1
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Sripada SA, Hosseini M, Ramesh S, Wang J, Ritola K, Menegatti S, Daniele MA. Advances and opportunities in process analytical technologies for viral vector manufacturing. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 74:108391. [PMID: 38848795 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108391] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Viral vectors are an emerging, exciting class of biologics whose application in vaccines, oncology, and gene therapy has grown exponentially in recent years. Following first regulatory approval, this class of therapeutics has been vigorously pursued to treat monogenic disorders including orphan diseases, entering hundreds of new products into pipelines. Viral vector manufacturing supporting clinical efforts has spurred the introduction of a broad swath of analytical techniques dedicated to assessing the diverse and evolving panel of Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) of these products. Herein, we provide an overview of the current state of analytics enabling measurement of CQAs such as capsid and vector identities, product titer, transduction efficiency, impurity clearance etc. We highlight orthogonal methods and discuss the advantages and limitations of these techniques while evaluating their adaptation as process analytical technologies. Finally, we identify gaps and propose opportunities in enabling existing technologies for real-time monitoring from hardware, software, and data analysis viewpoints for technology development within viral vector biomanufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sobhana A Sripada
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Mahshid Hosseini
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Srivatsan Ramesh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Junhyeong Wang
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Kimberly Ritola
- North Carolina Viral Vector Initiative in Research and Learning (NC-VVIRAL), North Carolina State University, 890 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Neuroscience Center, Brain Initiative Neurotools Vector Core, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA; North Carolina Viral Vector Initiative in Research and Learning (NC-VVIRAL), North Carolina State University, 890 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center, North Carolina State University, 890 Main Campus Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Michael A Daniele
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; North Carolina Viral Vector Initiative in Research and Learning (NC-VVIRAL), North Carolina State University, 890 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, 890 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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2
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Zhao H, Sousa AA, Schuck P. Flotation Coefficient Distributions of Lipid Nanoparticles by Sedimentation Velocity Analytical Ultracentrifugation. ACS NANO 2024; 18:18663-18672. [PMID: 38967176 PMCID: PMC11256894 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c05322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
The robust characterization of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) encapsulating therapeutics or vaccines is an important and multifaceted translational problem. Sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation (SV-AUC) has proven to be a powerful approach in the characterization of size-distribution, interactions, and composition of various types of nanoparticles across a large size range, including metal nanoparticles (NPs), polymeric NPs, and also nucleic acid loaded viral capsids. Similar potential of SV-AUC can be expected for the characterization of LNPs, but is hindered by the flotation of LNPs being incompatible with common sedimentation analysis models. To address this gap, we developed a high-resolution, diffusion-deconvoluted sedimentation/flotation distribution analysis approach analogous to the most widely used sedimentation analysis model c(s). The approach takes advantage of independent measurements of the average particle size or diffusion coefficient, which can be conveniently determined, for example, by dynamic light scattering (DLS). We demonstrate the application to an experimental model of extruded liposomes as well as a commercial LNP product and discuss experimental potential and limitations of SV-AUC. The method is implemented analogously to the sedimentation models in the free, widely used SEDFIT software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaying Zhao
- Laboratory
of Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly, National Institute of Biomedical
Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Alioscka A. Sousa
- Department
of Biochemistry, Federal University of São
Paulo, São Paulo, SP 04044, Brazil
| | - Peter Schuck
- Laboratory
of Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly, National Institute of Biomedical
Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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3
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Suk Lee Y, Lee J, Fang K, Gee GV, Rogers B, McNally D, Yoon S. Separation of full, empty, and partial adeno-associated virus capsids via anion-exchange chromatography with continuous recycling and accumulation. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2024; 1242:124206. [PMID: 38908134 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2024.124206] [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: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
The field of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) gene therapy has attracted increasing attention over decades. Within the ongoing challenges of rAAV manufacturing, the co-production of impurities, such as empty and partial capsids containing no or truncated transgenes, poses a significant challenge. Due to their potential impact on drug efficacy and clinical safety, it is imperative to conduct comprehensive monitoring and characterization of these impurities prior to the release of the final gene therapy product. Nevertheless, existing analytical techniques encounter notable limitations, encompassing low throughput, long turnaround times, high sample consumption, and/or complicated data analysis. Chromatography-based analytical methods are recognized for their current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) alignment, high repeatability, reproducibility, low limit of detection, and rapid turnaround times. Despite these advantages, current anion exchange high pressure liquid chromatography (AEX-HPLC) methods struggle with baseline separation of partial capsids from full and empty capsids, resulting in inaccurate full-to-empty capsid ratio, as partial capsids are obscured within peaks corresponding to empty and full capsids. In this study, we present a unique analytical AEX method designed to characterize not only empty and full capsids but also partial capsids. This method utilizes continuous N-Rich chromatography with recycling between two identical AEX columns for the accumulation and isolation of partial capsids. The development process is comprehensively discussed, covering the preparation of reference materials representing full (rAAV-LacZ), partial (rAAV-GFP), and empty (rAAV-empty) capsids, N-rich method development, fraction analysis, determination of fluorescence response factors between capsid variants, and validation through comparison with other comparative techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Suk Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Jaeweon Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Kun Fang
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Mattapan, MA 02126, USA
| | - Gretchen V Gee
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Mattapan, MA 02126, USA
| | - Benjamin Rogers
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Mattapan, MA 02126, USA
| | - David McNally
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Mattapan, MA 02126, USA
| | - Seongkyu Yoon
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA.
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4
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Cotham VC, Wang S, Li N. An Online Native Mass Spectrometry Approach for Fast, Sensitive, and Quantitative Assessment of Adeno-Associated Virus Capsid Content Ratios. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2024; 35:1567-1575. [PMID: 38888112 PMCID: PMC11228988 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.4c00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) have emerged as a leading platform for in vivo therapeutic gene delivery and offer tremendous potential in the treatment and prevention of human disease. The fast-paced development of this growing class of therapeutics, coupled with their intrinsic structural complexity, places a high demand on analytical methods capable of efficiently monitoring product quality to ensure safety and efficacy, as well as to support manufacturing and process optimization. Importantly, the presence and relative abundance of both empty and partially filled AAV capsid subpopulations are of principal concern, as these represent the most common product-related impurities in AAV manufacturing and have a direct impact on therapeutic potential. For this reason, the capsid content, or ratio of empty and partial capsids to those packaged with the full-length therapeutic genome, has been identified by regulatory agencies as a critical quality attribute (CQA) that must be carefully controlled to meet clinical specifications. Established analytical methods for the quantitation of capsid content ratios often suffer from long turnaround times, low throughput, and high sample demands that are not well-suited to the narrow timelines and limited sample availability typical of process development. In this study, we present an integrated online native mass spectrometry platform that aims to minimize sample handling and maximize throughput and robustness for rapid and sensitive quantitation of AAV capsid content ratios. The primary advantages of this platform for AAV analysis include the ability to perform online buffer exchange under low flow conditions to maintain sample stability with minimal sample dilution, as well as the ability to achieve online charge reduction via dopant-modified desolvation gas. By exploiting the latter, enhanced spectral resolution of signals arising from empty, partial, and full AAV capsids was accomplished in the m/z domain to facilitate improved spectral interpretation and quantitation that correlated well with the industry standard analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) method for capsid content ratio determination. The utility of this approach was further demonstrated in several applications, including the rapid and universal screening of different AAV serotypes, evaluation of capsid content for in-process samples, and the monitoring of capsid stability when subjected to thermal stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria C Cotham
- Analytical Chemistry Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, New York 10591, United States
| | - Shunhai Wang
- Analytical Chemistry Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, New York 10591, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, New York 10591, United States
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5
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Som M, Gikanga B, Kanapuram V, Yadav S. Drug product Formulation and Fill/Finish Manufacturing Process Considerations for AAV-Based Genomic Medicines. J Pharm Sci 2024; 113:1711-1725. [PMID: 38570073 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2024.03.024] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) have become the delivery medium of choice for a variety of genomic medicine applications i.e., gene therapy, gene editing/regulation, and ex-vivo cell therapy. AAVs are protein-DNA complexes which have unique stability characteristics that are susceptible to various stress exposure conditions commonly seen in the drug product (DP) life cycle. This review takes a comprehensive look at AAV DP formulation and process development considerations that could impact critical quality attributes (CQAs) during manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and clinical use. Additional aspects related to AAV development reviewed herein are: (1) Different AAV serotypes with unique protein sequences and charge characteristics potentially leading to discrete stability profiles; (2) Manufacturing process challenges and optimization efforts to improve yield, recovery and purity especially during early development activities; and (3) Defining and identifying CQAs with analytical methods which are constantly evolving and present unique characterization challenges for AAV-based products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhura Som
- Sangamo Therapeutics, 7000 Marina Boulevard, Brisbane, CA 94005, United States.
| | - Benson Gikanga
- Sangamo Therapeutics, 7000 Marina Boulevard, Brisbane, CA 94005, United States
| | - Varna Kanapuram
- Sangamo Therapeutics, 7000 Marina Boulevard, Brisbane, CA 94005, United States
| | - Sandeep Yadav
- Sangamo Therapeutics, 7000 Marina Boulevard, Brisbane, CA 94005, United States.
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6
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Jarand C, Baker K, Petroff M, Jin M, Reed WF. DNA Released by Adeno-Associated Virus Strongly Alters Capsid Aggregation Kinetics in a Physiological Solution. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:2890-2901. [PMID: 38683736 PMCID: PMC11094734 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00027] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
While adeno-associated virus is a leading vector for gene therapy, significant gaps remain in understanding AAV degradation and stability. In this work, we study the degradation of an engineered AAV serotype at physiological pH and ionic strength. Viral particles of varying fractions of encapsulated DNA were incubated between 30 and 60 °C, with changes in molecular weight measured by changes in total light scattering intensity at 90° over time. Mostly full vectors demonstrated a rapid decrease in molecular weight corresponding to the release of capsid DNA, followed by slow aggregation. In contrast, empty vectors demonstrated immediate, rapid colloid-type aggregation. Mixtures of full and empty capsids showed a pronounced decrease in initial aggregation that cannot be explained by a linear superposition of empty and full degradation scattering signatures, indicating interactions between capsids and ejected DNA that influenced aggregation mechanisms. This demonstrates key interactions between AAV capsids and their cargo that influence capsid degradation, aggregation, and DNA release mechanisms in a physiological solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Curtis
W. Jarand
- Department
of Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Karen Baker
- Downstream
and Drug Product Process Development, Spark
Therapeutics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19143, United States
| | - Matthew Petroff
- Downstream
and Drug Product Process Development, Spark
Therapeutics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19143, United States
| | - Mi Jin
- Downstream
and Drug Product Process Development, Spark
Therapeutics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19143, United States
| | - Wayne F. Reed
- Department
of Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
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7
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Hetzler Z, Marinakos SM, Lott N, Mohammad N, Lass-Napiorkowska A, Kolbe J, Turrentine L, Fields D, Overton L, Marie H, Hucknall A, Rammo O, George H, Wei Q. Adeno-associated virus genome quantification with amplification-free CRISPR-Cas12a. Gene Ther 2024; 31:304-313. [PMID: 38528117 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-024-00449-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Efficient manufacturing of recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral (rAAV) vectors to meet rising clinical demand remains a major hurdle. One of the most significant challenges is the generation of large amounts of empty capsids without the therapeutic genome. There is no standardized analytical method to accurately quantify the viral genes, and subsequently the empty-to-full ratio, making the manufacturing challenges even more complex. We propose the use of CRISPR diagnostics (CRISPR-Dx) as a robust and rapid approach to determine AAV genome titers. We designed and developed the CRISPR-AAV Evaluation (CRAAVE) assay to maximize sensitivity, minimize time-to-result, and provide a potentially universal design for quantifying multiple transgene constructs encapsidated within different AAV serotypes. We also demonstrate an on-chip CRAAVE assay with lyophilized reagents to minimize end user assay input. The CRAAVE assay was able to detect AAV titers as low as 7e7 vg/mL with high precision (<3% error) in quantifying unknown AAV titers when compared with conventional quantitative PCR (qPCR) method. The assay only requires 30 min of assay time, shortening the analytical workflow drastically. Our results suggest CRISPR-Dx could be a promising tool for efficient rAAV genome titer quantification and has the potential to revolutionize biomanufacturing process analytical technology (PAT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zach Hetzler
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | | | - Noah Lott
- Biomanufacturing, Training, and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Noor Mohammad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | | | - Jenna Kolbe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Lauren Turrentine
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Delaney Fields
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Laurie Overton
- Biomanufacturing, Training, and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Qingshan Wei
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA.
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8
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Hori M, Steinauer A, Tetter S, Hälg J, Manz EM, Hilvert D. Stimulus-responsive assembly of nonviral nucleocapsids. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3576. [PMID: 38678040 PMCID: PMC11055949 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47808-1] [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: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Controlled assembly of a protein shell around a viral genome is a key step in the life cycle of many viruses. Here we report a strategy for regulating the co-assembly of nonviral proteins and nucleic acids into highly ordered nucleocapsids in vitro. By fusing maltose binding protein to the subunits of NC-4, an engineered protein cage that encapsulates its own encoding mRNA, we successfully blocked spontaneous capsid assembly, allowing isolation of the individual monomers in soluble form. To initiate RNA-templated nucleocapsid formation, the steric block can be simply removed by selective proteolysis. Analyses by transmission and cryo-electron microscopy confirmed that the resulting assemblies are structurally identical to their RNA-containing counterparts produced in vivo. Enzymatically triggered cage formation broadens the range of RNA molecules that can be encapsulated by NC-4, provides unique opportunities to study the co-assembly of capsid and cargo, and could be useful for studying other nonviral and viral assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mao Hori
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Angela Steinauer
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), SB ISIC LIBN, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Tetter
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jamiro Hälg
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Eva-Maria Manz
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Donald Hilvert
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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9
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Yuan Y, Higashiyama K, Hashiba N, Masumi-Koizumi K, Yusa K, Uchida K. Concise Analysis of Single-Stranded DNA of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus By Automated Electrophoresis System. Hum Gene Ther 2024; 35:104-113. [PMID: 38062752 PMCID: PMC10890949 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.148] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) is a prominent viral vector currently available for human gene therapy. The diameter of the rAAV capsid is ∼25 nm, and a positive or negative single-stranded DNA is packaged within the vector capsid. In this report, we describe a concise method to examine the extracted rAAV genome using an automated electrophoresis system. The rAAV genome, prepared from vector particles through either heat treatment at 95°C for 10 min or the phenol-chloroform extraction method, was analyzed using an automated electrophoresis system under denaturation conditions. The heat treatment protocol demonstrated a comparable yield with the phenol-chloroform extraction protocol, and the quantified amounts of the rAAV genome obtained using the automated electrophoresis system were consistent with those quantitated by quantitative PCR. Additionally, crude rAAV extractions could also be analyzed by the automated electrophoresis system after DNase I treatment. These results indicated that this simple and quick analysis using automated electrophoresis is highly useful for confirming the purity and integrity of the rAAV genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhe Yuan
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kiyoko Higashiyama
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Noriko Hashiba
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kyoko Masumi-Koizumi
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Keisuke Yusa
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Uchida
- Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
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10
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Coll De Peña A, White JD, Mehta DR, Ben Frej M, Tripathi A. Microfluidic AAV Purity Characterization: New Insights into Serotype and Sample Treatment Variability. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:4027-4036. [PMID: 38284067 PMCID: PMC10809679 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Despite recent advances in nucleic acid delivery systems with the success of LNP vehicles, adeno-associated virus (AAV) remains the leading platform for targeted gene delivery due to its low immunogenicity to humans, high transduction efficiency, and range of serotypes with varying tropisms. Depending on the therapeutic goals and serotype used, different production conditions may be more amenable, generating an ever-growing need for rapid yet robust analytical techniques to support the high-quality manufacturing of AAV. A critical bottleneck exists for assessing full capsids where rapid, high-throughput techniques capable of analyzing a range of serotypes are needed. Here, we present a rapid, high-throughput analytical technique, microfluidic electrophoresis, for the assessment of full capsids compatible with AAV1, AAV2, AAV6, AAV8, and AAV9 without the need for assay modifications or optimizations, and AAV5 with some constraints. The method presented in this study uses a mathematical formulation we developed previously with a reference standard to combine the independently obtained capsid protein and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) profiles to estimate the percentage of full capsids in a sample of unknown concentration. We assessed the ability to use a single serotype (AAV8) as the reference standard regardless of the serotype of the sample being analyzed so long as the melting temperature (Tm) of the capsids is within 12 °C from the Tm of AAV8. Using this method, we are able to characterize samples ±6.1% with an average analytical turnaround time of <5 min/sample, using only 10 μL/sample at a concentration of 2.5 × 1012 VG/mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Coll De Peña
- Center
for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - James D. White
- Applied
Genomics, Revvity, Hopkinton, Massachusetts 01748, United States
| | - Dipti R. Mehta
- Applied
Genomics, Revvity, Hopkinton, Massachusetts 01748, United States
| | - Menel Ben Frej
- Applied
Genomics, Revvity, Hopkinton, Massachusetts 01748, United States
| | - Anubhav Tripathi
- Center
for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
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11
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Wagner C, Fuchsberger FF, Innthaler B, Pachlinger R, Schrenk I, Lemmerer M, Birner-Gruenberger R. Automated Mass Photometry of Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors from Crude Cell Extracts. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:838. [PMID: 38255912 PMCID: PMC10815086 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020838] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Mass photometry (MP) is a fast and simple analysis method for the determination of the proportions of subpopulations in an AAV sample. It is label-free and requires minimal sample volumes between 5-10 µL, which makes it a promising candidate over orthogonal techniques such as analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), cryo-transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) or charge-detection mass spectrometry (CDMS). However, these methods are limited in their application to purified samples only. Here we developed a purification step based on single-domain monospecific antibody fragments immobilised on either a poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) resin or on magnetic beads prior to MP analysis that allows the quantification of empty, partially filled, full and overfull AAV vectors in crude cell extracts. This is aimed at identifying potentially promising harvest conditions that yield large numbers of filled AAV vectors during the early stages of the viral vector development platform, e.g., the type of transfection reagent used. Furthermore, we provide a direct comparison of the automated and manual handling of the mass photometer with respect to the quantities of AAV subspecies, molar mass of the capsid and payload, and highlight the differences between the "buffer-free" sample measurement and the "buffer-dilution" mode. In addition, we provide information on which candidates to use for calibration and demonstrate the limitations of the mass photometer with respect to the estimation of the capsid titer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Wagner
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Baxalta Innovations (Part of Takeda), 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix F. Fuchsberger
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Baxalta Innovations (Part of Takeda), 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Innthaler
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Baxalta Innovations (Part of Takeda), 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Pachlinger
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Baxalta Innovations (Part of Takeda), 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Irene Schrenk
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Baxalta Innovations (Part of Takeda), 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Lemmerer
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Baxalta Innovations (Part of Takeda), 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Birner-Gruenberger
- Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Technical University of Vienna, 1040 Vienna, Austria
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12
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Chen DP, Wei JY, Warren JC, Huang C. Tuning mobile phase properties to improve empty and full particle separation in adeno-associated virus productions by anion exchange chromatography. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300063. [PMID: 37997557 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300063] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade, recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) has gained increased attention as a prominent gene therapy technology to treat monogenetic diseases. One of the challenges in rAAV production is the enrichment of full rAAV particles containing the gene of interest (GOI) payload. By adjusting the mobile phase properties of anion-exchange chromatography (AEX), it was demonstrated that empty and full separation of rAAV was improved in monolith based preparative AEX chromatography. When compared to the baseline method using NaCl, the use of tetraethylammonium acetate (TEA-Ac) in the AEX mobile phase resulted in enhanced resolution from 0.75 to 1.23 between "Empty" and "Full" peaks by salt linear gradient elution, as well as increased the percentage of full rAAV particles from 20% to 36% and genome recovery from 59% to 62%. Furthermore, a dual wash plus step elution AEX method was developed. Wherein, the first wash step harnesses TEA-Ac to separate empty and full capsids, which is followed by a second wash step that ensures no TEA-Ac salt is carried over into AEX eluate. The resulting optimized AEX purification method has the potential to be adapted for manufacturing and purification processes involving various rAAV production platforms that experience empty and full rAAV separation challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis P Chen
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Julie Y Wei
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James C Warren
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chao Huang
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
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13
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Di W, Koczera K, Zhang P, Chen DP, Warren JC, Huang C. Improved adeno-associated virus empty and full capsid separation using weak partitioning multi-column AEX chromatography. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300245. [PMID: 38013662 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300245] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) empty and full capsid separation has been a topic of interest in the rAAV gene therapy community for many years and the anion exchange chromatography (AEX) step has undergone various process optimizations to improve rAAV empty capsid separation, including AEX stationary phase, mobile phase, and process parameters. Here, we present a new AEX method that employs both weak partitioning chromatography (WPC) and multi-column chromatography (MCC) to achieve improved full rAAV percentage in the AEX pool. The WPC technology allows empty rAAV to be displaced by full rAAV during loading, while the MCC technology enables parallel column processing which further increases AEX step productivity. Our results show that, compared to baseline AEX batch chromatography, the AEX-WPC-MCC method demonstrated improvements in both AEX pool full rAAV percentage (∼ 20% increase) and rAAV genome recovery (∼ 20% increase). As a result, the productivity (full capsid generated per liter of AEX column per hour of processing time) of the AEX step increased by ∼34-fold from the baseline AEX batch run to the AEX-WPC-MCC run. It is foreseeable that this AEX-WPC-MCC method could find applications in large-scale rAAV manufacturing processes to improve AEX yield and reduce the cost of goods of rAAV manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Di
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kyle Koczera
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peilun Zhang
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dennis P Chen
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James C Warren
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chao Huang
- Pharmaceutical Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
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14
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Fu Q, Lee YS, Green EA, Wang Y, Park SY, Polanco A, Lee KH, Betenbaugh M, McNally D, Yoon S. Design space determination to optimize DNA complexation and full capsid formation in transient rAAV manufacturing. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:3148-3162. [PMID: 37475681 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are a promising platform for in vivo gene therapies. However, cost-effective, well-characterized processes necessary to manufacture rAAV therapeutics are challenging to develop without an understanding of how process parameters (PPs) affect rAAV product quality attributes (PQAs). In this work, a central composite orthogonal experimental design was employed to examine the influence of four PPs for transient transfection complex formation (polyethylenimine:DNA [PEI:DNA] ratio, total DNA/cell, cocktail volume, and incubation time) on three rAAV PQAs related to capsid content (vector genome titer, vector genome:capsid particle ratio, and two-dimensional vector genome titer ratio). A regression model was established for each PQA using partial least squares, and a design space (DS) was defined in which Monte Carlo simulations predicted < 1% probability of failure (POF) to meet predetermined PQA specifications. Of the three PQAs, viral genome titer was most strongly correlated with changes in complexation PPs. The DS and acceptable PP ranges were largest when incubation time and cocktail volume were kept at mid-high setpoints, and PEI:DNA ratio and total DNA/cell were at low-mid setpoints. Verification experiments confirmed model predictive capability, and this work establishes a framework for studying other rAAV PPs and their relationship to PQAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Fu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yong Suk Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erica A Green
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Yongdan Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - So Young Park
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ashli Polanco
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kelvin H Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Michael Betenbaugh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - David McNally
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Mattapan, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Seongkyu Yoon
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
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15
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Kilgore R, Minzoni A, Shastry S, Smith W, Barbieri E, Wu Y, LeBarre JP, Chu W, O'Brien J, Menegatti S. The downstream bioprocess toolbox for therapeutic viral vectors. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1709:464337. [PMID: 37722177 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464337] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Viral vectors are poised to acquire a prominent position in modern medicine and biotechnology owing to their role as delivery agents for gene therapies, oncolytic agents, vaccine platforms, and a gateway to engineer cell therapies as well as plants and animals for sustainable agriculture. The success of viral vectors will critically depend on the availability of flexible and affordable biomanufacturing strategies that can meet the growing demand by clinics and biotech companies worldwide. In this context, a key role will be played by downstream process technology: while initially adapted from protein purification media, the purification toolbox for viral vectors is currently undergoing a rapid expansion to fit the unique biomolecular characteristics of these products. Innovation efforts are articulated on two fronts, namely (i) the discovery of affinity ligands that target adeno-associated virus, lentivirus, adenovirus, etc.; (ii) the development of adsorbents with innovative morphologies, such as membranes and 3D printed monoliths, that fit the size of viral vectors. Complementing these efforts are the design of novel process layouts that capitalize on novel ligands and adsorbents to ensure high yield and purity of the product while safeguarding its therapeutic efficacy and safety; and a growing panel of analytical methods that monitor the complex array of critical quality attributes of viral vectors and correlate them to the purification strategies. To help explore this complex and evolving environment, this study presents a comprehensive overview of the downstream bioprocess toolbox for viral vectors established in the last decade, and discusses present efforts and future directions contributing to the success of this promising class of biological medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Kilgore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States.
| | - Arianna Minzoni
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Shriarjun Shastry
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States; Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Will Smith
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Eduardo Barbieri
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Yuxuan Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Jacob P LeBarre
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Wenning Chu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Juliana O'Brien
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States; Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States; North Carolina Viral Vector Initiative in Research and Learning, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
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16
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Lavoie RA, Zugates JT, Cheeseman AT, Teten MA, Ramesh S, Freeman JM, Swango S, Fitzpatrick J, Joshi A, Hollers B, Debebe Z, Lindgren TK, Kozak AN, Kondeti VK, Bright MK, Yearley EJ, Tracy A, Irwin JA, Guerrero M. Enrichment of adeno-associated virus serotype 5 full capsids by anion exchange chromatography with dual salt elution gradients. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:2953-2968. [PMID: 37256741 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28453] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus-based gene therapies have demonstrated substantial therapeutic benefit for the treatment of genetic disorders. In manufacturing processes, viral capsids are produced with and without the encapsidated gene of interest. Capsids devoid of the gene of interest, or "empty" capsids, represent a product-related impurity. As a result, a robust and scalable method to enrich full capsids is crucial to provide patients with as much potentially active product as possible. Anion exchange chromatography has emerged as a highly utilized method for full capsid enrichment across many serotypes due to its ease of use, robustness, and scalability. However, achieving sufficient resolution between the full and empty capsids is not trivial. In this work, anion exchange chromatography was used to achieve empty and full capsid resolution for adeno-associated virus serotype 5. A salt gradient screen of multiple salts with varied valency and Hofmeister series properties was performed to determine optimal peak resolution and aggregate reduction. Dual salt effects were evaluated on the same product and process attributes to identify any synergies with the use of mixed ion gradients. The modified process provided as high as ≥75% AAV5 full capsids (≥3-fold enrichment based on the percent full in the feed stream) with near baseline separation of empty capsids and achieved an overall vector genome step yield of >65%.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Matt A Teten
- BridgeBio Gene Therapy LLC, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Summer Swango
- BridgeBio Gene Therapy LLC, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Amod Joshi
- BridgeBio Gene Therapy LLC, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | | | - Amber N Kozak
- BridgeBio Gene Therapy LLC, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Mary K Bright
- BridgeBio Gene Therapy LLC, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric J Yearley
- BridgeBio Gene Therapy LLC, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Jacob A Irwin
- BridgeBio Gene Therapy LLC, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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17
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Kumar P, Wang M, Kumru OS, Hickey JM, Sanmiguel J, Zabaleta N, Vandenberghe LH, Joshi SB, Volkin DB. Correlating physicochemical and biological properties to define critical quality attributes of a rAAV vaccine candidate. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 30:103-121. [PMID: 37746246 PMCID: PMC10512015 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) are a preferred vector system in clinical gene transfer. A fundamental challenge to formulate and deliver rAAVs as stable and efficacious vaccines is to elucidate interrelationships between the vector's physicochemical properties and biological potency. To this end, we evaluated an rAAV-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine candidate that encodes the Spike antigen (AC3) and is produced by a commercially viable process. First, state-of-the-art analytical techniques were employed to determine key structural attributes of AC3, including primary and higher-order structures, particle size, empty/full capsid ratios, aggregates, and multi-step thermal degradation pathway analysis. Next, several quantitative potency measures for AC3 were implemented, and data were correlated with the physicochemical analyses on thermally stressed and control samples. Results demonstrate links between decreasing AC3 physical stability profiles, in vitro transduction efficiency in a cell-based assay, and, importantly, in vivo immunogenicity in a mouse model. These findings are discussed in the general context of future development of rAAV-based vaccine candidates as well as specifically for the rAAV vaccine application under study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Michael Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Ozan S. Kumru
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - John M. Hickey
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Julio Sanmiguel
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Nerea Zabaleta
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Luk H. Vandenberghe
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sangeeta B. Joshi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - David B. Volkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
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18
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Fu Q, Polanco A, Lee YS, Yoon S. Critical challenges and advances in recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) biomanufacturing. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:2601-2621. [PMID: 37126355 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy is a promising therapeutic approach for genetic and acquired diseases nowadays. Among DNA delivery vectors, recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) is one of the most effective and safest vectors used in commercial drugs and clinical trials. However, the current yield of rAAV biomanufacturing lags behind the necessary dosages for clinical and commercial use, which embodies a concentrated reflection of low productivity of rAAV from host cells, difficult scalability of the rAAV-producing bioprocess, and high levels of impurities materialized during production. Those issues directly impact the price of gene therapy medicine in the market, limiting most patients' access to gene therapy. In this context, the current practices and several critical challenges associated with rAAV gene therapy bioprocesses are reviewed, followed by a discussion of recent advances in rAAV-mediated gene therapy and other therapeutic biological fields that could improve biomanufacturing if these advances are integrated effectively into the current systems. This review aims to provide the current state-of-the-art technology and perspectives to enhance the productivity of rAAV while reducing impurities during production of rAAV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Fu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, The University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ashli Polanco
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yong Suk Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Seongkyu Yoon
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
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19
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Henrickson A, Ding X, Seal AG, Qu Z, Tomlinson L, Forsey J, Gradinaru V, Oka K, Demeler B. Characterization and quantification of adeno-associated virus capsid-loading states by multi-wavelength analytical ultracentrifugation with UltraScan. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2023; 18:1519-1534. [PMID: 37877696 PMCID: PMC10652292 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2023-0156] [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: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: We present multi-wavelength (MW) analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) methods offering superior accuracy for adeno-associated virus characterization and quantification. Methods: Experimental design guidelines are presented for MW sedimentation velocity and analytical buoyant density equilibrium AUC. Results: Our results were compared with dual-wavelength AUC, transmission electron microscopy and mass photometry. In contrast to dual-wavelength AUC, MW-AUC correctly quantifies adeno-associated virus capsid ratios and identifies contaminants. In contrast to transmission electron microscopy, partially filled capsids can also be detected and quantified. In contrast to mass photometry, first-principle results are obtained. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the improved information provided by MW-AUC, highlighting the utility of several recently integrated UltraScan programs, and reinforces AUC as the gold-standard analysis for viral vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Henrickson
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Xiaozhe Ding
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Austin G Seal
- Gene Vector Core, Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhe Qu
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - John Forsey
- Pharmaron Biologics Ltd, Speke, Liverpool, L24 8RB, UK
| | - Viviana Gradinaru
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kazuhiro Oka
- Gene Vector Core, Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, TX 77030, USA
| | - Borries Demeler
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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20
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Wagner C, Fuchsberger FF, Innthaler B, Lemmerer M, Birner-Gruenberger R. Quantification of Empty, Partially Filled and Full Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors Using Mass Photometry. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11033. [PMID: 37446211 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are one of the most commonly used vehicles in gene therapies for the treatment of rare diseases. During the AAV manufacturing process, particles with little or no genetic material are co-produced alongside the desired AAV capsid containing the transgene of interest. Because of the potential adverse health effects of these byproducts, they are considered impurities and need to be monitored carefully. To date, analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and charge-detection mass spectrometry (CDMS) are used to quantify these subspecies. However, they are associated with long turnaround times, low sample throughput and complex data analysis. Mass photometry (MP) is a fast and label-free orthogonal technique which is applicable to multiple serotypes without the adaption of method parameters. Furthermore, it can be operated with capsid titers as low as 8 × 1010 cp mL-1 with a CV < 5% using just 10 µL total sample volume. Here we demonstrate that mass photometry can be used as an orthogonal method to AUC to accurately quantify the proportions of empty, partially filled, full and overfull particles in AAV samples, especially in cases where ion-exchange chromatography yields no separation of the populations. In addition, it can be used to confirm the molar mass of the packaged genomic material in filled AAV particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Wagner
- Analytical Development Europe, Takeda Vienna, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix F Fuchsberger
- Gene Therapy Process Development Europe, Takeda Orth an der Donau, 2304 Orth an der Donau, Austria
| | - Bernd Innthaler
- Gene Therapy Process Development Europe, Takeda Orth an der Donau, 2304 Orth an der Donau, Austria
| | - Martin Lemmerer
- Analytical Development Europe, Takeda Vienna, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Birner-Gruenberger
- Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Technische Universität Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria
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21
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Saleun S, Mas C, Le Roy A, Penaud-Budloo M, Adjali O, Blouin V, Ebel C. Analytical ultracentrifugation sedimentation velocity for the characterization of recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors sub-populations. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2023; 52:367-377. [PMID: 37106255 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-023-01650-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus virus-derived vectors (rAAVs) are among the most used viral delivery system for in vivo gene therapies with a good safety profile. However, rAAV production methods often lead to a heterogeneous vector population, in particular with the presence of undesired empty particles. Analytical ultracentrifugation sedimentation velocity (AUC-SV) is considered as the gold analytical technique allowing the measurement of relative amounts of each vector subpopulation and components like particle aggregates, based on their sedimentation coefficients. This letter presents the principle and practice of AUC experiments for rAAVs characterization. We discuss our results in the framework of previously published works. In addition to classical detection at 260 nm, using interference optics in the ultracentrifuge can provide an independent estimate of weight percentages of the different populations of capsids, and of the genome size incorporated in rAAV particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Saleun
- TaRGet - Translational Research in Gene Therapy, INSERM UMR 1089, CHU Nantes, IRS 2 Nantes Biotech - Nantes Université, 22 Boulevard Benoni Goullin, 44200, Nantes, France
| | - Caroline Mas
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, EMBL, ISBG, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Aline Le Roy
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Magalie Penaud-Budloo
- TaRGet - Translational Research in Gene Therapy, INSERM UMR 1089, CHU Nantes, IRS 2 Nantes Biotech - Nantes Université, 22 Boulevard Benoni Goullin, 44200, Nantes, France
| | - Oumeya Adjali
- TaRGet - Translational Research in Gene Therapy, INSERM UMR 1089, CHU Nantes, IRS 2 Nantes Biotech - Nantes Université, 22 Boulevard Benoni Goullin, 44200, Nantes, France
| | - Véronique Blouin
- TaRGet - Translational Research in Gene Therapy, INSERM UMR 1089, CHU Nantes, IRS 2 Nantes Biotech - Nantes Université, 22 Boulevard Benoni Goullin, 44200, Nantes, France.
| | - Christine Ebel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, 38000, Grenoble, France.
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22
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Bepperling A, Best J. Comparison of three AUC techniques for the determination of the loading status and capsid titer of AAVs. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2023; 52:401-413. [PMID: 37245172 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-023-01661-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Due to the rise of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) as gene therapy delivery vectors, boundary sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation (boundary SV-AUC) has been developed into a widely used quality control assay even for release analytics. It can be considered as the "gold standard" for the determination of the loading status of empty, partially filled, and full capsids especially when conducted in multiwavelength (MWL) mode. It can be considered to provide the most accurate determination of the loading status, and it also provides information on the capsid titer, aggregates, and potential contaminants such as free DNA. MWL boundary SV-AUC can be regarded as a multi-attribute (MAM) method for the characterization of AAVs. One major drawback of the method is the high sample consumption both in terms of concentration and volume. Here, we compare two alternative AUC techniques, band SV-AUC and analytical CsCl density gradient sedimentation equilibrium AUC (CsCl SE-AUC) with the boundary SV-AUC and the MWL-SV-AUC experiment. Our data show a high consistency of the determined full/empty ratios between these techniques if the appropriate wavelengths and extinction coefficients are used.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janine Best
- Novartis TRD, Keltenring 1+3, 82041, Oberhaching, Germany
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23
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Yarawsky AE, Zai-Rose V, Cunningham HM, Burgner JW, DeLion MT, Paul LN. AAV analysis by sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation: beyond empty and full capsids. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2023; 52:353-366. [PMID: 37037926 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-023-01646-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
The recent surge of therapeutic interest in recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors for targeted DNA delivery has brought analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) into the spotlight. A major concern during formulation of AAV therapeutics is purity of the active species (DNA-containing capsid, or "filled capsids"). Insertion of DNA into AAV is not a highly efficient process; thus, a significant amount of empty and partial/intermediate AAV molecules may exist. Recent guidance from the FDA includes limiting the presence of empty AAV capsids and other impurities to reduce immunotoxicity. While chromatographic techniques (SEC, SEC-MALS, AEX) are often used for empty and full capsid quantitation due to the ease of accessibility and familiarity among most biochemists, the resolution and sensitivity attained by sedimentation velocity (SV-AUC) in the formulation buffer and purification buffers is unmatched. Approaches for using SV-AUC to determine the empty-to-full capsid ratio have already been discussed by others; however, in this report, we focus on the importance of characterizing other impurities, such as free DNA, partially filled capsids, and aggregates that are recognized as species of concern for immunotoxicity. We also demonstrate the usefulness of applying multiple analyses (e.g., c(s), g(s*), WDA) in confirming the presence of and determining the hydrodynamic parameters of these various species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valeria Zai-Rose
- BioAnalysis, LLC, 3401 I Street Suite 206, Philadelphia, PA, 19134, USA
| | | | - John W Burgner
- BioAnalysis, LLC, 3401 I Street Suite 206, Philadelphia, PA, 19134, USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 East Leigh Street, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Michael T DeLion
- BioAnalysis, LLC, 3401 I Street Suite 206, Philadelphia, PA, 19134, USA
| | - Lake N Paul
- BioAnalysis, LLC, 3401 I Street Suite 206, Philadelphia, PA, 19134, USA.
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24
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Wawra S, Kessler S, Egel A, Solzin J, Burkert O, Hochdorfer D. Hydrodynamic characterization of a vesicular stomatitis virus-based oncolytic virus using analytical ultracentrifugation. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2023; 52:379-386. [PMID: 37133524 PMCID: PMC10444643 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-023-01649-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Determination of the size, density, and mass of viral particles can provide valuable information to support process and formulation studies in clinical development. Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), as a first principal method, has been shown to be a beneficial tool for the characterization of the non-enveloped adeno associated virus (AAV). Here, we demonstrate the suitability of AUC for the challenging characterization of a representative for enveloped viruses, which usually are expected to exhibit higher dispersity than non-enveloped viruses. Specifically, the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based oncolytic virus VSV-GP was used to evaluate potential occurrence of non-ideal sedimentation by testing different rotor speeds and loading concentrations. The partial specific volume was determined via density gradients and density contrast experiments. Additionally, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) was used to determine the hydrodynamic diameter of VSV-GP particles to calculate their molecular weight via the Svedberg equation. Overall, this study demonstrates the applicability of AUC and NTA for the characterization of size, density, and molar mass of an enveloped virus, namely VSV-GP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Wawra
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, Analytical Development Biologicals, Biberach, Germany.
| | - Sophia Kessler
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, Viral Therapeutics Center, Biberach, Germany
| | - Arina Egel
- Boehringer Ingelheim Therapeutics GmbH, Innovation Unit, Viral Therapeutics Center, Ochsenhausen, Germany
| | - Johannes Solzin
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, Viral Therapeutics Center, Biberach, Germany
| | - Oliver Burkert
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, Analytical Development Biologicals, Biberach, Germany
| | - Daniel Hochdorfer
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, Viral Therapeutics Center, Biberach, Germany
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25
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Zhou Y, Wang Y. Direct deamidation analysis of intact adeno-associated virus serotype 9 capsid proteins using reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Anal Biochem 2023; 668:115099. [PMID: 36871622 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115099] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors have taken center stage as gene delivery vehicles for gene therapy. Asparagine deamidation of AAV capsid proteins has been reported to reduce vector stability and potency of AAV gene therapy products. Deamidation of asparagine residue is a common post-translational modification of proteins that is detected and quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based peptide mapping. However, artificial deamidation can be spontaneously induced during sample preparation for peptide mapping prior to LC-MS analysis. We have developed an optimized sample preparation method to reduce and minimize deamidation artifacts induced during sample preparation for peptide mapping, which typically takes several hours to complete. To shorten turnaround time of deamidation results and to avoid artificial deamidation, we developed orthogonal RPLC-MS and RPLC-fluorescence detection methods for direct deamidation analysis at the intact AAV9 capsid protein level to routinely support downstream purification, formulation development, and stability testing. Similar trends of increasing deamidation of AAV9 capsid proteins in stability samples were observed at the intact protein level and peptide level, indicating that the developed direct deamidation analysis of intact AAV9 capsid proteins is comparable to the peptide mapping-based deamidation analysis and both methods are suitable for deamidation monitoring of AAV9 capsid proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- Analytical Development & Operation, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, 10210 Campus Point Drive, SanDiego, CA92121, USA.
| | - Yueju Wang
- Analytical Development & Operation, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, 10210 Campus Point Drive, SanDiego, CA92121, USA
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26
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Heldt CL, Areo O, Joshi PU, Mi X, Ivanova Y, Berrill A. Empty and Full AAV Capsid Charge and Hydrophobicity Differences Measured with Single-Particle AFM. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:5641-5648. [PMID: 37040364 PMCID: PMC10135413 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is showing promise as a therapy for diseases that contain a single-gene deletion or mutation. One major scale-up challenge is the removal of empty or non-gene of interest containing AAV capsids. Analytically, the empty capsids can be separated from full capsids using anion exchange chromatography. However, when scaled up to manufacturing, the minute changes in conductivity are difficult to consistently obtain. To better understand the differences in the empty and full AAV capsids, we have developed a single-particle atomic force microscopy (AFM) method to measure the differences in the charge and hydrophobicity of AAV capsids at the single-particle level. The atomic force microscope tip was functionalized with either a charged or a hydrophobic molecule, and the adhesion force between the functionalized atomic force microscope tip and the virus was measured. We measured a change in the charge and hydrophobicity between empty and full AAV2 and AAV8 capsids. The charge and hydrophobicity differences between AAV2 and AAV8 are related to the distribution of charge on the surface and not the total charge. We propose that the presence of nucleic acids inside the capsid causes minor but measurable changes in the capsid structure that lead to measurable surface changes in charge and hydrophobicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caryn L. Heldt
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
- Health
Research Institute, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United
States
| | - Oluwatoyin Areo
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
- Health
Research Institute, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United
States
| | - Pratik U. Joshi
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
- Health
Research Institute, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United
States
| | - Xue Mi
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
| | - Yulia Ivanova
- Gene
Therapy Process Development, Bioprocess Research and Development, Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer, Chesterfield, Missouri 63017, United States
| | - Alex Berrill
- Gene
Therapy Process Development, Bioprocess Research and Development, Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer, Chesterfield, Missouri 63017, United States
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27
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Florea M, Nicolaou F, Pacouret S, Zinn EM, Sanmiguel J, Andres-Mateos E, Unzu C, Wagers AJ, Vandenberghe LH. High-efficiency purification of divergent AAV serotypes using AAVX affinity chromatography. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 28:146-159. [PMID: 36654797 PMCID: PMC9823220 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) provides a safe and efficient gene therapy platform with several approved products that have marked therapeutic impact for patients. However, a major bottleneck in the development and commercialization of AAV remains the efficiency, cost, and scalability of AAV production. Chromatographic methods have the potential to allow purification at increased scales and lower cost but often require optimization specific to each serotype. Here, we demonstrate that the POROS CaptureSelect AAVX affinity resin efficiently captures a panel of 15 divergent AAV serotypes, including the commonly used AAV2, AAV8, AAV9, PHP.B, and Anc80. We also find that AAVX resin can be regenerated repeatedly without loss of efficiency or carry-over contamination. While AAV preps purified with AAVX showed a higher fraction of empty capsids than preps purified using iodixanol ultracentrifugation, the potency of the AAVX purified vectors was comparable with that of iodixanol purified vectors both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, optimization of the purification protocol resulted in a process with an overall efficiency of 65%-80% across all scales and AAV serotypes tested. These data establish AAVX affinity chromatography as a versatile and efficient method for purification of a broad range of AAV serotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Florea
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Ph.D. Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Fotini Nicolaou
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Simon Pacouret
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric M. Zinn
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julio Sanmiguel
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eva Andres-Mateos
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carmen Unzu
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amy J. Wagers
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Section on Islet Cell and Regenerative Biology, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Luk H. Vandenberghe
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
- Ocular Genomics Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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28
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Wu D, Hwang P, Li T, Piszczek G. Rapid characterization of adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy vectors by mass photometry. Gene Ther 2022; 29:691-697. [PMID: 35046529 PMCID: PMC9296698 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-021-00311-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) are used extensively as gene delivery vectors in clinical studies, and several rAAV based treatments have already been approved. Significant progress has been made in rAAV manufacturing; however, better and more precise capsid characterization techniques are still needed to guarantee the purity and safety of rAAV preparations. Current analytical techniques used to characterize rAAV preparations are susceptible to background signals, have limited accuracy, or require a large amount of time and material. A recently developed single-molecule technique, mass photometry (MP), measures mass distributions of biomolecules with high-resolution and sensitivity. Here we explore applications of MP for the characterization of capsid fractions. We demonstrate that MP is able to resolve and quantify not only empty and full-genome containing capsid populations but also identify partially packaged capsid impurities. MP data accurately measures full and empty capsid ratios, and can be used to estimate the size of the encapsidated genome. MP distributions provide information on sample heterogeneity and on the presence of aggregates. Sub-picomole quantities of sample are sufficient for MP analysis, and data can be obtained and analyzed within minutes. This method provides a simple, robust, and effective tool to monitor the physical attributes of rAAV vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wu
- Biophysics Core Facility, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-8012, USA
| | - Philsang Hwang
- Ocular Gene Therapy Core Facility, National Eye Institute, 6 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tiansen Li
- Ocular Gene Therapy Core Facility, National Eye Institute, 6 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Grzegorz Piszczek
- Biophysics Core Facility, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 50 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-8012, USA,correspondence to:
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29
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Frenkel R, Tribby D, Boumajny B, Larson N, Sampson M, Barney C, Bergelson S, Sosic Z, Yeung B. ACUVRA: Anion-Exchange Chromatography UV-Ratio Analysis-A QC-Friendly Method for Monitoring Adeno-Associated Virus Empty Capsid Content To Support Process Development and GMP Release Testing. AAPS J 2022; 25:3. [PMID: 36414847 DOI: 10.1208/s12248-022-00768-0] [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: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome content of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors is critical to the safety and potency of AAV-based gene therapy products. Empty capsids are considered a product-related impurity and a critical quality attribute (CQA) of the drug product, thus requiring characterization throughout the production process to demonstrate they are controlled to acceptable levels in the final drug product. Anion exchange chromatography has been used to achieve separation between empty and full capsids, but requires method development and gradient optimization for different serotypes and formulations. Here, we describe an alternative approach to quantitation that does not rely on achieving separation between empty and full capsids, but instead uses the well-established relationship between absorbance at UV A260/A280 and relation to DNA/protein content, in combination with anion-exchange chromatography to allow one to calculate the relative proportion of empty and full capsids in AAV samples from a single peak. We call this approach ACUVRA: Anion-exchange Chromatography UV-Ratio Analysis, and show the applicability of the method through a case study with recombinant AAV2 (rAAV2) process intermediates and drug substance. Method qualification and GMP validation in a quality control (QC) laboratory results show that ACUVRA is a fit-for-purpose method for process development support and characterization, while also being a QC-friendly option for GMP release testing at all stages of clinical development. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Frenkel
- Department of Gene Therapy Analytical Development, Biogen Inc, 255 Binney St, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA.
| | - Dana Tribby
- Department of Gene Therapy Analytical Development, Biogen Inc, 255 Binney St, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
| | - Boris Boumajny
- Department of Gene Therapy Analytical Development, Biogen Inc, 255 Binney St, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
| | - Nicholas Larson
- Department of Gene Therapy Analytical Development, Biogen Inc, 255 Binney St, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
| | - Matthew Sampson
- Department of Quality Control-Analytical Technology, Biogen Inc, 5000 Davis Dr, Durham, North Carolina, 27709, USA
| | - Christopher Barney
- Department of Quality Control-Analytical Technology, Biogen Inc, 5000 Davis Dr, Durham, North Carolina, 27709, USA
| | - Svetlana Bergelson
- Department of Gene Therapy Analytical Development, Biogen Inc, 255 Binney St, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
| | - Zoran Sosic
- Department of Gene Therapy Analytical Development, Biogen Inc, 255 Binney St, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
| | - Bernice Yeung
- Department of Gene Therapy Analytical Development, Biogen Inc, 255 Binney St, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
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30
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Wagner C, Innthaler B, Lemmerer M, Pletzenauer R, Birner-Gruenberger R. Biophysical Characterization of Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors Using Ion-Exchange Chromatography Coupled to Light Scattering Detectors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12715. [PMID: 36361506 PMCID: PMC9655919 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ion-exchange chromatography coupled to light scattering detectors represents a fast and simple analytical method for the assessment of multiple critical quality attributes (CQA) in one single measurement. The determination of CQAs play a crucial role in Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV)-based gene therapies and their applications in humans. Today, several different analytical techniques, including size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), qPCR or ELISA, are commonly used to characterize the gene therapy product regarding capsid titer, packaging efficiency, vector genome integrity, aggregation content and other process-related impurities. However, no universal method for the simultaneous determination of multiple CQAs is currently available. Here, we present a novel robust ion-exchange chromatography method coupled to multi-angle light scattering detectors (IEC-MALS) for the comprehensive characterization of empty and filled AAVs concerning capsid titer, full-to-total ratio, absolute molar mass of the protein and nucleic acid, and the size and polydispersity without baseline-separation of both species prior to data analysis. We demonstrate that the developed IEC-MALS assay is applicable to different serotypes and can be used as an orthogonal method to other established analytical techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Wagner
- Analytical Development Europe, Takeda Vienna, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Innthaler
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Takeda Orth an der Donau, 2304 Orth an der Donau, Austria
| | - Martin Lemmerer
- Analytical Development Europe, Takeda Vienna, 1220 Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Pletzenauer
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Takeda Orth an der Donau, 2304 Orth an der Donau, Austria
| | - Ruth Birner-Gruenberger
- Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Technische Universität Wien, 1060 Vienna, Austria
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31
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Aebischer MK, Gizardin-Fredon H, Lardeux H, Kochardt D, Elger C, Haindl M, Ruppert R, Guillarme D, D’Atri V. Anion-Exchange Chromatography at the Service of Gene Therapy: Baseline Separation of Full/Empty Adeno-Associated Virus Capsids by Screening of Conditions and Step Gradient Elution Mode. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012332. [PMID: 36293189 PMCID: PMC9604245 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy is opening unprecedented opportunities for novel therapeutic approaches. Based on the concept of rescuing function mutations by co-expressing the correct gene to allow biological functions to be restored, it requires the use of viral vectors to ensure the proper delivery of therapeutic genes. In this context, recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) are the most widely used vectors. Their biomanufacturing process requires the insertion of the therapeutic gene into the rAAV (full capsids). However, a percentage of rAAV that do not contain the desired gene (empty capsids), as well as partly filled capsids, might also be produced, potentially impacting the efficiency of the therapy. Therefore, the determination of the rAAV capsids’ full/empty ratio needs to be monitored to ensure consistent product quality and efficacy. Anion-exchange chromatography (AEX) can serve this need. In this contribution, thorough AEX method development, including a mobile phase, a stationary phase and gradient conditions, has highlighted its potential in supporting gene therapy. Taking advantage of the fact that viral capsids follow an “on/off” retention behavior, the application of a step gradient approach to the rAAV serotype 8 (rAAV8) allowed the unprecedented separation of rAAV8 full/empty capsids, with a resolution gain of 3.7 as compared to the resolution obtained with a fully optimized linear gradient. Finally, the developed analytical approach allowed a precise and accurate baseline separation and quantification of full and empty rAAV8 capsids, with the potential to be applied as a high-throughput quality control (QC) method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megane K. Aebischer
- 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
| | - Hugo Gizardin-Fredon
- 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
| | - Honorine Lardeux
- 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
| | | | - Carsten Elger
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Markus Haindl
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Raphael Ruppert
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - 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
| | - 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
- Correspondence:
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32
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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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33
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Deng JZ, Rustandi RR, Swartz A, Shieh Y, Baker JB, Vlasak J, Wang S, Loughney JW. SEC coupled with in-line multiple detectors for the characterization of an oncolytic Coxsackievirus. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2022; 24:139-147. [PMID: 35024440 PMCID: PMC8718657 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
V937 is an oncolytic virus immunotherapy clinical drug candidate consisting of a proprietary formulation of Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21). V937 specifically binds to and lyses cells with over-expressed ICAM-1 receptors in a range of tumor cell types and is currently in phase I and II clinical trials. Infectious V937 particles consist of a ∼30 nm icosahedral capsid assembled from four structural viral proteins that encapsidate a viral RNA genome. Rapid and robust analytical methods to quantify and characterize CVA21 virus particles are important to support the process development, regulatory requirements, and validation of new manufacturing platforms. Herein, we describe a size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) method that was developed to characterize the V937 drug substance and process intermediates. Using a 4-in-1 combination of multi-detectors (UV, refractive index, dynamic and static light scattering), we demonstrate the use of SEC for the quantification of the virus particle count, the determination of virus size (molecular weight and hydrodynamic diameter), and the characterization of virus purity by assessing empty-to-full capsid ratios. Through a SEC analysis of stressed V937 samples, we propose CVA21 thermal degradation pathways that result in genome release and particle aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Z. Deng
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | | | - Andrew Swartz
- Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Yvonne Shieh
- Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Jack B. Baker
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Josef Vlasak
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Shiyi Wang
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - John W. Loughney
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
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PCR-Based Analytical Methods for Quantification and Quality Control of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vector Preparations. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 15:ph15010023. [PMID: 35056080 PMCID: PMC8779925 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV) represent a gene therapy tool of ever-increasing importance. Their utilization as a delivery vehicle for gene replacement, silencing and editing, among other purposes, demonstrate considerable versatility. Emerging vector utilization in various experimental, preclinical and clinical applications establishes the necessity of producing and characterizing a wide variety of rAAV preparations. Critically important characteristics concerning quality control are rAAV titer quantification and the detection of impurities. Differences in rAAV constructs necessitate the development of highly standardized quantification assays to make direct comparisons of different preparations in terms of assembly or purification efficiency, as well as experimental or therapeutic dosages. The development of universal methods for impurities quantification is rather complicated, since variable production platforms are utilized for rAAV assembly. However, general agreements also should be achieved to address this issue. The majority of methods for rAAV quantification and quality control are based on PCR techniques. Despite the progress made, increasing evidence concerning high variability in titration assays indicates poor standardization of the methods undertaken to date. This review summarizes successes in the field of rAAV quality control and emphasizes ongoing challenges in PCR applications for rAAV characterization. General considerations regarding possible solutions are also provided.
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Hejmowski AL, Boenning K, Huato J, Kavara A, Schofield M. Novel anion exchange membrane chromatography method for the separation of empty and full adeno-associated virus. Biotechnol J 2021; 17:e2100219. [PMID: 34921599 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202100219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A challenge in the production of recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) for gene therapies is the presence of capsids that lack the required gene of interest. The impact of these empty vectors in therapies is not fully understood, however the ability to control the ratio of empty to full particles, which contain the genetic payload, is a necessary step in the purification of these viruses. In this study, a novel anion exchange chromatography elution method for enrichment of full AAV particles is demonstrated. A step gradient with small conductivity increases of around 1 mS cm-1 provides more efficient separation of empty and full AAV serotype 5 across membrane media as compared to conventional linear gradient method. The use of this approach in optimizing a simpler method for manufacturing processes and scalability to a larger chromatographic volume is explored. With this approach, the authors achieved greater than 4-fold enrichment of full capsids, to give a total of ≈50%-60% full capsids, using a 25 mM Bis-Tris Propane pH 9.0 buffer system with NaCl as the eluting salt. Results suggest that this elution method can be implemented into a scalable process and can provide insight into development of elution methods for other AAV serotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Hejmowski
- R&D Bioprocessing, Pall Corporation, Westborough, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kurt Boenning
- R&D Bioprocessing, Pall Corporation, Westborough, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Julio Huato
- R&D Bioprocessing, Pall Corporation, Westborough, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aydin Kavara
- R&D Bioprocessing, Pall Corporation, Westborough, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark Schofield
- R&D Bioprocessing, Pall Corporation, Westborough, Massachusetts, USA
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Fu X, Williams A, Bakhshayeshi M, Pieracci J. Leveraging high-throughput purification to accelerate viral vector process development. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1663:462744. [PMID: 34971861 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) has been broadly used as a delivery tool for gene therapy applications. The development of a robust purification process is essential for delivering high purity and quality AAV products to clinic. The short clinical timelines and material limitations of early-stage development pose unique challenges to developing robust and scalable downstream purification processes. One approach to overcome these limitations is to leverage high throughput (HTP) strategies and automation technologies for purification process development, an approach that is well established in protein biologics and other areas. However, due to the unique challenges related to viral vector purification, implementing HTP approaches for gene therapy process development has not been explored extensively. In this paper, we established a HTP chromatography platform and demonstrated its capability to facilitate gene therapy purification process development using both mini-columns and self-packed resin plates. The end-to-end development workflow for AAV HTP purification is detailed in this work with the expectation of serving as an introductory for the AAV purification development field. Comparable process performance was confirmed between a bench-scale chromatography process and an HTP chromatography format. Slightly lower recovery was observed using the HTP format (62% vs 75%), as well as %full capsid enrichment (71% vs. 82%). Comparable impurity clearance capability was demonstrated between the two different systems as well. It was concluded that the established HTP chromatography formats can serve as a surrogate to bench-scale chromatography development to reduce material needs and development timelines for AAV purification development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotong Fu
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States.
| | - Asher Williams
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States
| | - Meisam Bakhshayeshi
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States
| | - John Pieracci
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States
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Comparison of analytical techniques to quantitate the capsid content of adeno-associated viral vectors. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2021; 23:254-262. [PMID: 34703846 PMCID: PMC8505359 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, which contain a DNA transgene packaged into a protein capsid, have shown tremendous therapeutic potential in recent years. An inherent characteristic of the manufacturing process is production of empty capsids that lack the transgene and are therefore unable to provide the intended therapeutic benefit. The effect of empty capsids on clinical outcomes is not well understood, but there are immunogenicity and efficacy concerns, and these empty capsids are considered a product-related impurity. Therefore, empty capsids should be controlled during the manufacturing process and monitored through analytical testing, but there are limited techniques available that are capable of quantifying capsid content and even fewer that are amenable to validation and implementation as registered release tests in a regulated environment. In addition, there is currently not a widely accepted gold standard technique for quantifying capsid content, and the understanding of how the results compare between different orthogonal technologies is limited. The current study utilizes a comprehensive assessment to evaluate diverse analytical techniques for their ability to quantitate capsid content.
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Taraban MB, Jones MT, Yu YB. Rapid and Noninvasive Quantification of Capsid Gene Filling Level Using Water Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Anal Chem 2021; 93:15816-15820. [PMID: 34792343 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The present work reports an enabling novel technology for quantifying the gene content in adeno-associated viral capsids. The method is based on the water proton nuclear magnetic resonance (wNMR) technique. Instead of analyzing the capsid directly, it utilizes water molecules to distinguish empty and full capsids, as water interacts with them differently. The transverse relaxation rate of water protons, R2(1H2O), readily distinguishes empty and full capsids and is capable of quantifying the fraction of full capsids in a mixture of full and empty ones. It involves no sample preparation and no reagents. Measurement is rapid (data collection takes 1-2 min), noninvasive (the capsid sample can stay inside the original sealed and labeled container to be used in other studies or administered to a patient), and performed using a wide-bore benchtop NMR instrument. The method can be readily implemented at a production plant for product release as part of product quality control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc B Taraban
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | | | - Yihua Bruce Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States.,Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
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Overview of analytics needed to support a robust gene therapy manufacturing process. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2021.100339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Hutanu A, Boelsterli D, Schmidli C, Montealegre C, Dang Thai MHN, Bobaly B, Koch M, Schwarz MA. Stronger together: Analytical techniques for recombinant adeno associated virus. Electrophoresis 2021; 43:1107-1117. [PMID: 34821392 PMCID: PMC9300034 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
With recent FDA approval of two recombinant adeno‐associated virus (rAAV)‐based gene therapies, these vectors have proven that they are suitable to address monogenic diseases. However, rAAVs are relatively new modalities, and their production and therapy costs significantly exceed those of conventional biologics. Thus, significant efforts are made to improve the processes, methods, and techniques used in manufacturing and quality control (QC). Here, we evaluate transmission electron microscopy (TEM), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), and two modes of capillary electrophoresis (CE) for their ability to analyze the DNA encapsidated by rAAVs. While TEM and AUC are well‐established methods for rAAV, capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) has been just recently proposed for viral genome sizing. The data presented reflect that samples are very complex, with various DNA species incorporated in the virus, including small fragments as well as DNA that is larger than the targeted transgene. CGE provides a good insight in the filling of rAAVs, but the workflow is tedious and the method is not applicable for the determination of DNA titer, since a procedure for the absolute quantification (e.g., calibration) is not yet established. For estimating the genome titer, we propose a simplified capillary zone electrophoresis approach with minimal sample preparation and short separation times (<5 min/run). Our data show the benefits of using the four techniques combined, since each of them alone is prone to delivering ambiguous results. For this reason, a clear view of the rAAV interior can only be provided by using several analytical methods simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Hutanu
- Analytical Development and Quality Control, Pharma Technical Development Biologics Europe, University of Basel, Basel, 4056, Switzerland.,Analytical Development and Quality Control, Pharma Technical Development Biologics Europe, University of Basel, Basel, 4056, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Mike H N Dang Thai
- Analytical Development and Quality Control, Pharma Technical Development Biologics Europe, University of Basel, Basel, 4056, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Maria A Schwarz
- Analytical Development and Quality Control, Pharma Technical Development Biologics Europe, University of Basel, Basel, 4056, Switzerland.,Solvias AG, Kaiseraugst, Switzerland
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42
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Green EA, Lee KH. Analytical methods to characterize recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors and the benefit of standardization and reference materials. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 71:65-76. [PMID: 34273809 PMCID: PMC8530916 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) is an increasingly important gene therapy vector, but its properties present unique challenges to critical quality attribute (CQA) identification and analytics development. Advances in, and ongoing hurdles to, characterizing rAAV proteins, nucleic acids, and vector potency are discussed in this review. For nucleic acids and vector potency, current analytical techniques for defined CQAs would benefit from further optimization, while for proteins, more complete characterization and mapping of properties to safety and efficacy is needed to finalize CQAs. The benefits of leveraging reference vectors to validate analytics and CQA ranges are also proposed. Once defined, CQA specifications can be used to establish target parameters for and inform the development of next generation rAAV processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica A Green
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE 19713, USA
| | - Kelvin H Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE 19713, USA.
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Meng H, Sorrentino M, Woodcock D, O'Riordan CR, Dhawan V, Verhagen MF, Davies C. Size Exclusion Chromatography with Dual Wavelength Detection as a Sensitive and Accurate Method for Determining the Empty and Full Capsids of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 33:202-212. [PMID: 34445880 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2021.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy has evolved over the past decade into a promising therapeutic class for treating many intractable diseases. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) is the most commonly used viral vector for delivering therapeutic genes. Independent of the manufacturing process for AAVs, the clinical materials are inherently heterogeneous and contain both empty and full capsids. Empty capsids can impact the safety and efficacy of AAV products and therefore their level needs to be controlled. Several analytical methods have been reported for this purpose. However, some of these methods have an insufficient assay range, or rely on instruments that cannot be readily implemented in a QC environment. Here, we describe a fast size exclusion chromatography (SEC) assay with dual-wavelength detection (SEC-DW) to directly determine the percent full capsids of AAV samples based on their peak area (PA) ratios. The two detection wavelengths selected to represent encapsidated transgenes and capsid proteins are 260 nm and 230 nm, respectively instead of the conventionally used 260 nm and 280 nm. The use of 230 nm instead of 280 nm to monitor the contribution of the capsid protein results in a linear relationship between the PA260/PA230 ratio and the percent full capsids, unlike the non-linear relationship observed when the PA260/PA280 ratio is used. As a result, the method exhibits a significantly extended assay range (up to 91% full capsids). The accuracy of the SEC-DW method was confirmed by comparing the results obtained against results from orthogonal high-resolution methods such as analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and excellent agreement was obtained when common samples were analyzed using the different methods. The SEC-DW method runs on a readily accessible HPLC instrument platform, provides much higher assay throughput compared to AUC and electron microscopy (EM), and can be implemented as a release method in a QC environment or used as a rapid screening tool to support process development and product understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Meng
- Sanofi Genzyme, 2194, BioAnalytics, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States;
| | - Michelle Sorrentino
- Sanofi Genzyme, 2194, BioAnalytics, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States;
| | - Denise Woodcock
- Sanofi Genzyme, 2194, Gene Therapy, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States;
| | - Catherine R O'Riordan
- Sanofi, Gene Therapy, Rare Diseases, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States; Catherine.O'
| | - Vijender Dhawan
- Sanofi Genzyme, 2194, BioAnalytics, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States;
| | - Marc F Verhagen
- Sanofi Genzyme, 2194, Bioanalytics, 1 The Mountain Road, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States, 01701;
| | - Claire Davies
- Sanofi Genzyme, 2194, Bioanalytics, 5 The Mountain Road, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States, 01701;
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Tustian AD, Bak H. Assessment of quality attributes for adeno-associated viral vectors. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:4186-4203. [PMID: 34309017 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
There is a strong and growing interest in the development and production of gene therapy products, including those utilizing adeno-associated virus (AAV) particles. This is evident with the increase in the number of clinical trials and agency approvals for AAV therapeutics. As bioproduction of AAV viral vectors matures, a quality by design (QbD) approach to process development can aid in process robustness and product quality. Furthermore, it may become a regulatory expectation. The first step in any QbD approach is to determine what physical, chemical, biological, or microbiological property or characteristic product attributes should be controlled within an appropriate limit, range, or distribution to ensure the desired product quality. Then predefined goals are set to allow proactive process development to design in quality. This review lists typical quality attributes used for release testing of AAV viral vectors and discusses these and selected attributes important to extended characterization studies in terms of safety, efficacy, and impact upon the patient immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanne Bak
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
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Maruno T, Usami K, Ishii K, Torisu T, Uchiyama S. Comprehensive Size Distribution and Composition Analysis of Adeno-Associated Virus Vector by Multiwavelength Sedimentation Velocity Analytical Ultracentrifugation. J Pharm Sci 2021; 110:3375-3384. [PMID: 34186069 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2021.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
During the manufacturing of recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors, it is generally difficult to purify out vectors that lack nucleic acids (empty particles, EPs), contain incomplete nucleic acids (intermediate particles, IPs) or aggregates. These impurities may cause side effects and therefore it is essential to both quantify and reduce them; however, comprehensive identification of the size distribution and components of virus vectors have been lagging. We developed multiwavelength sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation to characterize EPs, full particles, IPs, and aggregates in adeno-associated virus vector samples. The wavelength-dependent ultraviolet (UV) absorption of capsid protein and encapsulated single-stranded DNA could be deduced from the multiwavelength detection followed by size distribution analysis and peak area integration. Subsequently, a spectral deconvolution analysis using the wavelength-dependent UV absorption data enabled the identification of the protein-nucleic acid ratio of all species. A comprehensive approach for quantifying the viral vector particles and related impurities was established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Maruno
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kaede Usami
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kentaro Ishii
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Torisu
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Susumu Uchiyama
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.
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Khatwani SL, Pavlova A, Pirot Z. Anion-exchange HPLC assay for separation and quantification of empty and full capsids in multiple adeno-associated virus serotypes. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021; 21:548-558. [PMID: 33997103 PMCID: PMC8099603 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapy has entered a new era where numerous therapies for severe and rare diseases are generating robust and compelling clinical results. The rapid improvements in gene therapies over the past few years can be attributed to better scientific understanding of the critical quality attributes that contribute to a safe and efficacious product, as well as a better understanding of the manufacturing processes that are required to yield consistent products, which routinely meet the quality standards required for clinical studies. Of particular concern is the need for an effective, quality control (QC)-compatible, and versatile test method for the quantification of empty and full capsids in recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) samples from multiple serotypes. In that regard, we describe the development of a QC-compatible anion-exchange chromatography method consisting of a modular discontinuous gradient to achieve full baseline peak separation and quantification of empty and full AAV capsids. Using an rAAV6 vector, our assay was shown to be precise, linear, robust, and accurate-correlating well with orthogonal methods such as analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM). Additionally, we demonstrate the versatility of our approach by adapting the method to separate and quantify empty/full capsids in samples from several rAAV serotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna Pavlova
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., 7000 Marina Blvd., Brisbane, CA 94005, USA
| | - Zhu Pirot
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., 7000 Marina Blvd., Brisbane, CA 94005, USA
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Joshi PRH, Bernier A, Chahal PS, Kamen A. Development and Validation of an Anion Exchange High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Analysis of Empty Capsids and Capsids Encapsidating Genetic Material in a Purified Preparation of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Serotype 5. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 32:1390-1402. [PMID: 33860673 PMCID: PMC10112873 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2020.317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of various manufacturing platforms and analytical technologies has substantially contributed to successfully translating the recombinant adeno-associated viral vector from the laboratory to the clinic. The active deployment of these analytical technologies for process and product characterization has helped define critical quality attributes and improve the quality of the clinical grade material. In this article, we report an anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (AEX-HPLC) method for relative and as well as absolute quantification of empty capsids (EC) and capsids encapsidating genetic material (CG) in purified preparations of adeno-associated virus (AAV) using serotype 5 as a model. The selection of optimal chromatographic buffer composition and step-gradient elution protocol offered baseline separation of EC and CG in the form of two peaks, as validated with the respective reference standards. The native amino acid fluorescence-based detection offered excellent linearity with a correlation coefficient of 0.9983 over two-log dilutions of the sample. The limit of detection and limit of quantification values associated with the total AAV5 capsid assay are 3.1E + 09 and 9.5E + 09, respectively. AEX-HPLC showed method comparability with the analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) method for determination of relative proportions of EC and CG, supporting the reported HPLC method as an easy-to-access alternative to AUC with operational simplicity. Moreover, rapid and easy adaptation of this method to AAV8 material also demonstrated the robustness of the proposed approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav R H Joshi
- Viral Vectors and Vaccine Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alice Bernier
- Viral Vectors and Vaccine Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Parminder S Chahal
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, Canada
| | - Amine Kamen
- Viral Vectors and Vaccine Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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48
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Removal of empty capsids from adeno-associated virus preparations by multimodal metal affinity chromatography. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1649:462210. [PMID: 34034104 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Separation of empty and full adeno-associated virus capsids by multimodal metal affinity chromatography was investigated using a positively charged metal affinity ligand. A subpopulation of empty capsids eluted first, followed by full capsids, and later by more empty capsids and debris. Empty and full capsid composition of chromatography fractions was evaluated by cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation followed by stratigraphic flow analysis of the centrifuge tube contents, monitored by intrinsic fluorescence. Columns charged with barium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, and ferric ions gave similar results with respect to capsid separation. Charging with cupric ions maintained resolution between early-eluting empty capsids and full capsids but caused them to elute at lower conductivity. Empty and full capsids were fractionated with Tris-borate gradients, sodium chloride gradients, and magnesium chloride gradients. Recovery of full serotype 9 capsids was 100% with complete elimination of empty capsids. All metal ions bound contaminant subsets that required sodium hydroxide for removal. Columns charged with ferric iron and manganese bound more contaminants than all other metals. Columns charged with calcium, magnesium, barium, and copper bound the least. Contaminant binding on zinc-charged columns was intermediate between the two groups.
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49
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Joshi PRH, Bernier A, Moço PD, Schrag J, Chahal PS, Kamen A. Development of a scalable and robust AEX method for enriched rAAV preparations in genome-containing VCs of serotypes 5, 6, 8, and 9. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2021; 21:341-356. [PMID: 33898632 PMCID: PMC8056178 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Removal of empty capsids from adeno-associated virus (AAV) manufacturing lots remains a critical step in the downstream processing of AAV clinical-grade batches. Because of similar physico-chemical characteristics, the AAV capsid populations totally lacking or containing partial viral DNA are difficult to separate from the desired vector capsid populations. Based on minute differences in density, ultracentrifugation remains the most effective separation method and has been extensively used at small scale but has limitations associated with availabilities and operational complexities in large-scale processing. In this paper, we report a scalable, robust, and versatile anion-exchange chromatography (AEX) method for removing empty capsids and subsequent enrichment of vectors of AAV serotypes 5, 6, 8, and 9. On average, AEX resulted in about 9-fold enrichment of AAV5 in a single step containing 80% ± 5% genome-containing vector capsids, as verified and quantified by analytical ultracentrifugation. The optimized process was further validated using AAV6, AAV8, and AAV9, resulting in over 90% vector enrichment. The AEX process showed comparable results not only for vectors with different transgenes of different sizes but also for AEX runs under different geometries of chromatographic media. The herein-reported sulfate-salt-based AEX process can be adapted to different AAV serotypes by appropriately adjusting elution conditions to achieve enriched vector preparations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav R H Joshi
- Viral Vectors and Vaccine Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alice Bernier
- Viral Vectors and Vaccine Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pablo D Moço
- Viral Vectors and Vaccine Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Joseph Schrag
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Parminder S Chahal
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Amine Kamen
- Viral Vectors and Vaccine Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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50
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Gimpel AL, Katsikis G, Sha S, Maloney AJ, Hong MS, Nguyen TNT, Wolfrum J, Springs SL, Sinskey AJ, Manalis SR, Barone PW, Braatz RD. Analytical methods for process and product characterization of recombinant adeno-associated virus-based gene therapies. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2021; 20:740-754. [PMID: 33738328 PMCID: PMC7940698 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The optimization of upstream and downstream processes for production of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) with consistent quality depends on the ability to rapidly characterize critical quality attributes (CQAs). In the context of rAAV production, the virus titer, capsid content, and aggregation are identified as potential CQAs, affecting the potency, purity, and safety of rAAV-mediated gene therapy products. Analytical methods to measure these attributes commonly suffer from long turnaround times or low throughput for process development, although rapid, high-throughput methods are beginning to be developed and commercialized. These methods are not yet well established in academic or industrial practice, and supportive data are scarce. Here, we review both established and upcoming analytical methods for the quantification of rAAV quality attributes. In assessing each method, we highlight the progress toward rapid, at-line characterization of rAAV. Furthermore, we identify that a key challenge for transitioning from traditional to newer methods is the scarcity of academic and industrial experience with the latter. This literature review serves as a guide for the selection of analytical methods targeting quality attributes for rapid, high-throughput process characterization during process development of rAAV-mediated gene therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas L Gimpel
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Georgios Katsikis
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sha Sha
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Center for Biomedical Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrew John Maloney
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Moo Sun Hong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tam N T Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jacqueline Wolfrum
- Center for Biomedical Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stacy L Springs
- Center for Biomedical Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anthony J Sinskey
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Center for Biomedical Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Scott R Manalis
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Paul W Barone
- Center for Biomedical Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Richard D Braatz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,Center for Biomedical Innovation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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