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Ito T, Lutz H, Tan L, Wang B, Tan J, Patel M, Chen L, Tsunakawa Y, Park B, Banerjee S. Host cell proteins in monoclonal antibody processing: Control, detection, and removal. Biotechnol Prog 2024; 40:e3448. [PMID: 38477405 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3448] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Host cell proteins (HCPs) are process-related impurities in a therapeutic protein expressed using cell culture technology. This review presents biopharmaceutical industry trends in terms of both HCPs in the bioprocessing of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and the capabilities for HCP clearance by downstream unit operations. A comprehensive assessment of currently implemented and emerging technologies in the manufacturing processes with extensive references was performed. Meta-analyses of published downstream data were conducted to identify trends. Improved analytical methods and understanding of "high-risk" HCPs lead to more robust manufacturing processes and higher-quality therapeutics. The trend of higher cell density cultures leads to both higher mAb expression and higher HCP levels. However, HCP levels can be significantly reduced with improvements in operations, resulting in similar concentrations of approx. 10 ppm HCPs. There are no differences in the performance of HCP clearance between recent enhanced downstream operations and traditional batch processing. This review includes best practices for developing improved processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Ito
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Herb Lutz
- Independent Consultant, Sudbury, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lihan Tan
- Life Science Services, Sigma-Aldrich Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bin Wang
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Chemicals (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany), Shanghai, China
| | - Janice Tan
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Pte Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Singapore
| | - Masum Patel
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Bangalore, India
| | - Lance Chen
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Pte Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Singapore
| | - Yuki Tsunakawa
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Byunghyun Park
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Subhasis Banerjee
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Bangalore, India
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Carvalho SF, Pereiro AB, Araújo JMM. Simultaneous Purification of Human Interferon Alpha-2b and Serum Albumin Using Bioprivileged Fluorinated Ionic Liquid-Based Aqueous Biphasic Systems. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2751. [PMID: 38473998 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Interferon alpha-2b (IFN-α2b) is an essential cytokine widely used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C and hairy cell leukemia, and serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein with numerous physiological functions. Effective single-step aqueous biphasic system (ABS) extraction for the simultaneous purification of IFN-α2b and BSA (serum albumin protein) was developed in this work. Effects of the ionic liquid (IL)-based ABS functionalization, fluorinated ILs (FILs; [C2C1Im][C4F9SO3] and [N1112(OH)][C4F9SO3]) vs. mere fluoro-containing IL ([C4C1Im][CF3SO3]), in combination with sucrose or [N1112(OH)][H2PO4] (well-known globular protein stabilizers), or high-charge-density salt K3PO4 were investigated. The effects of phase pH, phase water content (%wt), phase composition (%wt), and phase volume ratio were investigated. The phase pH was found to have a significant effect on IFN-α2b and BSA partition. Experimental results show that simultaneous single-step purification was achieved with a high yield (extraction efficiency up to 100%) for both proteins and a purification factor of IFN-α2b high in the enriched IFN-α2b phase (up to 23.22) and low in the BSA-enriched phase (down to 0.00). SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed the purity of both recovered proteins. The stability and structure of IFN-α2b and BSA were preserved or even improved (FIL-rich phase) during the purification step, as evaluated by CD spectroscopy and DSC. Binding studies of IFN-α2b and BSA with the ABS phase-forming components were assessed by MST, showing the strong interaction between FILs aggregates and both proteins. In view of their biocompatibility, customizable properties, and selectivity, FIL-based ABSs are suggested as an improved purification step that could facilitate the development of biologics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara F Carvalho
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Ana B Pereiro
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - João M M Araújo
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
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Herman CE, Min L, Choe LH, Maurer RW, Xu X, Ghose S, Lee KH, Lenhoff AM. Behavior of host-cell-protein-rich aggregates in antibody capture and polishing chromatography. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1702:464081. [PMID: 37244165 PMCID: PMC10299761 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Recent work has shown that aggregates in monoclonal antibody (mAb) solutions may be made up not just of mAb oligomers but can also harbor hundreds of host-cell proteins (HCPs), suggesting that aggregate persistence through downstream purification operations may be related to HCP clearance. We have examined this in a primary analysis of aggregate persistence through processing steps that are typically implemented for HCP reduction, demonstrating that the phenomenon is relevant to depth filtration, protein A chromatography and flow-through anion-exchange (AEX) polishing. Confocal laser scanning microscopy observations show that aggregates compete with the mAb to adsorb specifically in protein A chromatography and that this competitive interaction is integral to the efficacy of protein A washes. Column chromatography reveals that the protein A elution tail can have a relatively high concentration of aggregates, which corroborates analogous observations from recent HCP studies. Similar measurements in flow-through AEX chromatography show that relatively large aggregates that harbor HCPs and that persist into the protein A eluate can be retained to an extent that appears to depend primarily on the resin surface chemistry. The total aggregate mass fraction of both protein A eluate pools (∼ 2.4 - 3.6%) and AEX flow-through fractions (∼ 1.5 - 3.2%) correlates generally with HCP concentrations measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as well as the number of HCPs that may be identified in proteomic analysis. This suggests that quantification of the aggregate mass fraction may serve as a convenient albeit imperfect surrogate for informing early process development decisions regarding HCP clearance strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase E Herman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Lie Min
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Leila H Choe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Ronald W Maurer
- Biologics Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Devens, MA 01434, USA
| | - Xuankuo Xu
- Biologics Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Devens, MA 01434, USA
| | - Sanchayita Ghose
- Biologics Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Devens, MA 01434, USA
| | - Kelvin H Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Abraham M Lenhoff
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
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Linke JA, Rayat A, Ward JM. Production of indigo by recombinant bacteria. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2023; 10:20. [PMID: 36936720 PMCID: PMC10011309 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-023-00626-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Indigo is an economically important dye, especially for the textile industry and the dyeing of denim fabrics for jeans and garments. Around 80,000 tonnes of indigo are chemically produced each year with the use of non-renewable petrochemicals and the use and generation of toxic compounds. As many microorganisms and their enzymes are able to synthesise indigo after the expression of specific oxygenases and hydroxylases, microbial fermentation could offer a more sustainable and environmentally friendly manufacturing platform. Although multiple small-scale studies have been performed, several existing research gaps still hinder the effective translation of these biochemical approaches. No article has evaluated the feasibility and relevance of the current understanding and development of indigo biocatalysis for real-life industrial applications. There is no record of either established or practically tested large-scale bioprocess for the biosynthesis of indigo. To address this, upstream and downstream processing considerations were carried out for indigo biosynthesis. 5 classes of potential biocatalysts were identified, and 2 possible bioprocess flowsheets were designed that facilitate generating either a pre-reduced dye solution or a dry powder product. Furthermore, considering the publicly available data on the development of relevant technology and common bioprocess facilities, possible platform and process values were estimated, including titre, DSP yield, potential plant capacities, fermenter size and batch schedule. This allowed us to project the realistic annual output of a potential indigo biosynthesis platform as 540 tonnes. This was interpreted as an industrially relevant quantity, sufficient to provide an annual dye supply to a single industrial-size denim dyeing plant. The conducted sensitivity analysis showed that this anticipated output is most sensitive to changes in the reaction titer, which can bring a 27.8% increase or a 94.4% drop. Thus, although such a biological platform would require careful consideration, fine-tuning and optimization before real-life implementation, the recombinant indigo biosynthesis was found as already attractive for business exploitation for both, luxury segment customers and mass-producers of denim garments. Graphical Abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40643-023-00626-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A. Linke
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Chemical Engineering Department, University College London (UCL), Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7JE UK
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Medicine, University College London (UCL), 5 University Street, London, WC1E 6JF UK
| | - Andrea Rayat
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Biochemical Engineering Department, University College London (UCL), Gower St., London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - John M. Ward
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Biochemical Engineering Department, University College London (UCL), Gower St., London, WC1E 6BT UK
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Analytics of host cell proteins (HCPs): lessons from biopharmaceutical mAb analysis for Gene therapy products. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 71:98-104. [PMID: 34311150 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Analytics for host cell protein (HCP) analysis of therapeutic monoclonal antibody preparations have developed enormously. We consider how learnings from this can inform HCP analysis of gene therapy viral vector products. The application of mass spectrometry (MS) approaches for analysis of HCPs in viral vector preparations is being established, although such information remains limited and is yet to be widely applied into process or host cell line development to reduce HCP amounts or risk. As these MS approaches, and the data from them, are applied and become available, the process understanding created will speed process development activity. We describe technologies that have been, or can be, applied to viral vector HCP analysis to aid process development, reduce HCP amounts, identify critical HCPs and thus inform risk assessment and management based on a knowledge of specific HCPs, ultimately delivering safe and efficacious gene therapy products to the clinic.
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Castro LS, Pereira P, Passarinha LA, Freire MG, Pedro AQ. Enhanced performance of polymer-polymer aqueous two-phase systems using ionic liquids as adjuvants towards the purification of recombinant proteins. Sep Purif Technol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2020.117051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Recent advances in LC–MS based characterization of protein-based bio-therapeutics – mastering analytical challenges posed by the increasing format complexity. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2020; 186:113251. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Goey CH, Alhuthali S, Kontoravdi C. Host cell protein removal from biopharmaceutical preparations: Towards the implementation of quality by design. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:1223-1237. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Genetically-encoded biosensors for monitoring cellular stress in bioprocessing. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2015; 31:50-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2014.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Zhang Q, Goetze AM, Cui H, Wylie J, Trimble S, Hewig A, Flynn GC. Comprehensive tracking of host cell proteins during monoclonal antibody purifications using mass spectrometry. MAbs 2014; 6:659-70. [PMID: 24518299 DOI: 10.4161/mabs.28120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
An advanced two-dimensional liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry platform was used to quantify individual host cell proteins (HCPs) present at various purification steps for several therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The methodology produced reproducible identifications and quantifications among replicate analyses consistent with a previously documented individual limit of quantification of ~13 ppm. We were able to track individual HCPs from cell culture fluid to protein A eluate pool to subsequent viral inactivation pool and, in some cases, further downstream. Approximately 500 HCPs were confidently identified in cell culture fluid and this number declined progressively through the purification scheme until no HCPs could be confidently identified in polishing step cation-exchange eluate pools. The protein A eluate pool of nine different mAbs contained widely differing numbers, and total levels, of HCPs, yet the bulk of the total HCP content in each case consisted of a small subset of normally intracellular HCPs highly abundant in cell culture fluid. These observations hint that minimizing cell lysis during cell culture/harvest may be useful in minimizing downstream HCP content. Clusterin and actin are abundant in the protein A eluate pools of most mAbs studied. HCP profiling by this methodology can provide useful information to process developers and lead to the refinement of existing purification platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingchun Zhang
- Product Attribute Sciences, Amgen Inc.; Thousand Oaks, CA USA
| | - Andrew M Goetze
- Product Attribute Sciences, Amgen Inc.; Thousand Oaks, CA USA
| | - Huanchun Cui
- Drug Substance Development, Amgen Inc.; Thousand Oaks, CA USA
| | - Jenna Wylie
- Drug Substance Development, Amgen Inc.; Thousand Oaks, CA USA
| | - Steve Trimble
- Drug Substance Development, Amgen Inc.; Seattle, WA USA
| | - Art Hewig
- Drug Substance Development, Amgen Inc.; Thousand Oaks, CA USA
| | - Gregory C Flynn
- Product Attribute Sciences, Amgen Inc.; Thousand Oaks, CA USA
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