How to Make Your Own Vaccine: From Eggs to Cell Culture

There is no doubt about the importance of vaccines in preventing infectious diseases. Of all the pathogens responsible for diseases, viruses are the ones most familiar to us. Today, there are a wide variety of vaccines against numerous viral diseases: measles, hepatitis A, human papillomavirus, and SARS-CoV-2.

But did you know how these treatments are produced? Since there are so many types of vaccines, the methods for manufacturing them vary greatly; however, one method stands out: production using chicken eggs. The most common vaccines—against yellow fever, the MMR vaccine, and all strains of the flu—are manufactured by culturing the virus in eggs.

This classic method has been widely used thanks to the sterile environment found inside the shell, which is rich in nutrients and has ideal humidity conditions. However, this method has a major drawback: it takes six months to produce a new batch.

This disadvantage became particularly evident following the 2020 pandemic, where the speed of development and production against new viral infections was critical. Egg-based production, though stable and well-established, needed to evolve and give rise to a new process.

Cell culture: faster and more flexible

Cell culture, while not the most innovative method, is undoubtedly the one experiencing the most rapid growth. This technology involves harnessing the cellular mechanisms of the culture, which can yield two distinct types of vaccines: in one case, by generating a large number of viral copies—as in the case of an attenuated or inactivated virus vaccine—or by synthesizing a pathogen protein with antigenic properties, resulting in a recombinant vaccine.

Cell culture vaccines stand out primarily for their speed; the production phase can take between 3 and 6 weeks, compared to six months for egg-based vaccines. Additionally, they offer other advantages: they provide greater flexibility and/or specialization, as different cell lines can be cultured, each with distinct qualities suited to specific processes; they have a higher reproducibility rate; and there is no risk of the virus adapting to the egg, which could reduce the vaccine’s efficacy.

It should be noted that this method also has its disadvantages, including the initial cost of facilities and the significant effort required to fine-tune the process. However, the advantages it offers in terms of speed and versatility are far superior; furthermore, they allow for a more agile response to epidemics.

Most commonly used lines

Different cell lines can be used for each virus or disease; however, there is a selection of commonly used ones, both in industry and research:

• Vero: cells derived from the kidney of the African green monkey, used in the rabies vaccine.
• MDCK: derived from dog kidney. Increasingly common in influenza vaccines.
• PER.C6: derived from human retina. In addition to being used for flu vaccines, they are notably used against the West Nile virus.
• BHK-21: a line originally derived from hamster kidneys. It is the primary platform for foot-and-mouth disease vaccines.
• CHO: derived from Chinese hamster ovaries, they are the primary reference for generating recombinant proteins.

Peptones for vaccine production

Cell density and the biosynthesis of antigenic proteins are essential for producing these medications. At Condalab, we don’t stop at simply culturing microorganisms; that’s why we offer our CondaLow® peptone line—nutritional supplements that enhance cell line growth and promote the synthesis of target proteins. Cell density and the biosynthesis of antigenic proteins are essential for producing these medications.

At Condalab, we don’t stop at just culturing microorganisms; that’s why we offer our CondaLow® peptone line—nutritional supplements that enhance cell line growth and promote the synthesis of target proteins.

If you'd like to learn more, feel free to visit the CondaLow® website. Also, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media to be the first to hear the latest news!