An accelerated antibody aggregation test based on time sequenced dynamic light scattering

A rapid method for determination of the colloidal stability of protein molecules in solution is reported as an efficient tool for evaluating the stability of antibody formulations. Using human polyclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) as a model protein and dynamic light scattering (DLS) as a technique to determine the size of particles in solution, the rate of aggregation is investigated at different temperatures and antibody concentrations. To reduce the observation period while increasing precision, a new approach to DLS analysis is developed that comprises: (i) a distribution analysis of high-resolution data, and fitting for multiple particle sizes present in a solution, (ii) a temperature ramp to an intermediate temperature followed by a stress test at constant temperature over several hours, and (iii) 3-D plotting to reveal the time-dependent evolution of the particle size distribution at the selected temperature. The resulting 3-D plots enable robust identification of the onset of aggregation with different dispersion conditions. This method enables rapid evaluation of the effects of parameters such as temperature and concentration on the stability of antibody solutions.