Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Characterization

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the key component in vaccines such as Gardasil®¹. Cryo-TEM imaging provides excellent visualization to directly determine morphological characteristics of VLP vaccine intermediates such as HPV, including uniformity, shape, particle integrity, size distribution analysis, and level of aggregation. 

By leveraging cryo-TEM imaging, scientists can gain valuable insights into batch-to-batch variability, scale-up processes, and process development changes. These insights through phase appropriate, method validated characterization studies are vital for understanding and optimizing the production of the final drug formulation.

Cryo-TEM can also provide a 3D reconstruction of the particle’s structure, which is achieved by averaging particles of the same morphology and conformation using a single particle analysis workflow.

Download the whitepaper to learn more about NIS’s work on Gardasil®.

1. Qinjian Zhao, Clinton S Potter, Bridget Carragher, Gabriel Lander, Jaime Sworen, Victoria Towne, Dicky Abraham, Paul Duncan, Michael W Washabaugh & Robert D Sitrin (2014) Characterization of virus-like particles in GARDASIL® by cryo transmission electron microscopy, Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 10:3, 734-739, DOI: 10.4161/hv.27316