Immunogenicity of Recombinant Human Interferon Beta-1b in Immune-Tolerant Transgenic Mice Corresponds with the Biophysical Characteristics of Aggregates.

Determining to what extent biophysical characteristics of aggregates affect immunogenicity of therapeutic interferon beta-1b. Three recombinant human interferon beta-1b (rhIFNβ-1b) samples with different levels of aggregates generated by copper oxidation, thermal stress, or left untreated, as well as Avonex(®) drug substance and Betaferon(®) drug product, were injected intraperitoneally in nontransgenic and interferon beta transgenic FVB/N mice 5 times per week for 3 weeks. Antibodies against interferon beta were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. UV and fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, size exclusion chromatography, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), fluid imaging microscopy, and resonant mass measurement, as well as sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting, were used to characterize and quantitate aggregates in the 3 rhIFNβ preparations, to correlate biophysical characteristics with immunogenicity. In immune-tolerant interferon beta transgenic FVB/N mice, Betaferon drug product showed the highest immunogenicity, while Avonex drug substance showed the lowest level of immunogenicity. Of the 3 forms of rhIFNβ-1b, copper-oxidized rhIFNβ-1b showed lower immunogenicity than thermally stressed rhIFNβ-1b, despite containing larger aggregates. Both copper-oxidized rhIFNβ-1b and thermally stressed rhIFNβ-1b exhibited changes in protein structure as shown using fluorescence spectroscopy and RP-HPLC. Nontransgenic, nonimmune-tolerant FVB/N mice generated high antibody titers against all interferon beta samples tested. The level of immunogenicity and the breaking of tolerance in FVB/N transgenic mice are not only related to the level of aggregation but also depend on the size and structure of the aggregates.