Desalting Plasma Protein Solutions by Membrane Capacitive Deionization

Area of Science:

• Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
• Separation Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Plasma protein therapies are vital for treating numerous diseases.
• Conventional salt ion removal methods like diafiltration and ion-exchange chromatography face challenges with protein fouling.
• Efficient ion removal is critical for the purity and efficacy of plasma protein products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) as a novel method for salt ion removal from plasma protein solutions.
• To evaluate the efficacy of MCDI in reducing ion concentration with minimal protein loss.
• To explore the use of advanced ion exchange membranes (IEMs) for improved MCDI performance.

Main Methods:

• Applied membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) to human serum albumin solutions.
• Utilized highly conductive poly(phenylene alkylene)-based ion exchange membranes (IEMs).
• Incorporated ionomer-coated nylon meshes in the spacer channel to reduce electrical resistance.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 28% reduction in salt ions (sodium, chloride, phosphate) from plasma protein solutions.
• Demonstrated less than 3% protein loss during the MCDI process.
• Enhanced energy efficiency in MCDI due to improved membrane conductivity and reduced Ohmic resistances.

Conclusions:

• MCDI is a viable and effective platform for deionizing plasma protein solutions in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
• This technique offers a significant advantage over conventional methods by minimizing protein loss.
• MCDI presents a scalable solution for purifying pharmaceutical formulations without compromising active pharmaceutical ingredients.