Liquid-liquid phase separation of a monoclonal antibody at low ionic strength: Influence of anion charge and concentration

Interactions between Hyaluronic Acid and Chitosan by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry: The Effect of Ionic Strength, pH, and Polymer Molecular Weight

Hyaluronic acid (HA)/chitosan (CHI) complex coacervates have recently gained interest due to the pH-dependent ionization and semiflexibility of the polymers as well as their applicability in tissue engineering. Here, we apply isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to understand the apparent thermodynamics of coacervation for HA/CHI as a function of the pH, ionic strength, and chain length. We couple these ITC experiments with the knowledge of the charge states of HA and CHI from potentiometric titration to understand the mechanistic aspects of complex formation. Our data demonstrate that the driving force for the complex coacervation of HA and CHI is entropic in nature and this driving force decreased with increasing ionic strength. We also observed a decrease in the stoichiometry for ion-pairing with increasing ionic strength, which we suggest is a consequence of the changing degree of ionization for HA at higher ionic strengths. An increase in the strength of interactions with pH was hypothesized to also be a result of changes in the degree of ionization of HA, though stronger interactions were observed at the lowest pH tested, likely due to contributions from hydrogen bonding between HA and CHI.

Stability of Protein Pharmaceuticals: Recent Advances

There have been significant advances in the formulation and stabilization of proteins in the liquid state over the past years since our previous review. Our mechanistic understanding of protein-excipient interactions has increased, allowing one to develop formulations in a more rational fashion. The field has moved towards more complex and challenging formulations, such as high concentration formulations to allow for subcutaneous administration and co-formulation. While much of the published work has focused on mAbs, the principles appear to apply to any therapeutic protein, although mAbs clearly have some distinctive features. In this review, we first discuss chemical degradation reactions. This is followed by a section on physical instability issues. Then, more specific topics are addressed: instability induced by interactions with interfaces, predictive methods for physical stability and interplay between chemical and physical instability. The final parts are devoted to discussions how all the above impacts (co-)formulation strategies, in particular for high protein concentration solutions.'

Introducing UCST onto Chitosan for a Simple and Effective Single-Phase Extraction

Upper critical solution temperature (UCST) polymers undergo their own collapsed structures to show thermoresponsive functions favoring controlled release systems, cell adhesion, including separation process, etc. Although the copolymerization of UCST monomers with other vinyl monomers containing a pendant group is a good way to introduce additional functions, uncertain UCST performance as well as extensive bio-related properties are always the points to be considered. To accomplish this, the present work proposes the application of polysaccharides, i.e., chitosan (CS), as the biopolymer backbone to conjugate with functional molecules and UCST polymers. The use of chain transfer agents, e.g., mercaptoacetic acid, in radical polymerization with UCST poly(methacrylamide) (PMAAm) via the CS/NHS (N-hydroxysuccinimide) complex allows the simple water-based modification. The further conjugation of mouse anti-LipL32 IgG monoclonal antibody (anti-LipL32 mAb) onto CS-PMAAm (CS-PMAAm-Ab) enables a selective binding of recombinant LipL32 (rLipL32) antigen (Ag) in the solution. The CS-PMAAm obtained not only shows the cloud point in the range of 10-30 °C but also the extraction of rLipL32 because of CS-PMAAm-Ab-Ag aggregation. The present work demonstrates how CS expresses UCST with additional antibody conjugated is feasible for a simple and effective Ag single-phase extraction.

Combined Liquid-State and Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance at Natural Abundance for Comparative Higher Order Structure Assessment in the Formulated-State of Biphasic Biopharmaceutics

A higher-order structure (HOS) is critical to a biopharmaceutical drug as the three-dimensional structure governs its function. Even the partial perturbation in the HOS of the drug can alter the biological efficiency and efficacy. Due to current limitations in analytical technologies, it is imperative to develop a protocol to characterize the HOS of biopharmaceuticals in the native formulated state. This becomes even more challenging for the suspension formulations where solution and solid phases co-exist. Here, we have used a combinatorial approach using liquid (1D ¹H) and solid-state (¹³C CP MAS) NMR methodology to demonstrate the HOS in the biphasic microcrystalline suspension drug in its formulated state. The data were further assessed by principal component analysis and Mahalanobis distance (D_M) calculation for quantitative assessment. This approach is sufficient to provide information regarding the protein HOS and the local dynamics of the molecule when combined with orthogonal techniques such as X-ray scattering. Our method can be an elegant tool to investigate batch-to-batch variation in the process of manufacture and storage as well as a biosimilarity comparison study for biphasic/microcrystalline suspension.

An Intercompany Perspective on Practical Experiences of Predicting, Optimizing and Analyzing High Concentration Biologic Therapeutic Formulations

Developing high-dose biologic drugs for subcutaneous injection often requires high-concentration formulations and optimizing viscosity, solubility, and stability while overcoming analytical, manufacturing, and administration challenges. To understand industry approaches for developing high-concentration formulations, the Formulation Workstream of the BioPhorum Development Group, an industry-wide consortium, conducted an inter-company collaborative exercise which included several surveys. This collaboration provided an industry perspective, experience, and insight into the practicalities for developing high-concentration biologics. To understand solubility and viscosity, companies desire predictive tools, but experience indicates that these are not reliable and experimental strategies are best. Similarly, most companies prefer accelerated and stress stability studies to in-silico or biophysical-based prediction methods to assess aggregation. In addition, optimization of primary container-closure and devices are pursued to mitigate challenges associated with high viscosity of the formulation. Formulation strategies including excipient selection and application of studies at low concentration to high-concentration formulations are reported. Finally, analytical approaches to high concentration formulations are presented. The survey suggests that although prediction of viscosity, solubility, and long-term stability is desirable, the outcome can be inconsistent and molecule dependent. Significant experimental studies are required to confirm robust product definition as modeling at low protein concentrations will not necessarily extrapolate to high concentration formulations.

Alternative Excipients for Protein Stabilization in Protein Therapeutics: Overcoming the Limitations of Polysorbates

Given their safety and efficiency in protecting protein integrity, polysorbates (PSs) have been the most widely used excipients for the stabilization of protein therapeutics for years. In recent decades, however, there have been numerous reports about visible or sub-visible particles in PS-containing biotherapeutic products, which is a major quality concern for parenteral drugs. Alternative excipients that are safe for parenteral administration, efficient in protecting different protein drugs against various stress conditions, effective in protein stabilization in high-concentrated liquid formulations, stable under the storage conditions for the duration of the product's shelf-life, and compatible with other formulation components and the primary packaging are highly sought after. The aim of this paper is to review potential alternative excipients from different families, including surfactants, carbohydrate- and amino acid-based excipients, synthetic amphiphilic polymers, and ionic liquids that enable protein stabilization. For each category, important characteristics such as the ability to stabilize proteins against thermal and mechanical stresses, current knowledge related to the safety profile for parenteral administration, potential interactions with other formulation components, and primary packaging are debated. Based on the provided information and the detailed discussion thereof, this paper may pave the way for the identification or development of efficient excipients for biotherapeutic protein stabilization.

Predicting Experimental B22 Values and the Effects of Histidine Charge States for Monoclonal Antibodies Using Coarse-Grained Molecular Simulations

Static light scattering (SLS) was used to characterize five monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) as a function of total ionic strength (TIS) at pH values between 5.5 and 7.0. Second osmotic virial coefficient (B₂₂) values were determined experimentally for each MAb as a function of TIS using low protein concentration SLS data. Coarse-grained molecular simulations were performed to predict the B₂₂ values for each MAb at a given pH and TIS. To include the effect of charge fluctuations of titratable residues in the B₂₂ calculations, a statistical approach was introduced in the Monte Carlo algorithm based on the protonation probability based on a given pH value and the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. The charged residues were allowed to fluctuate individually, based on the sampled microstates and the influence of electrostatic interactions on net protein-protein interactions during the simulations. Compared to static charge simulations, the new approach provided improved results compared to experimental B₂₂ values at pH conditions near the pK_a of titratable residues.

Molecular logic operations from complex coacervation with aggregation-induced emission characteristics

Leveraging complex coacervation of a polycation and a bivalent anion with aggregation-induced emission characteristics, we accomplish eight basic logic operations with environmental stimuli as inputs, producing Boolean-like fluorescence intensity or turbidity 'outputs' with contrast higher than one order of magnitude. Storage of information of a fluorescent pattern and thermo-sensor applications are also demonstrated.

Suppression of Liquid‐Liquid Phase Separation and Aggregation of Antibodies by Modest Pressure Application

The high colloidal stability of antibody (immunoglobulin) solutions is important for pharmaceutical applications. Inert cosolutes, excipients, are generally used in therapeutic protein formulations to minimize physical instabilities, such as liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), aggregation and precipitation, which are often encountered during manufacturing and storage. Despite their widespread use, a detailed understanding of how excipients modulate the specific protein‐protein interactions responsible for these instabilities is still lacking. In this work, we demonstrate the high sensitivity to pressure of globulin condensates as a suitable means to suppress LLPS and subsequent aggregation of concentrated antibody solutions. The addition of excipients has only a minor effect. The high pressure sensitivity observed is due to the fact that these flexible Y‐shaped molecules create a considerable amount of void volume in the condensed phase, leading to an overall decrease in the volume of the system upon dissociation of the droplet phase by pressure already at a few tens of to hundred bar. Moreover, we show that immunoglobulin molecules themselves are highly resistant to unfolding under pressure, and can even sustain pressures up to about 6 kbar without conformational changes. This implies that immunoglobulins are resistant to the pressure treatment of foods, such as milk, in high‐pressure food‐processing technologies, thereby preserving their immunological activity.

Dipolar Interactions and Protein Hydration in Highly Concentrated Antibody Formulations

Molecular interaction mechanisms in high-concentrated protein systems are of fundamental importance for the rational development of biopharmaceuticals such as monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulations. In such high-concentrated protein systems, the intermolecular distances between mAb molecules are reduced to the size of the protein diameter (approx. 10 nm). Thus, protein-protein interactions are more pronounced at high concentrations; so a direct extrapolation of physicochemical properties obtained from measurements at a low protein concentration of the corresponding properties at a high protein concentration is highly questionable. Besides the charge-charge interaction, the effects of molecular crowding, dipolar interaction, changes in protein hydration, and self-assembling tendency become more relevant. Here, protein hydration, protein dipole moment, and protein-protein interactions were studied in protein concentrations up to 200 mg/mL (= 1.3 mM) in different formulations for selected mAbs using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). These data are correlated with the second virial coefficient, A₂, the diffusion interaction parameter, k_D, the elastic shear modulus, G', and the dynamic viscosity, η. When large contributions of dipolar protein-protein interactions were observed, the tendency of self-assembling and an increase in solution viscosity were detected. These effects were examined using specific buffer conditions. Furthermore, different types of protein-water interactions were identified via DRS, whereby the effect of high protein concentration on protein hydration was investigated for different high-concentrated liquid formulations (HCLFs).

Molecular Flexibility of Antibodies Preserved Even in the Dense Phase after Macroscopic Phase Separation

Antibody therapies are typically based on high-concentration formulations that need to be administered subcutaneously. These conditions induce several challenges, inter alia a viscosity suitable for injection, sufficient solution stability, and preservation of molecular function. To obtain systematic insights into the molecular factors, we study the dynamics on the molecular level under strongly varying solution conditions. In particular, we use solutions of antibodies with poly(ethylene glycol), in which simple cooling from room temperature to freezing temperatures induces a transition from a well-dispersed solution into a phase-separated and macroscopically arrested system. Using quasi-elastic neutron scattering during in situ cooling ramps and in prethermalized measurements, we observe a strong decrease in antibody diffusion, while internal flexibility persists to a significant degree, thus ensuring the movement necessary for the preservation of molecular function. These results are relevant for a more dynamic understanding of antibodies in high-concentration formulations, which affects the formation of transient clusters governing the solution viscosity.

Comprehensive Assessment of Protein and Excipient Stability in Biopharmaceutical Formulations Using 1H NMR Spectroscopy

Biopharmaceutical proteins are important drug therapies in the treatment of a range of diseases. Proteins, such as antibodies (Abs) and peptides, are prone to chemical and physical degradation, particularly at the high concentrations currently sought for subcutaneous injections, and so formulation conditions, including buffers and excipients, must be optimized to minimize such instabilities. Therefore, both the protein and small molecule content of biopharmaceutical formulations and their stability are critical to a treatment's success. However, assessing all aspects of protein and small molecule stability currently requires a large number of analytical techniques, most of which involve sample dilution or other manipulations which may themselves distort sample behavior. Here, we demonstrate the application of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study both protein and small molecule content and stability in situ in high-concentration (100 mg/mL) Ab formulations. We show that protein degradation (aggregation or fragmentation) can be detected as changes in 1D 1H NMR signal intensity, while apparent relaxation rates are specifically sensitive to Ab fragmentation. Simultaneously, relaxation-filtered spectra reveal the presence and degradation of small molecule components such as excipients, as well as changes in general solution properties, such as pH. 1H NMR spectroscopy can thus provide a holistic overview of biopharmaceutical formulation content and stability, providing a preliminary characterization of degradation and acting as a triaging step to guide further analytical techniques.

Suppression of Electrostatic Mediated Antibody Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation by Charged and Noncharged Preferentially Excluded Excipients

Isotonic concentrations of inert cosolutes or excipients are routinely used in protein therapeutic formulations to minimize physical instabilities including aggregation, particulation, and precipitation that are often manifested during drug substance/product manufacture and long-term storage. Despite their prevalent use within the biopharmaceutical industry, a more detailed understanding for how excipients modulate the specific protein-protein interactions responsible for these instabilities is still needed so that informed formulation decisions can be made at the earliest stages of development when protein supply and time are limited. In the present report, subisotonic concentrations of the five common formulation excipients, sucrose, proline, sorbitol, glycerol, arginine hydrochloride, and the denaturant urea, were studied for their effect on the room temperature liquid-liquid phase separation of a model monoclonal antibody (mAb-B). Although each excipient lowered the onset temperatures of mAb-B liquid-liquid phase separation to different extents, all six were found to be preferentially excluded from the native state monomer by vapor pressure osmometry, and no apparent correlations to the excipient dependence of mAb-B melting temperatures were observed. These results and those of the effects of solution pH, addition of salt, and impact of a small number of charge mutations were most consistent with a mechanism of local excipient accumulation, to an extent dependent on their type, with the specific residues that mediate mAb-B electrostatic protein-protein interactions. These findings suggest that selection of excipients on the basis of their interaction with the solvent exposed residues of the native state may at times be a more effective strategy for limiting protein-protein interactions at pharmaceutically relevant storage conditions than choosing those that are excluded from the residues of the native state interior.

Development challenges of high concentration monoclonal antibody formulations

High concentration monoclonal antibody drug products represent a special segment of biopharmaceuticals. In contrast to other monoclonal antibody products, high concentration monoclonal antibodies are injected subcutaneously helping increase patient compliance and reduce the number of hospital patient visits. It is important to note that a high protein concentration (≥50 mg/mL) poses a challenge from a product development perspective. Colloidal properties, physical and chemical protein stability should be considered during formulation, primary packaging and manufacturing process development as well as optimization of other dosage form-related parameters. The aim of such development work is to obtain a drug product capable of maintaining appropriate protein structure throughout its shelf-life and ensure proper and accurate dosage upon administration.

Effect of Complex Coacervation with Hyaluronic Acid on Protein Transition in a Subcutaneous Injection Site Model System

The occurrence of complex coacervation in an aqueous mixture of proteins (lysozyme, albumin, immunoglobulin G) and hyaluronic acid and its effect on protein transition in a model system was studied to elucidate factors determining the bioavailability of subcutaneously injected therapeutic proteins. Mixing of hyaluronic acid and the model proteins induced complex coacervation at solution pH close to or below the isoelectric point of the proteins. In vitro dialysis using membranes with large pore size tube represented a limitation in the protein transition of the coacervation mixture. Thermal analysis suggested there was retention of the protein conformation in the polymer complex.

Mitigation of liquid-liquid phase separation of a monoclonal antibody by mutations of negative charges on the Fab surface

Some monoclonal antibodies undergo liquid-liquid phase separation owing to self-attractive associations involving electrostatic and other soft interactions, thereby rendering monoclonal antibodies unsuitable as therapeutics. To mitigate the phase separation, formulation optimization is often performed. However, this is sometimes unsuccessful because of the limited time for the development of therapeutic antibodies. Thus, protein mutations with appropriate design are required. In this report, we describe a case study involving the design of mutants of negatively charged surface residues to reduce liquid-liquid phase separation propensity. Physicochemical analysis of the resulting mutants demonstrated the mutual correlation between the sign of second virial coefficient B2, the Fab dipole moment, and the reduction of liquid-liquid phase separation propensity. Moreover, both the magnitude and direction of the dipole moment appeared to be essential for liquid-liquid phase separation propensity, where electrostatic interaction was the dominant mechanism. These findings could contribute to a better design of mutants with reduced liquid-liquid phase separation propensity and improved drug-like biophysical properties.

Resolving Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation for a Peptide Fused Monoclonal Antibody by Formulation Optimization

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of protein solutions has been usually related to strong protein-protein interactions (PPI) under certain conditions. For the first time, we observed the LLPS phenomenon for a novel protein modality, peptide-fused monoclonal antibody (pmAb). LLPS emerged within hours between pH 6.0 to 7.0 and disappeared when solution pH values decreased to pH 5.0 or lower. Negative values of interaction parameter (k_D) and close to zero values of zeta potential (ζ) were correlated to LLPS appearance. However, between pH 6.0 to 7.0, a strong electrostatic repulsion force was expected to potentially avoid LLPS based on the sequence predicted pI value, 8.35. Surprisingly, this is significantly away from experimentally determined pI, 6.25, which readily attributes the LLPS appearances of pmAb to the attenuated electrostatic repulsion force. Such discrepancy between experiment and prediction reminds the necessity of actual measurement for a complicated modality like pmAb. Furthermore, significant protein degradation took place upon thermal stress at pH 5.0 or lower. Therefore, the effects of pH and selected excipients on the thermal stability of pmAb were further assessed. A formulation consisting of arginine at pH 6.5 successfully prevented the appearance of LLPS and enhanced its thermal stability at 40 °C for pmAb. In conclusion, we have reported LLPS for a pmAb and successfully resolved the issue by optimizing formulation with aids from PPI characterization.

First-order nucleation and subsequent growth promote liquid-liquid phase separation of a model IgG1 mAb

Although protein aggregation is commonly encountered during the manufacturing and storage of bio-therapeutics, the actual aggregation mechanism remains unclear, and little has been reported about the protein aggregation kinetics from time zero under particular solution conditions. In this study, we used real-time dynamic light scattering (DLS) to continuously monitor the time-dependent evolution of the Z-average hydrodynamic radius of a model IgG1 (JM2) immediately after the JM2 solution was subjected to various low temperatures (0-4 °C). We observed that JM2 aggregated to form nuclei first, and then it subsequently grew to small liquid droplets via a two-step, first-order, reversible process without causing irreversible structural changes: a slow first step defined as the "nucleation" step, wherein nuclei formed slowly until reaching a transitional time point (t_onset), and a much faster second step initiated after t_onset and the nucleus size of the protein increased rapidly, which eventually caused liquid droplet formation and liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). The "nucleation" rate constant (K_nucleation) and particle growth rate constant (K_growth), as well as t_onset, were found to be temperature, pH and concentration dependent. The aggregation of JM2 could be universally described by these two-step first-order kinetics: under conditions where JM2 aggregated very slowly, the second step was not observed within the experimental time scale, while under conditions where JM2 aggregated very rapidly, the first step could not be recorded. We believe that these three parameters, K_nucleation, K_growth, and t_onset, can be used to quantify and compare the aggregation kinetics of JM2 under different solution and temperature conditions and, furthermore, serve as a theoretical base to account for the key characteristics of the aggregation kinetics of JM2 and other protein therapeutics under conditions of interest.

Relationship of PEG-induced precipitation with protein-protein interactions and aggregation rates of high concentration mAb formulations at 5 °C

Native protein-protein interactions can play an important role in determining the tendency of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to aggregate under storage conditions. In this context, phase separation of mAb solutions induced by the addition of neutral polymers such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) represents a simple method to assess the tendency of proteins to self-associate in the native state. Here, we investigated their relationships between PEG-induced phase separation, protein-protein interactions and long-term aggregation rate of several formulations of four mAbs at 100 mg/mL and 5 °C over 12 weeks of storage. We observed that the location of the phase boundary correlated well with the osmotic second virial coefficient B₂₂ determined in absence of the polymer, indicating that for our solutions PEG primarily leads to depletion forces between protein molecules, which are additive to protein-protein interactions. However, limited correlation between aggregation rate at 5 °C and phase behavior was observed across different mAbs, pH values and ionic strengths, indicating that colloidal stability is not the only determinant of aggregation even at such low temperature and high protein concentration. Our results contribute to the growing realization that aggregation propensity in the context of antibody developability is a complex feature, which depends on a variety of biophysical properties rather than one single parameter.

Model for Counterion Binding and Charge Reversal on Protein Surfaces

The structural stability and solubility of proteins in liquid therapeutic formulations is important, especially since new generations of therapeutics are designed for efficacy before consideration of stability. We introduce an electrostatic binding model to measure the net charge of proteins with bound ions in solution. The electrostatic potential on a protein surface is used to separately group together acidic and basic amino acids into patches, which are then iteratively bound with oppositely charged counterions. This model is aimed toward formulation chemists for initial screening of a range of conditions prior to lab-work. Computed results compare well with experimental zeta potential measurements from the literature covering a range of solution conditions. Importantly, the binding model reproduces the charge reversal phenomenon that is observed with polyvalent ion binding to proteins and its dependence on ion charge and concentration. Intriguingly, protein sequence can be used to give similarly good agreement with experiment as protein structure, interpreted as resulting from the close proximity of charged side chains on a protein surface. Further, application of the model to human proteins suggests that polyanion binding and overcharging, including charge reversal for cationic proteins, is a general feature. These results add to evidence that addition of polyanions to protein formulations could be a general mechanism for modulating solution stability.

Science and art of protein formulation development

Protein pharmaceuticals have become a significant class of marketed drug products and are expected to grow steadily over the next decade. Development of a commercial protein product is, however, a rather complex process. A critical step in this process is formulation development, enabling the final product configuration. A number of challenges still exist in the formulation development process. This review is intended to discuss these challenges, to illustrate the basic formulation development processes, and to compare the options and strategies in practical formulation development.

Concentration Effects in the Interaction of Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) with their Immediate Environment Characterized by EPR Spectroscopy

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are often needed and applied in high concentration solutions, >100 mg/mL. Due to close intermolecular distances between mAbs at high concentrations (~10–20 nm at 200 mg/mL), intermolecular interactions between mAbs and mAbs and solvent/co-solute molecules become non-negligible. Here, EPR spectroscopy is used to study the high-concentration solutions of mAbs and their effect on co-solvated small molecules, using EPR “spin probing” assay in aqueous and buffered solutions. Such, information regarding the surrounding environments of mAbs at high concentrations were obtained and comparisons between EPR-obtained micro-viscosities (rotational correlation times) and macroscopic viscosities measured by rheology were possible. In comparison with highly viscous systems like glycerol-water mixtures, it was found that up to concentrations of 50 mg/mL, the mAb-spin probe systems have similar trends in their macro- (rheology) and micro-viscosities (EPR), whereas at very high concentrations they deviate strongly. The charged spin probes sense an almost unchanged aqueous solution even at very high concentrations, which in turn indicates the existence of large solvent regions that despite their proximity to large mAbs essentially offer pure water reservoirs for co-solvated charged molecules. In contrast, in buffered solutions, amphiphilic spin probes like TEMPO interact with the mAb network, due to slight charge screening. The application of EPR spectroscopy in the present work has enabled us to observe and discriminate between electrostatic and hydrophobic kinds of interactions and depict the potential underlying mechanisms of network formation at high concentrations of mAbs. These findings could be of importance as well for the development of liquid-liquid phase separations often observed in highly concentrated protein solutions.

Process optimization and protein engineering mitigated manufacturing challenges of a monoclonal antibody with liquid-liquid phase separation issue by disrupting inter-molecule electrostatic interactions

We report a case study in which liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) negatively impacted the downstream manufacturability of a therapeutic mAb. Process parameter optimization partially mitigated the LLPS, but limitations remained for large-scale manufacturing. Electrostatic interaction driven self-associations and the resulting formation of high-order complexes are established critical properties that led to LLPS. Through chain swapping substitutions with a well-behaved antibody and subsequent study of their solution behaviors, we found the self-association interactions between the light chains (L_Cs) of this mAb are responsible for the LLPS behavior. With the aid of in silico homology modeling and charged-patch analysis, seven charged residues in the L_C complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) were selected for mutagenesis, then evaluated for self-association and LLPS properties. Two charged residues in the light chain (K30 and D50) were identified as the most significant to the LLPS behaviors and to the antigen-binding affinity. Four adjacent charged residues in the light chain (E49, K52, R53, and R92) also contributed to self-association, and thus to LLPS. Molecular engineering substitution of these charged residues with a neutral or oppositely-charged residue disrupted the electrostatic interactions. A double-mutation in CDR2 and CDR3 resulted in a variant that retained antigen-binding affinity and eliminated LLPS. This study demonstrates the critical nature of surface charged resides on LLPS, and highlights the applied power of in silico protein design when applied to improving physiochemical characteristics of therapeutic antibodies. Our study indicates that in silico design and effective protein engineering may be useful in the development of mAbs that encounter similar LLPS issues.

Macro- and Microphase Separated Protein-Polyelectrolyte Complexes: Design Parameters and Current Progress

Protein-containing polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) are a diverse class of materials, composed of two or more oppositely charged polyelectrolytes that condense and phase separate near overall charge neutrality. Such phase-separation can take on a variety of morphologies from macrophase separated liquid condensates, to solid precipitates, to monodispersed spherical micelles. In this review, we present an overview of recent advances in protein-containing PECs, with an overall goal of defining relevant design parameters for macro- and microphase separated PECs. For both classes of PECs, the influence of protein characteristics, such as surface charge and patchiness, co-polyelectrolyte characteristics, such as charge density and structure, and overall solution characteristics, such as salt concentration and pH, are considered. After overall design features are established, potential applications in food processing, biosensing, drug delivery, and protein purification are discussed and recent characterization techniques for protein-containing PECs are highlighted.

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry analysis of high concentration biotherapeutics: application to phase-separated antibody formulations

High concentration biotherapeutic formulations are often required to deliver large doses of drugs to achieve a desired degree of efficacy and less frequent dose. However, highly concentrated protein-containing solutions may exhibit undesirable therapeutic properties, such as increased viscosity, aggregation, and phase separation that can affect drug efficacy and raise safety issues. The characterization of high concentration protein formulations is a critical yet challenging analytical task for therapeutic development efforts, due to the lack of technologies capable of making accurate measurements under such conditions. To address this issue, we developed a novel dilution-free hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry (MS) method for the direct conformational analysis of high concentration biotherapeutics. Here, we particularly focused on studying phase separation phenomenon that can occur at high protein concentrations. First, two aliquots of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were dialyzed in either hydrogen- or deuterium-containing buffers at low salt and pH. Phases that separated were then discretely sampled and subjected to dilution-free HDX-MS analysis through mixing the non-deuterated and deuterated protein aliquots. Our HDX-MS results analyzed at a global protein level reveal less deuterium incorporation for the protein-enriched phase compared to the protein-depleted phase present in high concentration formulations. A peptide level analysis further confirmed these observed differences, and a detailed statistical analysis provided direct information surrounding the details of the conformational changes observed. Based on our HDX-MS results, we propose possible structures for the self-associated mAbs present at high concentrations. Our new method can potentially provide useful insights into the unusual behavior of therapeutic proteins in high concentration formulations, aiding their development.

Non-specific Interactions Between Macromolecular Solutes in Concentrated Solution: Physico-Chemical Manifestations and Biochemical Consequences

A general thermodynamic formulation of the effect of hard and soft non-specific intermolecular interactions upon reaction equilibria is summarized. A highly simplified quantitative model for non-specific intermolecular interaction is introduced. This model is used to illustrate how the magnitudes of attractive and repulsive components of the overall intermolecular interaction, and the balance between them, influence the concentration-dependent properties of a highly concentrated solution of a single macromolecular solute. The properties calculated using the results of computer simulation and an approximate analytical model are found to agree qualitatively with the results of experimental measurements on protein solutions over a broad range of concentration.

Controlling Phase Separation of Lysozyme with Polyvalent Anions

The ability of polyvalent anions to influence protein-protein interactions and protein net charge was investigated through solubility and turbidity experiments, determination of osmotic second virial coefficients ( B₂₂), and ζ-potential values for lysozyme solutions.  B₂₂ values showed that all anions reduce protein-protein repulsion between positively charged lysozyme molecules, and those anions with higher net valencies are more effective. The polyvalent anions pyrophosphate and tripolyphosphate were observed to induce protein reentrant condensation, which has been previously observed with negatively charged proteins in the presence of trivalent cations. Reentrant condensation is a phenomenon in which low concentrations of polyvalent ions induce protein precipitation, but further increasing polyvalent ion concentration causes the protein precipitate to resolubilize. Interestingly, citrate does not induce lysozyme reentrant condensation despite having a similar charge, size, and shape to pyrophosphate. We observe qualitative differences in protein behavior when compared against negatively charged proteins in solutions of trivalent cations. The polyphosphate ions induce a much stronger protein-protein attraction, which correlates with the occurrence of a liquid-gel transition that replaces the liquid-liquid transition observed with trivalent cations. The results indicate that solutions of polyphosphate ions provide a model system for exploring the link between the protein-phase diagram and model interaction potentials and also highlight the importance that ion-specific effects can have on protein solubility.

Modeling the depletion effect caused by an addition of polymer to monoclonal antibody solutions

We present a theoretical study of colloidal stability of the model mixtures of monoclonal antibody molecules and non-adsorbing (no polymer-protein attraction) polymers. The antibodies are pictured as an assembly of seven hard spheres assuming a Y-like shape. Polymers present in the mixture are modeled as chain-like molecules having from 32 up to 128 monomers represented as hard spheres. We use Wertheim's thermodynamic perturbation theory to construct the two molecular species and to calculate measurable properties. The calculations are performed in the osmotic ensemble. In view that no direct attractive interaction is present in the model Hamiltonian, we only account for the entropic contribution to the phase equilibrium. We calculate chemical potentials and the equation of state for the model mixture to determine the liquid-liquid part of the phase diagram. We investigate how the critical antibody number density depends on the degree of polymerization and the bead size ratio of the polymer and protein components. The model mixture qualitatively correctly predicts some basic features of real systems. The effects of the model 'protein' geometry, that is the difference in results for the flexible Y-shaped protein versus the rigid spherical one, are also examined.

Spectroscopic methods for assessing the molecular origins of macroscopic solution properties of highly concentrated liquid protein solutions

In cases of subcutaneous injection of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, high protein concentrations (>50 mg/ml) are often required. During the development of these high concentration liquid formulations (HCLF), challenges such as aggregation, gelation, opalescence, phase separation, and high solution viscosities are more prone compared to low concentrated protein formulations. These properties can impair manufacturing processes, as well as protein stability and shelf life. To avoid such unfavourable solution properties, a detailed understanding about the nature of these properties and their driving forces are required. However, the fundamental mechanisms that lead to macroscopic solution properties, as above mentioned, are complex and not fully understood, yet. Established analytical methods for assessing the colloidal stability, i.e. the ability of a native protein to remain dispersed in solution, are restricted to dilute conditions and provide parameters such as the second osmotic virial coefficient, B₂₂, and the diffusion interaction coefficient, k_D. These parameters are routinely applied for qualitative estimations and identifications of proteins with challenging solution behaviours, such as high viscosities and aggregation, although the assays are prepared for low protein concentration conditions, typically between 0.1 and 20 mg/ml ("ideal" solution conditions). Quantitative analysis of samples of high protein concentration is difficult and it is hard to obtain information about the driving forces of such solution properties and corresponding protein-protein self-interactions. An advantage of using specific spectroscopic methods is the potential of directly analysing highly concentrated protein solutions at different solution conditions. This allows for collecting/gaining valuable information about the fundamental mechanisms of solution properties of the high protein concentration regime. In addition, the derived parameters might be more predictive as compared to the parameters originating from assays which are optimized for the low protein concentration range. The provided information includes structural data, molecular dynamics at various timescales and protein-solvent interactions, which can be obtained at molecular resolution. Herein, we provide an overview about spectroscopic techniques for analysing the origins of macroscopic solution behaviours in general, with a specific focus on pharmaceutically relevant high protein concentration and formulation conditions.

Theory for the Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Aqueous Antibody Solutions

This study presents the theory for liquid-liquid phase separation for systems of molecules modeling monoclonal antibodies. Individual molecule is depicted as an assembly of seven hard spheres, organized to mimic the Y-shaped antibody. We consider the antibody-antibody interactions either through Fab, Fab' (two Fab fragments may be different), or Fc domain. Interaction between these three domains of the molecule (hereafter denoted as A, B, and C, respectively) is modeled by a short-range square-well attraction. To obtain numerical results for the model under study, we adapt Wertheim's thermodynamic perturbation theory. We use this model to calculate the liquid-liquid phase separation curve and the second virial coefficient B2. Various interaction scenarios are examined to see how the strength of the site-site interactions and their range shape the coexistence curve. In the asymmetric case, where an attraction between two sites is favored and the interaction energies for the other sites kept constant, critical temperature first increases and than strongly decreases. Some more microscopic information, for example, the probability for the particular two sites to be connected, has been calculated. Analysis of the experimental liquid-liquid phase diagrams, obtained from literature, is presented. In addition, we calculate the second virial coefficient under conditions leading to the liquid-liquid phase separation and present this quantity on the graph B2 versus protein concentration.

Characterizing protein-protein-interaction in high-concentration monoclonal antibody systems with the quartz crystal microbalance

Making use of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), concentrated solutions of therapeutic antibodies were studied with respect to their behavior under shear excitation with frequencies in the MHz range. At high protein concentration and neutral pH, viscoelastic behavior was found in the sense that the storage modulus, G', was nonzero. Fits of the frequency dependence of G'(ω) and G''(ω) (G'' being the loss modulus) using the Maxwell-model produced good agreement with the experimental data. The fit parameters were the relaxation time, τ, and the shear modulus at the inverse relaxation time, G* (at the "cross-over frequency" ω_C = 1/τ). The influence of two different pharmaceutical excipients (histidine and citrate) was studied at variable concentrations of the antibody and variable pH. In cases, where viscoelasticity was observed, G* was in the range of a few kPa, consistent with entropy-driven interactions. τ was small at low pH, where the antibody carries a positive charge. τ increased with increasing pH. The relaxation time τ was found to be correlated with other parameters quantifying protein-protein interactions, namely the steady shear viscosity (η), the second osmotic virial coefficient as determined with both self-interaction chromatography (B_22,SIC) and static light scattering (B_22,SLS), and the diffusion interaction parameter as determined with dynamic light scattering (k_D). While B₂₂ and k_D describe protein-protein interactions in diluted samples, the QCM can be applied to concentrated solutions, thereby being sensitive to higher-order protein-protein interactions.