Structure Characterization of a Recombinant Monoclonal Antibody with One- and Two- Dimensional High Performance Liquid Chromatography with On-line Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

by Brooks R. Sunday
Volume 2, Issue 3 (May/June 2003)


Recombinant monoclonal antibodies (rMAbs) are the predominant biotherapeutic protein under development today. FDA requires the structure characterization if rMAbs and other recombinant proteins to grant marketing approval. Characterizing such complex, inherently heterogeneous molecules is a significant analytical challenge that requires a broad array of physico-chemical tests. This article reports the use of reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with on-line electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to rapidly determine the glycoform composition and the heavy chain C-terminal lysine heterogeneity of an intact rMAb. In addition, a novel multidimensional chromatographic platform was developed to investigate the two-dimensional, size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) separation of the rMAb followed by RP-HPLC (HPSEC-RP-HPLC) with on-line ESI-MS analysis. Such analyses can characterize, identify, and confirm the structure of an intact rMAb…

Citation:
Sunday BR. Structure Characterization of a Recombinant Monoclonal Antibody with One- and Two- Dimensional High Performance Liquid Chromatography with On-line Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry. BioProcess J, 2003; 2(3): 37-45.