1
|
Kufer R, Larraillet V, Thalhauser S, Graf T, Endesfelder M, Wohlrab S. Ubiquitin: Characterization of a Host Cell Protein Covalently Attached to a Monoclonal Antibody Product by LC-MS/MS. J Pharm Sci 2023:S0022-3549(23)00545-2. [PMID: 38135055 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.12.018] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Host cell protein (HCP) characterization is a crucial quality parameter for biotherapeutic drug safety and stability. With a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach, we identified ubiquitin in ultrafiltration/diafiltration (UF/DF) pools of one of our monoclonal antibody (mAb) products. Since ubiquitin occurs physiologically as a post-translational modification (PTM) involved in many cellular functions, we suspected the possibility that if identified as an HCP, it may occur as a covalent modification on the mAb. In fact, in this study we characterized and quantified the ubiquitin modification on the Fc domain of mAbX by data dependent acquisition (DDA) and data independent acquisition (DIA) - MS workflows. Covalent binding and site localization were confirmed by identifying a characteristic diglycine motif on the modified peptide. Initially observed reduced detectability of ubiquitin in samples prepared with native digestion was attributed to impaired digestion and subsequent removal along with the mAb in the precipitation step. Our work has contributed to a better understanding of ubiquitin as an HCP considering its specific features such as occurrence in different topologies and provided insight into how covalent binding to a drug product can affect its identification by MS when native digestion conditions are used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Regina Kufer
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany.
| | - Vincent Larraillet
- Large Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Thalhauser
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Tobias Graf
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Manuel Endesfelder
- Large Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Wohlrab
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Guo J, Kufer R, Li D, Wohlrab S, Greenwood-Goodwin M, Yang F. Technical advancement and practical considerations of LC-MS/MS-based methods for host cell protein identification and quantitation to support process development. MAbs 2023; 15:2213365. [PMID: 37218066 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2213365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Host cell proteins (HCPs) are process-related impurities derived from the manufacturing of recombinant biotherapeutics. Residual HCP in drug products, ranging from 1 to 100 ppm (ng HCP/mg product) or even below sub-ppm level, may affect product quality, stability, efficacy, or safety. Therefore, removal of HCPs to appropriate levels is critical for the bioprocess development of biotherapeutics. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis has become an important tool to identify, quantify, and monitor the clearance of individual HCPs. This review covers the technical advancement of sample preparation strategies, new LC-MS-based techniques, and data analysis approaches to robustly and sensitively measure HCPs while overcoming the high dynamic range analytical challenges. We also discuss our strategy for LC-MS-based HCP workflows to enable fast support of process development throughout the product life cycle, and provide insights into developing specific analytical strategies leveraging LC-MS tools to control HCPs in process and mitigate their potential risks to drug quality, stability, and patient safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Guo
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Regina Kufer
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Delia Li
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stefanie Wohlrab
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| | | | - Feng Yang
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yang F, Li D, Kufer R, Cadang L, Zhang J, Dai L, Guo J, Wohlrab S, Greenwood-Goodwin M, Shen A, Duan D, Li H, Yuk IH. Versatile LC-MS-Based Workflow with Robust 0.1 ppm Sensitivity for Identifying Residual HCPs in Biotherapeutic Products. Anal Chem 2021; 94:723-731. [PMID: 34927411 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c03095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Residual host cell proteins (HCPs) in the drug product can affect product quality, stability, and/or safety. In particular, highly active hydrolytic enzymes at sub-ppm levels can negatively impact the shelf life of drug products but are challenging to identify by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) due to their high dynamic range between HCPs and biotherapeutic proteins. We employed new strategies to address the challenge: (1) native digest at a high protein concentration; (2) sodium deoxycholate added during the reduction step to minimize the inadvertent omission of HCPs observed with native digestion; and (3) solid phase extraction with 50% MeCN elution prior to LC-MS/MS analysis to ensure effective mAb removal. A 50 cm long nanoflow charged surface hybrid column was also packed to allow for higher sample load for increased sensitivity. Our workflow has increased the sensitivity for HCP identification by 10- to 100-fold over previous reports and showed the robustness as low as 0.1 ppm for identifying HCPs (34.5 to 66.2 kDa MW). The method capability was further confirmed by consistently identifying >85% of 48 UPS-1 proteins (0.10 to 1.34 ppm, 6.3 to 82.9 kDa MW) in a monoclonal antibody (mAb) and the largest number (746) of mouse proteins from NIST mAb reported to date by a single analysis. Our work has filled a significant gap in HCP analysis for detecting and demonstrating HCP clearance, in particular, extremely low-level hydrolases in drug process development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feng Yang
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Delia Li
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Regina Kufer
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg 82377, Germany
| | - Lance Cadang
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jennifer Zhang
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Lu Dai
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jia Guo
- Analytical Operations, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Stefanie Wohlrab
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg 82377, Germany
| | - Midori Greenwood-Goodwin
- Analytical Operations, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Amy Shen
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Dana Duan
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Hong Li
- Protein Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Inn H Yuk
- Cell Culture and Bioprocess Operations, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Graf T, Tomlinson A, Yuk IH, Kufer R, Spensberger B, Falkenstein R, Shen A, Li H, Duan D, Liu W, Wohlrab S, Edelmann F, Leiss M. Identification and Characterization of Polysorbate-Degrading Enzymes in a Monoclonal Antibody Formulation. J Pharm Sci 2021; 110:3558-3567. [PMID: 34224732 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2021.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Degradation of polysorbate (PS) by hydrolytically active host cell proteins (HCPs) in drug products may impair the protein-stabilizing properties of PS and lead to the formation of particles due to the accumulation of poorly soluble free fatty acids upon long-term storage. The identification of the causative enzymes is challenging due to their low-abundance even when using state-of-the-art instrumentation and workflows. To overcome these challenges, we developed a rigorous enrichment strategy for HCPs, utilizing both Protein A and anti-HCP affinity chromatography, which facilitated the in-depth characterization of the HCP population in a monoclonal antibody formulation prone to PS hydrolysis. Based on the HCPs identified by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, a number of enzymes annotated as hydrolases were recombinantly expressed and characterized in terms of polysorbate degradation. Among the selected candidates, Lipoprotein Lipase, Lysosomal Acid Lipase (LIPA) and Palmitoyl-Protein Thioesterase 1 (PPT1) exhibited notable activity towards PS. To our knowledge, this is the first report to identify LIPA and PPT1 as residual HCPs that can contribute to PS degradation in a biological product.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Graf
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany.
| | - Anthony Tomlinson
- Pharma Technical Development, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Inn H Yuk
- Pharma Technical Development, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Regina Kufer
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Amy Shen
- Pharma Technical Development, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Hong Li
- Pharma Technical Development, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Dana Duan
- Pharma Technical Development, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Wenqiang Liu
- Pharma Technical Development, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | | | - Michael Leiss
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kufer R, Haindl M, Wegele H, Wohlrab S. Evaluation of Peptide Fractionation and Native Digestion as Two Novel Sample Preparation Workflows to Improve HCP Characterization by LC–MS/MS. Anal Chem 2019; 91:9716-9723. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Regina Kufer
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Markus Haindl
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Harald Wegele
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Wohlrab
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
The reverse transcriptase telomerase adds telomeric repeats to chromosome ends to counteract telomere shortening and thereby assures genomic stability in dividing human cells. Key parameters in telomere homeostasis are the frequency with which telomerase engages the chromosome end and the number of telomeric repeats it adds during each association event. To study telomere elongation in vivo, we have established a live-cell imaging assay to track individual telomerase ribonucleoproteins in CRISPR-edited HeLa cells. Using this assay and the drug imetelstat, which is a competitive inhibitor of telomeric DNA binding, we demonstrate that stable association of telomerase with the single-stranded overhang of the chromosome end requires telomerase-DNA base pairing. Furthermore, we show that telomerase processivity contributes to telomere elongation in vivo. Together, these findings provide new insight into the dynamics of telomerase recruitment and the importance of processivity in maintaining telomere length in human cancer cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jens C Schmidt
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Arthur J Zaug
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Regina Kufer
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Thomas R Cech
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| |
Collapse
|