High-throughput N -glycan screening method for therapeutic antibodies using a microchip-based DNA analyzer: a promising methodology for monitoring monoclonal antibody N -glycosylation

N -Glycosylation of therapeutic antibodies is a critical quality attribute (CQA), and the micro-heterogeneity affects the biological and physicochemical properties of antibodies. Therefore, the profiling of N -glycans on antibodies is essential for controlling the manufacturing process and ensuring the efficacy and safety of the therapeutic antibodies. To monitor N -glycosylation in recombinant proteins, a high-throughput (HTP) methodology for glycan analysis is required to handle bulk samples in various stages of the manufacturing process. In this study, we focused on the HTP methodology for N -glycan analysis using a commercial microchip electrophoresis-based DNA analyzer and demonstrated the feasibility of the workflow consisting of sample preparation and electrophoretic separation. Even if there is a demand to analyze up to 96 samples, the present workflow can be completed in a day without expensive instruments and reagent kits for sample preparation, and it will be a promising methodology for cost-effective and facile HTP N -glycosylation analysis while optimizing the manufacturing process and development for therapeutic antibodies. Graphical abstract