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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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Swartz AR, Shieh Y, Gulasarian A, Curtis E, Hofmann CF, Baker JB, Templeton N, Olson JW. Glutathione affinity chromatography for the scalable purification of an oncolytic virus immunotherapy from microcarrier cell culture. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1193454. [PMID: 37397964 PMCID: PMC10310922 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1193454] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic viral vectors are an emerging technology with several clinical applications in gene therapy, vaccines, and immunotherapy. Increased demand has required the redevelopment of conventional, low-throughput cell culture and purification manufacturing methods such as static cell stacks and ultracentrifugation. In this work, scalable methods were investigated for the manufacture of an oncolytic virus immunotherapy application consisting of a prototype strain of coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21) produced in adherent MRC-5 cells. Cell culture was established in stirred-tank microcarrier bioreactors, and an efficient affinity chromatography method was developed for the purification of harvested CVA21 through binding of the viral capsids to an immobilized glutathione (GSH) ligand. Bioreactor temperature during infection was investigated to maximize titer, and a decrease in temperature from 37°C to 34°C yielded a two-three-fold increase in infectivity. After purification of the 34°C harvests, the GSH affinity chromatography elution not only maintained a >two-fold increase in infectivity and viral genomes but also increased the proportion of empty capsids compared to 37°C harvests. Using material generated from both infection temperature setpoints, chromatographic parameters and mobile phase compositions were studied at the laboratory scale to maximize infectious particle yields and cell culture impurity clearance. Empty capsids that co-eluted with full capsids from 34°C infection temperature harvests were poorly resolved across the conditions tested, but subsequent polishing anion exchange and cation exchange chromatography steps were developed to clear residual empty capsids and other impurities. Oncolytic CVA21 production was scaled-up 75-fold from the laboratory scale and demonstrated across seven batches in 250 L single-use microcarrier bioreactors and purified with customized, prepacked, single-use 1.5 L GSH affinity chromatography columns. The large-scale bioreactors controlled at 34°C during infection maintained a three-fold increase in productivity in the GSH elution, and excellent clearance of host cell and media impurities was observed across all batches. This study presents a robust method for the manufacture of an oncolytic virus immunotherapy application that may be implemented for the scalable production of other viruses and viral vectors which interact with glutathione.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Swartz
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States
| | - Yvonne Shieh
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States
| | - Amanda Gulasarian
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States
| | - Erik Curtis
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States
| | - Carl F. Hofmann
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States
| | - Jack B. Baker
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States
| | - Neil Templeton
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States
| | - Jessica W. Olson
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States
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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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Zhang L, Jin P, Wei M, Jiang H, Li J, Zhu F. A comparison of the test-negative and the matched case-control study designs for estimation of EV71 vaccine immunological surrogate endpoints from a randomized controlled trial. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2073751. [PMID: 35678636 PMCID: PMC9481104 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2073751] [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] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Since TND could be an appropriate method to assess vaccine effectiveness, we want to know whether it may be used for the estimation of vaccine immunological surrogate endpoints, like case-control study. We conducted two study designs (test-negative design (TND) VS matched case-control design (MCC)) to evaluate immunological surrogate endpoint against EV71-associated diseases. We calculated sensitivity (proportion of participants with EV71-associated disease who have a titer less than the cutoff at day 56), specificity (proportion of matched controls who have a titer equal or greater than the cutoff at day 56), and corresponding Youden index ([sensitivity + specificity] − 1). Then, we compared them between TND and MCC. In test-negative design, we totally enrolled 7029 subjects, 49 tested positive as cases and 6980 tested negative as controls in per-protocol population. In matched case-control design, we totally enrolled 305 subjects, 51 as cases, and 254 as controls in whole cohort. In sensitivity and specificity comparison, TND and MCC’s results were similar to each other, except for a titer of 1:4. Nonetheless, in Youden index comparison, MCC’s results were slightly higher than the TND’s, except for a titer of 1:4. EV71 vaccine immunological surrogate endpoints derived from TND was similar to MCC’s. Our results supported that TND could become an alternative research design with the progress of surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Public Health Department, Jiangyin County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, PR China
| | - Pengfei Jin
- Vaccine Clinical Evaluation Department, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Mingwei Wei
- Vaccine Clinical Evaluation Department, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Hudachuan Jiang
- Schoool of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Jingxin Li
- Vaccine Clinical Evaluation Department, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, PR China.,Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.,Institute of Global Health and Emergency Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Fengcai Zhu
- Schoool of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China.,Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.,Institute of Global Health and Emergency Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, PR China.,NHC Key laboratory of Enteric Pathogenic Microbiology, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, PR China
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Development of Next-Generation Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020274. [PMID: 35214730 PMCID: PMC8875761 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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