Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Pharmacy - Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Development of safe and protective vaccines against infectious pathogens remains a challenge. Inactivation of rabies virus is a critical step in the production of vaccines and other research reagents. Beta-propiolactone (ÝPL); the currently used inactivating agent for rabies virus is expensive and proved to be carcinogenic in animals. This study aimed to investigate the ability of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to irreversibly inactivate rabies virus without affecting its antigenicity and immunogenicity in pursuit of finding safe, effective and inexpensive alternative inactivating agents. H₂O₂ 3% rapidly inactivated a Vero cell adapted fixed rabies virus strain designated as FRV/K within two hours of exposure without affecting antigenicity or immunogenicity. No residual infectious virus was detected and the H₂O₂- inactivated vaccine proved to be safe and effective when compared with the same virus harvest inactivated with the classical inactivating agent (ÝPL). Mice immunized with H₂O₂-inactivated rabies virus produced sufficient level of antibodies and were protected when challenged with lethal CVS virus. These findings reinforce the idea that H₂O₂ can replace ÝPL as inactivating agent for rabies virus to reduce time and cost of inactivation process

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