Vaccine documents – Part 2 – human cells from aborted babies
[As of August 1, 2022, the drug product database links below aren’t working, but the higher level page is working: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html – “Search the Drug Product Database” is broken, I guess it is temporary. A related page is: https://open.canada.ca/en/apps/drug-product-database-dpd]
Latest edit: May 18, 2017
Complete: Edition 2
Continued from Part 1
Many questions come up when looking through the vaccine product documents listed using the Canadian government’s database [as of August 1, 2022, this link isn’t working, but higher level page is working: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html – “Search the Drug Product Database” is broken, guess it is temporary. A related page is: https://open.canada.ca/en/apps/drug-product-database-dpd]. In this post, however, I am just focusing on the use of aborted human fetal tissue. I hope this strikes a chord with readers who believe that human life should be upheld as sacred and not devalued.
Here is one of the products that makes use of human fetal cells:
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Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids Adsorbed and Inactivated Poliomyelitis Vaccine
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Inactivated Poliomyelitis Vaccine is a sterile suspension of three types of poliovirus: Type 1 (Mahoney), Type 2 (MEF1) and Type 3 (Saukett). The viruses are grown in cultures of MRC-5 cells, a line of normal human diploid cells, by the microcarrier technique. The cells are grown in CMRL 1969 medium supplemented with calf serum. For viral growth the culture medium is replaced by M-199, without calf serum. . . .
Explanation of “CMRL 1969”:
. . . An improved tissue culture basal medium, CMRL-1969, . . . , has been evaluated by measuring the growth responses of primary cultures of trypsin-dispersed monkey kidney cells (PMKC) and of an established culture of a human diploid cell strain (HDCS). . . .
What is a “diploid cell”?
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Diploid:
A cell or an organism consisting of two sets of chromosomes: usually, one set from the mother and another set from the father. . . .
An example of a cell in a diploid state is a somatic cell. In humans, the somatic cells [most of the cells in the body] typically contain 46 chromosomes in contrast to human haploid gametes (egg and sperm cells) that have only 23 chromosomes.
What is MRC-5?
AG05965-D Fibroblast from Skin, Lung:
Description: MRC-5 – NORMAL HUMAN FETAL LUNG FIBROBLAST
. . .
Gender: Male
Age: 14 FW (At Sampling)
The MRC-5 cell line was developed in September 1966 from lung tissue taken from a 14 week fetus aborted for psychiatric reason from a 27 year old physically healthy woman. The cell morphology is fibroblast-like. The karyotype is 46,XY; normal diploid male. . . .
MRC-5 (ATCC CCL-171): General Information
Organism Homo sapiens, human
Tissue lung
Cell Type fibroblast
. . .
Age 14 weeks gestation
Gender Male
Ethnicity Caucasian
Applications
efficacy testing
transfection host
viruscide testing
. . .
. . .
Derivation
The MRC-5 cell line was derived from normal lung tissue of a 14-week-old male fetus by J.P. Jacobs in September of 1966.Clinical Data
Caucasian male
14 weeks gestation
Virus Susceptibility
Human poliovirus 1
Herpes simplex virus
Vesicular stomatitis, Glasgow (Indiana)
Vesicular stomatitis, Orsay (Indiana) . . .
Cellosaurus MRC-5 (CVCL_0440):
Cell line name MRC-5
Synonyms MRC5; MRC 5; MRCV; MRC-V; Medical Research Council cell strain-5
Accession CVCL_0440
Resource Identification Initiative To cite this cell line use: RRID:CVCL_0440
Comments Group: Vaccine production cell line.
Biotechnology: Used for the production of the Human Diploid Cell Vaccine (HDCV) against Rabies (Trade name: Imovax Rabies).
Biotechnology: Used for the production of the Hepatitis A vaccines Havrix and Vaqta.
Biotechnology: Used for the production of the live zoster vaccine (Trade name: Zostavax).
Omics: Proteome analysis by 2D-DE.
Omics: Proteome analysis by 2D-DE/MS.
Omics: Transcriptome analysis.
Species of origin Homo sapiens (Human) (NCBI Taxonomy: 9606)
. . .
MRC-5 (Medical Research Council cell strain 5) is a diploid human cell culture line composed of fibroblasts derived from lung tissue of an 14 week old aborted caucasian male fetus . . .
Other vaccines that use human fetal cells
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Hepatitis A Vaccine Inactivated
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The active ingredient is a purified and formaldehyde-inactivated hepatitis A virus (HAV) obtained from the GBM strain, cultured on MRC-5 human diploid cells. HAV is adsorbed onto aluminum.
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Hepatitis A Vaccine Inactivated
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. . . The active ingredient is a purified and formaldehyde-inactivated hepatitis A virus (HAV) obtained from the GBM strain, cultured on MRC-5 human diploid cells. HAV is adsorbed onto aluminum. . . .
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hepatitis A vaccine, inactivated
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The virus is propagated in MRC5 human diploid cells. . . .
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Rabies Immune Globulin, Pasteurized (Human)
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IMOGAM Rabies Pasteurized is prepared by cold alcohol fractionation from pooled venous plasma of individuals immunized with rabies vaccine prepared in human diploid cells (Human Diploid Cell Vaccine, HDCV). . . .
Note that MRC-5, according to http://web.expasy.org/cellosaurus/CVCL_0440, is used for among other things
the production of the Human Diploid Cell Vaccine (HDCV) against Rabies (Trade name: Imovax Rabies).
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Rabies Vaccine Inactivated (DCO)
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. . . suspension of rabies virus prepared from WISTAR Rabies PM/WI 38 1503-3M strain. The virus is harvested from infected MRC-5 human diploid cells . . .
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. . . suspension of rabies virus prepared from the Pitman Moore strain (PM/WI38 1503-3M) obtained from the Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA. The virus is harvested from infected MRC-5 human diploid cells, . . .
. . .
Human diploid cell rabies vaccine (HDCV) together with Rabies Immune Globulin (RIG) and local treatment are highly effective in preventing rabies in exposed individuals. . . .
Note: In contrast, the RabAvert rabies vaccine product document indicates that it is made with chicken fibroblast cells rather than human cells. This document includes references to studies that compare it to the human-based products.
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(measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine, live, attenuated, Merck Std.)
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M-M-R II (measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine, live, attenuated, Merck Std.) is a sterile lyophilized preparation of (1) ATTENUVAX (measles virus vaccine, live, attenuated, Merck Frosst Std.), . . . ; (2) MUMPSVAX (mumps virus vaccine, live, attenuated, Merck Frosst Std.), . . . ; and (3) MERUVAX II (rubella virus vaccine, live, attenuated, Merck Frosst Std.), the Wistar RA 27/3 strain of live attenuated rubella virus propagated in human diploid lung fibroblasts . . . .
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. . . The Wistar RA 27/3 attenuated rubella strain is cultured in human diploid fibroblasts and was developed by Plotkin in 1965. . . .
The RA 27/3 rubella vaccine is a live attenuated virus. It was first isolated in 1965 at the Wistar Institute from a rubella-infected aborted fetus. The virus was attenuated by 25–30 passages in tissue culture, using human diploid fibroblasts . . .
The References section on page 24 of the monograph mentions:
1. Plotkin SA, Cornfeld D, Ingalls TH. Studies of immunization with living rubella virus: Trials in children with a strain cultured from an aborted fetus. Am J Dis Child 1965; 110:381-9.
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Act-HIB Reconstituted with QUADRACEL Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine (Tetanus Protein – Conjugate) Reconstituted with Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Adsorbed Combined with Inactivated Poliomyelitis Vaccine
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Inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine is a highly purified, inactivated poliovirus vaccine grown in cultures of MRC-5 cells, a line of normal human diploid cells, . . . .
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IPV is an enhanced formalin-inactivated product, where human diploid cells are used to propagate the three poliovirus types.
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Combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, live, attenuated
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PRIORIX is a lyophilized mixed preparation of the attenuated Schwarz measles, RIT 4385 mumps (derived from Jeryl Lynn strain) and Wistar RA 27/3 rubella strains of viruses, separately obtained by propagation either in chick embryo tissue cultures (mumps and measles) or MRC5 human diploid cells (rubella).
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Live attenuated rubella virus (Wistar RA 27/3 strain)
Footnote:
produced in human diploid (MRC-5) cells
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Combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine, live, attenuated
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Live, attenuated rubella virus2 (Wistar RA 27/3 strain)
Footnote:
produced in human diploid (MRC-5) cells
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(Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella Virus Vaccine Live)
Page 3 (also Page 16 and Page 20):
ProQuad (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella virus vaccine live) is a combined attenuated live virus vaccine containing measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella viruses. ProQuad is a sterile lyophilized preparation of (1) the components of M-M-R II (measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine, live, attenuated, Merck Std.): measles virus vaccine live, a more attenuated line of measles virus, derived from Enders’ attenuated Edmonston strain and propagated in chick embryo cell culture; mumps virus vaccine live, the JERYL LYNN (B level) strain of mumps virus propagated in chick embryo cell culture; rubella virus vaccine live, the Wistar RA 27/3 strain of live attenuated rubella virus propagated in WI-38 human diploid lung fibroblasts; and (2) varicella virus vaccine, live, attenuated [Oka/Merck], the Oka/Merck strain of varicella-zoster virus propagated in MRC-5 cells [hereafter referred to as VARIVAX (varicella virus vaccine, live, attenuated [Oka/Merck]).
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Live attenuated rubella virus
(Wistar RA 27/3 strain):Live attenuated rubella virus
(Wistar RA 27/3 strain): . . .Live attenuated varicella virus
(Oka/Merck strain): . . .The rubella virus is produced in WI-38 human diploid lung fibroblasts.
The varicella virus is produced in human diploid cells (MRC-5).
WI-38 (ATCC CCL-75): Documentation:
WI-38 (ATCC CCL-75)
General Information:
Organism Homo sapiens, human
Tissue lung
Cell Type fibroblast
. . .
Age 3 months gestation fetus
Gender female
Ethnicity Caucasian
Applications
This cell line is a suitable transfection host.
This cell line can be used for viruscide testing.
Characteristics:
Karyotype normal diploid
Derivation
The WI-38 human diploid cell line was derived by Leonard Hayflick from normal embryonic (3 months gestation) lung tissue.
Clinical Data
3 months gestation fetus
Caucasian
female
Virus Susceptibility
Vesicular stomatitis, Glasgow (Indiana)
Herpes simplex virus
Pseudorabies virus
Human poliovirus 1
Comments
. . .
This line was the first human diploid cell line to be used in human vaccine preparation.
. . .
Growth of the cells is enhanced by addition of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumor_necrosis_factor_alpha] to the medium.
. . .
The same type of information can be found here:
http://web.expasy.org/cellosaurus/CVCL_0579
WI stands for “Wistar Institute”.
Publications listed on this page include:
PubMed=5834207; DOI=10.1001/archpedi.1965.02090030401007
Plotkin S.A., Cornfeld D., Ingalls T.H.
Studies of immunization with living rubella virus. Trials in children with a strain cultured from an aborted fetus.
Am. J. Dis. Child. 110:381-389(1965)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WI-38
. . . WI-38 is a diploid human cell culture line composed of fibroblasts [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibroblast] derived from lung tissue of an aborted white (caucasian) female fetus. The cell line, isolated by Leonard Hayflick and Paul Moorhead in the 1960s, has been used extensively in scientific research, with applications ranging from developing important theories in molecular biology to the production of many types of vaccines . . .
https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/bioethics_article/10637
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/501537
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5834207)
Studies of Immunization With Living Rubella Virus
Trials in Children With a Strain Cultured From an Aborted Fetus
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Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Adsorbed Combined with Inactivated Poliomyelitis Vaccine
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Inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine is a highly purified, inactivated poliovirus vaccine grown in cultures of MRC-5 cells, a line of normal human diploid cells . . .
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hepatitis A vaccine, purified inactivated
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. . . a highly purified inactivated whole virus vaccine derived from hepatitis A virus grown in cell culture in human MRC-5 diploid fibroblasts. . . .
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(varicella virus vaccine, live, attenuated [Oka/Merck])
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The product also contains residual components of MRC-5 cells including DNA and protein, and trace quantities of neomycin and fetal bovine serum from MRC-5 culture media.
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Combined Purified Vi Polysaccharide Typhoid and Inactivated Hepatitis A Vaccine
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This vaccine is a buffered solution (without phenol) of purified Salmonella typhi Vi capsular polysaccharide (Ty2 strain) and a suspension of purified and formaldehyde-inactivated HAV, obtained from GBM strain, cultured on MRC-5 human diploid cells. HAV is adsorbed onto aluminum.
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AVAXIM’s active ingredient is a purified and formaldehyde-inactivated HAV obtained from the GBM strain cultured on MRC-5 human diploid cells. Hepatitis A virus is adsorbed onto aluminum . . .
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(zoster vaccine live, attenuated [Oka/Merck], refrigerator-stable)
. . .
Live, attenuated virus varicella-zoster vaccine
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ZOSTAVAX II (zoster vaccine live, attenuated [Oka/Merck], refrigerator-stable) is a live, attenuated virus vaccine (a lyophilized preparation of the Oka/Merck strain of varicella-zoster virus*).
Footnote:
Produced on human diploid cells (MRC-5)
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ZOSTAVAX II is indicated for the prevention of herpes zoster (shingles).
ZOSTAVAX II is indicated for immunization of individuals 50 years of age or older.
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The product also contains residual components of MRC-5 cells, and trace quantities of neomycin and bovine calf serum.
Note: The product monograph for ZOSTAVAX has the same type of information as mentioned above for ZOSTAVAX II, but the status for this at the Canadian drug product database (original link: https://health-products.canada.ca/dpd-bdpp/newSearch-nouvelleRecherche.do?lang=en) shows as “Cancelled Post Market”.
RELATED: Adverse reactions to shingles vaccine contains many user experiences.
End of Part 2
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