Preparation and properties of the specific anti-influenza virus transfer factor

Physicochemical Characteristics of Transferon™ Batches

Transferon, a biotherapeutic agent that has been used for the past 2 decades for diseases with an inflammatory component, has been approved by regulatory authorities in Mexico (COFEPRIS) for the treatment of patients with herpes infection. The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of Transferon is based on polydispersion of peptides that have been extracted from lysed human leukocytes by a dialysis process and a subsequent ultrafiltration step to select molecules below 10 kDa. To physicochemically characterize the drug product, we developed chromatographic methods and an SDS-PAGE approach to analyze the composition and the overall variability of Transferon. Reversed-phase chromatographic profiles of peptide populations demonstrated batch-to-batch consistency from 10 representative batches that harbored 4 primary peaks with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 7%. Aminogram profiles exhibited 17 proteinogenic amino acids and showed that glycine was the most abundant amino acid, with a relative content of approximately 18%. Further, based on their electrophoretic migration, the peptide populations exhibited a molecular mass of about 10 kDa. Finally, we determined the Transferon fingerprint using a mass spectrometry tool. Because each batch was produced from independent pooled buffy coat samples from healthy donors, supplied by a local blood bank, our results support the consistency of the production of Transferon and reveal its peptide identity with regard to its physicochemical attributes.

Swine Dialyzable Spleen Extract as Antiviral Prophylaxis

Worldwide, the most highly consumed meat is of porcine origin. The production and distribution of swine meat are affected by diverse health matters, such as influenza and diarrhea, which cause head losses and require the use of antibiotics and other drugs in hog farms. To stimulate newborn piglet immune responses and increase resistance to infections, we developed a spray-drying technique to produce dried swine dialyzable spleen extract (sDSE), an immunomodulator. Based on the size-exclusion ultra performance liquid chromatography quantitative analysis, it was possible to recover up to 58% of the product after the drying process. The biological activity of orally administered dried sDSE increased mouse survival and induced cytokine production in a herpes infection model.

Preparation and identification of transfer factor specific to Staphylococcus aureus in vitro

The objective of the study was to explore the methods for preparing transfer factor specific to Staphylococcus aureus (SA-STF) in vitro. Under the optimum conditions, the spleen cells of rabbits were immunized with SA in vitro to prepare SA-STF, and the immune activities were identified with the phagocytosis and sterilization, skin delayed-type hypersensitivity, and immune protection tests. The concentration of polypeptide was 2.26 ± 0.27 mg/mL, and ribose was 0.684 ± 0.094 mg/mL. The phagocytosis and sterilization rates of the STF group were 70.9 ± 12.4% and 62.1 ± 12.2%, respectively, and compared with the non-specific transfer factor (NTF) group, there were no significant differences (P = 0.074 and 0.069, respectively). The skin was inflamed and marked nodules formed at the injection site in the mice of the STF group rather than the NTF and control groups. The survival rate of the STF-1 group was significantly higher than the survival rates of the STF-2 (P = 0.024) and NTF groups (P = 0.016). SA-STF was prepared and characterized successfully in vitro, and it probably is a biological candidate for therapy or adjuvant therapy for diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Batch-to-batch reproducibility of Transferon™

Human dialyzable leukocyte extracts (DLEs) are heterogeneous mixtures of low-molecular-weight peptides that modulate immune responses in various diseases. Due their complexity, standardized methods to identify their physicochemical properties and determine that production batches are biologically active must be established. We aimed to develop and validate a size exclusion ultra performance chromatographic (SE-UPLC) method to characterize Transferon™, a DLE that is produced under good manufacturing practices (GMPs). We analyzed an internal human DLE standard and 10 representative batches of Transferon™, all of which had a chromatographic profile characterized by 8 main peaks and a molecular weight range between 17.0 and 0.2kDa. There was high homogeneity between batches with regard to retention times and area percentages, varying by less than 0.2% and 30%, respectively, and the control chart was within 3 standard deviations. To analyze the biological activity of the batches, we studied the ability of Transferon™ to stimulate IFN-γ production in vitro. Transferon™ consistently induced IFN-γ production in Jurkat cells, demonstrating that this method can be included as a quality control step in releasing Transferon™ batches. Because all analyzed batches complied with the quality attributes that were evaluated, we conclude that the DLE Transferon™ is produced with high homogeneity.