GAS Carbohydrate Purification via Anionic Exchange Chromatography

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for purifying Streptococcus pyogenes bacterial polysaccharides, particularly for vaccine preparation, face challenges in achieving high yields and purities, with contamination issues from hyaluronic acid, proteins, and nucleic acids, which can interfere with immune responses and pose health risks.

Innovation Solution

Anionic exchange chromatography is employed to purify the polysaccharides, effectively reducing contamination from hyaluronic acid, proteins, and nucleic acids, while maintaining a good yield, and can be combined with other steps like filtration, ultrafiltration, and gel filtration to achieve high purity and specific molecular weight selection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If size exclusion chromatography or tangential flow filtration is used for purification, then the purification process is established, but the yield and purity are insufficient with contamination from hyaluronic acid, proteins, and nucleic acids

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovepurityVSAvoidyield
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies anionic exchange chromatography which changes the purification mechanism from size-based separation to charge-based separation. This parameter change in the separation principle allows simultaneous achievement of high purity (removing hyaluronic acid, proteins, and nucleic acids) and high yield (maintaining >70% GAS carbohydrate recovery), resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent specifically targets and extracts contaminating substances (hyaluronic acid, proteins, nucleic acids) from the GAS carbohydrate preparation using anionic exchange chromatography. By selectively removing these impurities while retaining the target polysaccharide in the flow-through, the method achieves both high purity and high yield simultaneously

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Quantity of substance

If reductive acid treatment is used to lyse cells and release GAS carbohydrate, then the extraction is achieved, but contamination with hyaluronic acid and other impurities occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveextraction efficiencyVSAvoidpurity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary extraction using reductive acid treatment to release GAS carbohydrate from cells, then follows with anionic exchange chromatography as a refinement step. This two-stage approach where preliminary extraction maximizes quantity and subsequent chromatography ensures purity resolves the contradiction between extraction efficiency and manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional purification methods are used, then the process is established, but further purification steps are needed to remove hyaluronic acid and other impurities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocess simplicityVSAvoidpurity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the purification parameter from size exclusion to anionic exchange chromatography, which provides both high purity and simplified operation. The method maintains ease of manufacture by using a single chromatography step that simultaneously removes multiple types of impurities (hyaluronic acid, proteins, nucleic acids) without requiring complex multi-step procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The process achieves a yield of greater than 70% GAS carbohydrate with low contamination levels, specifically reducing hyaluronic acid to less than 100 ng/ml and protein/nucleic acid contamination to less than 4%, enhancing the safety and efficacy of the polysaccharides for vaccine use.

Implementation Method 1

The invention is based on a purification process in which the saccharide is subjected to anionic exchange chromatography

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAnionic exchange chromatography: Ion Exchange

Data Source

PatentEP2349520B1Purification method for carbohydrate from group a streptococcus
Publication Date: 2016.05.25 GLAXOSMITHKLINE BIOLOGICALS SA
  • EP2349520B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2349520B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2349520B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A process for purifying a Streptococcus pyogenes GAS carbohydrate comprising a step of anionic exchange chromatography. The process provides a good yield of GAS carbohydrate. The saccharides of the invention have low levels of hyaluronic acid, protein and nucleic acid contamination.