Title | cGMP production and analysis of BG505 SOSIP.664, an extensively glycosylated, trimeric HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein vaccine candidate. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2018 |
Authors | Dey AK, Cupo A, Ozorowski G, Sharma VK, Behrens A-J, Go EP, Ketas TJ, Yasmeen A, Klasse PJ, Sayeed E, Desaire H, Crispin M, Wilson IA, Sanders RW, Hassell T, Ward AB, Moore JP |
Journal | Biotechnol Bioeng |
Volume | 115 |
Issue | 4 |
Pagination | 885-899 |
Date Published | 2018 04 |
ISSN | 1097-0290 |
Keywords | AIDS Vaccines, Animals, Antibodies, Neutralizing, CHO Cells, Cricetulus, Glycosylation, HIV Antibodies, HIV Infections, HIV-1, Humans, Protein Multimerization, Vaccines, Synthetic, Viral Envelope Proteins |
Abstract | We describe the properties of BG505 SOSIP.664 HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimers produced under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) conditions. These proteins are the first of a new generation of native-like trimers that are the basis for many structure-guided immunogen development programs aimed at devising how to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) to HIV-1 by vaccination. The successful translation of this prototype demonstrates the feasibility of producing similar immunogens on an appropriate scale and of an acceptable quality for Phase I experimental medicine clinical trials. BG505 SOSIP.664 trimers are extensively glycosylated, contain numerous disulfide bonds and require proteolytic cleavage, all properties that pose a substantial challenge to cGMP production. Our strategy involved creating a stable CHO cell line that was adapted to serum-free culture conditions to produce envelope glycoproteins. The trimers were then purified by chromatographic methods using a 2G12 bNAb affinity column and size-exclusion chromatography. The chosen procedures allowed any adventitious viruses to be cleared from the final product to the required extent of >12 log . The final cGMP production run yielded 3.52 g (peptidic mass) of fully purified trimers (Drug Substance) from a 200 L bioreactor, a notable yield for such a complex glycoprotein. The purified trimers were fully native-like as judged by negative-stain electron microscopy, and were stable over a multi-month period at room temperature or below and for at least 1 week at 50°C. Their antigenicity, disulfide bond patterns, and glycan composition were consistent with trimers produced on a research laboratory scale. The methods reported here should pave the way for the cGMP production of other native-like Env glycoprotein trimers of various designs and genotypes. |
DOI | 10.1002/bit.26498 |
Alternate Journal | Biotechnol Bioeng |
PubMed ID | 29150937 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC5852640 |
Grant List | P01 AI110657 / AI / NIAID NIH HHS / United States UM1 AI100663 / AI / NIAID NIH HHS / United States |
Submitted by jom4013 on December 17, 2020 - 11:36am