Adsorption of monoclonal antibody fragments at the water–oil interface: A coarse-grained molecular dynamics study

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can undergo structural changes due to interaction with oil-water interfaces during storage. Such changes can lead to aggregation, resulting in a loss of therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, understanding the microscopic mechanism controlling mAb adsorption is crucial to developing strategies that can minimize the impact of interfaces on the therapeutic properties of mAbs. In this study, we used MARTINI coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the adsorption of the Fab and Fc domains of the monoclonal antibody COE3 at the oil-water interface. Our aim was to determine the regions on the protein surface that drive mAb adsorption. We also investigate the role of protein concentration on protein orientation and protrusion to the oil phase. While our structural analyses compare favorably with recent neutron reflectivity measurements, we observe some differences. Unlike the monolayer at the interface predicted by neutron reflectivity experiments, our simulations indicate the presence of a secondary diffused layer near the interface. We also find that under certain conditions, protein-oil interaction can lead to a considerable distortion in the protein structure, resulting in enhanced adsorption behavior.