IgG adsorption on a new protein A adsorbent based on macroporous hydrophilic polymers. I. Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics

Experimental determination and modeling of IgG binding on a new protein A adsorbent based on a macroporous resin were performed. The new adsorbent consists of polymeric beads based on hydrophilic acrylamido and vinyl monomers with a pore structure optimized to allow favorable interactions of IgG with recombinant protein A coupled to the resin. The particles have average diameter of 57 μm and a narrow particle size distribution. The IgG adsorption equilibrium capacity is 46 mg/cm³ and the effective pore diffusivity determined from pulse response experiments for non-binding conditions is 8.0 × 10⁻⁸ cm²/s. The IgG adsorption kinetics can be described with the same effective diffusivity by taking into account a heterogeneous binding mechanism with fast binding sites, for which adsorption is completely diffusion controlled, and slow binding sites for which adsorption is controlled by the binding kinetics. As a result of this mechanism, the breakthrough curve exhibits a tailing behavior, which appears to be associated with the slow binding sites. A detailed rate model taking into account intraparticle diffusion and binding kinetics is developed and is found capable of predicting both batch adsorption and breakthrough behavior over an ample range of experimental conditions. The corresponding effective diffusivity is independent of protein concentration in solution over the range 0.2–2 mg/cm³ and of protein binding as a result of the large pore size of the support matrix. Overall, the small particle size and low diffusional hindrance allow capture of IgG with short residence times while attaining substantial dynamic binding capacities.