Recombinant human erythropoietin separation using a cation-exchange multimodal adsorbent

This work deals with the capture of human recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO) from a mixture of proteins in a concentrated postcultivation supernatant. Cation-exchange multimodal adsorbent Capto MMC ImpRes was selected as potential chromatographic separation material. Its equilibrium properties were investigated in batch adsorption experiments. The effect of pH in the range of 5.5—7.5 and NaCl concentration in the range of 0—300 mM on the adsorption of rhEPO and contaminant proteins was examined. Optimal conditions found in these equilibrium experiments were applied to rhEPO adsorption in a chromatographic column. Several experiments were carried out at different elution conditions to optimize the rhEPO yield and selectivity.