In-line buffer exchange in the coupling of Protein A chromatography with weak cation exchange chromatography for the determination of charge variants of immunoglobulin G derived from chinese hamster ovary cell cultures

Abstract

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is the most common monoclonal antibody (mAb) grown for therapeutic applications. While IgG is often selectively isolated from cell lines using protein A (ProA) chromatography, this is only a stepping stone for complete characterization. Further classification can be obtained from weak cation exchange chromatography (WCX) to determine IgG charge variant distributions. The charge variants of monoclonal antibodies can influence the stability and efficacy in vivo, and deviations in charge heterogeneity are often cell-specific and sensitive to upstream process variability. Current methods to characterize IgG charge variants are often performed off-line, meaning that the IgG eluate from the ProA separation is collected, diluted to adjust the pH, and then transferred to the WCX separation, adding time, complexity, and potential contamination to the sample analysis process. More recently, reports have appeared to streamline this separation using in-line two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC). Presented here is a novel, 2D-LC coupling of ProA in the first dimension (1D) and WCX in the second dimension (2D) chromatography. As anticipated, the initial direct column coupling proved to be challenging due to the pH incompatibility between the mobile phases for the two stages. To solve the solvent compatibility issue, a size exclusion column was placed in the switching valve loop of the 2D-LC instrument to act as a means for the on-line solvent exchange. The efficacy of the methodology presented was confirmed through a charge variant determination using the NIST monoclonal antibody standard (NIST mAb), yielding correct acidic, main, and basic variant compositions. The methodology was employed to determine the charge variant profile of IgG from an in-house cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell supernatant. It is believed that this methodology can be easily implemented to provide higher-throughput assessment of IgG charge variants for process monitoring and cell line development.