Where do WI-38 cells come from?

WI-38 is a diploid human cell line composed of fibroblasts derived from lung tissue of a 3-month-gestation female fetus. The fetus came from the elective abortion of a Swedish woman in 1962, and was used without her knowledge or permission.

Why is it called WI-38?

One of these cells eventually turned into the cell line “WI-38”, which stands for Wistar Institute foetus 38. Over the ensuing years, frozen vials of the cells were flown to hundreds of laboratories across the world, WI-38 is now one of the oldest and most widely available cell lines on the planet.

What does the 38 mean in WI-38?

The cell line in this case is called WI-38, in which the initials represent the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the early work was done.

What is human diploid cell vaccine?

Rabies human diploid cell vaccine is used to protect people who have been bitten by animals (post-exposure) or otherwise may be exposed to the rabies virus (pre-exposure). This vaccine works by exposing you to a small dose of the virus, which causes the body to develop immunity to the disease.

How is a vaccine produced?

Vaccines are complex biological products with lengthy manufacturing and control processes. The quality controls represent up to 70% of the full manufacturing duration. Successful manufacturing of high-quality vaccines requires international standardization of starting materials, production and quality control […]

How are cell based vaccines made?

The cell-based vaccine manufacturing process uses animal cells (Madin-Darby Canine Kidney, or MDCK cells) as a host for the growing flu viruses instead of fertilized chicken eggs. For the 2020-2021 season, the viruses provided to the manufacturer to be grown in cell culture are cell-derived rather than egg-derived.

What is WI-38 in vaccines?

The WI-38 cell line is used as a culture to grow live viruses that are used in vaccines. Vaccines Developed Using Human Cell Strains. “Merck, as well as other vaccine manufacturers, uses two well-established human cell lines to grow the virus for selected vaccines,” Merck said in a statement to ABC News.

What is WI-38 cell line?

The WI-38 cell line is the first human diploid cell line to be used in human vaccine preparation. WI-38 cells are isolated from the lung tissue of a 3-month-old, female, embryo. They can be used as a transfection host and in viruscide testing.

How do they make Covid vaccine?

mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) contain material from the virus that causes COVID-19 that gives our cells instructions for how to make a harmless protein that is unique to the virus. After our cells make copies of the protein, they destroy the genetic material from the vaccine.

Is the Covid vaccine egg based?

The COVID-19 vaccines authorized by FDA are not manufactured using egg products or technology. So there’s nothing to talk about there even if you’re allergic to egg.

How is vaccine produced?

Where is the Pfizer Covid vaccine made?

Where is the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine made? As of January 2022, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is manufactured between 11 sites across five countries, including the U.S., Germany, Belgium, Ireland, and Croatia, and engages more than 20 suppliers.

Is Moderna and Pfizer the same?

Moderna uses the same mRNA technology as Pfizer-BioNTech and had a similarly high efficacy at preventing symptomatic disease when the companies applied for authorization; it also needs to be stored in freezer-level temperatures. Who can get it: Anyone ages 18 and older in the U.S.

Is the Covid vaccine made from egg protein?

The COVID-19 vaccines authorized by FDA are not manufactured using egg products or technology.

How are cell lines generated from primary cultures?

If normal cells are kept in culture and allowed to divide and expand in number, either they become senescent, if they are normal cells, or mutations occur that allow the cells to continue to divide and be passaged. At that point a cell line has been generated.