Fractionation of protein mixtures
AssigneeIonics, Incorporated
InventorSurendar M. Jain
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Abstract
This invention relates to the separation of complex protein mixtures by lowering (desalting) or by raising (salting-out) their electrolytic (ionic) concentration by electrodialysis followed by chilling, pH adjustment, filtration, and/or centrifugation and optionally thereafter restoration of the lost electrolyte or removal of the gained electrolyte and water. This technique is especially adaptable for therapeutic plasma exchange performed in situ for immunepheresis i.e. removal of globulin or immunecomplexes implicated in autoimmune diseases. The techniques are also applicable for antihemophilic factor separation and purification, and separation of proteins from whey.
Claims18
A process for separating an aqueous protein mixture into fractions having intrinsically distinguishable compositions comprising removing substantially all the turbidity therefrom, subsequently decreasing the salt content thereof by passing said mixture at a velocity of between 3-40 cm/sec. into and out of an electrodialysis apparatus containing at least one pair of contiguous membranes defining a liquid flow chamber therebetween, impressing an electric current across said apparatus at about a CD/K=0.1 to 10 (where CD is current density in m-amps/cm.sup.2 and K is the conductivity of the aqueous mixture in milli Siemens/cm) thereby altering the ionic environment of said mixture by decreasing its ionic concentration sufficiently to at least partially destabilize one or more proteins in said mixture, allowing said destabilized protein to form turbidity, subsequently removing substantially all of said turbidity and maintaining the temperature of said mixture during the said separation in the range of between about 0.degree.-40.degree. C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.