Dr. Marcus Hartmann of Cilian AG demonstrating how much safer his process is (Sources: Bild links: CDC / Laura R. Zambuto. Bild rechts: www.cilian.de)
his team can program Tetrahymena DNA in a complex high-tech process so that they will only produce the protein. Through vaccination with hemagglutinin, a person produces antibodies that recognize the flu virus and remember the structure of the protein long term. This helps to identify the virus a lot quicker and then effectively fight it. Besides production speed, manufacturing of hemagglutinin offers another advantage: Conventional vaccines may contain immobilized viruses or virus like particles. Ciflu on the other hand features only the protein. Growing viruses in chicken eggs or in some other production systems always carries a risk of contamination since they involve 14
the handling of pathogens or particles thereof. ”Such risk can only be lowered through expensive additional safeguards”, explains Hartmann, while standing in plain attire in the lab. “Unprotected as I stand in our vaccine production is not possible in conventional production, there they have to wear protective safety suits. Here, however, I can reach into the vessel with my bare hands and nothing would really happen to me”.