Downstream processing of proteins: recent advances.
This review on the downstream processing of proteins describes innovations that have occurred in the field since 1983. Several areas have seen particularly high levels of achievement, and are accorded expanded coverage relative to our previous review [1]. As an example, the increasing integration of downstream operations with upstream technologies, such as molecular biology and fermentation, has led to the development of some very powerful processes. The degree to which organizations understand that there needs to be one unified process, rather than the independent steps of cloning, fermentation and recovery, seems directly related to the ultimate speed and success of the development effort. In 1983 one of the most active development areas was chromatography, especially affinity chromatography. This is still true today, and this topic has been expanded to include biospecific adsorptions that would not traditionally be classified as chromatography. With more proteins being developed for human administration, there has been an increased emphasis on all aspects of process hygiene. In addition, there has been much discussion about the impact of regulatory demands on the design and development of the manufacturing processes. Therefore, a section has been added which covers several of the regulatory issues that have been raised for products of the new biotechnology. Finally, as some of the early process development achievements are now beginning to bear fruit in the form of patents, we have increased our citation of this area of the literature.
Ogez
J R
JR
Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
Hodgdon
J C
JC
Beal
M P
MP
Builder
S E
SE