Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are an increasingly important class of medical drugs.
High concentration liquid formulations are needed in order to give a clinically-effective dose
in a low volume subcutaneous injection. During the optimization of these formulations it is
necessary to limit the formation of aggregates and particulates. These can arise via
a number of processes, including surface adsorption-desorption effects, and characterizing the
precise molecular nature of adsorbed mAbs at an interface requires state-of-the-art analytical
techniques and data interpretation. In a recent paper, researchers demonstrate the power
of neutron reflection to unravel the amount and structural conformation of the adsorbed
antibody layers at the air/water interface with and without surfactant.
Related publication: C. Smith et al. “Antibody adsorption on the surface of water studied
by neutron reflection” MAbs. 9 (2017): 466-475.
DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2016.1276141
