Glycoform Profiling from Therapeutic Antibodies at the Protein, Peptide and Cleaved Glycan Level using Mass Spectrometry

The glycans (oligosaccharides) attached to proteins play a crucial role in many recognition, signaling, and adhesion events within and between cells. The carbohydrate composition and the structure of the glycans are important for the safety and efficacy of these therapeutic proteins. Understanding exactly how the carbohydrates in therapeutic proteins modulate their functions in patients is key to the development of an optimal glycan profile, emphasizing the importance of performing glycan analysis. This application note summarizes the glycoform profiling data from a therapeutic antibody at three different levels: intact protein, peptide (glycopeptides) and cleaved glycans using mass spectrometry (MS).