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Khan MDFH, Youssef M, Nesdoly S, Kamen AA. Development of Robust Freeze-Drying Process for Long-Term Stability of rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine. Viruses 2024; 16:942. [PMID: 38932234 PMCID: PMC11209311 DOI: 10.3390/v16060942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The thermostability of vaccines, particularly enveloped viral vectored vaccines, remains a challenge to their delivery wherever needed. The freeze-drying of viral vectored vaccines is a promising approach but remains challenging due to the water removal process from the outer and inner parts of the virus. In the case of enveloped viruses, freeze-drying induces increased stress on the envelope, which often leads to the inactivation of the virus. In this study, we designed a method to freeze-dry a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. Since the envelope of VSV is composed of 50% lipids and 50% protein, the formulation study focused on both the protein and lipid portions of the vector. Formulations were prepared primarily using sucrose, trehalose, and sorbitol as cryoprotectants; mannitol as a lyoprotectant; and histidine as a buffer. Initially, the infectivity of rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 and the cake stability were investigated at different final moisture content levels. High recovery of the infectious viral titer (~0.5 to 1 log loss) was found at 3-6% moisture content, with no deterioration in the freeze-dried cakes. To further minimize infectious viral titer loss, the composition and concentration of the excipients were studied. An increase from 5 to 10% in both the cryoprotectants and lyoprotectant, together with the addition of 0.5% gelatin, resulted in the improved recovery of the infectious virus titer and stable cake formation. Moreover, the secondary drying temperature of the freeze-drying process showed a significant impact on the infectivity of rVSV-SARS-CoV-2. The infectivity of the vector declined drastically when the temperature was raised above 20 °C. Throughout a long-term stability study, formulations containing 10% sugar (sucrose/trehalose), 10% mannitol, 0.5% gelatin, and 10 mM histidine showed satisfactory stability for six months at 2-8 °C. The development of this freeze-drying process and the optimized formulation minimize the need for a costly cold chain distribution system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Amine A. Kamen
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H2X 1Y4, Canada; (M.F.H.K.)
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2
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Demirden SF, Kimiz-Gebologlu I, Oncel SS. Animal Cell Lines as Expression Platforms in Viral Vaccine Production: A Post Covid-19 Perspective. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:16904-16926. [PMID: 38645343 PMCID: PMC11025085 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c10484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Vaccines are considered the most effective tools for preventing diseases. In this sense, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the effects of which continue all over the world, humanity has once again remembered the importance of the vaccine. Also, with the various epidemic outbreaks that occurred previously, the development processes of effective vaccines against these viral pathogens have accelerated. By these efforts, many different new vaccine platforms have been approved for commercial use and have been introduced to the commercial landscape. In addition, innovations have been made in the production processes carried out with conventionally produced vaccine types to create a rapid response to prevent potential epidemics or pandemics. In this situation, various cell lines are being positioned at the center of the production processes of these new generation viral vaccines as expression platforms. Therefore, since the main goal is to produce a fast, safe, and effective vaccine to prevent the disease, in addition to existing expression systems, different cell lines that have not been used in vaccine production until now have been included in commercial production for the first time. In this review, first current viral vaccine types in clinical use today are described. Then, the reason for using cell lines, which are the expression platforms used in the production of these viral vaccines, and the general production processes of cell culture-based viral vaccines are mentioned. Also, selection parameters for animal cell lines as expression platforms in vaccine production are explained by considering bioprocess efficiency and current regulations. Finally, all different cell lines used in cell culture-based viral vaccine production and their properties are summarized, with an emphasis on the current and future status of cell cultures in industrial viral vaccine production.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Suphi S. Oncel
- Ege University, Bioengineering Department, Izmir, 35100, Turkiye
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3
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Todesco HM, Gafuik C, John CM, Roberts EL, Borys BS, Pawluk A, Kallos MS, Potts KG, Mahoney DJ. High-titer manufacturing of SARS-CoV-2 Spike-pseudotyped VSV in stirred-tank bioreactors. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101189. [PMID: 38327804 PMCID: PMC10847022 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic highlighted the importance of vaccine innovation in public health. Hundreds of vaccines built on numerous technology platforms have been rapidly developed against SARS-CoV-2 since 2020. Like all vaccine platforms, an important bottleneck to viral-vectored vaccine development is manufacturing. Here, we describe a scalable manufacturing protocol for replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 Spike-pseudotyped vesicular stomatitis virus (S-VSV)-vectored vaccines using Vero cells grown on microcarriers in a stirred-tank bioreactor. Using Cytodex 1 microcarriers over 6 days of fed-batch culture, Vero cells grew to a density of 3.95 ± 0.42 ×106 cells/mL in 1-L stirred-tank bioreactors. Ancestral strain S-VSV reached a peak titer of 2.05 ± 0.58 ×108 plaque-forming units (PFUs)/mL at 3 days postinfection. When compared to growth in plate-based cultures, this was a 29-fold increase in virus production, meaning a 1-L bioreactor produces the same amount of virus as 1,284 plates of 15 cm. In addition, the omicron BA.1 S-VSV reached a peak titer of 5.58 ± 0.35 × 106 PFU/mL. Quality control testing showed plate- and bioreactor-produced S-VSV had similar particle-to-PFU ratios and elicited comparable levels of neutralizing antibodies in immunized hamsters. This method should enhance preclinical and clinical development of pseudotyped VSV-vectored vaccines in future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley M. Todesco
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Chris Gafuik
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Cini M. John
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Erin L. Roberts
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Breanna S. Borys
- Pharmaceutical Production Research Facility, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Alexis Pawluk
- Pharmaceutical Production Research Facility, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Michael S. Kallos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Pharmaceutical Production Research Facility, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kyle G. Potts
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Douglas J. Mahoney
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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4
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Cohen N, Simon I, Hazan O, Tal A, Tzadok H, Levin L, Girshengorn M, Mimran LC, Natan N, Baruhi T, David AB, Rosen O, Shmaya S, Borni S, Cohen N, Lupu E, Kedmi A, Zilberman O, Jayson A, Monash A, Dor E, Diamant E, Goldvaser M, Cohen-Gihon I, Israeli O, Lazar S, Shifman O, Beth-Din A, Zvi A, Oren Z, Makovitzki A, Lerer E, Mimran A, Toister E, Zichel R, Adar Y, Epstein E. Enhanced production yields of rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine using Fibra-Cel ® macrocarriers. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1333548. [PMID: 38449674 PMCID: PMC10915211 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1333548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to high global demand for vaccines to safeguard public health. To that end, our institute has developed a recombinant viral vector vaccine utilizing a modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) construct, wherein the G protein of VSV is replaced with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 (rVSV-ΔG-spike). Previous studies have demonstrated the production of a VSV-based vaccine in Vero cells adsorbed on Cytodex 1 microcarriers or in suspension. However, the titers were limited by both the carrier surface area and shear forces. Here, we describe the development of a bioprocess for rVSV-ΔG-spike production in serum-free Vero cells using porous Fibra-Cel® macrocarriers in fixed-bed BioBLU®320 5p bioreactors, leading to high-end titers. We identified core factors that significantly improved virus production, such as the kinetics of virus production, the use of macrospargers for oxygen supply, and medium replenishment. Implementing these parameters, among others, in a series of GMP production processes improved the titer yields by at least two orders of magnitude (2e9 PFU/mL) over previously reported values. The developed process was highly effective, repeatable, and robust, creating potent and genetically stable vaccine viruses and introducing new opportunities for application in other viral vaccine platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Cohen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Irit Simon
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ophir Hazan
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Arnon Tal
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Hanan Tzadok
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Lilach Levin
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Meni Girshengorn
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Lilach Cherry Mimran
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Niva Natan
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Tzadok Baruhi
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Osnat Rosen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shlomo Shmaya
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Sarah Borni
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Noa Cohen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Edith Lupu
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Kedmi
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Orian Zilberman
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Avital Jayson
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Arik Monash
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Dor
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eran Diamant
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Michael Goldvaser
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Israel Institute for Biological, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Inbar Cohen-Gihon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofir Israeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shirley Lazar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Shifman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Beth-Din
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Anat Zvi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ziv Oren
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Arik Makovitzki
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Elad Lerer
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Avishai Mimran
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Einat Toister
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Yaakov Adar
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
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5
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Reddy JV, Raudenbush K, Papoutsakis ET, Ierapetritou M. Cell-culture process optimization via model-based predictions of metabolism and protein glycosylation. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 67:108179. [PMID: 37257729 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In order to meet the rising demand for biologics and become competitive on the developing biosimilar market, there is a need for process intensification of biomanufacturing processes. Process development of biologics has historically relied on extensive experimentation to develop and optimize biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Experimentation to optimize media formulations, feeding schedules, bioreactor operations and bioreactor scale up is expensive, labor intensive and time consuming. Mathematical modeling frameworks have the potential to enable process intensification while reducing the experimental burden. This review focuses on mathematical modeling of cellular metabolism and N-linked glycosylation as applied to upstream manufacturing of biologics. We review developments in the field of modeling cellular metabolism of mammalian cells using kinetic and stoichiometric modeling frameworks along with their applications to simulate, optimize and improve mechanistic understanding of the process. Interest in modeling N-linked glycosylation has led to the creation of various types of parametric and non-parametric models. Most published studies on mammalian cell metabolism have performed experiments in shake flasks where the pH and dissolved oxygen cannot be controlled. Efforts to understand and model the effect of bioreactor-specific parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and bioreactor heterogeneity are critically reviewed. Most modeling efforts have focused on the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, which are most commonly used to produce monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, these modeling approaches can be generalized and applied to any mammalian cell-based manufacturing platform. Current and potential future applications of these models for Vero cell-based vaccine manufacturing, CAR-T cell therapies, and viral vector manufacturing are also discussed. We offer specific recommendations for improving the applicability of these models to industrially relevant processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayanth Venkatarama Reddy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-3196, USA
| | - Katherine Raudenbush
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-3196, USA
| | - Eleftherios Terry Papoutsakis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-3196, USA; Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, USA.
| | - Marianthi Ierapetritou
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-3196, USA.
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6
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Yang Z, Paes BCMF, Fulber JPC, Tran MY, Farnós O, Kamen AA. Development of an Integrated Continuous Manufacturing Process for the rVSV-Vectored SARS-CoV-2 Candidate Vaccine. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11040841. [PMID: 37112753 PMCID: PMC10143285 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11040841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The administration of viral vectored vaccines remains one of the most effective ways to respond to the ongoing novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, pre-existing immunity to the viral vector hinders its potency, resulting in a limited choice of viral vectors. Moreover, the basic batch mode of manufacturing vectored vaccines does not allow one to cost-effectively meet the global demand for billions of doses per year. To date, the exposure of humans to VSV infection has been limited. Therefore, a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV), which expresses the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, was selected as the vector. To determine the operating upstream process conditions for the most effective production of an rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 candidate vaccine, a set of critical process parameters was evaluated in an Ambr 250 modular system, whereas in the downstream process, a streamlined process that included DNase treatment, clarification, and a membrane-based anion exchange chromatography was developed. The design of the experiment was performed with the aim to obtain the optimal conditions for the chromatography step. Additionally, a continuous mode manufacturing process integrating upstream and downstream steps was evaluated. rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 was continuously harvested from the perfusion bioreactor and purified by membrane chromatography in three columns that were operated sequentially under a counter-current mode. Compared with the batch mode, the continuous mode of operation had a 2.55-fold increase in space-time yield and a reduction in the processing time by half. The integrated continuous manufacturing process provides a reference for the efficient production of other viral vectored vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Yang
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | | | - Julia Puppin Chaves Fulber
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Michelle Yen Tran
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Omar Farnós
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Amine A Kamen
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
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7
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Ton C, Stabile V, Carey E, Maraikar A, Whitmer T, Marrone S, Afanador NL, Zabrodin I, Manomohan G, Whiteman M, Hofmann C. Development and scale-up of rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine process using single use bioreactor. BIOTECHNOLOGY REPORTS (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 37:e00782. [PMID: 36687766 PMCID: PMC9841742 DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2023.e00782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread through the globe at an alarming speed. The disease has become a global pandemic affecting millions of people and created public health crises worldwide. Among many efforts to urgently develop a vaccine against this disease, we developed an industrial-scale closed, single use manufacturing process for V590, a vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2. V590 is a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) genetically engineered to express SARS-CoV-2 glycoprotein. In this work, we describe the development and optimization of serum-free microcarrier production of V590 in Vero cells in a closed system. To achieve the maximum virus productivity, we optimized pH and temperature during virus production in 3 liters (L) bioreactors. Virus productivity was improved (by ∼1 log) by using pH 7.0 and temperature at 34.0 °C. The optimal production condition was successfully scaled up to a 2000 L Single Use Bioreactor (SUB), producing a maximum virus titer of ∼1.0e+7 plaque forming units (PFU)/mL. Further process intensification and simplification, including growing Vero cells at 2 gs per liter (g/L) of Cytodex-1 Gamma microcarriers and eliminating the media exchange (MX) step prior to infection helped to increase virus productivity by ∼2-fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Ton
- Vaccine Process Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, 19486, United States,Corresponding author.
| | - Victoria Stabile
- Vaccine Process Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, 19486, United States
| | - Elizabeth Carey
- Vaccine Process Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, 19486, United States
| | - Adam Maraikar
- Bioprocess Clinical Manufacturing & Technology, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, 19486, United States
| | - Travis Whitmer
- Bioprocess Drug Substance Commercialization, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, 19486, United States
| | - Samantha Marrone
- Vaccine Process Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, 19486, United States
| | - Nelson Lee Afanador
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, 19486, United States
| | - Igor Zabrodin
- Vaccine Process Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, 19486, United States
| | - Greeshma Manomohan
- Currently at GlaxoSmithKline plc, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, 19406, United States
| | - Melissa Whiteman
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Carl Hofmann
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
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8
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Fang Z, Lyu J, Li J, Li C, Zhang Y, Guo Y, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Chen K. Application of bioreactor technology for cell culture-based viral vaccine production: Present status and future prospects. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:921755. [PMID: 36017347 PMCID: PMC9395942 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.921755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioreactors are widely used in cell culture-based viral vaccine production, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this context, the development and application of bioreactors can provide more efficient and cost-effective vaccine production to meet the global vaccine demand. The production of viral vaccines is inseparable from the development of upstream biological processes. In particular, exploration at the laboratory-scale is urgently required for further development. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the existing upstream biological processes, to enable the selection of pilot-scale conditions for academic and industrial scientists to maximize the yield and quality of vaccine development and production. Reviewing methods for optimizing the upstream process of virus vaccine production, this review discusses the bioreactor concepts, significant parameters and operational strategies related to large-scale amplification of virus. On this basis, a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the various process optimization methods for the production of various viruses (SARS-CoV-2, Influenza virus, Tropical virus, Enterovirus, Rabies virus) in bioreactors is presented. Meanwhile, the types of viral vaccines are briefly introduced, and the established animal cell lines for vaccine production are described. In addition, it is emphasized that the co-development of bioreactor and computational biology is urgently needed to meet the challenges posed by the differences in upstream production scales between the laboratory and industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongbiao Fang
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingting Lyu
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chaonan Li
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuxuan Zhang
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yikai Guo
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Ying Wang, ; Yanjun Zhang, ; Keda Chen,
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Ying Wang, ; Yanjun Zhang, ; Keda Chen,
| | - Keda Chen
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Ying Wang, ; Yanjun Zhang, ; Keda Chen,
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9
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High Expression of HERV-K (HML-2) Might Stimulate Interferon in COVID-19 Patients. Viruses 2022; 14:v14050996. [PMID: 35632738 PMCID: PMC9143815 DOI: 10.3390/v14050996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. Interferon is a marker of host antiviral immunity, which is disordered in COVID-19 patients. ERV can affect the secretion of interferon through the cGAS-STING pathway. In this study, we explored whether IFN-I and HERV-K (HML-2) were activated in COVID-19 patients and whether there was an interaction between them. Methods. We collected blood samples from COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. We first detected the expression of HERV-K (HML-2) gag, env, and pol genes and IFN-I-related genes between patients and healthy people by qPCR, synchronously detected VERO cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. Then, the chromosome distributions of highly expressed HERV-K (HML-2) gag, env, and pol genes were mapped by the next-generation sequencing results, and GO analysis was performed on the related genes. Results. We found that the HERV-K (HML-2) gag, env, and pol genes were highly expressed in COVID-19 patients and VERO cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. The interferon-related genes IFNB1, ISG15, and IFIT1 were also activated in COVID-19 patients, and GO analysis showed that HERV-K (HML-2) can regulate the secretion of interferon. Conclusions. The high expression of HERV-K (HML-2) might activate the increase of interferon in COVID-19 patients, proving that HERV-K does not only play a negative role in the human body.
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Rosen O, Jayson A, Goldvaser M, Dor E, Monash A, Levin L, Cherry L, Lupu E, Natan N, Girshengorn M, Epstein E. Optimization of VSV-ΔG-spike production process with the Ambr15 system for a SARS-COV-2 vaccine. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:1839-1848. [PMID: 35319097 PMCID: PMC9082513 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
To face the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) virus, our institute has developed the rVSV‐ΔG‐spike vaccine, in which the glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was replaced by the spike protein of SARS‐CoV‐2. Many process parameters can influence production yield. To maximize virus vaccine yield, each parameter should be tested independently and in combination with others. Here, we report the optimization of the production of the VSV‐ΔG‐spike vaccine in Vero cells using the Ambr15 system. This system facilitates high‐throughput screening of process parameters, as it contains 24 individually controlled, single‐use stirred‐tank minireactors. During optimization, critical parameters were tested. Those parameters included: cell densities; the multiplicity of infection; virus production temperature; medium addition and medium exchange; and supplementation of glucose in the virus production step. Virus production temperature, medium addition, and medium exchange were all found to significantly influence the yield. The optimized parameters were tested in the BioBLU 5p bioreactors production process and those that were found to contribute to the vaccine yield were integrated into the final process. The findings of this study demonstrate that an Ambr15 system is an effective tool for bioprocess optimization of vaccine production using macrocarriers and that the combination of production temperature, rate of medium addition, and medium exchange significantly improved virus yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osnat Rosen
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Avital Jayson
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Michael Goldvaser
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Dor
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Arik Monash
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Lilach Levin
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Lilach Cherry
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Edith Lupu
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Niva Natan
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Meni Girshengorn
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Ness Ziona, Israel
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11
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Fulber JPC, Farnós O, Kiesslich S, Yang Z, Dash S, Susta L, Wootton SK, Kamen AA. Process Development for Newcastle Disease Virus-Vectored Vaccines in Serum-Free Vero Cell Suspension Cultures. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9111335. [PMID: 34835266 PMCID: PMC8623276 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic drew global attention to infectious diseases, attracting numerous resources for development of pandemic preparedness plans and vaccine platforms—technologies with robust manufacturing processes that can quickly be pivoted to target emerging diseases. Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) has been studied as a viral vector for human and veterinary vaccines, but its production relies heavily on embryonated chicken eggs, with very few studies producing NDV in cell culture. Here, NDV is produced in suspension Vero cells, and analytical assays (TCID50 and ddPCR) are developed to quantify infectious and total viral titer. NDV-GFP and NDV-FLS (SARS-CoV-2 full-length spike protein) constructs were adapted to replicate in Vero and HEK293 suspension cultures using serum-free media, while fine-tuning parameters such as MOI, temperature, and trypsin concentration. Shake flask productions with Vero cells resulted in infectious titers of 1.07 × 108 TCID50/mL for NDV-GFP and 1.33 × 108 TCID50/mL for NDV-FLS. Production in 1 L batch bioreactors also resulted in high titers in culture supernatants, reaching 2.37 × 108 TCID50/mL for NDV-GFP and 3.16 × 107 TCID50/mL for NDV-FLS. This shows effective NDV production in cell culture, building the basis for a scalable vectored-vaccine manufacturing process that can be applied to different targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Puppin Chaves Fulber
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada; (J.P.C.F.); (O.F.); (S.K.); (Z.Y.); (S.D.)
| | - Omar Farnós
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada; (J.P.C.F.); (O.F.); (S.K.); (Z.Y.); (S.D.)
| | - Sascha Kiesslich
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada; (J.P.C.F.); (O.F.); (S.K.); (Z.Y.); (S.D.)
| | - Zeyu Yang
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada; (J.P.C.F.); (O.F.); (S.K.); (Z.Y.); (S.D.)
| | - Shantoshini Dash
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada; (J.P.C.F.); (O.F.); (S.K.); (Z.Y.); (S.D.)
| | - Leonardo Susta
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (L.S.); (S.K.W.)
| | - Sarah K. Wootton
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (L.S.); (S.K.W.)
| | - Amine A. Kamen
- Viral Vectors and Vaccines Bioprocessing Group, Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada; (J.P.C.F.); (O.F.); (S.K.); (Z.Y.); (S.D.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Large-Scale Microcarrier Culture of Chinese Perch Brain Cell for Viral Vaccine Production in a Stirred Bioreactor. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9091003. [PMID: 34579239 PMCID: PMC8471297 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9091003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) is one of the important cultured fish species in China. Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) and Siniperca Chuatsi rhabdovirus (SCRV) have hindered the development of mandarin fish farming industry. Vaccination is the most effective method for control of viral diseases, however viral vaccine production requires the large-scale culture of cells. Herein, a suspension culture system of Chinese perch brain cell (CPB) was developed on Cytodex 1 microcarrier in a stirred bioreactor. Firstly, CPB cells were cultured using Cytodex 1 microcarrier in 125 mL stirring flasks. With the optimum operational parameters, CPB cells grew well, distributed uniformly, and could fully cover the microcarriers. Then, CPB cells were digested with trypsin and expanded step-by-step with different expansion ratios from the 125 mL stirring bottle to a 500 mL stirring bottle, and finally to a 3-L bioreactor. Results showed that with an expansion ratio of 1:3, we achieved a high cell density level (2.25 × 106 cells/mL) with an efficient use of the microcarriers, which also confirmed the data obtained from the 125 mL stirring flask. Moreover, obvious cytopathic effects (CPE) were observed in the suspended CPB cells post-infection with ISKNV and SCRV. This study provided a large-scale culture system of CPB cells for virus vaccine production.
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Kiesslich S, Kim GN, Shen CF, Kang CY, Kamen AA. Bioreactor production of rVSV-based vectors in Vero cell suspension cultures. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:2649-2659. [PMID: 33837958 PMCID: PMC8252067 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The Vero cell line is the most used continuous cell line in viral vaccine manufacturing. This adherent cell culture platform requires the use of surfaces to support cell growth, typically roller bottles, or microcarriers. We have recently compared the production of rVSV‐ZEBOV on Vero cells between microcarrier and fixed‐bed bioreactors. However, suspension cultures are considered superior with regard to process scalability. Therefore, we further explore the Vero suspension system for recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)‐vectored vaccine production. Previously, this suspension cell line was only able to be cultivated in a proprietary medium. Here, we expand the adaptation and bioreactor cultivation to a serum‐free commercial medium. Following small‐scale optimization and screening studies, we demonstrate bioreactor productions of highly relevant vaccines and vaccine candidates against Ebola virus disease, HIV, and coronavirus disease 2019 in the Vero suspension system. rVSV‐ZEBOV, rVSV‐HIV, and rVSVInd‐msp‐SF‐Gtc can replicate to high titers in the bioreactor, reaching 3.87 × 107 TCID50/ml, 2.12 × 107 TCID50/ml, and 3.59 × 109 TCID50/ml, respectively. Furthermore, we compare cell‐specific productivities, and the quality of the produced viruses by determining the ratio of total viral particles to infectious viral particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Kiesslich
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gyoung N Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chun F Shen
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council of Canada, Quebec, Canada
| | - C Yong Kang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amine A Kamen
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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