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Wood V, Kellerman MA, Groves K, Quaglia M, Topp EM, Matejtschuk P, Dalby PA. Investigation of the Solid-State Interactions in Lyophilized Human G-CSF Using Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:1965-1976. [PMID: 38516985 PMCID: PMC10988552 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c01211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) previously elucidated the interactions between excipients and proteins for liquid granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) formulations, confirming predictions made using computational structure docking. More recently, solid-state HDX mass spectrometry (ssHDX-MS) was developed for proteins in the lyophilized state. Deuterium uptake in ssHDX-MS has been shown for various proteins, including monoclonal antibodies, to be highly correlated with storage stability, as measured by protein aggregation and chemical degradation. As G-CSF is known to lose activity through aggregation upon lyophilization, we applied the ssHDX-MS method with peptide mapping to four different lyophilized formulations of G-CSF to compare the impact of three excipients on local structure and exchange dynamics. HDX at 22 °C was confirmed to correlate well with the monomer content remaining after lyophilization and storage at -20 °C, with sucrose providing the greatest protection, and then phenylalanine, mannitol, and no excipient leading to progressively less protection. Storage at 45 °C led to little difference in final monomer content among the formulations, and so there was no discernible relationship with total deuterium uptake on ssHDX. Incubation at 45 °C may have led to a structural conformation and/or aggregation mechanism no longer probed by HDX at 22 °C. Such a conformational change was observed previously at 37 °C for liquid-formulated G-CSF using NMR. Peptide mapping revealed that tolerance to lyophilization and -20 °C storage was linked to increased stability in the small helix, loop AB, helix C, and loop CD. LC-MS HDX and NMR had previously linked loop AB and loop CD to the formation of a native-like state (N*) prior to aggregation in liquid formulations, suggesting a similar structural basis for G-CSF aggregation in the liquid and solid states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria
E. Wood
- Department
of Biochemical Engineering, University College
London, London WC1E 6BT, United
Kingdom
| | - Mark-Adam Kellerman
- Department
of Biochemical Engineering, University College
London, London WC1E 6BT, United
Kingdom
| | - Kate Groves
- LGC, Queens Road, Teddington, Middlesex TQ11 0LY, United Kingdom
| | - Milena Quaglia
- LGC, Queens Road, Teddington, Middlesex TQ11 0LY, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth M. Topp
- Department
of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, and
Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Paul Matejtschuk
- Standardisation
Science, NIBSC, Medicines & Healthcare
Products Regulatory Agency, South Mimms, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, United
Kingdom
| | - Paul A. Dalby
- Department
of Biochemical Engineering, University College
London, London WC1E 6BT, United
Kingdom
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Tao Y, Chen Y, Howard W, Ibrahim M, Patel SM, McMahon WP, Kim YJ, Delmar JA, Davis D. Mechanism of Insoluble Aggregate Formation in a Reconstituted Solution of Spray-Dried Protein Powder. Pharm Res 2023; 40:2355-2370. [PMID: 37131104 PMCID: PMC10661820 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-023-03524-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spray-drying is considered a promising alternative drying method to lyophilization (freeze-drying) for therapeutic proteins. Particle counts in reconstituted solutions of dried solid dosage forms of biologic drug products are closely monitored to ensure product quality. We found that high levels of particles formed after reconstitution of protein powders that had been spray-dried under suboptimal conditions. METHODS Visible and subvisible particles were evaluated. Soluble proteins in solution before spray-drying and in the reconstituted solution of spray-dried powder were analyzed for their monomer content levels and melting temperatures. Insoluble particles were collected and analyzed by Fourier transform infrared microscopy (FTIR), and further analyzed with hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX). RESULTS Particles observed after reconstitution were shown not to be undissolved excipients. FTIR confirmed their identity as proteinaceous in nature. These particles were therefore considered to be insoluble protein aggregates, and HDX was applied to investigate the mechanism underlying aggregate formation. Heavy-chain complementarity-determining region 1 (CDR-1) in the aggregates showed significant protection by HDX, suggesting CDR-1 was critical for aggregate formation. In contrast, various regions became more conformationally dynamic globally, suggesting the aggregates have lost protein structural integrity and partially unfolded after spray-drying. DISCUSSION The spray-drying process could have disrupted the higher-order structure of proteins and exposed the hydrophobic residues in CDR-1 of the heavy chain, contributing to the formation of aggregate through hydrophobic interactions upon reconstitution of spray-dried powder. These results can contribute to efforts to design spray-dry resilient protein constructs and improve the robustness of the spray-drying process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeqing Tao
- Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20787, USA.
| | - Yuan Chen
- Dosage Form Design & Development, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Wesley Howard
- Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20787, USA
| | - Mariam Ibrahim
- Dosage Form Design & Development, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Sajal M Patel
- Dosage Form Design & Development, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - William P McMahon
- Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20787, USA
| | - Yoen Joo Kim
- Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20787, USA
| | - Jared A Delmar
- Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20787, USA
| | - Darryl Davis
- Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20787, USA
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Kellerman MAW, Almeida T, Rudd TR, Matejtschuk P, Dalby PA. NMR Reveals Functionally Relevant Thermally Induced Structural Changes within the Native Ensemble of G-CSF. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:3242-3255. [PMID: 35948076 PMCID: PMC9449972 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
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Structure–function relationships in proteins refer
to a
trade-off between stability and bioactivity, molded by evolution of
the molecule. Identifying which protein amino acid residues jeopardize
global or local stability for the benefit of bioactivity would reveal
residues pivotal to this structure–function trade-off. Here,
we use 15N–1H heteronuclear single quantum
coherence (HSQC) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to
probe the microenvironment and dynamics of residues in granulocyte
colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) through thermal perturbation. From
this analysis, we identified four residues (G4, A6, T133, and Q134)
that we classed as significant to global stability, given that they
all experienced large environmental and dynamic changes and were closely
correlated to each other in their NMR characteristics. Additionally,
we observe that roughly four structural clusters are subject to localized
conformational changes or partial unfolding prior to global unfolding
at higher temperature. Combining NMR observables with structure relaxation
methods reveals that these structural clusters concentrate around
loop AB (binding site III inclusive). This loop has been previously
implicated in conformational changes that result in an aggregation
prone state of G-CSF. Residues H43, V48, and S63 appear to be pivotal
to an opening motion of loop AB, a change that is possibly also important
for function. Hence, we present here an approach to profiling residues
in order to highlight their potential roles in the two vital characteristics
of proteins: stability and bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark-Adam W Kellerman
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Almeida
- Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy R Rudd
- Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, United Kingdom.,Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Matejtschuk
- Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, United Kingdom
| | - Paul A Dalby
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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