The human cell line PER.C6 provides a new manufacturing system for the production of influenza vaccines

Influenza viruses for vaccine production are currently grown on embryonated eggs. This manufacturing system conveys many major drawbacks such as infle xibility. cumbersome down stream processing, inability of some strains to r eplicate on eggs to high enough yields, and selection of receptor-binding v ariants with reduced antigenicity. These limitations emphasize the need for a cell line-based production system that could replace eggs in the product ion of influenza virus vaccines in a pandemic proof fashion. Here we presen t the efficient propagation of influenza A and B viruses on the fully chara cterized and standardized human cell line PER.C6. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.