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Vaccine
. 2026 Mar 19:79:128489.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128489. Online ahead of print.
Comparative evaluation of cell lines and their serum-free adapted derivatives for H1N1 influenza A virus propagation: bridging laboratory research and industrial vaccine production application
S Furkan Demirden 1 , Ilgin Kimiz-Gebologlu 1 , Suphi S Oncel 2
Affiliations
The Influenza viruses affect many people annually. This has a high impact on society, both in terms of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, vaccines are gaining prominence as a means of preventing influenza outbreaks. However, due to the high demand for vaccines, achieving rapid, high-quality, and economical production presents a challenge. While egg-based systems are used in the production of influenza vaccines, more controlled systems are needed to overcome the drawbacks of animal-based products. As a response to this need, cell cultures are emerging as candidate expression platforms. However, regulatory bodies deem the use of animal-derived components in industrial production as undesirable for licensing cell culture-based products. Therefore, it is crucial that cells can be cultivated in serum-free media. Thus, ideally, the most suitable expression platform needs to be identified in terms of highest production yield, ease of production parameters (low raw material usage, scalability, etc.), and natural susceptibility. In this study, various human-originated cell lines, along with positive and negative controls, were initially adapted to grow in serum-free media, and metabolic analyses were conducted to examine their changing characteristics. Subsequently, infection studies were conducted with clinically isolated H1N1 subtype influenza A virus. After confirming that all cell lines, both original and adapted, were infected with the virus, the success of virus production was compared using RT-qPCR, TCID50, and plaque assay. Based on these results, their suitability for bioprocessing in the production of a potential influenza vaccine was assessed.
Keywords: Bioprocess optimization; Cell-based vaccine production; H1N1 subtype; Influenza virus; Serum-free culture.
. 2026 Mar 19:79:128489.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128489. Online ahead of print.
Comparative evaluation of cell lines and their serum-free adapted derivatives for H1N1 influenza A virus propagation: bridging laboratory research and industrial vaccine production application
S Furkan Demirden 1 , Ilgin Kimiz-Gebologlu 1 , Suphi S Oncel 2
Affiliations
- PMID: 41863182
- DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128489
The Influenza viruses affect many people annually. This has a high impact on society, both in terms of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, vaccines are gaining prominence as a means of preventing influenza outbreaks. However, due to the high demand for vaccines, achieving rapid, high-quality, and economical production presents a challenge. While egg-based systems are used in the production of influenza vaccines, more controlled systems are needed to overcome the drawbacks of animal-based products. As a response to this need, cell cultures are emerging as candidate expression platforms. However, regulatory bodies deem the use of animal-derived components in industrial production as undesirable for licensing cell culture-based products. Therefore, it is crucial that cells can be cultivated in serum-free media. Thus, ideally, the most suitable expression platform needs to be identified in terms of highest production yield, ease of production parameters (low raw material usage, scalability, etc.), and natural susceptibility. In this study, various human-originated cell lines, along with positive and negative controls, were initially adapted to grow in serum-free media, and metabolic analyses were conducted to examine their changing characteristics. Subsequently, infection studies were conducted with clinically isolated H1N1 subtype influenza A virus. After confirming that all cell lines, both original and adapted, were infected with the virus, the success of virus production was compared using RT-qPCR, TCID50, and plaque assay. Based on these results, their suitability for bioprocessing in the production of a potential influenza vaccine was assessed.
Keywords: Bioprocess optimization; Cell-based vaccine production; H1N1 subtype; Influenza virus; Serum-free culture.