CCMB produces the culture of coronavirus cells needed for vaccine and drug development

The CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) announced on Thursday that it has established a stable culture of coronavirus. This will allow the best research centers to work on vaccine development and test drugs that may fight COVID-19.

Over the past month and a half, CCMB has established a stable culture of COVID-19 and elicited coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 from patient samples.

Described how SARS-CoV-2 affects humans and said it infects epithelial cells in the human respiratory tract. “The virus infects these cells by interacting with a receptor protein called ACE-2. The virus is then internalized by a process, endocytosis. The viral RNA is later stored in the cell’s cytoplasm. Are released into the body where they first make viral proteins and then start replicating, so the virus uses resources from these cells to make its own copy, so the virus is able to replicate. Requires a set of host factors to render. “

“Human-derived primary epithelial cells do not grow for generations in the key laboratories for continuous culture of the virus. Therefore, CCMBs and other laboratories growing the virus are told that they are immortal. “We need a cell line,” says Dr. Harshan.

They use Vero cells-a green African monkey kidney epithelial cell line that expresses the ACE-2 protein and carries a mutation that allows it to grow indefinitely.

“Using the Vero cell line to grow coronaviruses has allowed CCMB to isolate and maintain virus strains from different regions. We produce and inactivate the virus in large numbers, For therapeutic purposes, we are committed to using it for vaccine development and antibody production, “said Dr. Rakesh Mishra, CCMB Director.

The CCMB has also begun using this viral culture to test potential drugs with other partners, such as the Department of Defense Research and Development (DRDO), he said. “We look forward to these systems being replicated by multiple research institutions and private companies to serve as resources to help combat this pandemic and prepare for the future,” he said.

Researchers have historically pointed out that the attenuated or killed virus is used as a vaccine in some cases, such as in the case of polio. Inactivated viruses cannot initiate infection, but their structural proteins cause intracellular antibody production. The effectiveness of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 as a vaccine candidate is currently being investigated by several groups.

Inactivated viruses can also elicit antibody responses in other mammalian hosts in addition to humans. A variety of such hosts are currently being tested for the efficiency of antibody responses. They range from small rodents such as mice to large mammals such as horses and camels. Such antibodies produced in these non-human hosts can be purified and processed for injection into humans.

Researchers believe that virus cultures can also help test a variety of disinfectants. Currently, there is a great need for surface disinfectants that can kill SARS-CoV-2 on a variety of surfaces including PPE kits and clothing. Viral culture is an important component of research that can test the effectiveness of some proposed disinfectants. The ability of the main components of the disinfectant is tested for its ability to kill the virus.

The SARS-CoV-2 culture is also useful for testing equipment. Ultraviolet (UV) is a well-known drug that can effectively kill virus particles and prevent infection. Eliminating SARS-CoV-2 from a variety of materials, including packaging, is in great demand both in domestic and industrial activity. Such devices need to be tested for their efficiency in killing SARS-CoV-2 after exposing viral cultures to UV light.