The large-scale cultivation of VERO cells in micro-carrier culture for virus vaccine production. Preliminary results for killed poliovirus vaccine.

As the increasing shortage of monkeys is a reality, the application of an alternative cell substrate for large-scale production of Killed Poliomyelitis Vaccine (KPV) was studied. Through progress of scientific knowledge the non-tumorigenic VERO cell line was considered to be a suitable alternative cell substrate for this purpose. The Master-Cell-Bank and Working-Cell-Banks prepared by us are giving a practically inexhaustible cell source. Using micro-carrier culture, weekly more than 400 billions of cells at a concentration of 10(6) cells per ml could be obtained for virus inoculation. The virus yield per cell was at least as high as for primary monkey kidney cells. Processing of virus harvests could be performed according to the methods used at the production on primary monkey kidney cells. From a technological view-point large-scale production of KPV on VERO cells appears to be possible economically. More research on the safety control might be necessary.