Current challenges in implementing cell-derived influenza vaccines: Implications for production and regulation, July 2007, NIBSC, Potters Bar, UK

MDCK cell-cultured influenza virus vaccine protects mice from lethal challenge with different influenza viruses

“…MDCK cells are the most suitable substrate for producing influenza virus vaccines (Minor et al 2009;Genzel et al 2006a;Genzel et al 2006b;Tree et al 2001;Genzel et al 2004;Liu et al 2009;Genzel and Reichl 2009;Hu et al 2008). In the present study, MDCK cells were used to propagate pandemic H1N1 influenza virus.…”

An MDCK Cell Culture-Derived Formalin-Inactivated Influenza Virus Whole-Virion Vaccine from an Influenza Virus Library Confers Cross-Protective Immunity by Intranasal Administration in Mice

“…The cell-based method has several advantages over the current process using embryonated chicken eggs, including the following: (i) it enables faster and larger-scale vaccine production; (ii) it avoids the potential selection of variants adapted for chicken eggs, which alters virus antigenicity; (iii) egg-based production requires the selection of high-yield vaccine seed viruses; and (iv) egg-produced viruses may contain allergenic components of eggs (11,12,16,(31)(32)(33)(34). Due to these advantages, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that mammalian cell culturebased vaccines be established (35).…”

New technologies for influenza vaccines

“…Therefore, most virus isolation for disease surveillance is performed in mammalian cells. 22,23 In the 2003-4 influenza season, a season marked by unusually high pediatric death rates, no matching, well-growing H3N2 strain that had been isolated in cultured cells could be re-isolated in eggs in time, leading to a vaccine mismatch and low vaccine effectiveness. 24,25 Vaccine manufacturers and WHO-associated laboratories are now collaborating in an effort to eliminate the egg adaptation step from the process of preparing the viruses that will be provided to manufacturers of influenza vaccines produced in mammalian cells.…”

“…24,25 Vaccine manufacturers and WHO-associated laboratories are now collaborating in an effort to eliminate the egg adaptation step from the process of preparing the viruses that will be provided to manufacturers of influenza vaccines produced in mammalian cells. 22 Many questions are being asked. Can the reagents used to assess hemagglutinin (HA) content in mammalian cell-based influenza vaccines be the same as those used to assess HA content in egg-based influenza vaccines?…”