Inactivation of poliovirus.
Inactivation of Polioviruses has been studied extensively in the 1950s and 1960's. It was shown that, to a certain extent, the kinetics of inactivation depend on the viral structure with which the inactivating agents react. Polio-RNA will loose its capacity for multiplication after one hit of an appropriate agent, thus being inactivated in a first order reaction. Multiple hits on the viral protein are needed to render the virus non-proliferate, which is characterized by a second order reaction. Examples for both types of reaction are given. While the "classical" inactivating chemicals are still in use for poliovaccines, other RNA viruses have successfully been treated with other agents and experimentally yet different substances have been described. Aiming for the highest possible antigenicity, the least harmful procedure seems essential. Since the inactivation procedure includes factors other than chemicals, such as temperature, time, pH etc., they too are part of the discussion evaluating the benefits and the shortcomings of the various technologies.
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017955:Poliovirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence
D000956:Antigens, Viral