Study on quality control of MDCK cells used for the production of influenza vaccine

Objective To conduct extensive quality control tests on Madin-Darby Canine Kidney （ MDCK） cells used for the production of influenza vaccine .Methods Tests for characteristics , extraneous agents, endogenous agents and tumorigenicity were performed on MDCK cells according to Chinese Pharma -copeia Book III .Cell lysate and DNA of MDCK cells were tested for oncogenicity in the light of new interna -tional requirements .Results The MDCK cells extracted from canis were adherent cells with an epithelial morphology, whose average number of chromosome was 80±1.No bacteria, fungi and mycoplasma contami-nation were detected . The detection for extraneous and endogenous virus showed that there was no nonspecific virus causing cytopathic effect , hemadsorption , hemagglutination or animal death .Tests for re-verse transcriptase , bovine viruses and canine viruses were all negative .Each nude mouse was injected with 107 viable cells to observe their tumorigenicity .Twelve weeks after cell injection , no node was found at the injection site and in large organs by gross anatomy .There was no significant difference between test group and negative control group .The test for tumorigenicity of viable cells was negative .Cell lysate and cellular DNA collected from equivalent amount of cells were respectively injected into nude mice , and no node forma-tion was found.There was no significant difference between the test cells and negative controls in pathology indicating that the tested MDCK cells were non-oncogenic .Conclusion It showed the possibility of using MDCK cells for the production of influenza vaccine . Key words: MDCK;  Cell identification;  Extraneous and endogenous virus;  Tumorgenicity and on-cogenicity