Comparison of large-scale mammalian cell culture systems with egg culture for the production of influenza virus A vaccine strains

Abstract

Different types of microcarriers were assessed for the large-scale culture of influenza virus in the Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Both porous and solid carriers were examined. A higher titre of influenza A/PR8/34 virus was recovered from cultures using solid (1.3×10 9 PFU per ml) rather than porous carriers (4.0×10 8 PFU per ml). High titres of virus (1.0×10 9 PFU per ml) were also obtained from roller bottle cultures of MDCK cells and the traditional culture technique using embryonated hens’ eggs (3.9×10 9 PFU per ml). We found that solid carriers composed of dextran with a positive charge are the most suitable carriers for the large-scale growth of influenza A virus in MDCK cells using serum-free media.