Abstract
Analysis of the carbohydrate heterogeneity of glycoprotein-based substances is crucial for establishing the nomenclature and definition of biological substances, ensuring consistency in the quality of these products, comparatively assessing the products obtained after the implementation of changes in the manufacturing process, and developing biosimilar or follow-on biological products. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry is recognized as one of the most useful techniques for analyzing the carbohydrate heterogeneity of glycoprotein substances. Here, we demonstrate the utility of LC/MS for analyzing the carbohydrate heterogeneity by using some representative glycoproteins such as tissue-plasminogen activator, a monoclonal antibody, the follicle-stimulating hormone, and human chorionic gonadotropin. Further, we demonstrate that MS-based glycoprotein analysis has potential applications in glycomics.
