A Review of Methodologies for the Detection, Quantitation, and Localization of Free Cysteine in Recombinant Proteins: A Focus on Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies

Heterogeneity in Disulfide Bond Reduction in IgG1 Antibodies Is Governed by Solvent Accessibility of the Cysteines

We studied unpaired cysteine levels and disulfide bond susceptibility in four different γ-immunoglobulin antibodies using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our choice of differential alkylating agents ensures that the differential peaks are non-overlapping, thus allowing us to accurately quantify free cysteine levels. For each cysteine residue, we observed no more than 5% to be unpaired, and the free cysteine levels across antibodies were slightly higher in those containing lambda light chains. Interchain and hinge residues were highly susceptible to reducing stresses and showed a 100-1000-fold higher rate of reduction compared to intrachain cysteines. Estimations of the solvent-accessible surface for individual cysteines in IgG1, using an implicit all-atom molecular dynamics simulation, show that interchain and hinge cysteines have >1000-fold higher solvent accessibility compared to intrachain cysteines. Further analyses show that solvent accessibility and the rate of reduction are linearly correlated. Our work clearly establishes the fact that a cysteine's accessibility to the surrounding solvent is one of the primary determinants of its disulfide bond stability.

Formulation of a kit under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for preparing [111In]In-BnDTPA-trastuzumab-NLS injection: a theranostic agent for imaging and Meitner-Auger Electron (MAE) radioimmunotherapy of HER2-positive breast cancer

BACKGROUND

¹¹¹In[In]-BnDTPA-trastuzumab-NLS is a radiopharmaceutical with theranostic applications for imaging and Meitner-Auger electron (MAE) radioimmunotherapy (RIT) of HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). Nuclear localization sequence (NLS) peptides route the radiopharmaceutical to the nucleus of HER2-positive BC cells following receptor-mediated internalization for RIT with subcellular range MAEs. The γ-photons emitted by ¹¹¹In permit tumour imaging by SPECT. Our aim was to formulate a kit under Good Manufacturing Practices conditions to prepare ¹¹¹In[In]-BnDTPA-trastuzumab-NLS injection for a first-in-human clinical trial.

RESULTS

Trastuzumab was derivatized with p-SCN-BnDTPA to introduce Bn-DTPA for complexing ¹¹¹In, then modified with maleimide groups for conjugation to the thiol on cysteine in NLS peptides [CGYGPKKKRKVGG]. BnDTPA-trastuzumab-NLS (5 mg in 1.0 mL of 0.05 M ammonium acetate buffer, pH 5.5) was dispensed into unit dose sterile glass vials to produce kits for labeling with 100-165 MBq of ¹¹¹In[In]Cl₃. The kits met specifications for protein concentration (4.5-5.5 mg/mL), volume (0.95-1.05 mL), pH (5.5-6.0), appearance (clear, pale-yellow, particulate-free), BnDTPA substitution level (2.0-7.0 BnDTPA/trastuzumab), purity and homogeneity (SDS-PAGE and SE-HPLC), ¹¹¹In labeling efficiency (> 90%), binding to HER2-positive SK-BR-3 human breast cancer cells (K_a = 1-8 × 10⁸ L/mmol; B_max = 0.5-2 × 10⁶ sites/cell), NLS peptide conjugation (upward band shift on SDS-PAGE), sterility (USP Sterility Test) and endotoxins (USP Bacterial Endotoxins Test). ¹¹¹In-BnDTPA-trastuzumab-NLS injection met specifications for pH (5.5-6.5), radiochemical purity (≥ 90%), radionuclide purity (≥ 99%), appearance (clear, colourless, particle-free) and sterility (retrospective USP Sterility Test). Kits were stable stored at 2-8 °C for up to 661 days (d) meeting all key specifications. Protein concentration remained within or just slightly greater than the specification for up to 139 d. ¹¹¹In[In]-BnDTPA-trastuzumab-NLS injection was stable for up to 24 h. An expiry of 180 d was assigned for the kits and 8 h for the final radiopharmaceutical.

CONCLUSION

A kit was formulated under GMP conditions for preparing ¹¹¹In[In]-BnDTPA-trastuzumab-NLS injection. This radiopharmaceutical was safely administered to 4 patients with HER2-positive BC to trace the uptake of trastuzumab into brain metastases before and after MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRIg-FUS) by SPECT imaging.