Successful Development and Commercialization of Ultra-Fast Food Poisoning Vaccine Using Radiation

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Develops Technology to Accelerate Radiation-Based Vaccine Development
Successful Technology Transfer Achieved by Developing Salmonella Vaccine Based on This

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed a Salmonella vaccine (ATOMSal-L6) using 'radiation-based vaccine development acceleration technology.'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Amid recent outbreaks of food poisoning at gimbap restaurants in the Seoul metropolitan area, a domestic research team has attracted attention by developing a new Salmonella vaccine that can be proactively used to prevent food poisoning by vaccinating animals, and successfully transferring the technology. The concept is that by vaccinating cattle, chickens, pigs, and others with this vaccine instead of antibiotics?which can have adverse effects on humans?Salmonella bacteria will not occur in meat, eggs, and other products.

The Advanced Radiation Research Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute announced on the 14th that it has succeeded in developing a Salmonella vaccine (ATOMSal-L6) using its self-developed "radiation-based vaccine development acceleration technology," and signed a technology transfer contract with CTCB Co., Ltd. for both the development technology and the vaccine. The contract includes a fixed technology fee of 200 million KRW.

The Salmonella vaccine (ATOMSal-L6) developed by the institute is an attenuated live vaccine that reduces the toxicity of live pathogens using gamma rays. Compared to conventional inactivated Salmonella vaccines that chemically inactivate pathogens, it has superior immune response and more than twice the infection prevention effect.

Attenuated live vaccines are developed using pathogen mutants with reduced toxicity. Conventional attenuated live vaccine manufacturing technology relied on naturally occurring mutations, requiring significant manpower, time, and cost for vaccine development. However, by utilizing the "radiation-based vaccine development acceleration technology" developed by the institute, diverse and numerous mutations can be induced by radiation, shortening the vaccine development process that used to take years to within two months.

The researchers who developed HemoHIM, which created the success story of Kolmar B&H Co., Ltd., Korea's first research institute-affiliated company, joined forces to complete clinical trials of the Salmonella vaccine (ATOMSal-L6). Recently, the domestic patent for the "radiation-based vaccine development acceleration technology" was registered, and patents have been filed in the United States, Europe, and China as well.

This research and development was conducted by the Microbiology Research Team of the Radiation Research Division at the Advanced Radiation Research Institute, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT's Radiation Technology Development Project and Radiation High Value-added New Material Project. It is regarded as a model case that successfully progressed step-by-step from basic technology development to clinical and commercialization research.

Namho Lee, Director of the Advanced Radiation Research Institute, said, "This is a representative case of applying nuclear technology to new drug development, a non-power generation field," and added, "We will promote vaccine technology research as a future key research project of the institute and strive to achieve the development of human vaccines."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.