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Castel J, Delaux S, Hernandez-Alba O, Cianférani S. Recent advances in structural mass spectrometry methods in the context of biosimilarity assessment: from sequence heterogeneities to higher order structures. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 236:115696. [PMID: 37713983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115696] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Biotherapeutics and their biosimilar versions have been flourishing in the biopharmaceutical market for several years. Structural and functional characterization is needed to achieve analytical biosimilarity through the assessment of critical quality attributes as required by regulatory authorities. The role of analytical strategies, particularly mass spectrometry-based methods, is pivotal to gathering valuable information for the in-depth characterization of biotherapeutics and biosimilarity assessment. Structural mass spectrometry methods (native MS, HDX-MS, top-down MS, etc.) provide information ranging from primary sequence assessment to higher order structure evaluation. This review focuses on recent developments and applications in structural mass spectrometry for biotherapeutic and biosimilar characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Castel
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg 67087, France; Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI, FR2048 CNRS CEA, Strasbourg 67087, France
| | - Sarah Delaux
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg 67087, France; Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI, FR2048 CNRS CEA, Strasbourg 67087, France
| | - Oscar Hernandez-Alba
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg 67087, France; Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI, FR2048 CNRS CEA, Strasbourg 67087, France
| | - Sarah Cianférani
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg 67087, France; Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI, FR2048 CNRS CEA, Strasbourg 67087, France.
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Liu T, Tao Y, Xia X, Zhang Y, Deng R, Wang Y. Analytical tools for antibody–drug conjugates: from in vitro to in vivo. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Omorodion O, Wilson IA. Structural and Biochemical Characterization of Cysteinylation in Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies to HIV-1. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167303. [PMID: 34666044 PMCID: PMC8641059 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cysteinylation is a little-studied post-translational modification in antibodies. Cysteinylation was identified in a lineage of bnAbs to HIV-1. The cysteinylation modification is clearly visualized in the crystal structures. Cysteinylation does not impair binding to antigen, compared to previous studies. These findings provide further perspectives on the role of antibody cysteinylation.
Antibodies with exceptional breadth and potency have been elicited in some individuals during natural HIV-1 infection. Elicitation and affinity maturation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is therefore the central goal of HIV-1 vaccine development. The functional properties of bnAbs also make them attractive as immunotherapeutic agents, which has led to their production and optimization for passive immunotherapy. This process requires in vitro manufacturing and monitoring of any heterogeneous expression, especially when subpopulations of antibodies are produced with varying levels of biological activity. Post-translational modification (PTM) of antibodies can contribute to heterogeneity and is the focus of this study. Specifically, we have investigated cysteinylation in a bnAb lineage (PCDN family) targeting the N332-glycan supersite on the surface envelope glycoprotein (Env) of HIV-1. This PTM is defined by capping of unpaired cysteine residues with molecular cysteine. Through chromatography and mass spectrometry, we were able to characterize subpopulations of cysteinylated and non-cysteinylated antibodies when expressed in mammalian cells. The crystal structures of two PCDN antibodies represent the first structures of a cysteinylated antibody and reveal that the cysteinylation in this case is located in CDRH3. Biophysical studies indicate that cysteinylation of these HIV-1 antibodies does not interfere with antigen binding, which has been reported to occur in other cysteinylated antibodies. As such, these studies highlight the need for further investigation of cysteinylation in anti-HIV and other bnAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwarotimi Omorodion
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ian A Wilson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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James EI, Murphree TA, Vorauer C, Engen JR, Guttman M. Advances in Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry and the Pursuit of Challenging Biological Systems. Chem Rev 2021; 122:7562-7623. [PMID: 34493042 PMCID: PMC9053315 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
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Solution-phase hydrogen/deuterium
exchange (HDX) coupled to mass
spectrometry (MS) is a widespread tool for structural analysis across
academia and the biopharmaceutical industry. By monitoring the exchangeability
of backbone amide protons, HDX-MS can reveal information about higher-order
structure and dynamics throughout a protein, can track protein folding
pathways, map interaction sites, and assess conformational states
of protein samples. The combination of the versatility of the hydrogen/deuterium
exchange reaction with the sensitivity of mass spectrometry has enabled
the study of extremely challenging protein systems, some of which
cannot be suitably studied using other techniques. Improvements over
the past three decades have continually increased throughput, robustness,
and expanded the limits of what is feasible for HDX-MS investigations.
To provide an overview for researchers seeking to utilize and derive
the most from HDX-MS for protein structural analysis, we summarize
the fundamental principles, basic methodology, strengths and weaknesses,
and the established applications of HDX-MS while highlighting new
developments and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellie I James
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Taylor A Murphree
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Clint Vorauer
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - John R Engen
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Miklos Guttman
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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Orozco CT, Edgeworth MJ, Devine PWA, Hines AR, Cornwell O, Thompson C, Wang X, Phillips JJ, Ravn P, Jackson SE, Bond NJ. Interconversion of Unexpected Thiol States Affects the Stability, Structure, and Dynamics of Antibody Engineered for Site-Specific Conjugation. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:1834-1844. [PMID: 34369158 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates have become one of the most actively developed classes of drugs in recent years. Their great potential comes from combining the strengths of large and small molecule therapeutics: the exquisite specificity of antibodies and the highly potent nature of cytotoxic compounds. More recently, the approach of engineering antibody-drug conjugate scaffolds to achieve highly controlled drug to antibody ratios has focused on substituting or inserting cysteines to facilitate site-specific conjugation. Herein, we characterize an antibody scaffold engineered with an inserted cysteine that formed an unexpected disulfide bridge during manufacture. A combination of mass spectrometry and biophysical techniques have been used to understand how the additional disulfide bridge forms, interconverts, and changes the stability and structural dynamics of the antibody intermediate. This quantitative and structurally resolved model of the local and global changes in structure and dynamics associated with the engineering and subsequent disulfide-bonded variant can assist future engineering strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina T Orozco
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Edgeworth
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, CB21 6GH Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paul W A Devine
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, CB21 6GH Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alistair R Hines
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, CB21 6GH Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Owen Cornwell
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, CB21 6GH Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Thompson
- Purification Process Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
| | - Xiangyang Wang
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878, United States
| | - Jonathan J Phillips
- Living Systems Institute, Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, EX4 4QD Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Ravn
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, R&D, AstraZeneca, CB21 6GH Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie E Jackson
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J Bond
- Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, CB21 6GH Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Kumar A, Mao S, Dimasi N, Gao C. Design and Validation of Linkers for Site-Specific Preparation of Antibody-Drug Conjugates Carrying Multiple Drug Copies Per Cysteine Conjugation Site. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21186882. [PMID: 32961794 PMCID: PMC7555909 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
First-generation cysteine-based site-specific antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are limited to one drug per cysteine. However, certain applications require a high drug to antibody ratio (DAR), such as when low-potency payloads are used. Higher drug load can be achieved using classical cysteine conjugation methods, but these result in heterogeneity, suboptimal efficacy and pharmacokinetics. Here, we describe the design, synthesis and validation of heterobifunctional linkers that can be used for the preparation of ADCs with a DAR of two, three and four in a site-specific manner per single cysteine conjugation site, resulting in site-specific ADCs with a DAR of four, six and eight. The designed linkers carry a sulfhydryl-specific iodoacetyl reactive group, and multiple cyclic diene moieties which can efficiently react with maleimide-carrying payloads through the Diels–Alder reaction. As a proof of concept, we synthesized site-specific DAR four, six and eight ADCs carrying tubulysin (AZ13601508) using engineered antibodies with a cysteine inserted after position 239 in the antibody CH2 domain. We evaluated and compared the in vitro cytotoxicity of ADCs obtained via the site-specific platform described herein, with ADCs prepared using classical cysteine conjugation. Our data validated a novel cysteine-based conjugation platform for the preparation of site-specific ADCs with high drug load for therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca R&D, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (A.K.); (N.D.)
| | - Shenlan Mao
- AstraZeneca Oncology R&D, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA;
| | - Nazzareno Dimasi
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca R&D, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (A.K.); (N.D.)
| | - Changshou Gao
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca R&D, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (A.K.); (N.D.)
- Correspondence:
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