Protein biopharmaceuticals example

Another way to detect small molecules in the final formulated protein product without the interference from the protein signals is to remove the protein by ultrafiltration. Figure 12.4 compares a section of the proton NMR spectra of a biopharmaceutical protein product before (upper spectrum) and after (bottom spectrum) the protein was removed by ultrafiltering the sample with a Centricon-10 (Millipore Corp, Bedford, MA). Removing protein results in a flatter baseline (bottom spectrum). If small molecules are present in a protein sample, the removal of the protein may allow for unobstructed detection of the small molecules. In this case, a small amount of acetate ( 1 pg/rnl) is detected in the sample [bottom trace, Figure 12.4], Figure 12.5 shows that spikes of 10 p.g/ml of acetate and MES into the protein sample are fully recovered after the ultrafiltration to remove the protein. This example demonstrates that the interference of protein with the detection and quantitation of small-molecule impurities in a formulated protein product can be effectively eliminated by ultrafiltration. 

Chromatographic methods are widely used to describe the analytical properties of different types of biopharmaceutical materials. Size, shape, charge, and hydrophobi-city may each represent properties to be characterized and used to describe the purity, impurities and degradation products, as well as the dose in the case of proteins, for example. 

Some medicines contain molecules based on proteins ( biopharmaceuticals ). The first and best-known example was recombinant human insulin. The environmental relevance of biopharmaceuticals is not yet clear and until now they have not been the focus of environmental research and risk management. However, structurally related compounds such as plasmids have been found in the environment. Furthermore, it is known that the protein structures known as prions are very stable. Most biopharmaceuticals are modified and/or small molecules are attached to them. Therefore, it can be expected that they will behave differently to the pure unmodified proteins. Little is known on their environmental fate and effects. 

The biopharmaceutical sector is largely based upon the application of techniques of molecular biology and genetic engineering for the manipulation and production of therapeutic macromolecules. The majority of approved biopharmaceuticals (described from Chapter 8 onwards) are proteins produced in engineered cell lines by recombinant means. Examples include the production of insulin in recombinant E. coli and recombinant S. cerevisiae, as well as the production of EPO in an engineered (Chinese hamster ovary) animal cell line. 

The expression of recombinant proteins in cells in which they do not naturally occur is termed heterologous protein production (Chapter 3). The first biopharmaceutical produced by genetic engineering to gain marketing approval (in 1982) was recombinant human insulin (tradename Humulin ), produced in E. coli. An example of a more recently approved biopharmaceutical that is produced in E. coli is that of Kepivance, a recombinant keratinocyte growth factor used to treat oral mucositis (Chapter 10). Many additional examples are provided in subsequent chapters. 

The freeze-drying process is initiated by the freezing of the biopharmaceutical product in its final product containers. As the temperature is decreased, ice crystals begin to form and grow. This results in an effective concentration of all the solutes present in the remaining liquid phase, including the protein and all added excipients. For example, the concentration of salts may increase to... 

The MS techniques described previously for characterization of the final recombinant protein product can be applied at all stages during process development. MS might be used upstream to define clone selection, processing format, and purification steps, and downstream to characterize the final product, ascertain lotto-lot reproducibility, determine stability, and define the formulation of biopharmaceutical molecules. Presented here are some examples found either in the literature or from our own experience in which MS has been found to be a useful or necessary tool. Potential limitations of MS methods are discussed, and when appropriate, other analytical methods are mentioned that can be alternatives to MS and are also efficient tools for biopharmaceutical development. 

The ELISA can be used for identification and quantitation of the protein product (biopharmaceutical) of interest throughout the development, production, and manufacturing process. For example, in the initial development phase, ELISAs can aid in the selection of the best cell line. In the early manufacturing steps, it can be used to identify the appropriate product-containing pools or fractions in process to be subjected to further purification. Because of the selectivity of ELISA, it is a suitable tool to select out the protein of interest from complex protein mixtures, such as cell culture fermentation media or product pools in early steps of protein recovery as well as downstream processing. Even complex mixtures do not require much sample preparation. It is important to determine... 

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