Monoclonal antibody purification with hydroxyapatite

Hydroxyapatite (HA) has been used for IgG purification since its introduction in the 1950s. Applications expanded to include IgA and IgM in the 1980s, along with elucidation of its primary binding mechanisms and the development of ceramic HA media. With the advent of recombinant monoclonal antibodies, HA was demonstrated to be effective for removal of antibody aggregates, as well as host cell proteins and leached protein A. HA's inherent abilities have been enhanced by the development of elution strategies that permit differential control of its primary binding mechanisms: calcium metal affinity and phosphoryl cation exchange. These strategies support reduction of antibody aggregate content from greater than 60% to less than 0.1%, in conjunction with enhanced removal of DNA, endotoxin, and virus. HA also has a history of discriminating various immunological constructs on the basis of differences in their variable regions, or discriminating Fab fragments from Fc contaminants in papain digests of purified monoclonal IgG. Continuing development of novel elution strategies, alternative forms of HA, and application of robotic high throughput screening systems promise to expand HA's utility in the field.