Assessment of Viral Replication in Rhinovirus-Infected Airway Epithelial Cells

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Cell Biology
• Infectious Disease Research

Background:

• Accurate viral quantification is crucial for assessing antiviral interventions and ensuring experimental consistency.
• Infectious rhinovirus is typically quantified by its ability to induce cytopathic effects in susceptible cell lines.
• Standardized protocols are needed for reliable viral stock assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and describe a protocol for determining the tissue culture infectious dose 50 (TCID50) of rhinovirus-16.
• To adapt a microtiter plate system for efficient and reproducible rhinovirus titration.
• To provide a method for quantifying infectious rhinovirus in a specific cell line.

Main Methods:

• Utilized WI-38 fibroblasts as a permissive cell line for rhinovirus-16 infection.
• Employed an adapted microtiter plate system for high-throughput viral titration.
• Determined the TCID50 by identifying the highest dilution causing cytopathic effects.

Main Results:

• Successfully outlined a protocol for TCID50 determination of rhinovirus-16.
• Demonstrated the utility of the adapted microtiter plate system for rhinovirus quantification.
• Provided a reproducible method for assessing infectious viral titers.

Conclusions:

• The described microtiter plate method provides a reliable approach for quantifying infectious rhinovirus-16.
• This protocol facilitates reproducible experiments by ensuring consistent viral stock viability.
• Accurate viral titration is fundamental for advancing research in viral replication and intervention efficacy.