Hepatitis B surface antigen immunopurification using a plant-derived specific antibody produced in large scale

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Immunology
• Vaccine Development

Background:

• Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) purification is crucial for vaccine production.
• Current methods often rely on mouse-derived monoclonal antibodies, which have production constraints.
• Plant-derived antibodies present a potential alternative for recombinant protein purification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a plant-derived HBsAg-specific antibody for immunopurification of recombinant HBsAg.
• To compare the purification performance of plant-derived antibodies with mouse-derived monoclonal antibodies.
• To assess the feasibility of using plant-derived antibodies for large-scale vaccine manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Plant-derived antibodies were produced from tobacco leaves (100-200kg batches).
• Antibodies were efficiently coupled to Sepharose CL-4B to create an immunoaffinity matrix.
• Purification performance was assessed based on elution capacity, antigen purity, cycles, and ligand leakage.

Main Results:

• The plant-derived antibody immunoaffinity matrix demonstrated high-efficiency coupling.
• Purification behavior, including elution capacity and antigen purity, was comparable to mouse-derived antibodies.
• Ligand leakage and purification cycles were also comparable, indicating matrix stability.

Conclusions:

• Plant-derived HBsAg-specific antibodies are feasible for recombinant HBsAg immunopurification for vaccine purposes.
• This approach offers a promising alternative to overcome limitations associated with mouse monoclonal antibody production.
• This study supports the use of plant-based antibody technology in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.