Hyderabad, May 28 (PTI) The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here on Thursday said it has “established stable cultures” (establishing method to steadily produce the COVID virus in a cell line) of COVID-19 causing coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, from patients” samples which enables it to work towards vaccine development.
“Over the last month and a half, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has established stable cultures of COVID-19 causing coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 from patients” samples,” the CCMB said in a release.
A team of researchers led by the virologist in CCMB, Krishnan H Harshan, have isolated infectious viruses from several isolates (a culture of microorganisms isolated for study), it said.
The ability to culture the virus in lab enables CCMB to work towards vaccine development and testing potential drugs to fight COVID-19.
It also makes them a potential donor of the culture to other authorized centres that can continue growing the virus for their own use, it said.
The potential uses of cultured SARS-CoV-2 include vaccine, testing of antibodies, testing of various disinfectants and testing of instruments.
Observing that effective antibodies are those that block the infection successfully, the release said virus cultures are very important components in identifying such antibodies.
It further said virus culture is a key component in studies that can test the efficacy of several proposed disinfectants.
“Using the Vero cell lines to grow the coronavirus, CCMB is now in a position to isolate and maintain viral strains from different regions.
We are working towards producing viruses in huge quantities that can be inactivated, and used in vaccine development and antibody production for therapeutic purposes,” CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra said.
CCMB has also started testing potential drugs with other partners such as DRDO using this viral culture, he said.
“We hope that such systems are replicated at multiple research institutes and private companies to become a useful resource in the fight against this pandemic as well as for future preparedness,” Mishra said.