Quadplex dPCR as a tool to analyze genome integrity and heterogeneity in gene therapy drug products
Jun
11
2024
Upcoming webinar

Quadplex dPCR as a tool to analyze genome integrity and heterogeneity in gene therapy drug products

Tuesday 08:00 PDT / 11:00 EDT / 16:00 BST / 17:00 CEST
Sponsor
Quadplex dPCR as a tool to analyze genome integrity and heterogeneity in gene therapy drug products

The rapid growth of the gene therapy field necessitates product-specific analytics, as critical quality attributes do not consistently correlate with drug potency or safety. It is hypothesized that the heterogeneity of packaged genomes contributes to this inconsistency. A quadplex digital PCR (dPCR) assay, employing four primer probe sets that span the genome from promoter to poly(A) signal sequence, was developed to investigate this. Novel genome integrity analysis of quadplex dPCR data facilitates the calculation of both the absolute number and distribution (heterogeneity) of the target-based AAV genome variants. This analysis can be complemented with orthogonal approaches such as long-read next generation sequencing (NGS) and biochemical capsid content determination methods such as analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) to provide a comprehensive characterization of AAV drug products.

  • Explore the unique advantages and current limitations of dPCR genome integrity assays
  • Gain a deeper understanding of dPCR technology and its applications for cell and gene therapy
  • Discover the importance of characterizing genome heterogeneity for gene therapy drug products
Ryan Massopust
Ryan Massopust
Scientist II, Analytical Development at Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc.

Ryan has been with Asklepios Biopharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio) since 2022 and is a Scientist II in the Analytical Development department. His responsibilities include developing analytical techniques to quantify and characterize AAV drug products. Ryan has been focusing on leveraging multiplex dPCR technology to determine genome integrity and packaging heterogeneity of AAVs. Prior to AskBio, Ryan earned his PhD in Neuroscience at Texas A&M University studying the cellular and molecular pathology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He then moved to Brown University as a Postdoctoral Researcher studying the molecular signatures of disease and aging at the Neuromuscular Junction.