화학공학소재연구정보센터
Biotechnology Progress, Vol.31, No.2, 438-451, 2015
From Osmotic Second Virial Coefficient (B-22) to Phase Behavior of a Monoclonal Antibody
Antibodies are complex macromolecules and their phase behavior as well as interactions within different solvents and precipitants are still not understood. To shed some light into the processes on a molecular dimension, the occurring self-interactions between antibody molecules were analyzed by means of the osmotic second virial coefficient (B-22). The determined B-22 follows qualitatively the phenomenological Hofmeister series describing the aggregation probability of antibodies for the various solvent compositions. However, a direct correlation between crystallization probability and B-22 in form of a crystallization slot does not seem to be feasible for antibodies since the phase behavior is strongly dependent on their anisotropy. Kinetic parameters have to be taken into account due to the molecular size and complexity of the molecules. This is confirmed by a comparison of experimental data with a theoretical phase diagram. On the other hand the solubility is thermodynamically driven and therefore the B-22 could be used to establish a universal solubility line for the monoclonal antibody mAb04c and different solvent compositions by using thermodynamic models. (c) 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:438-451, 2015