GB1300259A - Biologically active material - Google Patents

Abstract

1300259 Virus and RNA produced therefrom BEECHAM GROUP Ltd 19 Aipril 1971 [23 March 1970] 13826/70 Heading A5B A virus capable of stimulating interferon production is produced by (i) cultivating the mould Aspergillus foetidus or Aspergillus niger in a medium containing inorganic salts and a source of assimilable carbon and assimilable nitrogen, (ii) separating the mycelium so produced from the medium, (iii) either (a) treating the medium with RNA or a salt thereof or (b) rupturing the mycelium cells, removing the solid debris and treating the remainder with RNA or a salt thereof, (iv) in either case adjusting the pH of the product to between 3 and 6, (v) isolating the resulting precipitate, (vi) preparing a neutral suspension of the precipitate and (vii) concentrating and purifying the suspension. The mould may be Aspergillus foetidus I.M.I. 41,871 or 130,408 Aspergillus niger I.M.I. 50,566 or 146,891. The RNA salt may be the sodium salt of RNA derived from yeast. Concentrating and purifying step (vii) may be differential sedimentation or ultrafiltration. The virus may be deproteinized to produce double-strand RNA which also stimulates interferon production. The deproteinization may be accomplished by preparing an aqueous suspension of the virus containing phenol and a detergent, e.g. sodium dodecyl sulphate, isolating the aqueous phase of this suspension and treating it with alcohol to precipitate the RNA. The RNA may be made into a salt. The virus or RNA may be diluted with a carrier for pharmaceutical purposes and administered by nose.