Vero cells are a cell line widely used in scientific research and for producing biological products. They are a continuous lineage, meaning they can be grown and replicated repeatedly in a laboratory setting. They are a fundamental tool in applications from understanding disease mechanisms to manufacturing vaccines.
Origin and Unique Features
Vero cells were established in 1962 at Chiba University in Japan by Yasumura and Kawakita. Derived from the kidney epithelial cells of an African green monkey, the name “Vero” is an abbreviation of “Verda Reno,” Esperanto for “green kidney.”
They have several characteristics valuable for laboratory use. Vero cells are adherent, requiring a surface to attach to for growth and typically forming a single layer. Notably, they cannot produce type I interferons when infected by viruses, due to a homozygous deletion on chromosome 12. This deficiency allows many viruses to replicate efficiently, leading to high virus concentrations.
Primary Applications in Medicine and Research
Vero cells are widely used in medicine and research, primarily for vaccine production. They are a common substrate for manufacturing human and animal vaccines, such as polio, rabies, measles, mumps, rubella, rotavirus, and influenza. Their susceptibility to a wide range of viruses and capacity to support high viral titers make them suitable for growing viruses for vaccine development.
Beyond vaccines, Vero cells are also used in viral research. They are used to study viral replication, isolate new viruses, and test antiviral drugs. They provide a controlled environment for observing viral behavior and host cell interactions. They are also used in producing other biopharmaceutical products and for testing drug and chemical toxicity.
Ensuring Safety and Efficacy
Using animal-derived cell lines like Vero cells in human products requires stringent safety measures. Regulatory bodies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) enforce rigorous guidelines for product safety and purity. These guidelines involve extensive testing of cell banks to confirm freedom from contaminants, including viruses and bacteria.
Manufacturing processes include multiple purification steps to remove cellular components and impurities from the final product. This ensures that vaccines or biopharmaceuticals are safe and free of residual cell material. The long history of safe use of Vero cells in vaccine production, spanning over 40 years for some vaccines, supports their continued acceptance in the biopharmaceutical industry.