Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41150397›Full record

ArticleVaccines2025

Advancing Pyrogen Testing for Vaccines with Inherent Pyrogenicity: Development of a Novel Reporter Cell-Based Monocyte Activation Test (MAT).

Sijia Yi, Jenny Xu, Liping Song, Frank Celeste, Christopher J Wang, Melissa C Whiteman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Vaccines, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Sijia YiAnalytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA.
Jenny XuAnalytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA.
Liping SongBiostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA.
Frank CelesteAnalytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4796-2026
Christopher J WangAnalytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA.
Melissa C WhitemanAnalytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesPyrogens, fever-inducing substances from biological or environmental sources, are recognized by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) predominantly expressed by human monocytes and represent a critical quality attribute (CQA) for pharmaceutical safety. The rabbit pyrogen test (RPT), widely used for pyrogen assessment, suffers from high variability, limited accuracy, and poor reproducibility, particularly for vaccines containing inherent pyrogens such as outer membrane protein complex (OMPC)-based vaccines. Existing in vitro alternatives using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are challenged by donor-to-donor variability and the operational complexity of ELISA readouts. To support the 3Rs (Refinement, Reduction, Replacement) and provide a more reliable quality control (QC) method, we developed a reporter cell-based monocyte activation test (MAT) suitable for release testing.

methodsWe screened human monocytic reporter cell lines engineered with NFκB-responsive promoter elements driving a luminescent reporter. Reporter cells were treated with diverse endotoxin and non-endotoxin pyrogens and luminescence was quantified after stimulation. Selected THP-1-derived reporter cells were used to develop an MAT for OMPC. Assay performance was evaluated following validation guidelines: linearity, accuracy, precision, analytical range (relative to a reference lot), and robustness under deliberate parameter variations.

resultsThe THP-1 reporter cells could detect a wide range of pyrogens via simple luminescence readouts. For OMPC testing, the MAT demonstrated strong linearity (R

conclusionsThe implementation of reporter cell-based MAT assays enhances consistency, reliability, and efficiency in evaluating the pyrogenicity and safety of drug products, supporting global initiatives to minimize animal testing while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Indexed as

3Rsmonocyte activation test (MAT)outer membrane protein complex (OMPC)pyrogenicityreporter cell linevaccine safety

Identifiers

PMID41150397
PMCPMC12568226

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.