Marco van de Weert

Protein Instability in Poly(Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid) Microparticles

In this review the current knowledge of protein degradation during preparation, storage and release from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles is described, as well as stabilization approaches. Although we have focussed on PLGA microparticles, the degradation processes and mechanisms described here are valid for many other polymeric release systems. Optimized process conditions as well as stabilizing excipients need to be used to counteract several stress factors that compromise the integrity of protein structure during preparation, storage, and release. The use of various stabilization approaches has rendered some success in increasing protein stability, but, still, full preservation of the native protein structure remains a major challenge in the formulation of protein-loaded PLGA microparticles.

The effect of a water/organic solvent interface on the structural stability of lysozyme

The effect of emulsification of lysozyme solutions with methylene chloride on protein recovery and structural integrity was investigated. Total lysozyme recovery in the aqueous phase was found to be concentration dependent, and ranged between 65 and 80%. The unrecovered lysozyme was observed at the interface as a white precipitate. No structural changes of the soluble lysozyme were observed by enzymatic activity assay, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and circular dichroism (CD). The lyophilized precipitated protein was analyzed by FTIR, and evidence of intermolecular beta-sheet formation was found. In addition, the precipitate was analyzed after redissolution in 1 M guanidine hydrochloride by enzymatic activity assay, CD, SDS-PAGE, and SEC. No differences with control lysozyme samples or samples in aqueous buffer solutions were observed. This indicates that lysozyme precipitates as non-covalent aggregates upon emulsification, and these precipitates can refold into their native state in 1 M guanidine hydrochloride. Protein recovery could not be improved by the addition of sucrose, Tween 20, or Tween 80. Excipients competing for the water/organic solvent interface, such as BSA and partially hydrolyzed polyvinylalcohol (PVA) significantly improved lysozyme recovery to >95%. Emulsions which contained poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) in the organic phase gave irreproducible protein recovery. Here also, partially hydrolyzed PVA significantly increased lysozyme recovery. Thus, we found that emulsification of lysozyme-containing aqueous solutions with methylene chloride causes incomplete protein recovery and non-covalent aggregation of lysozyme. These aggregates are also encapsulated in controlled drug delivery systems which are prepared using a water-in-oil emulsification procedure. The use of surface-active additives, such as partially hydrolyzed PVA significantly reduces lysozyme aggregation, and can be used to prevent encapsulation of inactive and potentially immunogenic protein species.

Forced Degradation of Therapeutic Proteins

The scope of this paper is to review approaches used for forced degradation (synonym, stress testing) of therapeutic proteins. Forced degradation studies play a central role in the development of therapeutic proteins, for example, for candidate selection, molecule characterization, formulation development, assay development, and comparability studies. Typical stress methods are addressed within this review, such as exposure to elevated temperatures, freeze-thawing, mechanical stress, oxidation, light, as well as various materials and devices used in the clinics during final administration. Stability testing is briefly described as far as relevant to the discussion of forced degradation studies. Whereas stability-testing requirements are defined in regulatory guidelines, standard procedures for forced degradation of therapeutic proteins are largely unavailable, except for photostability. Possible selection criteria to identify appropriate stress conditions and recommendations for setting up forced degradation studies for the different phases of development of therapeutic proteins are presented.

Protein adsorption at charged surfaces: the role of electrostatic interactions and interfacial charge regulation.

The understanding of protein adsorption at charged surfaces is important for a wide range of scientific disciplines including surface engineering, separation sciences and pharmaceutical sciences. Compared to chemical entities having a permanent charge, the adsorption of small ampholytes and proteins is more complicated as the pH near a charged surface can be significantly different from the value in bulk solution. In this work, we have developed a phenomenological adsorption model which takes into account the combined role of interfacial ion distribution, interfacial charge regulation of amino acids in the proximity of the surface, electroneutrality, and mass balance. The model is straightforward to apply to a given set of experimental conditions as most model parameters are obtained from bulk properties and therefore easy to estimate or are directly measurable. The model provides a detailed understanding of the importance of surface charge on adsorption and in particular of how changes in surface charge, concentration, and surface area may affect adsorption behavior. The model is successfully used to explain the experimental adsorption behavior of the two model proteins lysozyme and α-lactalbumin. It is demonstrated that it is possible to predict the pH and surface charge dependent adsorption behavior from experimental or theoretical estimates of a preferred orientation of a protein at a solid charged interface.

Lysozyme distribution and conformation in a biodegradable polymer matrix as determined by FTIR techniques.

Lysozyme distribution and conformation in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA) microspheres was determined using various infrared spectroscopic techniques. Infrared microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy indicated that the protein was homogeneously distributed inside the microspheres in small cavities resulting from the water-in-oil emulsification step. Part of the protein was observed at or near the cavity walls, while the rest was located within these cavities. Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) also showed that there is hardly any protein at the surface of the microspheres. Since this microsphere formulation gave a large burst release (ca. 50%), this burst release can not be caused by protein at the surface of the particles. Probably, the protein is rapidly released through pores in the PLGA matrix. Conformational analysis of lysozyme in the PLGA microspheres by KBr pellet transmission suffered from band shape distortion and baseline slope. Despite incomplete subtraction of the PLGA background, a characteristic band of non-covalent aggregates at 1625 cm(-1) was observed in the second derivative spectrum of the protein Amide I region. The other Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) methods yielded similar results, indicating that the sample preparation procedure did not introduce artifacts. The observed aggregation signal may correspond to the protein adsorbed to the cavity walls inside the microspheres.

Fluorescence Quenching to Study Protein-ligand Binding: Common Errors

A number of recent articles, amongst others several published in the Journal of Fluorescence, use inappropriate fluorescence methodology to determine ligand binding characteristics to (mostly) proteins. In this Letter, several common pitfalls are discussed in relation to two recent publications in the Journal of Fluorescence (Wang et al. (2009) 19:801-808; Ding et al. (2009) 19:783-791). The Author hopes that this contribution helps to prevent a further spread of the incorrect methodology, and results in a reappraisal of those articles already published using similar methodology.A number of recent articles, amongst others several published in the Journal of Fluorescence, use inappropriate fluorescence methodology to determine ligand binding characteristics to (mostly) proteins. In this Letter, several common pitfalls are discussed in relation to two recent publications in the Journal of Fluorescence (Wang et al. (2009) 19:801–808; Ding et al. (2009) 19:783–791). The Author hopes that this contribution helps to prevent a further spread of the incorrect methodology, and results in a reappraisal of those articles already published using similar methodology.

Identification of Oxidized Methionine in Peptides

The positive- and negative-ion collision-induced dissociation spectra of peptides containing methionine, methionine sulphoxide and methionine sulphone have been studied. Characteristic fragmentations were identified and evaluated as possible indicators for the presence of oxidized methionine residues in peptides. It was found that the elimination of CH3SOH (-64 u) from [M + H]+ is unique for peptides that contain methionine sulphoxide. Sequence ions containing the oxidized methionine undergo the same elimination, allowing unambiguous sequence determination. Methionine sulphone exhibits an analogous elimination of CH3SO2H (-80 u) from the protonated molecule, but not from sequence ions.

Secondary nucleation and accessible surface in insulin amyloid fibril formation.

At low pH insulin is highly prone to self-assembly into amyloid fibrils. The process has been proposed to be affected by the existence of secondary nucleation pathways, in which already formed fibrils are able to catalyze the formation of new fibrils. In this work, we studied the fibrillation process of human insulin in a wide range of protein concentrations. Thioflavin T fluorescence was used for its ability to selectively detect amyloid fibrils, by mechanisms that involve the interaction between the dye and the accessible surface of the fibrils. Our results show that the rate of fibrillation and the Thioflavin T fluorescence intensity saturate at high protein concentration and that, surprisingly, the two parameters are proportional to each other. Because Thioflavin T fluorescence is likely to depend on the accessible surface of the fibrils, we suggest that the overall fibrillation kinetics is mainly governed by the accessible surface, through secondary nucleation mechanisms. Moreover, a statistical study of the fibrillation kinetics suggests that the early stages of the process are affected by stochastic nucleation events.

Quality by design – Spray drying of insulin intended for inhalation

Quality by design (QBD) refers to a holistic approach towards drug development. Important parts of QBD include definition of final product performance and understanding of formulation and process parameters. Inhalation of proteins for systemic distribution requires specific product characteristics and a manufacturing process which produces the desired product. The objective of this study was to understand the spray drying process of insulin intended for pulmonary administration. In particular, the effects of process and formulation parameters on particle characteristics and insulin integrity were investigated. Design of experiments (DOE) and multivariate data analysis were used to identify important process parameters and correlations between particle characteristics. The independent parameters included the process parameters nozzle, feed, and drying air flow rate and drying air temperature along with the insulin concentration as a formulation parameter. The dependent variables included droplet size, geometric particle size, aerodynamic particle size, yield, density, tap density, moisture content, outlet temperature, morphology, and physical and chemical integrity. Principal component analysis was performed to find correlations between dependent and independent variables. Prediction equations were obtained for all dependent variables including both interaction and quadratic terms. Overall, the insulin concentration was found to be the most important parameter, followed by inlet drying air temperature and the nozzle gas flow rate. The insulin concentration mainly affected the particle size, yield and tap density, while the inlet drying air temperature mainly affected the moisture content. No change was observed in physical and chemical integrity of the insulin molecule.

Thioflavin T Hydroxylation at Basic pH and Its Effect on Amyloid Fibril Detection

The fluorescent dye thioflavin T (ThT) is commonly used for in situ amyloid fibril detection. In this work, we focused on the spectroscopic properties and chemical stability of ThT in aqueous solution as a function of pH, temperature, and dye concentration. A reversible hydroxylation process occurs in alkaline solutions, which was characterized using a combination of UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, proton NMR, and density functional theory (DFT). On the basis of these studies, we propose a chemical structure for the hydroxylated form. Finally, by means of fluorescence spectroscopy, ThT hydroxylation effects on in situ amyloid detection have been investigated, providing new insights on the efficiency of the ThT assay for quantitative fibril evaluation at basic pH.