis of mAb-X formulation samples incubated at elevated temperature. Size exclusion liquid chromatography (SEC-HPLC) was used to analyze and collect these cleaved fragments derived from mAb-X. Reversed phase liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (RP-LC-MS) and tandem mass (MS/MS) analysis demonstrated that the fragment was generated mainly due to the hinge region cleavage of mAb-X. The fragmentation rate was characterized in the mAb-X formulation samples at pH from 4.0 to 6.0 using CE-SDS and SDS-PAGE analysis. The percentage of the main fragment increased dramatically from 2.8% to 31.2% as pH decreased from 6.0 to 4.0 at 40 °C for 28 days, which indicated the fragmentation was highly pH-dependent. The SDS-PAGE analysis further verified the pH-dependent property of the framentation of mAb-X. Moreover, the fragmentation was characterized in the presence and absence of pepstatin A, an inhibitor of acidic proteases. Significant inhibition of mAb-X fragmentation was observed with the addition of pepstatin A to mAb-X formulation samples. These results suggested residual acidic host cell protease(s) in the formulation samples from an early production process caused the fragmentation of mAb-X. To prove evidence, we developed an optimized protein A chromatography to enhance the residual host cell protease(s) removal capability of mAb-X purification process and consequently eliminate the above described cleaved fragment of mAb-X, which further supported the hypothesis that the fragmentation of mAb-X was catalyzed by the residual host cell protease(s) in the formulation samples from the early production process. This case study reiterated that residual host cell protease is a critical quality attribute (CQA) that should be carefully controlled and evaluated to guarantee successful manufacture processes for mAb products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Yang
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, F/7, 2nd Building of Science & Technology, 601 W Huangpu Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, PR China
| | - Wenhua Li
- Sunshine Lake Pharma Co., Ltd, Dongguan 523867, PR China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, F/7, 2nd Building of Science & Technology, 601 W Huangpu Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, PR China
| | - Anling Wang
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, F/7, 2nd Building of Science & Technology, 601 W Huangpu Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, PR China
| | - Yuanjun Lei
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, F/7, 2nd Building of Science & Technology, 601 W Huangpu Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, PR China
| | - Qiuling Xie
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, F/7, 2nd Building of Science & Technology, 601 W Huangpu Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, PR China
| | - Sheng Xiong
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, F/7, 2nd Building of Science & Technology, 601 W Huangpu Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, PR China.
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