Developments and current challenges in the process of cell culture-based seasonal influenza vaccine manufacture in Japan.

Seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection primarily caused by influenza A and B viruses, which circulate annually and cause substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Annual influenza vaccination is currently the most effective measure for preventing influenza and greatly reduces the risk of disease severity and the incidence of complications and death. Annual seasonal influenza vaccines are traditionally produced in Japan and many other countries using viruses propagated in embryonated chicken eggs. However, at present, the effectiveness of the seasonal influenza vaccines has some significant limitations, partly because of egg-adaptive mutations in the antigenic sites of the influenza virus haemagglutinin, which are caused by the continued evolution of seasonal influenza viruses. To overcome the limitations of egg-based influenza vaccine production, a mammalian cell culture-based influenza vaccine production system has been developed in Japan in the past decade as an alternative to the current production method. In this review, I have summarised the progress in the development of cell-based seasonal influenza vaccines and discussed the technological challenges encountered in the development of influenza vaccines.

Suitability of NIID-MDCK cells as a substrate for cell-based influenza vaccine development from the perspective of adventitious virus susceptibility.

The practical use of cell-based seasonal influenza vaccines is currently being considered in Japan. From the perspective of adventitious virus contamination, we assessed the suitability of NIID-MDCK cells (NIID-MDCK-Cs) as a safe substrate for the isolation of influenza viruses from clinical specimens. We first established a sensitive multiplex real-time PCR system to screen for 27 respiratory viruses and used it on 34 virus samples that were isolated by passaging influenza-positive clinical specimens in NIID-MDCK-Cs. Incidentally, the limit of detection (LOD) of the system was 100 or fewer genome copies per reaction. In addition to influenza viruses, human enterovirus 68 (HEV-D68) genomes were detected in two samples after two or three passages in NIID-MDCK-Cs. To further investigate the susceptibility of NIID-MDCK-Cs to adventitious viruses, eight common respiratory viruses were subjected to passages in NIID-MDCK-Cs. The genome copy numbers of seven viruses other than parainfluenza 3 decreased below the LOD by passage 4. By passaging in NIID-MDCK-Cs, the genome numbers of the input HEV-D68, 1 × 108 copies, declined to 102 at passage 3 and to under the LOD at passage 4, whereas those of the other six viruses were under the LOD by passage 3. These results implied that during the process of isolating influenza viruses with NIID-MDCK-Cs, contaminating viruses other than parainfluenza 3 can be efficiently removed by passages in NIID-MDCK-Cs. NIID-MDCK-Cs could be a safe substrate for isolating influenza viruses that can be used to develop cell-based influenza vaccine candidate viruses.

Determination of the potency of a cell-based seasonal quadrivalent influenza vaccine using a purified primary liquid standard.

In Japan, the practical application of completely cell-based seasonal influenza vaccines is under consideration. Considering the good correlation between the immunogenicity of egg-based influenza vaccines and the hemagglutinin (HA) content determined by the single radial immunodiffusion (SRD) assay, we determined the potency of the first cell-based quadrivalent vaccine experimentally generated in Japan using the SRD assay in this study. A primary liquid standard (PLS) and reference antigen were generated from the purified vaccine virus, and a sheep antiserum was produced against the HA of the vaccine virus. Since the purity of the PLS affects the reliability of vaccine potency testing, the purification steps are significant. We successfully prepared a purified PLS nearly free of cell debris. The HA content in the PLS was first estimated from the total amount of viral protein and the percentage of HA content determined by SDS-PAGE analysis. The HA content in the reference antigen was calibrated to that in the PLS via the SRD assay. The vaccine potency, that is, the HA content in each vaccine, was finally measured using the corresponding reference antigen. Ultimately, the measured vaccine potency of the monovalent vaccine was similar to that of the quadrivalent vaccine.

Systematic evaluation of suspension MDCK cells, adherent MDCK cells, and LLC-MK2 cells for preparing influenza vaccine seed virus.

Suspension Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells (MDCK-N), adherent MDCK cells (MDCK-C), and adherent rhesus monkey kidney LLC-MK2 cells (LLC-MK2D) were systematically evaluated for the preparation of influenza vaccine seed viruses for humans on the basis of primary virus isolation efficiency, growth ability, genetic stability of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes, and antigenic properties in hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test of each virus isolate upon further passages. All the subtypes/lineages of influenza viruses (A(H1N1), A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), B-Victoria, and B-Yamagata) were successfully isolated from clinical specimens by using MDCK-N and MDCK-C, whereas LLC-MK2D did not support virus replication well. Serial passages of A(H1N1) viruses in MDCK-N and MDCK-C induced genetic mutations of HA that resulted in moderate antigenic changes in the HI test. All A(H1N1)pdm09 isolates from MDCK-C acquired amino acid substitutions at the site from K153 to N156 of the HA protein, which resulted in striking antigenic alteration. In contrast, only 30% of MDCK-N isolates showed amino acid changes at this site. The frequency of MDCK-N isolates with less than two-fold reduction in the HI titer was as high as 70%. A(H3N2) and B-Yamagata isolates showed high antigenic stability and no specific amino acid substitution during passages in MDCK-N and MDCK-C. B-Victoria isolates from MDCK-N and MDCK-C acquired genetic changes at HA glycosylation sites that greatly affected their antigenicity. When these cell isolates were applied to passages in hen eggs, A(H1N1), B-Victoria, and B-Yamagata viruses grew well in eggs, while none of the cell isolates of A(H3N2) viruses did. Thus, we demonstrate that MDCK-N might be useful for the preparation of influenza vaccine seed viruses.

A Novel Method of Safely Measuring Influenza Virus Aerosol Using Antigen-Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the Performance Evaluation of Protective Clothing Materials.

Currently, threats caused by pathogens are serious public health problems worldwide. Protective clothing is essential when one is treating infected patients or dealing with unknown pathogens. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the performance of protective clothing against pathogens. In Japan, some methods for evaluating the performance of protective clothing have been established in the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). However, a test method against virus aerosols has not been established. Because there is a risk of infection from a live virus during the test, it is necessary to devise a safe method for the virus-aerosol-based test. Here, we propose a new method of safely measuring virus aerosols for the performance evaluation of protective clothing materials. To ensure safety, an inactivated virus was used. As a model virus, the influenza virus was selected owing to the proper small diameter of the virus particles. To quantitatively measure the particle-amount of the inactivated influenza virus, we developed an antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) targeting the M1 protein. Furthermore, we evaluated two materials using our method. Significant differences in the protection performance against the virus aerosol were observed between different sample materials, thereby confirming the applicability of our new method for performance evaluation.

Cyclosporin A inhibits the propagation of influenza virus by interfering with a late event in the virus life cycle.

Influenza is a global public health problem that causes a serious respiratory disease. Influenza virus frequently undergoes amino acid substitutions, which result in the emergence of drug-resistant viruses. To control influenza viruses that are resistant to currently available drugs, it is essential to develop new antiviral drugs with a novel molecular target. Here, we report that cyclosporin A (CsA) inhibits the propagation of influenza virus in A549 cells by interfering with a late event in the virus life cycle. CsA did not affect adsorption, internalization, viral RNA replication, or synthesis of viral proteins in A549 cells, but inhibited the step(s) after viral protein synthesis, such as assembly or budding. In addition, siRNA-mediated knockdown of the expression of the major CsA targets, namely cyclophilin A (CypA), cyclophilin B (CypB), and P-glycoprotein (Pgp), did not inhibit influenza virus propagation. These results suggest that CsA inhibits virus propagation by mechanism(s) independent of the inhibition of the function of CypA, CypB, and Pgp. CsA may target an unknown molecule that works as a positive regulator in the propagation of influenza virus. Our findings would contribute to the development of a novel anti-influenza virus therapy and clarification of the regulatory mechanism of influenza virus multiplication.

High yield production of influenza virus in Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells with stable knockdown of IRF7.

Influenza is a serious public health problem that causes a contagious respiratory disease. Vaccination is the most effective strategy to reduce transmission and prevent influenza. In recent years, cell-based vaccines have been developed with continuous cell lines such as Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and Vero. However, wild-type influenza and egg-based vaccine seed viruses will not grow efficiently in these cell lines. Therefore, improvement of virus growth is strongly required for development of vaccine seed viruses and cell-based influenza vaccine production. The aim of our research is to develop novel MDCK cells supporting highly efficient propagation of influenza virus in order to expand the capacity of vaccine production. In this study, we screened a human siRNA library that involves 78 target molecules relating to three major type I interferon (IFN) pathways to identify genes that when knocked down by siRNA lead to enhanced production of influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 in A549 cells. The siRNAs targeting 23 candidate genes were selected to undergo a second screening pass in MDCK cells. We examined the effects of knockdown of target genes on the viral production using newly designed siRNAs based on sequence analyses. Knockdown of the expression of a canine gene corresponding to human IRF7 by siRNA increased the efficiency of viral production in MDCK cells through an unknown process that includes the mechanisms other than inhibition of IFN-α/ß induction. Furthermore, the viral yield greatly increased in MDCK cells stably transduced with the lentiviral vector for expression of short hairpin RNA against IRF7 compared with that in control MDCK cells. Therefore, we propose that modified MDCK cells with lower expression level of IRF7 could be useful not only for increasing the capacity of vaccine production but also facilitating the process of seed virus isolation from clinical specimens for manufacturing of vaccines.

[Progress of basic research on HIV/AIDS: HIV entry mechanism: comparison with influenza virus].

Some enveloped viruses such as influenza virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1(HIV-1) enter cells via clathrin-mediated endocytosis and release their viral genome into the cytoplasm by fusion of the viral envelope with the cell membrane. However, the entry mechanisms of these viruses into cells are not fully understood. Until recently, entry of HIV-1 into CD4/CR expressing cells was believed to occur by fusion of viral envelope to the target cellular membrane at lipid rafts in a pH-independent manner. It has also been reported that HIV-1 entry into macrophages is mediated via lipid-raft dependent macropinocytosis. Recent studies demonstrate that HIV-1 enters cells via CD4/CR-mediated endocytosis and viral fusion with intracellular membrane compartments is enhanced by dynamin-dependent pathway.

Molecular epidemiology of adenovirus type 3 detected from 1994 to 2006 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

The molecular epidemiology of 126 adenovirus type 3 (AdV3) isolates obtained in Hyogo Prefecture (population: 5.5 million) from 1994 to 2006 was studied. The hexon-coding region, including 7 hypervariable regions (HVRs) (1,419 bp), was sequenced. We found 5 nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions in the HVRs. The results are strongly suggestive of positive Darwinian selection. We classified the AdV3 strains analyzed here into 3 genome types: AdV3x (n=44), AdV3y (n=46), and AdV3z (n=36). AdV3x first appeared in 2001 in Hyogo Prefecture, and was detected predominantly during a large outbreak of AdV3 in 2003-2005. AdV3x was identical to a Korean strain responsible for a large outbreak of AdV3 in Korea in 1998-1999. We conclude that at least 3 genome types of AdV3 have circulated in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, during the past 13 years (1994-2006). The findings also suggest that AdV3x was imported from Korea to Hyogo Prefecture in 2001.

Hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 5A modulates the toll-like receptor-MyD88-dependent signaling pathway in macrophage cell lines.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces a wide range of chronic liver injuries; however, the mechanism through which HCV evades the immune surveillance system remains obscure. Blood dendritic cells (DCs) play a pivotal role in the recognition of viral infection and the induction of innate and adaptive immune responses. Several reports suggest that HCV infection induces the dysfunction of DCs in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Toll-like receptor (TLR) has been shown to play various roles in many viral infections; however, the involvement of HCV proteins in the TLR signaling pathway has not yet been precisely elucidated. In this study, we established mouse macrophage cell lines stably expressing HCV proteins and determined the effect of HCV proteins on the TLR signaling pathways. Immune cells expressing NS3, NS3/4A, NS4B, or NS5A were found to inhibit the activation of the TLR2, TLR4, TLR7, and TLR9 signaling pathways. Various genotypes of NS5A bound to MyD88, a major adaptor molecule in TLR, inhibited the recruitment of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 to MyD88, and impaired cytokine production in response to TLR ligands. Amino acid residues 240 to 280, previously identified as the interferon sensitivity-determining region (ISDR) in NS5A, interacted with the death domain of MyD88, and the expression of a mutant NS5A lacking the ISDR partially restored cytokine production. These results suggest that the expression of HCV proteins modulates the TLR signaling pathway in immune cells.

Replication-competent recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus encoding hepatitis C virus envelope proteins.

Although in vitro replication of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) JFH1 clone of genotype 2a (HCVcc) has been developed, a robust cell culture system for the 1a and 1b genotypes, which are the most prevalent viruses in the world and resistant to interferon therapy, has not yet been established. As a surrogate virus system, pseudotype viruses transiently bearing HCV envelope proteins based on the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and retrovirus have been developed. Here, we have developed a replication-competent recombinant VSV with a genome encoding unmodified HCV E1 and E2 proteins in place of the VSV envelope protein (HCVrv) in human cell lines. HCVrv and a pseudotype VSV bearing the unmodified HCV envelope proteins (HCVpv) generated in 293T or Huh7 cells exhibited high infectivity in Huh7 cells. Generation of infectious HCVrv was limited in some cell lines examined. Furthermore, HCVrv but not HCVpv was able to propagate and form foci in Huh7 cells. The infection of Huh7 cells with HCVpv and HCVrv was neutralized by anti-hCD81 and anti-E2 antibodies and by sera from chronic HCV patients. The infectivity of HCVrv was inhibited by an endoplasmic reticulum alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, N-(n-nonyl) deoxynojirimycin (Nn-DNJ), but not by a Golgi mannosidase inhibitor, deoxymannojirimycin. Focus formation of HCVrv in Huh7 cells was impaired by Nn-DNJ treatment. These results indicate that the HCVrv developed in this study can be used to study HCV envelope proteins with respect to not only the biological functions in the entry process but also their maturation step.

Human VAP-B is involved in hepatitis C virus replication through interaction with NS5A and NS5B.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein (NS) 5A is a phosphoprotein that associates with various cellular proteins and participates in the replication of the HCV genome. Human vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein (VAP) subtype A (VAP-A) is known to be a host factor essential for HCV replication by binding to both NS5A and NS5B. To obtain more information on the NS5A protein in HCV replication, we screened human brain and liver libraries by a yeast two-hybrid system using NS5A as bait and identified VAP-B as an NS5A-binding protein. Immunoprecipitation and mutation analyses revealed that VAP-B binds to both NS5A and NS5B in mammalian cells and forms homo- and heterodimers with VAP-A. VAP-A interacts with VAP-B through the transmembrane domain. NS5A interacts with the coiled-coil domain of VAP-B via 70 residues in the N-terminal and 341 to 344 amino acids in the C-terminal polyproline cluster region. NS5A was colocalized with VAP-B in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. The specific antibody to VAP-B suppressed HCV RNA replication in a cell-free assay. Overexpression of VAP-B, but not of a mutant lacking its transmembrane domain, enhanced the expression of NS5A and NS5B and the replication of HCV RNA in Huh-7 cells harboring a subgenomic replicon. In the HCV replicon cells, the knockdown of endogenous VAP-B by small interfering RNA decreased expression of NS5B, but not of NS5A. These results suggest that VAP-B, in addition to VAP-A, plays an important role in the replication of the HCV genome.