Influenza vaccine produced from animal cells

A scientific team at Taiwan's Vaccine Research and Development Centre spent 13 months and $1.2 million to develop a new, cell-based vaccine to target avian flu. One of the scientists said this was the first time that researchers used dog kidney cells in vaccine work. Baxter Vaccines, for example, has used green monkey kidney cells in its cell-based vaccine work. The researchers in Taiwan are building a pilot vaccine plant that will be ready by the end of the year and human clinical trials are scheduled for next year.

- check out the China Post report

ALSO: Scientists at the University of Rochester explain in a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association how they produced an influenza vaccine in insect cells that appeared safe and effective. Recombinant DNA vaccines are already used on hepatitis B and HPV and researchers are looking to extend that to the flu and HIV. The new process would do away with the long and laborious process of using eggs to produce flu vaccine. Report

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