MICROCARRIERS IN VERO SUSPENSION CELL CULTURE: AN APPROACH FOR EF- FICIENT REPLICATION AND SCALE-UP OF PPR VIRUS (NIGERIA 75/1 STRAIN)

This study assessed the replication of the Nigeria 75/1 strain of the peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus in Vero cells cultured in suspension using microcarriers. This approach represents a modern platform that combines the advantages of suspension cultivation with the high specific productivity of cells achieved through adhesion to the surface of microcarriers. The influence of various parameters—type of microcarriers (Cytodex 1 and Cytodex 3), seeding concentration of Vero cells, infectious dose of the virus, and cultivation duration—on the system’s productivity was investigated. Experimental results demonstrated that the use of microcarriers ensures reliable adhesion and active proliferation of Vero cells, thereby creating optimal conditions for virus replication. The obtained viral titer (≥ 6.75 log TCID₅₀/cm³) exceeded the values reported for traditional monolayer cultivation, indicating increased efficiency of virus replication. Thus, the obtained data confirm the high potential of cultivation technology using microcarriers both for experimental studies and for industrial development and production of a vaccine against PPR.