Sequential protein isolation and purification schemes by affinity chromatography

1. A method of sequential protein isolation and purification comprising:

(i) providing a plasma sample,

(ii) providing a plurality of ligands each of which binds specifically to a target protein in the plasma sample, wherein each of the plurality of ligands is optionally attached to a support to form a plurality of ligand-support complexes,

(iii) contacting the plurality of ligands or ligand-support complexes in a predetermined order with the plasma sample to allow each ligand or ligand-support complex to bind its respective target protein from the plasma sample, wherein the predetermined order of contacting the plurality of ligands or ligand-support complexes with the plasma sample results in the binding of plasminogen before fibrinogen and fibrinogen before IgG and IgG before albumin, and wherein the plasma sample is not processed through any pre-conditioning step that includes alcohol precipitation, cryoprecipitation, removal of lipids and/or lipid proteins, euglobulin precipitation, or a combination thereof prior to said contacting the plurality of ligands or ligand-support complexes,

(iv) eluting the respective target proteins bound to each of the plurality of ligands or ligand-support complexes, and

(v) isolating the respective target proteins.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activity of paraoxonase is retained in the plasma sample during the protein isolation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein vWF/FVIII is isolated from the plasma prior to said contacting the plasma sample with a ligand or ligand-support complex specific for plasminogen.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein apolipoprotein A1 is isolated from the plasma prior to said contacting the plasma sample with a ligand or ligand-support complex specific for IgG.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor is isolated from the plasma after said contacting the plasma sample with a ligand or ligand-support complex specific for albumin.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ligand comprises a peptide, polypeptide, peptidomimetic, small molecule, dye, triazine containing compound, antibody or antigen-binding fragment, nucleic acid-based molecule, non-polypeptide or nucleotide-based molecule, carbohydrate, carbohydrate mimetics, lipids, inorganic material, inhibitor, substrate or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the ligands comprise peptides consisting essentially of about 1 to about 15 amino acids.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a synthetic material, a natural material, or both.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises agarose, polyacrylamide, dextran, cellulose, polysaccharide, nitrocellulose, silica, alumina, aluminum oxide, titania, titanium oxide, zirconia, styrene, polyvinyldifluoride nylon, copolymer of styrene and divinylbenzene, polymethacrylate ester, derivatized azlactone polymer or copolymer, glass, cellulose, agarose, derivatives of any of the foregoing, and combinations of any of the foregoing.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support is a resin bead.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising treating the plasma sample with a buffering agent prior to the step of contacting to conserve concentration and activity of one or more target agents in the plasma sample.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising treating the plasma sample by diluting, adjusting pH, ionic strength or polarity, temperature, or adding a soluble agent prior to the step of contacting.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising filtering the plasma sample through a filter prior to the step of contacting.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the overall yield of albumin removed from the plasma is at least about 71%.