Purification of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) using dye affinity chromatography matrix comprising a dye ligand

摘要

A method for purifying follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from biological samples, for example, from human pituitary glands or human postmenopausal urine, wherein the FSH is contaminated with other proteins. Dye-ligand affinity chromatography (DAC) is used to purify FSH. Depending on the starting material used, and the initial purity of FSH in the starting material, additional purification steps may be employed. These steps preferably involve the use of hydrophobic interaction chromatography. This process may be used to generate affinity pure FSH suitable for therapeutic applications. The method provides high purity FSH with high overall yield. A further advantage is the ability to easily regenerate the chromatography media for re-use, thus providing added economy to the purification process.