Capricorn Technologies, together with its subsidiary NuCell GmbH (Tulln, Austria), has reached a significant milestone in the development of its new patented AEX-1 cells—an advanced Vero-derived cell line engineered for superior virus production efficiency and enhanced stability during cultivation.
A defining feature of the AEX-1 cells is their consistently lower cytoplasmic pH, a trait that remains stable over at least 20 passages under serum-free conditions. Transcriptome analysis further revealed a downregulation of genes involved in antiviral innate immunity, likely contributing to the significantly increased susceptibility of AEX-1 cells to influenza virus infection.
This enhanced permissiveness is evident in the cells’ ability to support robust replication of multiple influenza virus strains at exceptionally low multiplicities of infection (MOI). In addition, the AEX-1 line enables high-efficiency rescue of influenza viruses via plasmid-based transfection. Notably, AEX-1 cells produce influenza A and B virus titers comparable to those obtained using embryonated chicken eggs—positioning them as a highly promising platform for scalable and efficient vaccine production.
Beyond vaccine manufacturing, AEX-1 cells also demonstrate excellent utility as a substrate for virus isolation from clinical samples, offering distinct advantages in diagnostic applications. These adherent cells are available as a fully characterized working cell bank, and NuCell has filed a patent application for their development and commercialization.
Preclinical studies in nude mice confirmed the absence of tumorigenic activity, supporting the cell line’s safety profile.
NuCell GmbH successfully presented this breakthrough at BioEurope 2025 in Milan, receiving strong international interest from potential licensing and divestment partners.
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