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Hu Y, Hu M, Ye X, Wu Z, Kang J, Wong C, Palackal N, Qiu H, Li N. A simple and sensitive differential digestion method to analyze adeno-associated virus residual host cell proteins by LC-MS. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2024; 242:116009. [PMID: 38354541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116009] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Many methods using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) have been established for identifying residual host cell proteins (HCPs) to aid in the process development and quality control of therapeutic proteins. However, the use of MS-based techniques for adeno-associated virus (AAV) is still in its infancy, with few methods reported and minimal information available on potentially problematic HCPs. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive and effective differential digestion method to profile residual HCPs in AAV. Unlike direct digestion, which completely digests both AAV and HCPs, our differential digestion method takes advantage of AAV's unique characteristics to maintain the integrity of AAV while preferentially digesting HCPs under denaturing and reducing conditions. This differential digestion method requires only several micrograms of sample and significantly enhances the identification of HCPs. Furthermore, this method can be applied to all five different AAV serotypes for comprehensive HCP profiling. Our work fills a gap in AAV HCP analysis by providing a sensitive and robust strategy for detecting, monitoring, and measuring HCPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunli Hu
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, USA.
| | - Mengqi Hu
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, USA
| | - Xiang Ye
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, USA
| | - Zhijie Wu
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, USA
| | - Jianming Kang
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, USA
| | - Christina Wong
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, USA
| | - Nisha Palackal
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, USA
| | - Haibo Qiu
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, USA.
| | - Ning Li
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, USA
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2
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Tian Y, Wang X, Shao D, Zhao W, Chen R, Huang Q. Establishment and evaluation of detection methods for process-specific residual host cell protein and residual host cell DNA in biological preparation. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e3986. [PMID: 38504442 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3986] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
To establish accurate detection methods of process-specific Escherichia coli residual host cell protein (HCP) and residual host cell DNA (rcDNA) in recombinant biological preparations. Taking the purification process of GLP expressed by E. coli as a specific-process model, the HCP of empty E. coli was intercepted to immunize mice and rabbits. Using IgG from immunized rabbits as the coating antibody and mouse immune serum as the second sandwich antibody, a process-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for E. coli HCP was established. Targeting the 16S gene of E. coli, ddPCR was used to obtain the absolute copies of rcDNA in samples. Non-process-specific commercial ELISA kit and the process-specific ELISA established in this study were used to detect the HCP in GLP preparation. About 62% of HCPs, which should be process-specific HCPs, could not be detected by the non-process-specific commercial ELISA kit. The sensitivity of established ELISA can reach 338 pg/mL. The rcDNA could be absolutely quantitated by ddPCR, for the copies of rcDNA in three multiple diluted samples showed a reduced gradient. While the copies of rcDNA in three multiple diluted samples could not be distinguished by the qPCR. Process-specific ELISA has high sensitivity in detecting process-specific E. coli HCP. The absolutely quantitative ddPCR has much higher accuracy than the relatively quantitative qPCR, it is a nucleic acid quantitative method that is expected to replace qPCR in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixiao Tian
- Key Laboratory for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinyue Wang
- Key Laboratory for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dongyan Shao
- Key Laboratory for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wen Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Renan Chen
- Shaanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qingsheng Huang
- Key Laboratory for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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3
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Zhang S, Xiao H, Li N. Analysis of Host Cell Proteins in AAV Products with ProteoMiner Protein Enrichment Technology. Anal Chem 2024; 96:1890-1897. [PMID: 38262068 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Despite substantial efforts to detect host cell proteins (HCPs) in antibody drugs, information regarding HCPs in gene therapy products remains limited and has not been widely integrated into the host cell engineering or purification processes. Most methods that have successfully detected HCPs in antibody drugs are not applicable to gene therapy products, except for the ProteoMiner enrichment method. Here, we demonstrate that ProteoMiner beads effectively enrich HCPs in adeno-associated virus (AAV) products and simultaneously remove the detergent Pluronic F-68 without a loss of low-abundance HCPs. Following optimization of this technique, there was up to a 34-fold increase in the enrichment of HCPs compared to direct digestion. Moreover, the detection limit was significantly lowered with the ability to detect HCPs at levels as low as 0.1 ng/mL after ProteoMiner treatment. This approach holds promise in AAV HCP analysis and may be adaptable to other gene therapy products. The findings from this study provide valuable insights into HCPs in AAV products and may facilitate process development and host cell line optimization. The high sensitivity of this approach also facilitates detection of critical low-abundance HCPs, thereby contributing to risk assessment of their impact on the safety and quality of the AAV-based gene therapy products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Zhang
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Hui Xiao
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
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Kilgore R, Minzoni A, Shastry S, Smith W, Barbieri E, Wu Y, LeBarre JP, Chu W, O'Brien J, Menegatti S. The downstream bioprocess toolbox for therapeutic viral vectors. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1709:464337. [PMID: 37722177 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Viral vectors are poised to acquire a prominent position in modern medicine and biotechnology owing to their role as delivery agents for gene therapies, oncolytic agents, vaccine platforms, and a gateway to engineer cell therapies as well as plants and animals for sustainable agriculture. The success of viral vectors will critically depend on the availability of flexible and affordable biomanufacturing strategies that can meet the growing demand by clinics and biotech companies worldwide. In this context, a key role will be played by downstream process technology: while initially adapted from protein purification media, the purification toolbox for viral vectors is currently undergoing a rapid expansion to fit the unique biomolecular characteristics of these products. Innovation efforts are articulated on two fronts, namely (i) the discovery of affinity ligands that target adeno-associated virus, lentivirus, adenovirus, etc.; (ii) the development of adsorbents with innovative morphologies, such as membranes and 3D printed monoliths, that fit the size of viral vectors. Complementing these efforts are the design of novel process layouts that capitalize on novel ligands and adsorbents to ensure high yield and purity of the product while safeguarding its therapeutic efficacy and safety; and a growing panel of analytical methods that monitor the complex array of critical quality attributes of viral vectors and correlate them to the purification strategies. To help explore this complex and evolving environment, this study presents a comprehensive overview of the downstream bioprocess toolbox for viral vectors established in the last decade, and discusses present efforts and future directions contributing to the success of this promising class of biological medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Kilgore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States.
| | - Arianna Minzoni
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Shriarjun Shastry
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States; Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Will Smith
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Eduardo Barbieri
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Yuxuan Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Jacob P LeBarre
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Wenning Chu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Juliana O'Brien
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States; Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States; North Carolina Viral Vector Initiative in Research and Learning, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States
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Smith J, Strasser L, Guapo F, Milian SG, Snyder RO, Bones J. SP3-based host cell protein monitoring in AAV-based gene therapy products using LC-MS/MS. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2023:S0939-6411(23)00172-8. [PMID: 37419424 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2023.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Residual host cell proteins (HCPs) represent a critical quality attribute of biotherapeutic drug products. Workflows enabling reliable HCP detection in monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins have been developed, which facilitated process optimization to improve product stability and safety and allowed setting of acceptance limits for HCP content. However, the detection of HCPs in gene therapy products such as adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors has been limited by methods and their reagents. Here, the use of SP3 sample preparation followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis for HCP profiling in various AAV samples is reported. Suitability of the workflow is demonstrated and provided data constitutes an important reference for future work aiming towards a knowledge-driven improvement of manufacturing conditions and characterization of AAV vector products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh Smith
- Characterisation and Comparability Laboratory, The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland
| | - Lisa Strasser
- Characterisation and Comparability Laboratory, The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland
| | - Felipe Guapo
- Characterisation and Comparability Laboratory, The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland
| | - Steven G Milian
- Patheon Viral Vector Services, 13859 Progress Blvd., Alachua, 32615, Florida, US
| | - Richard O Snyder
- Patheon Viral Vector Services, 13859 Progress Blvd., Alachua, 32615, Florida, US
| | - Jonathan Bones
- Characterisation and Comparability Laboratory, The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland; School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
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Serrano MAC, Furman R, Chen G, Tao L. Mass spectrometry in gene therapy: Challenges and opportunities for AAV analysis. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103442. [PMID: 36396118 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The characterization of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy products represents significant challenges owing to their extremely large molecular sizes, structural complexity and heterogeneity, and limited sample amounts. Mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the key analytical tools that can overcome these challenges and serve as an important technique for the analysis of multiple attributes. In this review, the current methodologies and emerging trends in MS analysis of AAV gene therapy products are presented, highlighting their advantages and unique capabilities in addressing key issues encountered in intact AAV vector analysis, capsid viral protein characterization and impurity analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahalia A C Serrano
- Analytical Development and Attribute Sciences, Biologics Development, Global Product Development and Supply, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Ran Furman
- Analytical Development and Attribute Sciences, Biologics Development, Global Product Development and Supply, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Guodong Chen
- Analytical Development and Attribute Sciences, Biologics Development, Global Product Development and Supply, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - Li Tao
- Analytical Development and Attribute Sciences, Biologics Development, Global Product Development and Supply, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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Dyball LE, Smales CM. Exosomes: Biogenesis, targeting, characterisation and their potential as 'Plug & Play' vaccine platforms. Biotechnol J 2022; 17:e2100646. [PMID: 35899790 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202100646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Exosomes are typically characterized as spherical extracellular vesicles less than 150 nm in diameter that have been released into the extracellular environment via fusion of multivesicular bodies (MVBs) to the plasma membrane. Exosomes play a key role in cell-cell communication, vary widely in their composition and potential cargo, and are reportedly involved in processes as diverse as angiogenesis, apoptosis, antigen presentation, inflammation, receptor-mediated endocytosis, cell proliferation, and differentiation, and cell-signaling. Exosomes can also act as biomarkers of health and disease and have enormous potential use as therapeutic agents. Despite this, the understanding of how exosome biogenesis can be utilized to generate exosomes carrying specific targets for particular therapeutic uses, their manufacture, detailed analytical characterization, and methods of application are yet to be fully harnessed. In this review, we describe the current understanding of these areas of exosome biology from a biotechnology and bioprocessing aspect, but also highlight the challenges that remain to be overcome to fully harness the power of exosomes as therapeutic agents, with a particular focus on their use and application as vaccine platforms. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Dyball
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - C Mark Smales
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK.,National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co, Dublin, A94×099, Ireland
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Seisenberger C, Graf T, Haindl M, Wegele H, Wiedmann M, Wohlrab S. Toward optimal clearance - A universal affinity based mass spectrometry approach for comprehensive ELISA reagent coverage evaluation and HCP hitchhiker analysis. Biotechnol Prog 2022; 38:e3244. [PMID: 35150475 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In the control strategy for process related impurities in biopharmaceuticals the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the method of choice for the quantification of host cell proteins (HCP). Besides two dimensional - western blots (2D-WB), the coverage of ELISA antibodies is increasingly evaluated by affinity purification based liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (AP-MS) methods. However, all these methods face the problem of unspecific binding issues between antibodies and the matrix, involving the application of arbitrarily defined thresholds during data evaluation. To solve this, a new approach (optimized AP-MS) was developed in this study, for which a cleavable linker was conjugated to the ELISA antibodies enabling the subsequent isolation of specifically interacting HCPs. By comparing both approaches in terms of method variability and the number of false positive or negative hits, we could demonstrate that the optimized AP-MS method is very reproducible and superior in the identification of antibody detection gaps, while previously described strategies suffered from over- or underestimating the coverage. As only antibody associated HCPs were identified, we demonstrated that the method is beneficial for hitchhiker analysis. Overall, the method described herein has proven as a powerful tool for reliable coverage determination of ELISA antibodies, without the need to arbitrarily exclude HCPs during the coverage evaluation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tobias Graf
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Markus Haindl
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Harald Wegele
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, Penzberg, Germany
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