CULTIVATION OF POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS IN TISSUE CULTURE IV. FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON VIRUS PROPAGATION IN HUMAN TISSUES WITH A SYNTHETIC NUTRIENT MEDIUM

Abstract

This paper presents further observations on the propagation of the Lansing strain of poliomyelitis virus in Maitland-type cultures of human tissue derived from embryonic brain and cord and from kidney, in a synthetic nutrient medium. The survival time of cultures of human embryonic brain and cord was previously found to be over 70 days, and we now report that cultures of human embryonic kidney have survived for over 100 days. Virus has been detected in the supernatant fluids of cultures of brain and cord for more than 60 days, and of kidney for more than 100 days. Virus titers of more than 10^−3.0 have been obtained in cultures of human embryonic kidney. Human tonsillar tissue has survived for more than 50 days in cultures, and virus has been detected in the supernatant fluids for more than 40 days. Studies on glucose utilization have been of value in estimating the level of metabolism of these tissues.