1
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Lin M, Deng JZ, Scapin G, Yuan Y, Gomez-Llorente Y, Tong W, Porambo R, Kong J, Ikemoto N, Lancaster C, Kaelber J, Winters M, Zhuang P. Quantitation and characterization of serotype 6A activation for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine by cryo-EM and SEC methods. Vaccine 2024:S0264-410X(24)00709-6. [PMID: 38918102 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.06.034] [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: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) typically consist of capsular polysaccharides from different S. pneumoniae serotypes which are covalently attached to carrier protein. A well-established process to manufacture PCV is through activating polysaccharide by oxidation of vicinal diols to aldehydes, followed by protein conjugation via reductive amination. Polysaccharide activation is a crucial step that affects vaccine product critical attributes including conjugate size and structure. Therefore, it is highly desired to have robust analytical methods to well characterize this activation process. In this study, using pneumococcal serotype 6A as the model, we present two complimentary analytical methods for characterization of activated polysaccharide. First, a size exclusion chromatography (SEC) method was developed for quantitative measurement of polysaccharide activation levels. This SEC method demonstrated good assay characteristics on accuracy, precision and linearity. Second, a gold nanoparticle labeled cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) technique was developed to visualize activation site distribution along polysaccharide chain and provide information on activation heterogeneity. These two complimentary methods can be utilized to control polysaccharide activation process and ensure consistent delivery of conjugate vaccine products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxiang Lin
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ 07065, USA.
| | - James Z Deng
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | | | - Yue Yuan
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | | | - Weidong Tong
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ 07065, USA
| | - Richard Porambo
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | | | - Nori Ikemoto
- J-STAR Research, Inc, 3001 Hadley Road, Suites 1-5A, South Plainfield, NJ 07080, USA
| | - Catherine Lancaster
- Global Project & Alliance Mangement, Merck & Co., Inc, North Wales, PA 19454, USA
| | - Jason Kaelber
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine and Rutgers CryoEM & Nanoimaging Facility, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Michael Winters
- Vaccine Process & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Ping Zhuang
- Bristol Meyers Squibb, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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2
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Liau B, Zhang L, Ang MJY, Ng JY, C V SB, Schneider S, Gudihal R, Bae KH, Yang YY. Quantitative analysis of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle stability in human plasma and serum by size-exclusion chromatography coupled with dual-angle light scattering. NANOMEDICINE : NANOTECHNOLOGY, BIOLOGY, AND MEDICINE 2024; 58:102745. [PMID: 38499167 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2024.102745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the stability of mRNA loaded lipid nanoparticles (mRNA-LNPs) is imperative for their clinical development. Herein, we propose the use of size-exclusion chromatography coupled with dual-angle light scattering (SEC-MALS) as a new approach to assessing mRNA-LNP stability in pure human serum and plasma. By applying a dual-column configuration to attenuate interference from plasma components, SEC-MALS was able to elucidate the degradation kinetics and physical property changes of mRNA-LNPs, which have not been observed accurately by conventional dynamic light scattering techniques. Interestingly, both serum and plasma had significantly different impacts on the molecular weight and radius of gyration of mRNA-LNPs, suggesting the involvement of clotting factors in desorption of lipids from mRNA-LNPs. We also discovered that a trace impurity (~1 %) in ALC-0315, identified as its O-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-protected form, greatly diminished mRNA-LNP stability in serum. These results demonstrated the potential utility of SEC-MALS for optimization and quality control of LNP formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Liau
- Agilent Technologies, 1 Yishun Avenue 7, Singapore 768923, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Li Zhang
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Melgious Jin Yan Ang
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jian Yao Ng
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Suresh Babu C V
- Agilent Technologies, 1 Yishun Avenue 7, Singapore 768923, Republic of Singapore
| | - Sonja Schneider
- Agilent Technologies Deutschland GmbH, Hewlett-Packard Strasse 8, 76337 Waldbronn, Germany
| | - Ravindra Gudihal
- Agilent Technologies, 1 Yishun Avenue 7, Singapore 768923, Republic of Singapore
| | - Ki Hyun Bae
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yi Yan Yang
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore.
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3
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Deng JZ, Chen Z, Small J, Yuan Y, Cox K, Tang A, Roman J, Guan L, Feller K, Ansbro F, Vora K. Identification and Quantification of a Pneumococcal Cell Wall Polysaccharide by Antibody-Enhanced Chromatography Assay. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:469. [PMID: 38793720 PMCID: PMC11126027 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Multivalent pneumococcal vaccines have been developed successfully to combat invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) and reduce the associated healthcare burden. These vaccines employ pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides (PnPs), either conjugated or unconjugated, as antigens to provide serotype-specific protection. Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides used for vaccine often contain residual levels of cell wall polysaccharides (C-Ps), which can generate a non-serotype specific immune response and complicate the desired serotype-specific immunity. Therefore, the C-P level in a pneumococcal vaccine needs to be controlled in the vaccine process and the anti C-P responses need to be dialed out in clinical assays. Currently, two types of cell-wall polysaccharide structures have been identified: a mono-phosphocholine substituted cell-wall polysaccharide C-Ps1 and a di-phosphocholine substituted C-Ps2 structure. In our effort to develop a next-generation novel pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), we have generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific to cell-wall polysaccharide C-Ps2 structure. An antibody-enhanced HPLC assay (AE-HPLC) has been established for serotype-specific quantification of pneumococcal polysaccharides in our lab. With the new anti C-Ps2 mAb, we herein extend the AE-HPLC assay to the quantification and identification of C-Ps2 species in pneumococcal polysaccharides used for vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Z. Deng
- Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Zhifeng Chen
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (Z.C.); (K.C.); (A.T.); (K.V.)
| | - James Small
- Analytical Enabling Capabilities, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Yue Yuan
- Analytical Enabling Capabilities, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Kara Cox
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (Z.C.); (K.C.); (A.T.); (K.V.)
| | - Aimin Tang
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (Z.C.); (K.C.); (A.T.); (K.V.)
| | - Jeanette Roman
- Cell Potency Assays, MRL Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.R.); (L.G.); (K.F.); (F.A.)
| | - Liming Guan
- Cell Potency Assays, MRL Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.R.); (L.G.); (K.F.); (F.A.)
| | - Katrina Feller
- Cell Potency Assays, MRL Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.R.); (L.G.); (K.F.); (F.A.)
| | - Frances Ansbro
- Cell Potency Assays, MRL Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (J.R.); (L.G.); (K.F.); (F.A.)
| | - Kalpit Vora
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Research, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, P.O. Box 4, West Point, PA 19486, USA; (Z.C.); (K.C.); (A.T.); (K.V.)
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4
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Grozdanovic M, Samuel R, Grau B, Ansbro F. Serotype-specific quantification of residual free polysaccharide in multivalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Glycoconj J 2024; 41:47-55. [PMID: 38224414 DOI: 10.1007/s10719-023-10143-6] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria has over 100 known serotypes that display a continuous change in prevalence by patients' age and geographical location and therefore necessitate continued efforts toward development of new vaccines with broader protection. Glycoconjugate vaccines have been instrumental in reducing global morbidity and mortality caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae infections. In these vaccines, the bacterial polysaccharide is conjugated to a carrier protein to enhance immunogenicity. To ensure well defined immunogenicity and stability of conjugated vaccines, reliable quantification of non-conjugated (free) polysaccharide is a critical, albeit challenging step during vaccine clinical dosing, release and stability monitoring. Multivalent preparations of Cross-reactive material 197 (CRM197)- conjugated pneumococcal polysaccharide materials often contain only nanogram levels of each individual free polysaccharide at final container concentrations. We have developed a novel method for the separation of free polysaccharides from conjugated material that requires no sample derivatization, employing instead an approach of quantitative immunoprecipitation of CRM197 with 3 different monoclonal antibodies and magnetic beads. A mix of antibodies against both linear and conformational epitopes enables successful removal of conjugates regardless of the protein folded state. The remaining free polysaccharide is subsequently measured in a serotype-specific ELISA.
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5
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Deiss A, Loughney JW, Rustandi RR, Vuolo K, Mackey MA. Development and qualification of an automated capillary Western method for the identification of polysaccharide serotypes in pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). J Pharm Biomed Anal 2024; 238:115788. [PMID: 37866079 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115788] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterial infection causes mortality in both adults and infants. To mitigate the impact of the disease, several Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have been manufactured for the U.S. market, including the recent approval of the 15-valent PCV Vaxneuvance™ from MSD. These vaccines demonstrate high efficacy for both the adult and pediatric dose. These PCVs contain multiple unique serotypes in the final, formulated vaccine product, and identifying a specific polysaccharide, in the presence of other serotypes, is a critical quality attribute that must be demonstrated through analytical testing. Here we describe the development and qualification of an identity assay using an automated capillary western system, called Simple Western, implementing a multi-valent system suitability sample (SSS) to determine individual polysaccharide components. The assay was optimized through rigorous analytical development and was successfully qualified for use in the clinical release of the PCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Deiss
- Analytical Research Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
| | - John W Loughney
- Analytical Research Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA
| | | | - Kimberly Vuolo
- Analytical Research Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA
| | - Megan A Mackey
- Analytical Research Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA
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6
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Dwivedi J, Wal P, Dash B, Ovais M, Sachan P, Verma V. Diabetic Pneumopathy- A Novel Diabetes-associated Complication: Pathophysiology, the Underlying Mechanism and Combination Medication. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2024; 24:1027-1052. [PMID: 37817659 DOI: 10.2174/0118715303265960230926113201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The "diabetic lung" has been identified as a possible target organ in diabetes, with abnormalities in ventilation control, bronchomotor tone, lung volume, pulmonary diffusing capacity, and neuroadrenergic bronchial innervation. OBJECTIVE This review summarizes studies related to diabetic pneumopathy, pathophysiology and a number of pulmonary disorders including type 1 and type 2 diabetes. METHODS Electronic searches were conducted on databases such as Pub Med, Wiley Online Library (WOL), Scopus, Elsevier, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using standard keywords "diabetes," "diabetes Pneumopathy," "Pathophysiology," "Lung diseases," "lung infection" for review articles published between 1978 to 2023 very few previous review articles based their focus on diabetic pneumopathy and its pathophysiology. RESULTS Globally, the incidence of diabetes mellitus has been rising. It is a chronic, progressive metabolic disease. The "diabetic lung" may serve as a model of accelerated ageing since diabetics' rate of respiratory function deterioration is two to three-times higher than that of normal, non-smoking people. CONCLUSION Diabetes-induced pulmonary dysfunction has not gained the attention it deserves due to a lack of proven causality and changes in cellular properties. The mechanism underlying a particular lung illness can still only be partially activated by diabetes but there is evidence that hyperglycemia is linked to pulmonary fibrosis in diabetic people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyotsana Dwivedi
- PSIT- Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology (Pharmacy), Kanpur, India
| | - Pranay Wal
- PSIT- Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology (Pharmacy), Kanpur, India
| | - Biswajit Dash
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, ADAMAS University, West Bengal, India
| | | | - Pranjal Sachan
- PSIT- Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology (Pharmacy), Kanpur, India
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7
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Deng JZ, Jia X, Zong C, He J, Ha S, Zhuang P. Characterization of pneumococcal serotype 7F in vaccine conjugation. Glycoconj J 2023; 40:565-573. [PMID: 37402017 PMCID: PMC10638203 DOI: 10.1007/s10719-023-10125-8] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a highly invasive bacterial pathogen that can cause a range of illnesses. Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides (CPS) are the main virulence factors that causes invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Pneumococcal CPS serotype 7F along with a few other serotypes is more invasive and likely to cause IPD. Therefore, 7F is a target for pneumococcal vaccine development, and is included in the two recently approved multi-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccines, i.e. VAXNEUVANCE and PREVNAR 20.To support process and development of our 15-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV15), chromatographic methods have been developed for 7F polysaccharide and conjugate characterization. A size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) method with UV, light scattering and refractive index detections was employed for concentration, size and conformation analysis. A reversed-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC) method was used for analysis of conjugate monosaccharide composition and degree of conjugation. The collective information obtained by these chromatographic analysis provided insights into the pneumococcal conjugate and conjugation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Z Deng
- Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, 770 Sumneytown Pike, P. O. Box 4, West Point, PA, WP46-3305, 19486, USA.
| | - Xiujuan Jia
- Small Molecule Analytical Research & Development, Analytical Research & Development Merck & Co., Inc, Rahway, NJ, USA
| | - Chengli Zong
- Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, 770 Sumneytown Pike, P. O. Box 4, West Point, PA, WP46-3305, 19486, USA
| | - Jian He
- Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, 770 Sumneytown Pike, P. O. Box 4, West Point, PA, WP46-3305, 19486, USA
| | - Sha Ha
- Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, 770 Sumneytown Pike, P. O. Box 4, West Point, PA, WP46-3305, 19486, USA
| | - Ping Zhuang
- Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, 770 Sumneytown Pike, P. O. Box 4, West Point, PA, WP46-3305, 19486, USA
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8
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Tognetti F, Biagini M, Denis M, Berti F, Maione D, Stranges D. Evolution of Vaccines Formulation to Tackle the Challenge of Anti-Microbial Resistant Pathogens. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12054. [PMID: 37569427 PMCID: PMC10418901 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512054] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing diffusion of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across more and more bacterial species emphasizes the urgency of identifying innovative treatment strategies to counter its diffusion. Pathogen infection prevention is among the most effective strategies to prevent the spread of both disease and AMR. Since their discovery, vaccines have been the strongest prophylactic weapon against infectious diseases, with a multitude of different antigen types and formulative strategies developed over more than a century to protect populations from different pathogens. In this review, we review the main characteristics of vaccine formulations in use and under development against AMR pathogens, focusing on the importance of administering multiple antigens where possible, and the challenges associated with their development and production. The most relevant antigen classes and adjuvant systems are described, highlighting their mechanisms of action and presenting examples of their use in clinical trials against AMR. We also present an overview of the analytical and formulative strategies for multivalent vaccines, in which we discuss the complexities associated with mixing multiple components in a single formulation. This review emphasizes the importance of combining existing knowledge with advanced technologies within a Quality by Design development framework to efficiently develop vaccines against AMR pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Tognetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padua, Italy
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9
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Saha-Shah A, Smith JP, Konietzko J, Costell E, McHugh PM, Lo-Mont JP, Ralbovsky NM, Obando L, Wang SC, Appiah-Amponsah E, Mangion I. Real-time in situ monitoring of CRM-197 and polysaccharide conjugation reaction by fluorescence spectroscopy. Bioanalysis 2023. [PMID: 37141441 DOI: 10.4155/bio-2023-0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims: Process analytical technology (PAT) is increasingly being adopted within the pharmaceutical industry to build quality into a process. Development of PAT that provides real-time in situ analysis of critical quality attributes are highly desirable for rapid, improved process development. Conjugation of CRM-197 with pneumococcal polysaccharides to produce a desired pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is a significantly intricate process that can tremendously benefit from real-time process monitoring. Methods: In this work, a fluorescence-based PAT methodology is described to elucidate CRM-197-polysacharide conjugation kinetics in real time. Results & conclusion: In this work, a fluorescence-based PAT methodology is described to elucidate CRM-197-polysacharide conjugation kinetics in real time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anumita Saha-Shah
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Rd, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Joseph P Smith
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Janelle Konietzko
- Vaccines Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Emily Costell
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
- Vaccines Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Patrick M McHugh
- Vaccines Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Justin P Lo-Mont
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Nicole M Ralbovsky
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Louis Obando
- MMD, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Sheng-Ching Wang
- Vaccines Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Emmanuel Appiah-Amponsah
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Ian Mangion
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ 07065, USA
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10
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Deng JZ, Kuster N, Drumheller A, Lin M, Ansbro F, Grozdanovic M, Samuel R, Zhuang P. Antibody enhanced HPLC for serotype-specific quantitation of polysaccharides in pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:2. [PMID: 36690697 PMCID: PMC9869843 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-022-00584-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial infection remains as one of the major healthcare issues, despite significant scientific and medical progress in this field. Infection by Streptococcus Pneumoniae (S. Pneumoniae) can cause pneumonia and other serious infectious diseases, such as bacteremia, sinusitis and meningitis. The pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides (CPS) that constitute the outermost layer of the bacterial cell are the main immunogens and protect the pathogen from host defense mechanisms. Over 90 pneumococcal CPS serotypes have been identified, among which more than 30 can cause invasive pneumococcal diseases that could lead to morbidity and mortality. Multivalent pneumococcal vaccines have been developed to prevent diseases caused by S. Pneumoniae. These vaccines employ either purified pneumococcal CPSs or protein conjugates of these CPSs to generate antigen-specific immune responses for patient protection. Serotype-specific quantitation of these polysaccharides (Ps) antigen species are required for vaccine clinical dosage, product release and quality control. Herein, we have developed an antibody-enhanced high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay for serotype-specific quantitation of the polysaccharide contents in multivalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). A fluorescence-labeled multiplex assay format has also been developed. This work laid the foundation for a serotype-specific antigen assay format that could play an important role for future vaccine research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Z. Deng
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA
| | - Nathan Kuster
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA
| | - Ashley Drumheller
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA
| | - Mingxiang Lin
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Analytical External Capabilities, Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA
| | - Frances Ansbro
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Cell-Based Sciences, Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA
| | - Milica Grozdanovic
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Cell-Based Sciences, Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA
| | - Rachelle Samuel
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Cell-Based Sciences, Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA
| | - Ping Zhuang
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Vaccine Analytical Research & Development, Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA
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11
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Characterization of High Molecular Weight Pneumococcal Conjugate by SEC-MALS and AF4-MALS. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14183769. [PMID: 36145915 PMCID: PMC9501040 DOI: 10.3390/polym14183769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections by Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause serious pneumococcal diseases and other medical complications among patients. Polysaccharide-based vaccines have been successfully developed as prophylactic agents against such deadly bacterial infections. In the 1980s, PNEUMOVAX® 23 were introduced as the first pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines (PPSV). Later, pneumococcal polysaccharides were conjugated to a carrier protein to improve immune responses. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) such as PREVNAR® and VAXNEUVANCE™ have been developed. Of the more than 90 pneumococcal bacteria serotypes, serotype 1 (ST-1) and serotype 4 (ST-4) are the two main types that cause invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) that could lead to morbidity and mortality. Development of a novel multi-valent PCV against these serotypes requires extensive biophysical and biochemical characterizations of each monovalent conjugate (MVC) in the vaccine. To understand and characterize these high molecular weight (Mw) polysaccharide protein conjugates, we employed the multi-angle light scattering (MALS) technique coupled with size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) separation and asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation (AF4). MALS analysis of MVCs from the two orthogonal separation mechanisms helps shed light on the heterogeneity in conformation and aggregation states of each conjugate.
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Deng JZ, Rustandi R, Barbacci D, Swartz A, Gulasarian A, Loughney JW. RP-UPLC method for Oncolytic Coxsackievirus Viral Protein Separation and Empty to Full Capsid Quantification. Hum Gene Ther 2022; 33:765-775. [PMID: 35387488 PMCID: PMC9347376 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic virus immunotherapy is emerging as a novel therapeutic approach for cancer treatment. Immunotherapy clinical drug candidate V937 is currently in phase I/II clinical trials and consists of a proprietary formulation of Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21), which specifically infects and lyses cells with overexpressed ICAM-1 receptors in a range of tumors. Mature Coxsackievirus virions, consisting of four structural virion proteins, (VPs) VP1, VP2, VP3, and VP4, and the RNA genome, are the only viral particles capable of being infectious. In addition to mature virions, empty procapsids with VPs, VP0, VP1, and VP3, and other virus particles are produced in V937 production cell culture. Viral protein VP0 is cleaved into VP2 and VP4 after RNA genome encapsidation to form mature virions. Clearance of viral particles containing VP0, and quantification of viral protein distribution are important in V937 downstream processing. Existing analytical methods for the characterization of viral proteins and particles may lack sensitivity or are low throughput. We developed a sensitive and robust reverse-phase ultra-performance chromatography method to separate, identify, and quantify all five CVA21 VPs. Quantification of virus capsid concentration and empty/full capsid ratio was achieved with good linearity, accuracy, and precision. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04521621 and NCT04152863.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Z Deng
- Merck & Co Inc, 2793, Vaccine Analytical Development, 770 Sumneytown Pike, WP46-3, PO Box 4, West Point, Pennsylvania, United States, 19486;
| | - Richard Rustandi
- Merck & Co Inc, 2793, Vaccine Analytical Development, West Point, Pennsylvania, United States;
| | - Damon Barbacci
- Spark Therapeutics Inc, 538392, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States;
| | - Andrew Swartz
- Merck & Co Inc, 2793, Vaccine Process Development, West Point, Pennsylvania, United States;
| | - Amanda Gulasarian
- Merck & Co Inc, 2793, Vaccine Process Development, West Point, Pennsylvania, United States;
| | - John W Loughney
- Merck & Co Inc, 2793, Vaccine Analytical Development, West Point, Pennsylvania, United States;
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