Cited by 8Rabies epidemiology and controlViral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in InsectsProtein purification and stability

Evaluation of the Efficacy of the Vaccine Production Process in Removing Residual Host Cell DNA from the Vero Cell Rabies Vaccine

Open access
Li, Jia, Pan, Ruowen, Yue, Fengyi, Gao, Tie, Wu, Xiaohong, Shi, Leitai, Wang, Yunpeng, Zhao, Danhua +4 more·2024·Vaccines

Abstract

Background: The Vero cell rabies vaccine is currently the most widely used human rabies vaccine. However, owing to the presence of residual host cell DNA (HCD) in the final product and the potential tumorigenicity of the DNA of high-passage Vero cells, the WHO not only sets a limit on the number of times cells used in production can be passaged, but also imposes strict requirements on the amount of residual HCD in the final vaccine product. Objectives: To systematically reduce the HCD level in the final vaccine product, multiple purification steps are included in the vaccine production process. This study investigated the effectiveness of key production steps in antigen recovery and DNA removal. Methods: The residual HCD fragment content and size distribution were detected using fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) and capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE), and the rabies virus glycoprotein antigen content was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The antigen recovery rate and HCD removal rate in each key process were calculated to evaluate the scientific basis and effectiveness of each production step. Additionally, the stability of the process was studied using multiple commercial batches of the product. Results: The results revealed that the total antigen recovery rate in the production process described in this report was no less than 8.5%, and the effective removal rate of residual HCD was not lower than 99.99%. Moreover, the amount of residual HCD in the final product was far below the quality standard of 2 ng/dose, and most of the residual HCD fragments were smaller than 200 bp. The results of the process stability studies on multiple commercial batches showed that the bulk human rabies vaccine produced by this process had excellent safety and efficacy and that the production process was stable and thus suitable for large-scale batch production. Conclusions: The production process described in this study achieved effective recovery of viral antigens and efficient removal of residual HCD, and the process was stable and controllable, enabling the continuous and stable production of vaccine products that meet WHO recommendations and the relevant requirements of the current edition of the Chinese Pharmacopeia. In addition, this study provides theoretical guidance for optimizing the vaccine production process.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This study evaluated key purification steps in Vero cell rabies vaccine production for their ability to recover rabies glycoprotein antigen while removing residual host cell DNA (HCD). The process achieved ≥8.5% total antigen recovery and ≥99.99% HCD removal, with final-product residual HCD far below 2 ng/dose and most fragments <200 bp.

Key findings

  • The total antigen recovery rate was no less than 8.5%, and the effective removal rate of residual HCD was not lower than 99.99%; residual HCD in the final product was far below the quality standard of 2 ng/dose.
  • Ion-exchange chromatography was the main HCD-removal step, with a removal rate not lower than 99.9%; gel chromatography had limited HCD removal ability.
  • HCD fragment size shifted from predominantly >1 kb in virus harvest and ultrafiltration concentrate to mainly <100 bp after ion-exchange chromatography; after inactivation and gel chromatography, fragments <200 bp were not lower than 95% and no fragments >500 bp were detected.
  • In seven commercial batches, residual HCD remained within dynamic warning limits and converted to <2 ng/dose; glycoprotein antigen far exceeded 15 IU/mL, and residual HCD in finished vaccine was no higher than 0.72 ng/dose by dilution-factor calculation.

Methods

  • Two batches of human rabies vaccine were produced, and intermediates were collected from virus harvest, ultrafiltration concentrate, ion-exchange chromatography, inactivation, and gel filtration chromatography; seven continuous batches were used for process stability evaluation.
  • Residual HCD was quantified by qPCR using a Vero cell residual DNA detection kit and a 154 bp probe from the Vero cell genome-specific 172 bp satellite sequence, with a standard range of 0.003–300 pg/µL; HCD fragment size distribution was analyzed by capillary gel electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (CGE-LIF); rabies virus glycoprotein antigen was measured by sandwich ELISA.
  • Antigen recovery and HCD removal rates were calculated for each key process step; stability was assessed using dynamic mean ± 2 SD as warning limits and ± 3 SD as action limits.

Limitations

  • The paper states there is no gold-standard method for determining representative residual HCD fragments, and different target amplified fragment lengths can lead to significant differences in quantitative results; qPCR cannot detect sequences smaller than 154 bp or non-AGMr(HindIII)-1 Vero cell genome sequences, so CGE is described as a necessary supplement.
  • The paper notes that CGE uses sequential single-needle capillary injection, causing slight retention-time fluctuation of HCD characteristic peaks; method standardization is needed before routine use.
  • Evident from the text: the process-step removal and antigen-recovery evaluation used only two batches, and final-product residual HCD was inferred from the gel filtration chromatography solution by dilution factor rather than measured directly in the final vaccine because final-product matrices pose nucleic acid extraction challenges.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/vaccines12121379

Cites

32 of 32 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

15 of 47 cited sources checked · 5 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

  • Premisecitation

    Residual host cell DNA cannot be completely removed during the vaccine production process.

    “due to the potential tumorigenicity of high-passage Vero cell DNA and the fact that residual host cell DNA (HCD) cannot be completely removed during the vaccine production process [5,6,7]”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim1 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [5] Sheng, 2008, Oncogenicity of DNA in vivo: Tumor induction with expression plasmids for activated H-ras and c-myc, Biol. J. Int. Assoc. Biol. Stand. source
    • cites [6] Lewis, 2009, Quantitative determination of the infectivity of the proviral DNA of a retrovirus in vitro: Evaluation of methods for DNA inactivation, Biol. J. Int. Assoc. Biol. Stand.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [7] Sheng-Fowler, L., Tu, W., Fu, H., Murata, H., Lanning, L., Foseh, G., Macauley, J., Blair, D., Hughes, S.H., and Coffin, J.M. (2014). A mouse strain defective in both T cells and NK cells has enhanced sensitivity to tumor induction by plasmid DNA expressing both activated H-Ras and c-Myc. PLoS ONE, 9. source
  • Premisecitation

    High-passage Vero cell DNA has potential tumorigenicity.

    “due to the potential tumorigenicity of high-passage Vero cell DNA and the fact that residual host cell DNA (HCD) cannot be completely removed during the vaccine production process [5,6,7]”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim1 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [5] Sheng, 2008, Oncogenicity of DNA in vivo: Tumor induction with expression plasmids for activated H-ras and c-myc, Biol. J. Int. Assoc. Biol. Stand. source
    • cites [6] Lewis, 2009, Quantitative determination of the infectivity of the proviral DNA of a retrovirus in vitro: Evaluation of methods for DNA inactivation, Biol. J. Int. Assoc. Biol. Stand.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [7] Sheng-Fowler, L., Tu, W., Fu, H., Murata, H., Lanning, L., Foseh, G., Macauley, J., Blair, D., Hughes, S.H., and Coffin, J.M. (2014). A mouse strain defective in both T cells and NK cells has enhanced sensitivity to tumor induction by plasmid DNA expressing both activated H-Ras and c-Myc. PLoS ONE, 9. source

      The Introduction (page unavailable) identifies residual DNA from tumorigenic vaccine-production cells as a potential oncogenic concern. It does not address high-passage Vero cells or their DNA specifically (searched: “Vero” and “high-passage Vero cell DNA tumorigenicity”). (LLM, conf=0.82)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Findingown data

    The fragment distribution in the virus harvesting solution and virus ultrafiltration concentrate solution was dominated by fragments larger than 1 kb.

    “Both the virus harvesting solution and the virus ultrafiltration concentrate solution contained large amounts of residual HCD fragments, with the fragment distribution dominated by fragments larger than 1 kb.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: CGE can be used to detect the size distribution of residual HCD fragments in vaccines.
  • Findingown data

    After purification by ion-exchange chromatography, the fragment size distribution was concentrated within 100 bp.

    “After purification by ion-exchange chromatography, the total amount of residual HCD was significantly reduced, almost all large HCD fragments were removed, and the fragment size distribution was concentrated within 100 bp.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: CGE can be used to detect the size distribution of residual HCD fragments in vaccines.
  • Findingown data

    After the virus harvest solution underwent ultrafiltration, ion-exchange chromatography purification, virus inactivation, and gel chromatography, the total removal rate of HCD could reach 99.99%.

    “After the virus harvest solution underwent ultrafiltration, ion-exchange chromatography purification, virus inactivation, and gel chromatography, the total removal rate of HCD could reach 99.99%.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: There is currently no gold-standard method for determining the representative fragments of residual HCD in vaccine products.
    • Rests on an assumption: Different lengths of target amplified fragments can lead to significant differences in quantitative results.
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 26
  • May combine two claims. 26
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    After passage and adaptation to Vero cells, the CTN strain was transformed into a fixed strain with suitable safety and immunogenicity.

    “After passage and adaptation to Vero cells, it was transformed into a fixed strain with suitable safety and immunogenicity [18].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [18] Zhou, 2022, A simulated, randomized study on the safety and immunogenicity of three consecutive commercial-scale batches of the CTN-1V strain human rabies vaccine to verify the inter-batch consistency, Hum. Vaccines Immunother. source

      The Introduction (page unavailable) identifies CTN-1 V as the vaccine’s production strain and describes its good immunogenicity. The Abstract (page unavailable) reports reliable safety and stable immunogenicity for the Vero-cell vaccine. Neither passage says that passage and adaptation to Vero cells transformed the CTN strain into a fixed strain. (LLM, conf=0.82)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Shaddeau et al. used tandem ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography to separate vaccine components from host cell proteins and other components in cell media to detect vaccine titres.

    “Shaddeau et al. used tandem ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography to separate vaccine components from host cell proteins and other components in cell media to detect vaccine titres [27].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [27] Shaddeau, 2019, Development of a New Tandem Ion Exchange and Size Exclusion Chromatography Method To Monitor Vaccine Particle Titer in Cell Culture Media, Anal. Chem. source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Ion-exchange chromatography is a promising purification method that purifies vaccine process products using physical methods without adding exogenous products.

    “Previous research has confirmed that ion-exchange chromatography is a promising purification method. It purifies vaccine process products using physical methods without adding exogenous products.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim2 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [26] Yang, Z., Xu, X., Silva, C.A.T., Farnos, O., Venereo-Sanchez, A., Toussaint, C., Dash, S., González-Domínguez, I., Bernier, A., and Henry, O. (2022). Membrane Chromatography-Based Downstream Processing for Cell-Culture Produced Influenza Vaccines. Vaccines, 10. source

      The Results (§3.3.2) call ion-exchange membrane chromatography a promising method for purifying influenza strains. But the Methods (§2.2.2) say the material was supplemented with MgCl2 and Zwittergent 3-14 before loading, so the claim that purification occurs without adding exogenous products is not supported. (LLM, conf=0.92)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites [27] Shaddeau, 2019, Development of a New Tandem Ion Exchange and Size Exclusion Chromatography Method To Monitor Vaccine Particle Titer in Cell Culture Media, Anal. Chem. source

      The Abstract (page not provided) describes ion-exchange chromatography combined with size-exclusion chromatography separating vaccine particles from cell-culture components. But the method is for analytical titer measurement without prior purification, not a vaccine-product purification process. The Materials and Methods describe buffers and salt used in the assay; the paper does not establish the claim that purification occurs without adding exogenous products. (LLM, conf=0.88)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Gel chromatography is a common purification method in human rabies vaccine production, but it has limited efficiency in DNA removal.

    “Currently, gel chromatography is a common purification method in human rabies vaccine production, but it has limited efficiency in DNA removal [25].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [25] Trabelsi, 2019, Purification of rabies virus produced in Vero cells grown in serum free medium, Vaccine source

      The Discussion (page unavailable) cites examples of Sepharose gel chromatography and gel filtration used to purify rabies virus, supporting their use in vaccine production. It does not establish that gel chromatography is common or that it has limited efficiency in removing DNA; its DNA-removal results concern other purification methods. (LLM, conf=0.82)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Vero cells are widely used in the production of viral vaccines due to their suitability for large-scale culture and sensitivity to various virus strains.

    “Vero cells are widely used in the production of viral vaccines due to their suitability for large-scale culture and sensitivity to various virus strains [15,16].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [15] Liu, 2020, Epidemiology of Rabies and Current US Vaccine Guidelines, Rhode Isl. Med. J.
    • cites [16] Rourou, 2019, Adaptation of Vero cells to suspension growth for rabies virus production in different serum free media, Vaccine source

      The Introduction says low-passage Vero cells are widely used for human vaccine manufacturing because they are permissive to different viruses. But the Discussion describes scale-up limitations of conventional adherent Vero cultures; suspension adaptation is presented as a way to overcome them. The source therefore does not support unqualified suitability for large-scale culture as a reason Vero cells are widely used. (LLM, conf=0.85)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Longitudinal clinical data revealed that the CTN-1 vaccine is safe and effective, making it suitable for rabies prevention and control in China.

    “longitudinal clinical data revealed that the vaccine is safe and effective, making it suitable for rabies prevention and control in China [18,21,22,23].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim3 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [18] Zhou, 2022, A simulated, randomized study on the safety and immunogenicity of three consecutive commercial-scale batches of the CTN-1V strain human rabies vaccine to verify the inter-batch consistency, Hum. Vaccines Immunother. source

      The Discussion (page not provided) reports reliable safety and sustained antibody responses up to 12 months for the CTN-1V vaccine. The study measured immunogenicity, not prevention of rabies, and does not establish that the vaccine is suitable for rabies prevention and control across China. (LLM, conf=0.84)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites [21] Wang, 2024, Study on immune persistence of the CTN-1V strain rabies vaccine in humans, J. Virus Erad. source

      The Abstract (page not provided) reports good safety, immunogenicity, and antibody persistence for the CTN-1V vaccine in a longitudinal clinical trial in China. The study did not measure prevention of rabies, so its findings do not establish clinical effectiveness or the broader conclusion that the vaccine is suitable for rabies prevention and control in China. (LLM, conf=0.84)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites [22] Huang, 2023, Safety and immunogenicity of freeze-dried rabies vaccine (Vero-cells) for human use in healthy people aged 9–65 years, Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi [Chin. J. Prev. Med.] source
    • cites [23] Wu, X., Li, J., Zhou, L., Chen, J., Jin, Z., Meng, Q., Chai, J., Gao, H., Wang, Y., and Zhao, D. (2023). A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Phase III Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of a Lyophilized Human Rabies Vaccine (Vero Cells) in Healthy Participants Aged 10–60 Years Following Essen and Zagreb Vaccination Procedures. Vaccines, 11. source

      The Investigational Vaccine section identifies the vaccine as containing the CTN-1V strain. The Conclusions (page unavailable) report that it was safe and had good immunogenicity, calling it a valuable alternative for rabies prevention. The study measured immunogenicity and safety in healthy participants, however, not clinical effectiveness in preventing rabies; that stronger part of the claim is not established. (LLM, conf=0.84)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    qPCR has generally been considered one of the most practical methods for routine HCD content determination because of its sequence specificity, sensitivity, and rapid and high-throughput nature.

    “In recent years, qPCR has generally been considered one of the most practical methods for routine HCD content determination because of its sequence specificity, sensitivity, and rapid and high-throughput nature [35,36].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim2 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [35] Varnamkhasti, 2021, Design and development of a simple method for the detection and quantification of residual host cell DNA in recombinant rotavirus vaccine, Mol. Cell. Probes source
    • cites [36] Zheng, W., Jiang, L., Lei, Q., Yang, J., Gao, X., Wang, W., Zhang, Y., Kong, T., Chen, Q., and Li, G. (2019). Development and Validation of Quantitative Real-Time PCR for the Detection of Residual CHO Host Cell DNA and Optimization of Sample Pretreatment Method in Biopharmaceutical Products. Biol. Proced. Online, 21. source

      The Background (page unavailable) calls qPCR the most practical method for residual DNA quantitation, citing sensitivity and time-saving features. The Results > Specificity section (page unavailable) shows that the assay amplified CHO DNA but not the other genomes tested. The paper does not identify high throughput as a reason for qPCR’s practicality. (LLM, conf=0.85)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Li et al. used the CTN-1 strain to develop vaccines against various representative rabies virus strains from clades I-VII in China.

    “Li et al. used the CTN-1 strain to develop vaccines against various representative rabies virus strains from clades I-VII in China [20]”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [20] Li, 2024, Safety and efficacy assessment of an mRNA rabies vaccine in dogs, rodents, and cynomolgus macaques, npj Vaccines source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Yang et al. used anion-exchange chromatography to purify influenza virus.

    “Yang et al. used anion-exchange chromatography to purify influenza virus [26]”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [26] Yang, Z., Xu, X., Silva, C.A.T., Farnos, O., Venereo-Sanchez, A., Toussaint, C., Dash, S., González-Domínguez, I., Bernier, A., and Henry, O. (2022). Membrane Chromatography-Based Downstream Processing for Cell-Culture Produced Influenza Vaccines. Vaccines, 10. source
  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Both the virus harvesting solution and the virus ultrafiltration concentrate solution contained large amounts of residual HCD fragments.

    “Both the virus harvesting solution and the virus ultrafiltration concentrate solution contained large amounts of residual HCD fragments, with the fragment distribution dominated by fragments larger than 1 kb.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: CGE can be used to detect the size distribution of residual HCD fragments in vaccines.
  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    In this study, before virus inactivation, the virus harvest solution was first subjected to ultrafiltration and concentration to remove large particle impurities, followed by ion-exchange chromatography, which achieved a stable HCD removal rate of up to 99.99%.

    “In this study, before virus inactivation, the virus harvest solution was first subjected to ultrafiltration and concentration to remove large particle impurities, followed by ion-exchange chromatography, which achieved a stable HCD removal rate of up to 99.99%”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    Because the CGE method involves sequential injection of a single needle capillary, the retention time of the HCD characteristic peak of each sample fluctuates slightly.

    “because this method involves the sequential injection of a single needle capillary, the retention time of the HCD characteristic peak of each sample fluctuates slightly.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    FDA requires testing of DNA fragment size distribution in rabies vaccine.

    “and also requires the testing of DNA fragment size distribution [11].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [11] FDA (2010). Guidance for Industry Characterization and Qualification of Cell Substrates and Other Biological Materials Used in the Production of Viral Vaccines for Infectious Disease Indications, FDA.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The production process achieved effective recovery of viral antigens and efficient removal of residual HCD.

    “The production process described in this study achieved effective recovery of viral antigens and efficient removal of residual HCD”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    WHO considers residual HCD a process impurity that lowers product safety and should be removed as much as possible.

    “the World Health Organization (WHO) considers residual HCD a process impurity that lowers product safety and should be removed as much as possible [8].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [8] Grachev, 1998, WHO requirements for the use of animal cells as in vitro substrates for the production of biologicals (requirements for biological substances No. 50), Biologicals source
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The process enabled continuous and stable production of vaccine products that meet WHO recommendations and the relevant requirements of the current edition of the Chinese Pharmacopeia.

    “the process was stable and controllable, enabling the continuous and stable production of vaccine products that meet WHO recommendations and the relevant requirements of the current edition of the Chinese Pharmacopeia.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The bulk human rabies vaccine produced by this process had excellent safety and efficacy.

    “The results of the process stability studies on multiple commercial batches showed that the bulk human rabies vaccine produced by this process had excellent safety and efficacy and that the production process was stable and thus suitable for large-scale batch production.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    Removal and/or inactivation can be used to reduce the content of residual HCD in the virus passaging, cell culture, production, and purification processes.

    “During the production process, methods such as removal and/or inactivation can be used to reduce the content of residual HCD in the virus passaging, cell culture, production, and purification processes [9].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [9] Holm, P., Allesø, M., Bryder, M.C., and Holm, R. (2017). Q8 (R2) Pharmaceutical Development. ICH Quality Guidelines: An Implementation Guide, John Wiley & Sons. source
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    FDA requires testing of residual DNA in rabies vaccine at the finished product stage using appropriate methods, with a limit of <10 ng/dose.

    “Additionally, the FDA requires the testing of residual DNA in rabies vaccine at the finished product stage using appropriate methods, with a limit of <10 ng/dose”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [11] FDA (2010). Guidance for Industry Characterization and Qualification of Cell Substrates and Other Biological Materials Used in the Production of Viral Vaccines for Infectious Disease Indications, FDA.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    CGE is an effective method for high-precision and high-sensitivity analysis of HCD fragment size distribution.

    “CGE is an effective method for high-precision and high-sensitivity analysis of HCD fragment size distribution [31].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [31] Shen, 2013, Size analysis of residual host cell DNA in cell culture-produced vaccines by capillary gel electrophoresis, Biologicals source
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The AGMr(HindIII)-1 fragment is the unique sequence of the Vero cell genome, and the fragment distribution of this sequence and its derivatives is broad-spectrum representative of Vero cells and can be used for quantitative analysis of HCD.

    “This fragment is the unique sequence of the Vero cell genome, and the fragment distribution of this sequence and its derivatives is broad-spectrum representative of Vero cells and can be used for the quantitative analysis of HCD [38,39].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [38] Li, 2008, The probe selection in Vero cells DNA residue detection by spot hybridization, Chin. J. Pharm. Anal.

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [39] Cao, 2013, Development of a Vero cell DNA reference standard for residual DNA measurement in China, Hum. Vaccines Immunother. source
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    There is a highly repetitive satellite sequence, AGMr(HindIII)-1, in Vero cells, with a monomer length of 172 bp, accounting for approximately 15% of the total genome.

    “There is a highly repetitive satellite sequence, AGMr(HindIII)-1, in Vero cells, with a monomer length of 172 bp, accounting for approximately 15% of the total genome.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [37] Singer, 1979, Arrangement of a highly repeated DNA sequence in the genome and chromatin of the African green monkey, J. Biol. Chem. source
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The CGE method has high sensitivity and the ability to objectively and accurately reflect the nucleic acid profile of complex samples.

    “Therefore, this method has the characteristics of high sensitivity and the ability to objectively and accurately reflect the nucleic acid profile of complex samples”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In accordance with the current edition of the Chinese Pharmacopeia, a standard curve is drawn using Vero cell genomic standards with OD260/OD280 values, and a quantitative analysis is performed on the 154 bp sequence of AGMr(HindIII)-1 in the HCD of the test product, with the quality standard being no higher than 3 ng/dose.

    “A standard curve is drawn using Vero cell genomic standards with OD260/OD280 values, and a quantitative analysis is performed on the 154 bp sequence of AGMr(HindIII)-1 in the HCD of the test product, with the quality standard being no higher than 3 ng/dose.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Chinese Pharmacopeia

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The residual HCD components in vaccine products are complex and lack identification methods, making the purification method for effective and stable removal of HCD a key challenge in vaccine production research.

    “the residual HCD components in vaccine products are complex and lack identification methods, making the purification method for the effective and stable removal of HCD still a key challenge in vaccine production research [24].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [24] Zhao, 2019, DNA Residue Control in Human Rabies Vaccine (Vero Cells), Chin. J. Biol.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Based on the FDA's recommendation that residual HCD should not be greater than 200 bp, the quantitative amplification of the 154 bp target fragment produces amplification products of the monomeric AGMr(HindIII)-1 sequence with no less than 154 bp and a long tandem repeat sequence, providing scientific validity to its safety evaluation.

    “Based on the FDA’s recommendation that the residual HCD should not be greater than 200 bp, the quantitative amplification of the 154 bp target fragment produces amplification products of the monomeric AGMr(HindIII)-1 sequence with no less than 154 bp and a long tandem repeat sequence, providing scientific validity to its safety evaluation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The production process described in this study can achieve the effective recovery of viral antigens and the efficient removal of residual HCD.

    “The production process described in this study can achieve the effective recovery of viral antigens and the efficient removal of residual HCD”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    qPCR is widely used in the detection of nucleic acids due to its high specificity, high sensitivity, and wide linear range.

    “Due to its high specificity, high sensitivity, and wide linear range, this method is widely used in the detection of nucleic acids [13].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [13] Peper, 2014, Direct real-time quantitative PCR for measurement of host-cell residual DNA in therapeutic proteins, J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Premisecitation

    The distribution of residual HCD fragments in the product should be examined to improve vaccine safety evaluation.

    “and that the distribution of residual HCD fragments in the product should be examined to improve vaccine safety evaluation.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [14] Yang, 2013, Establishing acceptable limits of residual DNA, PDA J. Pharm. Sci. Technol. source
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Since the qPCR detection method cannot detect sequences smaller than 154 bp or non-AGMr(HindIII)-1 Vero cell genome sequences, the CGE method serves as a necessary supplement for directly observing HCD sequences.

    “Moreover, since this detection method cannot detect sequences smaller than 154 bp or non-AGMr(HindIII)-1Vero cell genome sequences, the CGE method serves as a necessary supplement for directly observing HCD sequences.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The qPCR detection method cannot detect sequences smaller than 154 bp or non-AGMr(HindIII)-1 Vero cell genome sequences.
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Shen et al. introduced and validated the CGE-LIF method for analyzing the size distribution of HCD in influenza viruses cultured in MDCK cells and confirmed that the detection limit of the method for nucleic acids can be lower than 1 ng/mL.

    “Shen et al. introduced and validated the CGE-LIF method for analyzing the size distribution of HCD in influenza viruses cultured in MDCK cells and confirmed that the detection limit of the method for nucleic acids can be lower than 1 ng/mL [31].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [31] Shen, 2013, Size analysis of residual host cell DNA in cell culture-produced vaccines by capillary gel electrophoresis, Biologicals source
  • May combine two claims. The quote only partly states this claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    After gel chromatography purification, there is no possibility of adding or removing external HCD, meaning that the gel chromatography solution can effectively represent the residual HCD level in the final vaccine product.

    “the gel chromatography solution can effectively represent the residual HCD level in the final vaccine product”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The AGMr(HindIII)-1 sequence mainly appears in the form of long tandem repeats and is interspersed with unrelated sequences; the former has a maximum observed number of 29 long tandem repeats, and the latter accounts for approximately 37% of the total genome.

    “This sequence mainly appears in the form of long tandem repeats and is interspersed with unrelated sequences. The former has a maximum observed number of 29 long tandem repeats; the latter accounts for approximately 37% of the total genome [37].”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [37] Singer, 1979, Arrangement of a highly repeated DNA sequence in the genome and chromatin of the African green monkey, J. Biol. Chem. source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    The CGE technique has been used for the isolation of nucleic acids of different lengths or different conformations in complex samples, such as analysis of plasmid supercoiled conformations, mRNA vaccine nucleic acid integrity and PolyA tail distribution, and human genome sequencing.

    “The CGE technique has also been used for the isolation of nucleic acids of different lengths or different conformations in complex samples, such as the analysis of the purity of plasmid supercoiled conformations as well as the analysis of the nucleic acid integrity and PolyA tail distribution of mRNA vaccines, and it has also assisted in completing the human genome sequencing project [34].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [34] Wei, B., Goyon, A., and Zhang, K. (2022). Analysis of therapeutic nucleic acids by capillary electrophoresis. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal., 219. source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The CTN strain is the only virus strain isolated in China that is approved by the WHO for vaccine production and has independent intellectual property rights.

    “It is the only virus strain isolated in China that is approved by the WHO for vaccine production and has independent intellectual property rights [19].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [19] WHO (2005). Expert Committee on Biological Standardization, World Health Organization. 56th Report.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The nuclease process increases production costs and carries safety uncertainties.

    “In addition, this process increases production costs [29,30] and carries safety uncertainties.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [29] Li, 2014, Removing residual DNA from Vero-cell culture-derived human rabies vaccine by using nuclease, Biologicals source
    • cites [30] Lothert, 2020, A scalable downstream process for the purification of the cell culture-derived Orf virus for human or veterinary applications, J. Biotechnol. source
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    WHO recommends that the limit of HCD residues in human rabies vaccines prepared from Vero cells be no more than 200 bp.

    “For human rabies vaccines prepared from Vero cells, the WHO’s recommendation is that the limit of HCD residues be no more than 200 bp [14]”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [14] Yang, 2013, Establishing acceptable limits of residual DNA, PDA J. Pharm. Sci. Technol. source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    After binding to double-stranded DNA, SYBR Gold asymmetric cyanine dye has a high quantum yield and can enhance fluorescence intensity by more than 1000 times.

    “After binding to double-stranded DNA, this dye has a high quantum yield and can enhance the fluorescence intensity by more than 1000 times [32].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [32] Kaloyanova, 2011, Synthesis and fluorescence characteristics of novel asymmetric cyanine dyes for DNA detection, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A Chem. source
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The production process described in this study is stable and controllable, allowing the continuous and stable production of high-quality vaccines with excellent safety and efficacy.

    “and the process is stable and controllable, allowing the continuous and stable production of high-quality vaccines with excellent safety and efficacy.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    There have been reports on the analysis of particle size distribution of residual HCD fragments in lentiviral products from different processes.

    “There have been reports on the analysis of particle size distribution of residual HCD fragments in lentiviral products from different processes [33].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [33] Wang, 2023, Size distribution analysis of residual host cell DNA fragments in lentivirus by CGE-LIF, Electrophoresis source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    The vaccine strains approved in China for production of Vero cell rabies vaccines include aG, CTN-1V, PV, and PM strains.

    “Currently, the vaccine strains approved in China for use in the production of Vero cell rabies vaccines include the aG, CTN-1V, PV, and PM strains [17].”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [17] Shi, 2022, Progress in Vero cell research and applications in rabies vaccines for human use, Chin. J. Zoonoses

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    In the current edition of the Chinese Pharmacopeia, qPCR is used for the detection of residual HCD in bulk human rabies vaccine.

    “In the current edition of the Chinese Pharmacopeia, this method is used for the detection of residual HCD in bulk human rabies vaccine.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [12] Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (2020). Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China, Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission.

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The vaccine production process is stable and suitable for large-scale batch production.

    “demonstrating that the process is stable and suitable for large-scale batch production.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
43 of 43
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    There is currently no gold-standard method for determining the representative fragments of residual HCD in vaccine products.

    “However, because there is currently no gold-standard method for determining the representative fragments of residual HCD in vaccine products and because different lengths of target amplified fragments can lead to significant differences in quantitative results, the established methods require substantial validation testing.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Different lengths of target amplified fragments can lead to significant differences in quantitative results.

    “However, because there is currently no gold-standard method for determining the representative fragments of residual HCD in vaccine products and because different lengths of target amplified fragments can lead to significant differences in quantitative results, the established methods require substantial validation testing.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    CGE can be used to detect the size distribution of residual HCD fragments in vaccines.

    “Due to its high sensitivity and accuracy, CGE can also be used to detect the size distribution of residual HCD fragments in vaccines.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The approved quality standard for residual HCD in the finished vaccine is 2 ng/dose.

    “After conversion to the finished product, the residual HCD level was far below the approved quality standard of 2 ng/day.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The approved quality standard for rabies virus glycoprotein antigen content is 15 IU/mL.

    “and the detection results of all batches far exceeded the approved quality standard (15 IU/mL).”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The final vaccine products contain large amounts of protective agents such as sucrose and human serum albumin, which pose great challenges to existing nucleic acid extraction techniques.

    “The final vaccine products contain large amounts of protective agents such as sucrose and human serum albumin, which pose great challenges to existing nucleic acid extraction techniques.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Currently, there is no scientific and effective method for nucleic acid extraction from final vaccine products.

    “Currently, there is no scientific and effective method for nucleic acid extraction.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The cell passages used in vaccine production are within the safe range (not exceeding 150 passages).

    “Although the cell passages used in vaccine production are within the safe range (not exceeding 150 passages)”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The CTN strain is highly homologous to the street strains isolated in most regions of China.

    “This strain is highly homologous to the street strains isolated in most regions of China.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The asymmetric cyanine dye can be directly added to the gel buffer to bind to the running DNA sample without special sample pretreatment.

    “it can be directly added to the gel buffer to bind to the running DNA sample without special sample pretreatment.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The qPCR detection method cannot detect sequences smaller than 154 bp or non-AGMr(HindIII)-1 Vero cell genome sequences.

    “this detection method cannot detect sequences smaller than 154 bp or non-AGMr(HindIII)-1Vero cell genome sequences”
11 of 11

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Residual HCD quality standard stated as ng/day instead of ng/dose

    Minor

    The results section gives the approved quality standard as 2 ng/day, while the process-stability section gives it as 2 ng/dose. These are different units for the same stated standard.

1 of 1

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 33 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Yasumura, 1963, Studies on SV40 in tissue culture: Preliminary step for cancer research in vitro, Nihon Rinsho, 21, 1201
  2. Shi, 2022, Progress in Vero cell research and applications in rabies vaccines for human use, Chin. J. Zoonoses, 38, 260
  3. Zhao, 2019, DNA Residue Control in Human Rabies Vaccine (Vero Cells), Chin. J. Biol., 32, 1164
  4. Li, 2008, The probe selection in Vero cells DNA residue detection by spot hybridization, Chin. J. Pharm. Anal., 28, 1892

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Li, J., Pan, R., Yue, F., Gao, T., Wu, X., Shi, L., Wang, Y., Zhao, D., Lan, Z., Chen, H., Ye, Q., & Cao, S.
Affiliations
  • National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (CN)
  • Hualan Biological Vaccine Inc., Jia No.1-1, Hualan Ave., Xinxiang 453003, China
  • SCIEX China, 5F, Building 1, 24 Yard, Jiuxianqiao Mid Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100015, China
Corresponding author
Cao, Shouchun
Venue
Vaccines
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2024-12-06
Volume
12
Issue
12
Pages
1379
ISSN
2076-393X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4405107094
Cited by
8
References
33
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 5
FWCI
1.85
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Vaccines (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (2021-I2M-5-005)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › Rabies epidemiology and control
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein purification and stability
Keywords
rabies vaccine, Vero cells, vaccine production, DNA removal, process stability, vaccine quality control, tumorigenicity, rabies virus glycoprotein

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-28.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-28.

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Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

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