Detection of protein aggregation using FTIR spectroscopy

ANYL 92

Brian K Meyer, brian_meyer@merck.com1, Weiqi Lu, weiqi_lu@merck.com1, and Li Shi2. (1) Department of Biologics and Vaccines, Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc, 770 Sumneytown Pike, PO Box 4 WP78A-31, West Point, PA 19486, (2) Merck & Co. Inc, West Point, PA 19486
The detection and minimization of aggregates in biological therapeutic products is essential due to immune responses that may be elicited against these complexes. Several methods are currently available for identifying aggregates in pharmaceutical preparations, such as size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-HPLC and SDS-PAGE. Studies in the literature cite the use of FTIR to detect aggregates that have been induced, for example, by thermal stress or acidic pH. Using recombinant proteins, we sought to determine if there was a correlation between the FTIR aggregate peak and the particle sizes of aggregated complexes. Particle sizes were determined using dynamic light scattering (DLS). The magnitude of the aggregation peak at1629 cm-1 correlated to the particle size of aggregated complexes, indicating that FTIR can be used to evaluate not only the presence, but also the extent, of protein aggregation.
 

General Papers
7:00 PM-9:00 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, 11 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Sci-Mix

Division of Analytical Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006