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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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Coplan L, Zhang Z, Ragone N, Reeves J, Rodriguez A, Shevade A, Bak H, Tustian AD. High-yield recombinant adeno-associated viral vector production by multivariate optimization of bioprocess and transfection conditions. Biotechnol Prog 2024; 40:e3445. [PMID: 38450973 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3445] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAVs) are one of the most used vehicles for gene therapy, with five rAAV therapeutics commercially approved by the FDA. To improve product yield, we optimized the suspension production process of rAAV8 vectors carrying a proprietary transgene using a commercially available transfection reagent, FectoVIR-AAV. Using a miniaturized automated 250 mL scale bioreactor system, we generated models of vector genome (vg) titer, capsid (cp) titer, and Vg:Cp percentage from two multivariate design of experiment studies, one centered around bioreactor operating parameters, and another based on the transfection conditions. Using the optimized process returned from these models, the vector genome titer from the bioreactor was improved to beyond 1 × 1012 vg/mL. Five critical parameters were identified that had large effects on the pre-purification vector quantity-the transfection pH, production pH, complexation time, viable cell density at transfection, and transfection reagent to DNA ratio. The optimized process was further assessed for its performance extending to six AAV serotypes, namely AAV1, AAV2, AAV5, AAV6, AAV8, and AAV9 carrying a transgene encoding for green fluorescent protein (GFP). Five of the six serotypes returned higher vector genome titers than the control condition. These data suggest that the choice of transfection reagent is a major factor in improving vector yield. The multivariate design of experiment approach is a powerful way to optimize production processes, and the optimized process from one AAV vector can to some extent be generalized to other serotypes and transgenes to accelerate development timelines of new programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Coplan
- Preclinical Manufacturing and Process Development, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, New York, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Preclinical Manufacturing and Process Development, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, New York, USA
| | - Nicole Ragone
- Research Operations, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, New York, USA
| | - John Reeves
- Preclinical Manufacturing and Process Development, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, New York, USA
| | - Audrey Rodriguez
- Preclinical Manufacturing and Process Development, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, New York, USA
| | - Aishwarya Shevade
- Preclinical Manufacturing and Process Development, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, New York, USA
| | - Hanne Bak
- Preclinical Manufacturing and Process Development, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, New York, USA
| | - Andrew D Tustian
- Preclinical Manufacturing and Process Development, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, New York, USA
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Surowiec I, Scholz J. Capacitance sensors in cell-based bioprocesses: online monitoring of biomass and more. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 83:102979. [PMID: 37619528 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102979] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Biocapacitance measurement has emerged as a widely used technique for monitoring bioprocesses that involve living cells. Over time, hardware and software developments have enabled this method to move from food towards biopharma industries for improved characterisation, monitoring and control of the bioprocess, even in strictly regulated production environments. In alignment with the general trends in biopharma towards new modalities such as virus-based and cell-based therapies, biocapacitance measurement is entering this area and provides new opportunities for process development and control. Based on the recent progress, the authors strongly believe that even though biocapacitance measurement is a mature, established technology for online biomass monitoring, the nearest future will bring its new and exciting developments and applications that will enhance bioprocess understanding and bring new solutions for enhanced process understanding, monitoring and control.
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Iglesias CF, Ristovski M, Bolic M, Cuperlovic-Culf M. rAAV Manufacturing: The Challenges of Soft Sensing during Upstream Processing. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:bioengineering10020229. [PMID: 36829723 PMCID: PMC9951952 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10020229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) is the most effective viral vector technology for directly translating the genomic revolution into medicinal therapies. However, the manufacturing of rAAV viral vectors remains challenging in the upstream processing with low rAAV yield in large-scale production and high cost, limiting the generalization of rAAV-based treatments. This situation can be improved by real-time monitoring of critical process parameters (CPP) that affect critical quality attributes (CQA). To achieve this aim, soft sensing combined with predictive modeling is an important strategy that can be used for optimizing the upstream process of rAAV production by monitoring critical process variables in real time. However, the development of soft sensors for rAAV production as a fast and low-cost monitoring approach is not an easy task. This review article describes four challenges and critically discusses the possible solutions that can enable the application of soft sensors for rAAV production monitoring. The challenges from a data scientist's perspective are (i) a predictor variable (soft-sensor inputs) set without AAV viral titer, (ii) multi-step forecasting, (iii) multiple process phases, and (iv) soft-sensor development composed of the mechanistic model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Milica Ristovski
- Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Miodrag Bolic
- Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Miroslava Cuperlovic-Culf
- Digital Technologies Research Center, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Bergin A, Carvell J, Butler M. Applications of bio-capacitance to cell culture manufacturing. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 61:108048. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Joiner J, Huang Z, McHugh K, Stebbins M, Aron K, Borys M, Khetan A. Process modeling of recombinant adeno-associated virus production in HEK293 cells. Curr Opin Chem Eng 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2022.100823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Escandell JM, Pais DA, Carvalho SB, Vincent K, Gomes-Alves P, Alves PM. Leveraging rAAV bioprocess understanding and next generation bioanalytics development. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 74:271-277. [PMID: 35007989 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated (rAAV) vector-based gene therapy has been the focus of intense research driven by the safety profile and several recent clinical breakthroughs. As of April 2021, there are two rAAV-based gene therapies approved and more than two-hundred active clinical trials (approximately thirty in Phase III). However, the expected increase in demand for rAAV vectors still poses several challenges. Discussed herein are key aspects related to R&D needs and Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (CMC) efforts required to attend this growing demand. Authors provide their perspective on strategic topics for rAAV-based therapies success: scalability and productivity; improved safety; increased process understanding combined with development of orthogonal bioanalytics that are able to identify, monitor and control Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) during bioprocessing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose M Escandell
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, Oeiras, 2780-901, Portugal; ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. Da República, Oeiras, 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Daniel Am Pais
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, Oeiras, 2780-901, Portugal; ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. Da República, Oeiras, 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Sofia B Carvalho
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, Oeiras, 2780-901, Portugal; ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. Da República, Oeiras, 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Karen Vincent
- SANOFI, 49 New York Avenue, Framingham, MA 01701, USA
| | - Patrícia Gomes-Alves
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, Oeiras, 2780-901, Portugal; ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. Da República, Oeiras, 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Paula M Alves
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, Oeiras, 2780-901, Portugal; ITQB-NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. Da República, Oeiras, 2780-157, Portugal.
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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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Abstract
This special issue is devoted to new developments in measurement technologies for upstream and downstream bioprocessing [...]
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