Methods and compositions for inactivating viruses

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and processes of inactivating viral contaminants in a biological source material (e.g. a host cell, cell supernatant, cell lysate, blood plasma, tissue homogenate, or other biological materials) with a solution containing one or more alkylamine compounds. In a particular embodiment, the active ingredients are amphipathic, charged amines or amine oxides coupled to saturated hydrocarbon chains of varying lengths.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of inactivating a viral or microbial agent present in a biological source material, comprising the step of contacting the biological source material with a solution comprising an effective amount of an active ingredient, wherein the active ingredient is an amphipathic charged amine or an amphipathic charged amine oxide.  
     
     
         2 . A method of inactivating a viral or microbial agent in a biological source material comprising the step of contacting the biological source material with a solution comprising an effective amount of an active ingredient, wherein the active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of: 
 dimethyldecylamine, dimethyltridecylamine, dimethylundecylamine, dimethyldidecylamine, dimethyltetradecylamine, dimethylhexadecylamine, dimethyldecylamineoxide, dimethylundecylamineoxide, dimethyldidecylamineoxide, dimethytetradecylamineoxide and dimethyltridecylamineoxide.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the solution further comprises glycerol.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the active ingredient comprises between 0.001 to 10 percent of the solution.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the glycerol comprises between 0.6 to 6 percent of the solution.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the glycerol comprises between 0.6 to 6 percent of the solution.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the active ingredient is dimethyltetradecylamine.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the agent is a member of the group consisting of: 
 bacteria, yeast, fungi, mycoplasma, mammalian cells, other animal cells, viruses, or lipid enveloped viruses such as, Flaviviridae, Retroviridae, Togaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Herpesviridae, VSV, SFV, HIV, MuLV, BVDV, and CMV.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the agent is a member of the group consisting of: 
 bacteria, yeast, fungi, mycoplasma, mammalian cells, other animal cells, viruses, or lipid enveloped viruses such as, Flaviviridae, Retroviridae, Togaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Herpesviridae, VSV, SFV, HIV, MuLV, BVDV, and CMV.