Purification of Monoclonal Antibody From Trangenic Nicotiana Benthamiana

Monoclonal antibodies are the fast growing drug molecules targeting the treatment of diseases ranging from arthritis, immune, and infectious diseases to cancer.  Due to its unique application principle, antibodies are commonly produced in large quantities.  Plants, such as Nicotiana benthamiana, offer a unique production platform for bio-therapeutics due to their ability to produce large amounts of biomolecules in a relatively quick manner.  However, purification of a target protein from plant is an arduous task due to the presence of toxic compounds in ground plant tissue.  The current methods for antibody purification from plant extract include expensive affinity column steps (Protein A/G).  Here, we report an alternative method of purifying a mAb from N. bethamiana. and compare the method to a process involving Protein A.  The process involves an UF/DF step, a precipitation of native impurities step using a charged polymer, a hydrophobic interaction chromatography and a hydrophobic charge induction chromatography.  This process compared favorably with Protein A based process based on the elimnation of host cell proteins.