Triphosphate-Modified Oligonucleotide Purification via Capture Tag

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing 5'-O-triphosphorylated oligonucleotides are inefficient and result in low purity, making them unsuitable for pharmaceutical applications due to limited resolution power in purification techniques and contamination with impurities.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the use of a capture tag to facilitate the synthesis and purification of triphosphate-modified oligonucleotides, allowing for easy separation from impurities through reversed phase HPLC or affinity chromatography, and optional removal of the tag to maintain stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If ion exchange chromatography or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is used for purification, then separation can be performed, but the resolution power is limited and products are contaminated with n-1, n-2 sequences and their mono- and diphosphates resulting in insufficient purity

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovepurityVSAvoidpurification method complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A capture tag (such as biotin) is introduced as an intermediary moiety attached to the oligonucleotide. This tag enables specific binding to a capture reagent (such as streptavidin-coated beads), allowing the oligonucleotide to be selectively captured and purified from impurities including n-1, n-2 sequences and phosphates. The capture tag acts as a mediator that provides high-resolution separation not achievable by conventional methods alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If conventional purification methods are used, then some separation can be achieved, but the required denaturing conditions make separation a tedious task

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of separationVSAvoidpurity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The capture tag (e.g., biotin) and capture reagent (e.g., streptavidin) form a specific binding pair that enables capture under mild, non-denaturing conditions. This eliminates the need for tedious denaturing steps required by conventional methods, while still achieving high purity separation of the oligonucleotide from impurities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If capture tag is added to facilitate purification, then purification efficiency and yield are improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional purification steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepurification efficiencyVSAvoidpurification process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The capture tag system, while adding a step, actually simplifies the overall purification process by providing high-specificity capture. The biotin-streptavidin interaction is so specific and strong that it enables single-step or minimal-step purification with high recovery yields, outweighing the apparent complexity addition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The capture tag can be designed to be removable after purification. After the oligonucleotide is purified using the capture tag, the tag can be cleaved off (discarded) to yield the final pure product. This allows the use of a complex purification strategy during the process while delivering a simple final product.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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

This method achieves high yield and purity of triphosphate-modified oligonucleotides, suitable for pharmaceutical use, with improved recovery and purification efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

easy separation from the reaction mixture by reversed phase HPLC or affinity chromatography

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChromatography: Chromatography

Data Source

PatentEP3199538B1Purification of triphosphorylated oligonucleotides using capture tags and modified triphosphorylated oligonucleotides as activators of RIG-1 helicase
Publication Date: 2020.05.27 RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH WILHELMS UNIVERSITAT BONN
  • EP3199538B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3199538B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3199538B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method of preparing triphosphate-modified oligonucleotides using a capture tag. The method allows the synthesis and purification of triphosphate-modified oligonucleotides in high yield and purity suitable for pharmaceutical applications.