Calu-3/A-549 mixed cells as a replacement for primary rhesus monkey kidney cells for virus detection.

Background: Primary kidney cells derived from rhesus macaques (pRhMK) are heavily relied upon for the detection and culture of a wide range of clinically relevant viruses. The use of these cultures is problematic due to the possible presence of endogenous viruses, the need to sacrifice a primate, and the inherent variance found in primary cultures.

Objective: To develop a continuous cell line or mixed cell co-culture that could replace dependence on pRhMK cells.

Cryopreserved cell monolayers for rapid detection of herpes simplex virus and influenza virus.

Cryopreserved cell monolayers are a new cell culture technology intended to ensure the availability of cells in the laboratory for virus detection. Two cryopreserved cell monolayers, ELVIS for the detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and R-Mix for the detection of influenza virus, were evaluated. The results indicated that fresh and cryopreserved cell monolayers are comparable in sensitivity for the detection of HSV and influenza virus.

Rapid and sensitive detection of respiratory virus infections for directed antiviral treatment using R-Mix cultures.

Background: The development of new anti-influenza drugs has led to concerns regarding the impact on healthcare costs if they are used indiscriminately. Restricting their use to proven influenza virus infections has the potential to overcome costly inappropriate therapy. However, conventional culture (CC) does not generate results quickly enough to facilitate the timely initiation of treatment, and rapid detection tests have suboptimal sensitivity.