1
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Jin X, Chen L, Chu J, He B. Charge Variants Characterization of Co-Formulated Antibodies by Three-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Biomolecules 2024; 14:999. [PMID: 39199387 PMCID: PMC11352451 DOI: 10.3390/biom14080999] [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: 07/10/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Co-formulated antibodies can bring clinical benefits to patients by combining two or more antibodies in a single dosage form. However, the quality analysis of co-formulated antibodies raises additional challenges, compared to individual antibodies, due to the need for accurate analysis of multiple antibodies in one solution. It is extremely difficult to effectively separate the charge variants of the two co-formulated antibodies using one ion exchange chromatography (IEC) method because of their similar characteristics. In this study, a novel method was developed for the charge variants characterization of co-formulated antibodies using three-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (3D-LC-MS). Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) was used as the first dimension to separate and collect the two co-formulated antibodies. The two collections were then injected into the second-dimension IEC separately for charge variants separation and analysis. Subsequently, the separated charge variants underwent on-line desalting in the third-dimension reverse-phase chromatography (RPC) and subsequent mass spectroscopy analysis. The novel method could simultaneously provide a charge variants ratio and post-translational modification (PTM) data for the two co-formulated antibodies. Therefore, it could be used for release testing and stability studies of co-formulated antibodies, making up for the shortcomings of the existing approaches. It was the first time that charge variants of co-formulated antibodies were characterized by the 3D-LC-MS method, to the best of our knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Jin
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; (X.J.); (L.C.)
| | - Luna Chen
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; (X.J.); (L.C.)
| | - Jianlin Chu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Bingfang He
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; (X.J.); (L.C.)
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
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2
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Zhai Z, Mavridou D, Damian M, Mutti FG, Schoenmakers PJ, Gargano AFG. Characterization of Complex Proteoform Mixtures by Online Nanoflow Ion-Exchange Chromatography-Native Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2024; 96:8880-8885. [PMID: 38771719 PMCID: PMC11154664 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The characterization of proteins and complexes in biological systems is essential to establish their critical properties and to understand their unique functions in a plethora of bioprocesses. However, it is highly difficult to analyze low levels of intact proteins in their native states (especially those exceeding 30 kDa) with liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS). Herein, we describe for the first time the use of nanoflow ion-exchange chromatography directly coupled with native MS to resolve mixtures of intact proteins. Reference proteins and protein complexes with molecular weights between 10 and 150 kDa and a model cell lysate were separated using a salt-mediated pH gradient method with volatile additives. The method allowed for low detection limits (0.22 pmol of monoclonal antibodies), while proteins presented nondenatured MS (low number of charges and limited charge state distributions), and the oligomeric state of the complexes analyzed was mostly kept. Excellent chromatographic separations including the resolution of different proteoforms of large proteins (>140 kDa) and a peak capacity of 82 in a 30 min gradient were obtained. The proposed setup and workflows show great potential for analyzing diverse proteoforms in native top-down proteomics, opening unprecedented opportunities for clinical studies and other sample-limited applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziran Zhai
- Analytical
Chemistry Group and Biocatalysis Group, Van’t Hoff Institute
for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Van’t Hoff Institute for
Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of
Amsterdam, Science Park
904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Despoina Mavridou
- Analytical
Chemistry Group and Biocatalysis Group, Van’t Hoff Institute
for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Van’t Hoff Institute for
Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of
Amsterdam, Science Park
904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Matteo Damian
- Analytical
Chemistry Group and Biocatalysis Group, Van’t Hoff Institute
for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Francesco G. Mutti
- Analytical
Chemistry Group and Biocatalysis Group, Van’t Hoff Institute
for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J. Schoenmakers
- Analytical
Chemistry Group and Biocatalysis Group, Van’t Hoff Institute
for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Van’t Hoff Institute for
Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of
Amsterdam, Science Park
904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea F. G. Gargano
- Analytical
Chemistry Group and Biocatalysis Group, Van’t Hoff Institute
for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Van’t Hoff Institute for
Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of
Amsterdam, Science Park
904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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3
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Benazza R, Koutsopetras I, Vaur V, Chaubet G, Hernandez-Alba O, Cianférani S. SEC-MS in denaturing conditions (dSEC-MS) for in-depth analysis of rebridged monoclonal antibody-based formats. Talanta 2024; 272:125727. [PMID: 38364570 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.125727] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Disulfide rebridging methods are emerging recently as new ways to specifically modify antibody-based entities and produce future conjugates. Briefly, the solvent-accessible disulfide bonds of antibodies or antigen-binding fragments (Fab) thereof are reduced under controlled conditions and further covalently attached with a rebridging agent allowing the incorporation of one payload per disulfide bond. There are many examples of successful rebridging cases providing homogeneous conjugates due to the use of symmetrical reagents, such as dibromomaleimides. However, partial rebridging due to the use of unsymmetrical ones, containing functional groups with different reactivity, usually leads to the development of heterogeneous species that cannot be identified by a simple sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel eletrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) due to its lack of sensitivity, resolution and low mass accuracy. Mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC-MS) approaches have already been demonstrated as highly promising alternatives for the characterization of newly developed antibody-drug-conjugate (ADC) and monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based formats. We report here the in-depth characterization of covalently rebridged antibodies and Fab fragments in-development, using size-exclusion chromatography hyphenated to mass spectrometry in denaturing conditions (denaturing SEC-MS, dSEC-MS). DSEC-MS was used to monitor closely the rebridging reaction of a conjugated trastuzumab, in addition to conjugated Fab fragments, which allowed an unambiguous identification of the covalently rebridged products along with the unbound species. This all-in-one approach allowed a straightforward analysis of the studied samples with precise mass measurement; critical quality attributes (CQAs) assessment along with rebridging efficiency determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rania Benazza
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 67087 Strasbourg, France; Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI-FR2048, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Ilias Koutsopetras
- Bio-Functional Chemistry (UMR 7199), Institut du Médicament de Strasbourg, University of Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| | - Valentine Vaur
- Bio-Functional Chemistry (UMR 7199), Institut du Médicament de Strasbourg, University of Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| | - Guilhem Chaubet
- Bio-Functional Chemistry (UMR 7199), Institut du Médicament de Strasbourg, University of Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| | - Oscar Hernandez-Alba
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 67087 Strasbourg, France; Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI-FR2048, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sarah Cianférani
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, 67087 Strasbourg, France; Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI-FR2048, 67087 Strasbourg, France.
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4
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Herling TW, Invernizzi G, Ausserwöger H, Bjelke JR, Egebjerg T, Lund S, Lorenzen N, Knowles TPJ. Nonspecificity fingerprints for clinical-stage antibodies in solution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306700120. [PMID: 38109540 PMCID: PMC10756282 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306700120] [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: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have successfully been developed for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. The clinical success of mAbs does not solely rely on optimal potency and safety but also require good biophysical properties to ensure a high developability potential. In particular, nonspecific interactions are a key developability parameter to monitor during discovery and development. Despite an increased focus on the detection of nonspecific interactions, their underlying physicochemical origins remain poorly understood. Here, we employ solution-based microfluidic technologies to characterize a set of clinical-stage mAbs and their interactions with commonly used nonspecificity ligands to generate nonspecificity fingerprints, providing quantitative data on the underlying physical chemistry. Furthermore, the solution-based analysis enables us to measure binding affinities directly, and we evaluate the contribution of avidity in nonspecific binding by mAbs. We find that avidity can increase the apparent affinity by two orders of magnitude. Notably, we find that a subset of these highly developed mAbs show nonspecific electrostatic interactions, even at physiological pH and ionic strength, and that they can form microscale particles with charge-complementary polymers. The group of mAb constructs flagged here for nonspecificity are among the worst performers in independent reports of surface and column-based screens. The solution measurements improve on the state-of-the-art by providing a stand-alone result for individual mAbs without the need to benchmark against cohort data. Based on our findings, we propose a quantitative solution-based nonspecificity score, which can be integrated in the development workflow for biological therapeutics and more widely in protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese W. Herling
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | | | - Hannes Ausserwöger
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Jais Rose Bjelke
- Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv2760, Denmark
| | - Thomas Egebjerg
- Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv2760, Denmark
| | - Søren Lund
- Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv2760, Denmark
| | - Nikolai Lorenzen
- Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv2760, Denmark
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB3 0HE, United Kingdom
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5
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Duivelshof BL, Bouvarel T, Pirner S, Larraillet V, Knaupp A, Koll H, D’Atri V, Guillarme D. Enhancing Selectivity of Protein Biopharmaceuticals in Ion Exchange Chromatography through Addition of Organic Modifiers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16623. [PMID: 38068945 PMCID: PMC10706461 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Charge heterogeneity among therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is considered an important critical quality attribute and requires careful characterization to ensure safe and efficacious drug products. The charge heterogeneity among mAbs is the result of chemical and enzymatic post-translational modifications and leads to the formation of acidic and basic variants that can be characterized using cation exchange chromatography (CEX). Recently, the use of mass spectrometry-compatible salt-mediated pH gradients has gained increased attention to elute the proteins from the charged stationary phase material. However, with the increasing antibody product complexity, more and more selectivity is required. Therefore, in this study, we set out to improve the selectivity by using a solvent-enriched mobile phase composition for the analysis of a variety of mAbs and bispecific antibody products. It was found that the addition of the solvents to the mobile phase appeared to modify the hydrate shell surrounding the protein and alter the retention behavior of the studied proteins. Therefore, this work demonstrates that the use of solvent-enriched mobile phase composition could be an attractive additional method parameter during method development in CEX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastiaan Laurens Duivelshof
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU—Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU—Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Bouvarel
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU—Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU—Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Hans Koll
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Valentina D’Atri
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU—Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU—Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Davy Guillarme
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU—Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU—Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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6
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Jin X, He B. Combination of On-Line and Off-Line Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for Comprehensive Characterization of mAb Charge Variants and Precise Instructions for Rapid Process Development. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15184. [PMID: 37894864 PMCID: PMC10607358 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015184] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Charge variants, as an important quality attribute of mAbs, must be comprehensively characterized and monitored during development. However, due to their complex structure, the characterization of charge variants is challenging, labor-intensive, and time-consuming when using traditional approaches. This work combines on-line and off-line 2D-LC-MS to comprehensively characterize mAb charge variants and quickly offer precise instructions for process development. Six charge variant peaks of mAb 1 were identified using the developed platform. Off-line 2D-LC-MS analysis at the peptide level showed that the acidic peak P1 and the basic peaks P4 and P5 were caused by the deamidation of asparagine, the oxidation of methionine, and incomplete C-terminal K loss, respectively. On-line 2D-LC-MS at the intact protein level was used to identify the root causes, and it was found that the acidic peak P2 and the basic peak P6 were due to the glutathionylation of cysteine and succinimidation of aspartic acid, respectively, which were not found in off-line 2D-LC-MS because of the loss occurring during pre-treatment. These results suggest that process development could focus on cell culture for adjustment of glutathionylation. In this paper, we propose the concept of precision process development based on on-line 2D-LC-MS, which could quickly offer useful data with only 0.6 mg mAb within 6 h for precise instructions for process development. Overall, the combination of on-line and off-line 2D-LC-MS can characterize mAb charge variants more comprehensively, precisely, and quickly than other approaches. This is a very effective platform with routine operations that provides precise instructions for process development within hours, and will help to accelerate the development of innovative therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Jin
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China;
| | - Bingfang He
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China;
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
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7
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Di Marco F, Blöchl C, Esser-Skala W, Schäpertöns V, Zhang T, Wuhrer M, Sandra K, Wohlschlager T, Huber CG. Glycoproteomics of a Single Protein: Revealing Tens of Thousands of Myozyme Glycoforms by Hybrid HPLC-MS Approaches. Mol Cell Proteomics 2023; 22:100622. [PMID: 37478974 PMCID: PMC10470421 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2023.100622] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterization of highly glycosylated biopharma-ceuticals by mass spectrometry is challenging because of the huge chemical space of coexistent glycoforms present. Here, we report the use of an array of HPLC-mass spectrometry-based approaches at different structural levels of released glycan, glycopeptide, and hitherto unexplored intact glycoforms to scrutinize the biopharmaceutical Myozyme, containing the highly complex lysosomal enzyme recombinant acid α-glucosidase. The intrinsic heterogeneity of recombinant acid α-glucosidase glycoforms was unraveled using a novel strong anion exchange HPLC-mass spectrometry approach involving a pH-gradient of volatile buffers to facilitate chromatographic separation of glycoforms based on their degree of sialylation, followed by the acquisition of native mass spectra in an Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Upon considering the structures of 60 different glycans attached to seven glycosylation sites in the intact protein, the large set of interdependent data acquired at different structural levels was integrated using a set of bioinformatic tools and allowed the annotation of intact glycoforms unraveling more than 1,000,000 putative intact glycoforms. Detectable isoforms also included several mannose-6-phosphate variants, which are essential for directing the drug toward its target, the lysosomes. Finally, for the first time, we sought to validate the intact glycoform annotations by integrating experimental data on the enzymatically dissected proteoforms, which reduced the number of glycoforms supported by experimental evidence to 42,104. The latter verification clearly revealed the strengths but also intrinsic limitations of this approach for fully characterizing such highly complex glycoproteins by mass spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiammetta Di Marco
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Constantin Blöchl
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wolfgang Esser-Skala
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Computational Systems Biology Group, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Veronika Schäpertöns
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Computational Systems Biology Group, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Tao Zhang
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Manfred Wuhrer
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Koen Sandra
- Research Institute for Chromatography (RIC), Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Therese Wohlschlager
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christian G Huber
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
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8
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Kumar S, Savane TS, Rathore AS. Multiattribute Monitoring of Aggregates and Charge Variants of Monoclonal Antibody through Native 2D-SEC-MS-WCX-MS. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023. [PMID: 37327380 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring of critical quality attributes such as size and charge-related heterogeneities is essential for biopharmaceutical manufacturers. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is the preferred analytical technique for the quantification of aggregates and fragments in the product, whereas weak-cation exchange chromatography (WCX) is widely used for the characterization of charge variants of biotherapeutic products, in particular monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Multiattribute monitoring offers the ability to monitor these attributes in a single run flow using two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC). Typically, in this approach, only the second-dimension samples are directly analyzed through mass spectrometry, as the first dimension has limitations concerning direct coupling with mass spectrometry. In the present study, a novel 2D-SEC-MS/WCX-MS workflow has been proposed, in which chromatography of both dimensions (D1 and D2) was directly coupled with mass spectrometry, through which size-related and charge-related variants of monoclonal antibody mAb A were analyzed simultaneously in their native form. In comparison to stand-alone SEC and WCX methods, this method enables simultaneous analysis of size and charge variants in a single workflow without manual intervention, allowing analysis of low abundant variants. Further, this method has 75% less sample requirement and a shorter analysis time (25 min vs 90 min) when size and charge variants were analyzed individually. The proposed native 2D-LC-MS workflow was used to analyze a stressed sample of mAb A, in which D1 analysis revealed the presence of aggregates (8-20%), which were primarily dimers, whereas D2 analysis showed an increment in acidic variants (9-21%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Tushar Sharad Savane
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Anurag S Rathore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
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9
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VanAernum ZL, Sergi JA, Dey M, Toner T, Kilgore B, Lay-Fortenbery A, Wang Y, Bian S, Kochert BA, Bothe JR, Gao X, Richardson D, Schuessler HA. Discovery and Control of Succinimide Formation and Accumulation at Aspartic Acid Residues in The Complementarity-Determining Region of a Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody. Pharm Res 2023; 40:1411-1423. [PMID: 36627449 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03462-0] [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: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Succinimide formation and isomerization alter the chemical and physical properties of aspartic acid residues in a protein. Modification of aspartic acid residues within complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can be particularly detrimental to the efficacy of the molecule. The goal of this study was to characterize the site of succinimide accumulation in the CDR of a therapeutic mAb and understand its effects on potency. Furthermore, we aimed to mitigate succinimide accumulation through changes in formulation. METHODS Accumulation of succinimide was identified through intact and reduced LC-MS mass measurements. A low pH peptide mapping method was used for relative quantitation and localization of succinimide formation in the CDR. Statistical modeling was used to correlate levels of succinimide with basic variants and potency measurements. RESULTS Succinimide accumulation in Formulation A was accelerated when stored at elevated temperatures. A strong correlation between succinimide accumulation in the CDR, an increase in basic charge variants, and a decrease in potency was observed. Statistical modeling suggest that a combination of ion exchange chromatography and potency measurements can be used to predict succinimide levels in a given sample. Reformulation of the mAb to Formulation B mitigates succinimide accumulation even after extended storage at elevated temperatures. CONCLUSION Succinimide formation in the CDR of a therapeutic mAb can have a strong negative impact on potency of the molecule. We demonstrate that thorough characterization of the molecule by LC-MS, ion exchange chromatography, and potency measurements can facilitate changes in formulation that mitigate succinimide formation and the corresponding detrimental changes in potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary L VanAernum
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA.
| | - Joseph A Sergi
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Monisha Dey
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Timothy Toner
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Bruce Kilgore
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Ashley Lay-Fortenbery
- Preclinical Development, Merck & Co., Inc, 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
- Biologics Process and Analytical Development, National Resilience, Inc, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA
| | - Shengjie Bian
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
- CMC Regulatory & Technical Strategy, Amicus Therapeutics Inc. Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Brent A Kochert
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Jameson R Bothe
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Xinliu Gao
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Douglas Richardson
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Hillary A Schuessler
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
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10
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Beck A, Nowak C, Meshulam D, Reynolds K, Chen D, Pacardo DB, Nicholls SB, Carven GJ, Gu Z, Fang J, Wang D, Katiyar A, Xiang T, Liu H. Risk-Based Control Strategies of Recombinant Monoclonal Antibody Charge Variants. Antibodies (Basel) 2022; 11:73. [PMID: 36412839 PMCID: PMC9703962 DOI: 10.3390/antib11040073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the first approval of the anti-CD3 recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb), muromonab-CD3, a mouse antibody for the prevention of transplant rejection, by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1986, mAb therapeutics have become increasingly important to medical care. A wealth of information about mAbs regarding their structure, stability, post-translation modifications, and the relationship between modification and function has been reported. Yet, substantial resources are still required throughout development and commercialization to have appropriate control strategies to maintain consistent product quality, safety, and efficacy. A typical feature of mAbs is charge heterogeneity, which stems from a variety of modifications, including modifications that are common to many mAbs or unique to a specific molecule or process. Charge heterogeneity is highly sensitive to process changes and thus a good indicator of a robust process. It is a high-risk quality attribute that could potentially fail the specification and comparability required for batch disposition. Failure to meet product specifications or comparability can substantially affect clinical development timelines. To mitigate these risks, the general rule is to maintain a comparable charge profile when process changes are inevitably introduced during development and even after commercialization. Otherwise, new peaks or varied levels of acidic and basic species must be justified based on scientific knowledge and clinical experience for a specific molecule. Here, we summarize the current understanding of mAb charge variants and outline risk-based control strategies to support process development and ultimately commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Beck
- Centre d’Immunologie Pierre-Fabre (CIPF), 5 Avenue Napoléon III, 74160 Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, France
| | - Christine Nowak
- Protein Characterization, Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Disease, 100 College St., New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Deborah Meshulam
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kristina Reynolds
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David Chen
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dennis B. Pacardo
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Samantha B. Nicholls
- Protein Sciences, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Gregory J. Carven
- Research, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Zhenyu Gu
- Jasper Therapeutics, Inc., 2200 Bridge Pkwy Suite 102, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA
| | - Jing Fang
- Biological Drug Discovery, Biogen, 225 Binney St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dongdong Wang
- Global Biologics, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, 300 Shire Way, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Amit Katiyar
- CMC Technical Operations, Magenta Therapeutics, 100 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tao Xiang
- Downstream Process and Analytical Development, Boston Institute of Biotechnology, 225 Turnpike Rd., Southborough, MA 01772, USA
| | - Hongcheng Liu
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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11
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Wu Z, Wang H, Wu J, Huang Y, Zhao X, Nguyen J, Rosconi M, Pyles EA, Qiu H, Li N. High-Sensitivity and High-Resolution Therapeutic Antibody Charge Variant and Impurity Characterization by Microfluidic Native Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2022; 223:115147. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2022.115147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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12
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Blevins MS, Juetten KJ, James VK, Butalewicz JP, Escobar EE, Lanzillotti MB, Sanders JD, Fort KL, Brodbelt JS. Nanohydrophobic Interaction Chromatography Coupled to Ultraviolet Photodissociation Mass Spectrometry for the Analysis of Intact Proteins in Low Charge States. J Proteome Res 2022; 21:2493-2503. [PMID: 36043517 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00450] [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: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The direct correlation between proteoforms and biological phenotype necessitates the exploration of mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods more suitable for proteoform detection and characterization. Here, we couple nano-hydrophobic interaction chromatography (nano-HIC) to ultraviolet photodissociation MS (UVPD-MS) for separation and characterization of intact proteins and proteoforms. High linearity, sensitivity, and sequence coverage are obtained with this method for a variety of proteins. Investigation of collisional cross sections of intact proteins during nano-HIC indicates semifolded conformations in low charge states, enabling a different dimension of separation in comparison to traditional, fully denaturing reversed-phase separations. This method is demonstrated for a mixture of intact proteins from Escherichia coli ribosomes; high sequence coverage is obtained for a variety of modified and unmodified proteoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly S Blevins
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Kyle J Juetten
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Virginia K James
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Jamie P Butalewicz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Edwin E Escobar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Michael B Lanzillotti
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - James D Sanders
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Kyle L Fort
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen 28199, Germany
| | - Jennifer S Brodbelt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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13
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Bhatt M, Alok A, Kulkarni BB. Method Development and Qualification of pH-Based CEX UPLC Method for Monoclonal Antibodies. BIOTECH 2022; 11:biotech11020019. [PMID: 35822792 PMCID: PMC9264391 DOI: 10.3390/biotech11020019] [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: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (“PTMs”) in monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) contribute to charge variant distribution, which will affect biological efficacy and safety. For the characterization of mAbs, charge variants are used as a critical quality attributes for product quality, stability consistency and effectiveness. Charge variants in mAbs are characterized by a time-consuming and a multistep process starting from cation/anion exchange chromatography, acidic/basic fractions collection and subsequent reverse phase (RP) liquid chromatography, coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Hence, an alternative characterization approach that would be highly selective for ion exchange chromatography-based charge variant analysis, which is compatible with on-line MS detection, is needed in the biopharma industry. Against this backdrop, multiple studies are being conducted to develop a simple straight on-line charge variant analysis method. In this regard, we apply the current study, which aims to develop a charge variant analytical method, based on volatile buffers with low ionic strength that can be used for on-line MS detection of charge variants of mAbs. This would enable the detection on “PTMs” using low ionic strength mobile phase compatible with MS. Hence, fruitful data can be obtained with a single chromatography run without any test sample preparation, eliminating the need for multiple steps of analysis, time-consuming process and multiple sample preparation steps. Thus, Charge Variant Analysis-MS technique will allow the characterization of charge-related PTMs on the intact protein stage. In this regard, this study is about development of a method having combination of chromatography and volatile mobile phase for mass spectrometry detection of mAbs being analyzed in native form. The method is qualified considering pharmacopeia guidelines because the ultimate aim is to transfer this method for Quality Control (QC) release testing of a monoclonal antibody, which is critical for batch release and the regulatory point of view. Acidic and basic variants have been separated with high resolution peak profile. Furthermore, there was no matrix interference and good separation selectivity in terms of specificity was obtained using this method. The experimental data suggested for the linearity of the method are 2.4 mg/mL to 3.6 mg/mL with % RSD below 2.0%. Additionally, Limit of Quantitation is found to be 0.15 mg/mL, which is 5% of loading amount. Consistently, the data show that the method is precise under the same operating conditions with a short time interval. Overall a simple, accurate, robust and precise pH gradient cation exchange chromatography method was developed and qualified for the characterization of a therapeutic native mAb. Additionally, this method can be used to claim a biosimilar product profile of an in-house product compare to an innovator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mithun Bhatt
- Mehsana Urban Institute of Sciences, Faculty of Science, Ganpat University, Mehsana 384012, India;
| | - Anshu Alok
- Department of Biotechnology, UIET, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India;
| | - Bhushan B. Kulkarni
- Mehsana Urban Institute of Sciences, Faculty of Science, Ganpat University, Mehsana 384012, India;
- Dr. Prabhakar Kore Basic Science Research Centre, K.L.E. Academy of Higher Education and Research, Belagavi 590010, India
- Correspondence:
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14
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Ruppen I, Beydon ME, Solís C, Sacristán D, Vandenheede I, Ortiz A, Sandra K, Adhikary L. Similarity demonstrated between isolated charge variants of MB02, a biosimilar of bevacizumab, and Avastin® following extended physicochemical and functional characterization. Biologicals 2022; 77:1-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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15
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Abstract
Native mass spectrometry (MS) is aimed at preserving and determining the native structure, composition, and stoichiometry of biomolecules and their complexes from solution after they are transferred into the gas phase. Major improvements in native MS instrumentation and experimental methods over the past few decades have led to a concomitant increase in the complexity and heterogeneity of samples that can be analyzed, including protein-ligand complexes, protein complexes with multiple coexisting stoichiometries, and membrane protein-lipid assemblies. Heterogeneous features of these biomolecular samples can be important for understanding structure and function. However, sample heterogeneity can make assignment of ion mass, charge, composition, and structure very challenging due to the overlap of tens or even hundreds of peaks in the mass spectrum. In this review, we cover data analysis, experimental, and instrumental advances and strategies aimed at solving this problem, with an in-depth discussion of theoretical and practical aspects of the use of available deconvolution algorithms and tools. We also reflect upon current challenges and provide a view of the future of this exciting field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber D. Rolland
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 1253 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA 97403-1253
| | - James S. Prell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 1253 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA 97403-1253
- Materials Science Institute, 1252 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA 97403-1252
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16
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Abstract
Native mass spectrometry (MS) involves the analysis and characterization of macromolecules, predominantly intact proteins and protein complexes, whereby as much as possible the native structural features of the analytes are retained. As such, native MS enables the study of secondary, tertiary, and even quaternary structure of proteins and other biomolecules. Native MS represents a relatively recent addition to the analytical toolbox of mass spectrometry and has over the past decade experienced immense growth, especially in enhancing sensitivity and resolving power but also in ease of use. With the advent of dedicated mass analyzers, sample preparation and separation approaches, targeted fragmentation techniques, and software solutions, the number of practitioners and novel applications has risen in both academia and industry. This review focuses on recent developments, particularly in high-resolution native MS, describing applications in the structural analysis of protein assemblies, proteoform profiling of─among others─biopharmaceuticals and plasma proteins, and quantitative and qualitative analysis of protein-ligand interactions, with the latter covering lipid, drug, and carbohydrate molecules, to name a few.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sem Tamara
- Biomolecular
Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular
Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3584
CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands
Proteomics Center, Padualaan
8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maurits A. den Boer
- Biomolecular
Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular
Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3584
CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands
Proteomics Center, Padualaan
8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert J. R. Heck
- Biomolecular
Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular
Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3584
CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands
Proteomics Center, Padualaan
8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
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17
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Similarity demonstrated between isolated charge variants of MB02, a biosimilar of bevacizumab, and Avastin® following extended physicochemical and functional characterization. Biologicals 2021; 73:41-56. [PMID: 34593306 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of recombinant mAb products contain heterogeneous charge variants, commonly the result of post-translational modifications occurring during cell culture and accumulated during production, formulation and storage. MB02 is a biosimilar mAb to bevacizumab. Similarity data of charge variants for biosimilars against its reference products must be generated to demonstrate consistency in product quality and to ensure efficacy and safety. The goal of this work was to isolate seven charge variants of MB02 and Avastin® by semi-preparative cation exchange chromatography followed by purity test and extended analytical characterization to prove similarity. Although poor purity obtained for minor variants complicated data interpretation, an in-depth insight into the charge variants pattern of MB02 compared to Avastin® was obtained, contributing to a better understanding of modifications associated to microheterogeneity. To our knowledge, this is the first comparative analytical study of individual charge variants of a bevacizumab biosimilar following a head-to head approach and the most comprehensive N-glycosylation assessment of IgG1 charge variants. Although modifications related to N- and C-terminal, N-glycans, size heterogeneity or deamidation were specifically enriched among low abundant charge variants, they did not affect binding affinity to VEGF or FcRn and in vitro potency compared with the main species or unfractionated material.
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18
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Di Marco F, Berger T, Esser-Skala W, Rapp E, Regl C, Huber CG. Simultaneous Monitoring of Monoclonal Antibody Variants by Strong Cation-Exchange Chromatography Hyphenated to Mass Spectrometry to Assess Quality Attributes of Rituximab-Based Biotherapeutics. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9072. [PMID: 34445776 PMCID: PMC8396523 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22169072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Different manufacturing processes and storage conditions of biotherapeutics can lead to a significant variability in drug products arising from chemical and enzymatic post-translational modifications (PTMs), resulting in the co-existence of a plethora of proteoforms with different physicochemical properties. To unravel the heterogeneity of these proteoforms, novel approaches employing strong cation-exchange (SCX) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) hyphenated to mass spectrometry (MS) using a pH gradient of volatile salts have been developed in recent years. Here, we apply an established SCX-HPLC-MS method to characterize and compare two rituximab-based biotherapeutics, the originator MabThera® and its Indian copy product Reditux™. The study assessed molecular differences between the two drug products in terms of C-terminal lysine variants, glycosylation patterns, and other basic and acidic variants. Overall, MabThera® and Reditux™ displayed differences at the molecular level. MabThera® showed a higher degree of galactosylated and sialylated glycoforms, while Reditux™ showed increased levels of oligomannose and afucosylated glycoforms. Moreover, the two drug products showed differences in terms of basic variants such as C-terminal lysine and N-terminal truncation, present in Reditux™ but not in MabThera®. This study demonstrates the capability of this fast SCX-HPLC-MS approach to compare different drug products and simultaneously assess some of their quality attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiammetta Di Marco
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (F.D.M.); (T.B.); (W.E.-S.); (C.R.)
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Thomas Berger
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (F.D.M.); (T.B.); (W.E.-S.); (C.R.)
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Esser-Skala
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (F.D.M.); (T.B.); (W.E.-S.); (C.R.)
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Biosciences, Computational Systems Biology Group, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Erdmann Rapp
- glyXera GmbH, Brenneckestraße 20—ZENIT, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany;
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Sandtorstraße 1, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christof Regl
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (F.D.M.); (T.B.); (W.E.-S.); (C.R.)
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christian G. Huber
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (F.D.M.); (T.B.); (W.E.-S.); (C.R.)
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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19
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Verscheure L, Cerdobbel A, Sandra P, Lynen F, Sandra K. Monoclonal antibody charge variant characterization by fully automated four-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1653:462409. [PMID: 34325295 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Fully automated characterization of monoclonal antibody (mAb) charge variants using four-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (4D-LC-MS) is reported and illustrated. Charge variants resolved by cation-exchange chromatography (CEX) using a salt- or pH-gradient are collected in loops installed on a multiple heart-cutting valve and consequently subjected to online desalting, denaturation, reduction and trypsin digestion prior to LC-MS based peptide mapping. This innovation which substantially reduces turnaround time, sample manipulation, loss and artefacts and increases information gathering, is described in great technical detail, and applied to characterize the charge heterogeneity associated with three therapeutic mAbs. Sequence coverages > 95% are obtained for major and minor charge variants (> 1.0%). Post-translational modifications (PTMs) and modification sites are readily revealed in a repeatable manner including unstable succinimide intermediates which are not maintained when performing classical in-solution overnight digestion of offline collected CEX peaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liesa Verscheure
- RIC group, President Kennedypark 26, Kortrijk 8500, Belgium; Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S4, Ghent B-9000, Belgium
| | - An Cerdobbel
- RIC group, President Kennedypark 26, Kortrijk 8500, Belgium
| | - Pat Sandra
- RIC group, President Kennedypark 26, Kortrijk 8500, Belgium; Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S4, Ghent B-9000, Belgium
| | - Frederic Lynen
- Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S4, Ghent B-9000, Belgium
| | - Koen Sandra
- RIC group, President Kennedypark 26, Kortrijk 8500, Belgium; Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S4, Ghent B-9000, Belgium.
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20
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Füssl F, Strasser L, Cari S, Bones J. Native LC-MS for capturing quality attributes of biopharmaceuticals on the intact protein level. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 71:32-40. [PMID: 34157600 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Intact protein analysis by means of mass spectrometry has become a well-established method for the characterization of biotherapeutics. However, due to the highly complex nature of recombinant proteins, prior chromatographic separation is inevitable for a comprehensive analysis. In recent years, progress in coupling a variety of liquid chromatography-based native separation modes such as size exclusion, ion exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatography to mass spectrometry (native LC-MS) has been reported, therefore allowing for rapid assessment of molecular mass and deep characterization of the heterogeneity of complex, recombinantly produced therapeutic proteins. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the development and application of native LC-MS for biopharmaceutical characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Füssl
- NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland
| | - Lisa Strasser
- NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland
| | - Sara Cari
- NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland
| | - Jonathan Bones
- NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland; School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
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21
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Verscheure L, Oosterlynck M, Cerdobbel A, Sandra P, Lynen F, Sandra K. Middle-up characterization of monoclonal antibodies by online reduction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 2020; 1637:461808. [PMID: 33385741 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2020.461808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This study describes the fully automated middle-up characterization of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and next-generation variants by online reduction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Proteins were trapped on-column and subjected to online desalting, denaturation and reduction prior to reversed phase elution of the created subunits in the MS. The evaluation of more than 20 different therapeutic proteins including full length mAbs (subclasses IgG1, IgG2 and IgG4), bispecific antibodies, antibody fragments, fusion proteins and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) revealed that the online reduction method is as powerful as the widely applied offline sample preparation with dithiothreitol (DTT) as reducing agent and guanidine hydrochloride (Gnd.HCl) as denaturant and tackles some major disadvantages associated with the latter method, i.e. corrosion of stainless steel components, adduct formation impacting spectral quality and sample stability. The value of the online reduction LC-MS method is also enforced by its ability to reveal unstable antibody variants such as succinimide intermediates of asparagine deamidation and aspartic acid isomerization which are often lost when using the offline sample preparation method. The performance of the online reduction LC-MS set-up was verified and it was revealed that the method is precise with RSD values below 0.25% and 3.0% for retention time and area, respectively. Carry-over is within acceptable limits (< 0.5%) and the reducing buffer is stable up to 24 hours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liesa Verscheure
- Research Institute for Chromatography (RIC), President Kennedypark 26, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marie Oosterlynck
- Chemistry Department, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, bus 2404, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - An Cerdobbel
- Research Institute for Chromatography (RIC), President Kennedypark 26, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Pat Sandra
- Research Institute for Chromatography (RIC), President Kennedypark 26, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frederic Lynen
- Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Sandra
- Research Institute for Chromatography (RIC), President Kennedypark 26, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium; Separation Science Group, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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22
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Yan Y, Xing T, Wang S, Li N. Versatile, Sensitive, and Robust Native LC-MS Platform for Intact Mass Analysis of Protein Drugs. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2020; 31:2171-2179. [PMID: 32865416 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.0c00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Over the past several years, hyphenation of native (nondenaturing) liquid chromatography (nLC) methods, such as size exclusion chromatography (SEC), ion exchange chromatography (IEX), and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) with mass spectrometry (MS) have become increasingly popular to study the size, charge, and structural heterogeneity of protein drug products. Despite the availability of a wide variety of nLC-MS methods, an integrated platform that can accommodate different applications is still lacking. In this study, we described the development of a versatile, sensitive, and robust nLC-MS platform that can support various nLC-MS applications. In particular, the developed platform can tolerate a wide range of LC flow rates and high salt concentrations, which are critical for accommodating different nLC methods. In addition, a dopant-modified desolvation gas can be readily applied on this platform to achieve online charge-reduction native MS, which improves the characterization of both heterogeneous and labile biomolecules. Finally, we demonstrated that this nLC-MS platform is highly sensitive and robust and can be routinely applied in protein drug characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuetian Yan
- Analytical Chemistry Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Tao Xing
- Analytical Chemistry Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Shunhai Wang
- Analytical Chemistry Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
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