Neutron beams reveal how antibodies cluster in solution
Scientists have used small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and neutron spin-echo (NSE) techniques for the first time to understand how monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), a class of targeted biopharmaceuticals used to treat autoimmune disorders and cancer, dynamically cluster and move in high concentration solutions. Certain mAb cluster arrangements can thicken pharmaceutical solutions; they could thus limit the feasible concentration of injectables administered to patients around the world. The insights provided by a team of neutron scientists from the National Center of Neutron Research (NCNR) and the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), in collaboration with colloid and proteins scientists at the University of Delaware and biopharmaceutical company Genentech (a member of the Roche group), are an important step towards the development and manufacture of high-concentration biopharmaceuticals needed for high-dose indications and potential self-administration at home.