Use of fetal tissue in vaccine development

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The use of fetal tissue in vaccine development is the practice of researching, developing, and producing vaccines through growing viruses in cultured (laboratory-grown) cells that were originally derived from human fetal tissue. [1] Since the cell strains in use originate from abortions, [2] there has been opposition to the practice and the resulting vaccines on religious and moral grounds. [1] [3] [4]

Contents

The vaccines do not contain any of the original fetal tissue or cells or cells derived from fetal materials. [5] Although the vaccine materials are purified from cell debris, traces of human DNA fragments remain. [6] [7] [8] The cell lines continue to replicate on their own and no further sources of fetal cells are needed. [5]

The Catholic Church has encouraged its members to use alternative vaccines, produced without human cell lines, if possible. However, the Vatican has clarified that "all vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience, with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion". [9]

Background

Immortalised cell lines are an important research tool offering a stable medium for experiments. These are derived either from tumors, which have developed resistance to cellular senescence, or from stem cells originally taken from aborted fetuses. [10] Fetal cell lines have been used in the manufacture of vaccines since 1930s. [11] One of the first medical applications of cell lines derived from fetal tissues was their use in the production of the first polio vaccines. [11] For example, in the 1950s, scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden propagated a polio virus in fetal cell lines to make into a polio vaccine. The resulting vaccine was given to about 2,000 children. [12]

Many other vaccines, including those for chicken pox and rubella, are made using cell lines originally derived from fetal tissue from two pregnancies terminated in the 1960s, for reasons unrelated to vaccine development. [11] [13] [14] Descendants of the fibroblast cells from these fetuses have been growing in labs ever since, as the WI-38 and MRC-5 cell lines. They are still used to grow vaccine viruses today. [15] [1] As of March 2017, billions of vaccines have been given that were made using the WI-38 line alone. [16]

Applications

Vaccines that have been or are made using cell lines originally derived from fetal tissue include:

Of these, the vaccines approved for use in the United States include some of those against rabies (Imovax), rubella, chicken pox, shingles, and adenovirus (as of January 2017). [12]

Rubella

One historical cell line used in rubella vaccines was originally obtained from a fetus aborted due to infection with rubella. [19] Rubella during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage (spontaneous abortion), and if it does not, there is a risk of severe disability due to congenital rubella syndrome. [20] By one estimate, rubella vaccination may prevent up to 5,000 miscarriages per year in the United States. [5]

COVID-19

Several of the vaccines in use or advanced development for COVID-19 use the cell lines HEK-293 or PER.C6 for production. In other cases, notably the vaccines made by Pfizer, Sputnik-V and Moderna, HEK-293 was used during the testing phase. [21] [22] PER.C6, a retinal cell line that was isolated from an aborted fetus in 1985 was used by Janssen in development of COVID-19 Vaccine. [23] [24]

Alternatives

COS-1 cells are of monkey origin and there are xenogeneic differences between monkey and human proteins. [25]

Position of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church is opposed to abortion. Nevertheless, the Pontifical Academy for Life, concluded in 2005 that parents may allow their children to receive vaccines made from fetal tissue if no alternative exists and there is a grave health risk. Consumers were urged to "oppose by all means (in writing, through the various associations, mass media, etc.) the vaccines which do not yet have morally acceptable alternatives, creating pressure so that alternative vaccines are prepared, which are not connected with the abortion of a human fetus". [3] This academy also called for the development of new vaccines that can be made by other means. [13] In 2017, the Pontifical Academy for Life stated that "clinically recommended vaccinations can be used with a clear conscience and that the use of such vaccines does not signify some sort of cooperation with voluntary abortion". [26]

On December 21, 2020, the Vatican's doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, further clarified that it is "morally licit" for Catholics to receive vaccines derived from fetal cell lines or in which such lines were used in testing or development, including the COVID-19 vaccines, because "passive material cooperation in the procured abortion from which these cell lines originate is, on the part of those making use of the resulting vaccines, remote. The moral duty to avoid such passive material cooperation is not obligatory if there is a grave danger," such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that "in such a case, all vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience" and "does not and should not in any way imply that there is a moral endorsement of the use of cell lines proceeding from aborted fetuses". [27] Moreover,

[F]rom the ethical point of view, the morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one's own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good. In the absence of other means to stop or even prevent the epidemic, the common good may recommend vaccination, especially to protect the weakest and most exposed. Those who, however, for reasons of conscience, refuse vaccines produced with cell lines from aborted fetuses, must do their utmost to avoid, by other prophylactic means and appropriate behavior, becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent. In particular, they must avoid any risk to the health of those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other reasons, and who are the most vulnerable. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine</span> Pathogen-derived preparation that provides acquired immunity to an infectious disease

A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as a threat, destroy it, and recognize further and destroy any of the microorganisms associated with that agent that it may encounter in the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubella</span> Human viral disease

Rubella, also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubella virus. This disease is often mild, with half of people not realizing that they are infected. A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and last for three days. It usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. The rash is sometimes itchy and is not as bright as that of measles. Swollen lymph nodes are common and may last a few weeks. A fever, sore throat, and fatigue may also occur. Joint pain is common in adults. Complications may include bleeding problems, testicular swelling, encephalitis, and inflammation of nerves. Infection during early pregnancy may result in a miscarriage or a child born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Symptoms of CRS manifest as problems with the eyes such as cataracts, deafness, as well as affecting the heart and brain. Problems are rare after the 20th week of pregnancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polio vaccine</span> Vaccine to prevent poliomyelitis

Polio vaccines are vaccines used to prevent poliomyelitis (polio). Two types are used: an inactivated poliovirus given by injection (IPV) and a weakened poliovirus given by mouth (OPV). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends all children be fully vaccinated against polio. The two vaccines have eliminated polio from most of the world, and reduced the number of cases reported each year from an estimated 350,000 in 1988 to 33 in 2018.

Teratology is the study of abnormalities of physiological development in organisms during their life span. It is a sub-discipline in medical genetics which focuses on the classification of congenital abnormalities in dysmorphology caused by teratogens. Teratogens are substances that may cause non-heritable birth defects via a toxic effect on an embryo or fetus. Defects include malformations, disruptions, deformations, and dysplasia that may cause stunted growth, delayed mental development, or other congenital disorders that lack structural malformations. The related term developmental toxicity includes all manifestations of abnormal development that are caused by environmental insult. The extent to which teratogens will impact an embryo is dependent on several factors, such as how long the embryo has been exposed, the stage of development the embryo was in when exposed, the genetic makeup of the embryo, and the transfer rate of the teratogen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immunization</span> Process by which an individuals immune system becomes fortified against an infectious agent

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In biology, immunity is the state of being insusceptible or resistant to a noxious agent or process, especially a pathogen or infectious disease. Immunity may occur naturally or be produced by prior exposure or immunization.

The oral polio vaccine (OPV) AIDS hypothesis is a now-discredited hypothesis that the AIDS pandemic originated from live polio vaccines prepared in chimpanzee tissue cultures, accidentally contaminated with simian immunodeficiency virus and then administered to up to one million Africans between 1957 and 1960 in experimental mass vaccination campaigns.

Human embryonic kidney 293 cells, also often referred to as HEK 293, HEK-293, 293 cells, are an immortalised cell line derived from HEK cells isolated from a female fetus in the 1970s.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumps vaccine</span> Vaccine which prevents mumps

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Tadeusz Pacholczyk is an American Roman Catholic priest, neuroscientist and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varicella vaccine</span> Vaccine to prevent chickenpox

Varicella vaccine, also known as chickenpox vaccine, is a vaccine that protects against chickenpox. One dose of vaccine prevents 95% of moderate disease and 100% of severe disease. Two doses of vaccine are more effective than one. If given to those who are not immune within five days of exposure to chickenpox it prevents most cases of disease. Vaccinating a large portion of the population also protects those who are not vaccinated. It is given by injection just under the skin. Another vaccine, known as zoster vaccine, is used to prevent diseases caused by the same virus – the varicella zoster virus.

Immunization during pregnancy is the administration of a vaccine to a pregnant individual. This may be done either to protect the individual from disease or to induce an antibody response, such that the antibodies cross the placenta and provide passive immunity to the infant after birth. In many countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand, vaccination against influenza, COVID-19 and whooping cough is routinely offered during pregnancy.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubella vaccine</span> Vaccine used to prevent rubella

Rubella vaccine is a vaccine used to prevent rubella. Effectiveness begins about two weeks after a single dose and around 95% of people become immune. Countries with high rates of immunization no longer see cases of rubella or congenital rubella syndrome. When there is a low level of childhood immunization in a population it is possible for rates of congenital rubella to increase as more women make it to child-bearing age without either vaccination or exposure to the disease. Therefore, it is important for more than 80% of people to be vaccinated. By introducing rubella containing vaccines, rubella has been eradicated in 81 nations, as of mid-2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WI-38</span> Human cell line composed of fibroblasts

WI-38 is a diploid human cell line composed of fibroblasts derived from lung tissue of a 3-month-gestation female fetus. The fetus came from the elective abortion of a Swedish woman in 1963. The cell line was isolated by Leonard Hayflick the same year, and has been used extensively in scientific research, with applications ranging from developing important theories in molecular biology and aging to the production of most human virus vaccines. The uses of this cell line in human virus vaccine production is estimated to have saved the lives of millions of people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MRC-5</span> Cell line

MRC-5 is a diploid cell culture line composed of fibroblasts, originally developed from the lung tissue of a 14-week-old aborted Caucasian male fetus. The cell line was isolated by J.P. Jacobs and colleagues in September 1966 from the seventh population doubling of the original strain, and MRC-5 cells themselves are known to reach senescence in around 45 population doublings.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Human Cell Strains in Vaccine Development". History of Vaccines. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  2. ↑ Wadman, Meredith. "Abortion opponents protest COVID-19 vaccines' use of fetal cells". Science . Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared From Cells Derived From Aborted Human Foetuses". Pontifical Academy for Life. June 9, 2005. Retrieved January 5, 2021– via Immunization Action Coalition.
  4. ↑ Offit, Paul A. (April 3, 2012). Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All. Basic Books. p. 122. ISBN   978-0465029624.
  5. 1 2 3 "Vaccine Ingredients – Fetal Tissues". Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. July 13, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, 154th Meeting". FDA. Food and Drug Administration. November 8, 2018. pp. 33–46. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  7. ↑ Neporent, Liz (February 2, 2015). "What Aborted Fetuses Have to Do With Vaccines". ABC News . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Vaccine Ingredients – DNA". Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. November 5, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Note of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines". press.vatican.va. Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  10. ↑ Irfan Maqsood, M.; Matin, M. M.; Bahrami, A. R.; Ghasroldasht, M. M. (2013). "Immortality of cell lines: Challenges and advantages of establishment". Cell Biology International . 37 (10): 1038–45. doi:10.1002/cbin.10137. PMID   23723166. S2CID   14777249.
  11. 1 2 3 Storrs, Carina (July 17, 2015). "How exactly fetal tissue is used for medicine". CNN. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Wadman, Meredith (January 5, 2017). "Fact-checking Congress's fetal tissue report". Science. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  13. 1 2 Charo, R. Alta (August 12, 2015). "Fetal Tissue Fallout". New England Journal of Medicine. 373 (10): 890–891. doi:10.1056/nejmp1510279. PMID   26267448. S2CID   205112031.
  14. ↑ "Vaccine ingredients". vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Vaccine Ingredients – Fetal Tissues". The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. November 6, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  16. ↑ Gorvett, Zaria. "The controversial cells that saved 10 million lives". www.bbc.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Wadman, Meredith (June 27, 2013). "Medical research: Cell division". Nature. 498 (7455): 422–426. Bibcode:2013Natur.498..422W. doi: 10.1038/498422a . PMID   23803825.
  18. ↑ Binkley, Collin (August 11, 2015). "Scientists say fetal tissue remains essential for vaccines and developing treatments". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Animal derived products and National Immunisation Schedule vaccines - updated August 2017" (PDF). Immunisation Advisory Centre. September 19, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 31, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Rubella (German Measles)". vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk. February 5, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  21. ↑ Couronne, Ivan (October 20, 2020). "How fetal cells from the 1970s power medical innovation today". Medical Xpress. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  22. ↑ "The Gamaleya Center statement". sputnikvaccine.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  23. ↑ "You asked, we answered: Do the COVID-19 vaccines contain aborted fetal cells?". www.nebraskamed.com. August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  24. ↑ Immunize Nevada: COVID-19 Vaccines & Fetal Cell Line History
  25. ↑ McKenna, Kyle Christopher (2018). "Use of Aborted Fetal Tissue in Vaccines and Medical Research Obscures the Value of All Human Life". The Linacre Quarterly. 85 (1): 13–17. doi:10.1177/0024363918761715. PMC   6027112 . PMID   29970932.
  26. ↑ "Note on Italian vaccine issue". www.academyforlife.va. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  27. 1 2 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (December 21, 2020). "Note of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines, 21.12.2020". Summary of Bulletin, Holy See Press Office. Holy See.
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