TECHNIQUE FOR SUSPENSION CULTURE OF ADHESIVE CELLS USING PROTEASE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING VIRUS WITH THE USE OF THE CELLS AS HOST

摘要

It is intended to establish a culture system by using a simple means which is a convenient and effective cell suspension system and is widely applicable to the production of virus vaccines by culturing various viruses such as influenza virus, mass production of various cell components, and so on. A method of culturing adhesive cells in a suspended state in the presence of a protease; and a method of producing a virus in a suspension culture system by using adhesive cells as a host in the presence of a protease and serum. In this method, cells can be suspended in a liquid without sticking to the surface of a solid phase. Therefore, this method can be easily upscaled without resort to any special apparatus. Moreover, the culture can be semipermanently continued over a long time merely by replacing the culture liquid. The suspension culture according to the above method can be easily upscaled and a vaccine can be more quickly and economically provided compared with the existing method of producing an influenza vaccine with the use of embryonated hen eggs.