Open AccessIncreasing vaccine production using pulsed ultrasound waves
Author(s) -
Jida Xing,
Shrishti Singh,
Yijie Zhao,
Di Yan,
Hong Guo,
Chenxia Hu,
Allan Ma,
Rajan George,
Xing Jin,
Ankarao Kalluri,
Isaac Macwan,
Prabir Patra,
Jie Chen
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0187048
Subject(s) - ultrasound , stimulation , sf9 , hepatitis b virus , biophysics , medicine , virus , biology , virology , biochemistry , recombinant dna , gene , spodoptera , radiology
Vaccination is a safe and effective approach to prevent deadly diseases. To increase vaccine production, we propose that a mechanical stimulation can enhance protein production. In order to prove this hypothesis, Sf9 insect cells were used to evaluate the increase in the expression of a fusion protein from hepatitis B virus (HBV S1/S2). We discovered that the ultrasound stimulation at a frequency of 1.5 MHz, intensity of 60 mW/cm 2 , for a duration of 10 minutes per day increased HBV S1/S2 by 27%. We further derived a model for transport through a cell membrane under the effect of ultrasound waves, tested the key assumptions of the model through a molecular dynamics simulation package, NAMD (Nanoscale Molecular Dynamics program) and utilized CHARMM force field in a steered molecular dynamics environment. The results show that ultrasound waves can increase cell permeability, which, in turn, can enhance nutrient / waste exchange thus leading to enhanced vaccine production. This finding is very meaningful in either shortening vaccine production time, or increasing the yield of proteins for use as vaccines.