Inactivation of Viruses by Accelerated Electrons: Prospects and Challenges of Creating Antiviral Vaccines

Article Sidebar

pdf (Русский)
Published: Oct 1, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18097/BMCRM00348
Keywords:
antiviral vaccine; iradiation; ionizing radiation; genome degradation

Main Article Content

D.D. Zhdanov
Institute of Biomedical Chemistry,10 Pogodinskaya str., Moscow, 119121 Russia
R.S. Churyukin
Teocortex LLC, 34/6 Pervomaysky settlement, Moscow, 108808 Russia
V.G. Blinova
Institute of Biomedical Chemistry,10 Pogodinskaya str., Moscow, 119121 Russia
A.V. Berezhona
Institute of Biomedical Chemistry,10 Pogodinskaya str., Moscow, 119121 Russia
A.N. Shishparenok
Institute of Biomedical Chemistry,10 Pogodinskaya str., Moscow, 119121 Russia
V.V. Shumyantseva
Institute of Biomedical Chemistry,10 Pogodinskaya str., Moscow, 119121 Russia; Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 1 Ostrovityanova str. , Moscow, 117997 Russia
S.V. Budnik
Teocortex LLC, 34/6 Pervomaysky settlement, Moscow, 108808 Russia
A.V. Lisitsa
Institute of Biomedical Chemistry,10 Pogodinskaya str., Moscow, 119121 Russia

Abstract

The technology for virus inactivation with accelerated electron (AE) for the development and production of inactivated antiviral vaccines is actively developing. The use of AE is a successful alternative to traditional chemical methods of inactivation, since it allows to select the irradiation conditions for complete degradation of the viral genome while preserving antigenic immunogenic epitopes. This review describes the physical features of AE, their mechanism of virus inactivation, and also provides the examples of antiviral vaccines developed for humans and farm animals. Methods for assessing the structural and biochemical properties of viral particles inactivated by AE are considered. The development of virus AE irradiation technology requires the construction of electron accelerators that meet the requirements of both radiation and viral safety. The radioresistance of some viruses is also a limitation that must be overcome for the successful creation of antiviral vaccines.

Article Details

How to Cite
Zhdanov, D., Churyukin, R., Blinova, V., Berezhona, A., Shishparenok, A., Shumyantseva, V., Budnik, S., & Lisitsa, A. (2026). Inactivation of Viruses by Accelerated Electrons: Prospects and Challenges of Creating Antiviral Vaccines. Biomedical Chemistry: Research and Methods, 9(3), e00348. https://doi.org/10.18097/BMCRM00348
Issue
Vol. 9 No. 3 (2026)
Section
REVIEWS

References

  1. Zhdanov, D. D., Ivin, Yu. Yu., Piniaeva, A. N., Shishparenok, A. N., Lisitsa, A. V., & Levin, I. V. (2023). Perspectives for the creation of a new type of vaccine preparations based on pseudovirus particles using polio vaccine as an example. Biomeditsinskaya Khimiya, 69(5), 253–280. DOI
  2. Perera, R., Pillai, S. D., Alrubaye, A., & Jesudhasan, P. (2025). Leveraging Electron Beam (eBeam) Technology for Advancing the Development of Inactivated Vaccines. Vaccines, 13(2), 179. DOI
  3. Pillai, S. D., & Shayanfar, S. (2017). Electron beam technology and other irradiation technology applications in the food industry. Topics in Current Chemistry, 375(1), 6. DOI
  4. Tallentire, A., Miller, A., & Helt-Hansen, J. (2010). A comparison of the microbicidal effectiveness of gamma rays and high and low energy electron radiations. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 79(6), 701–704. DOI
  5. Bliznyuk, U., Chernyaev, A., Ipatova, V., Nikitchenko, A., Studenikin, F., & Zolotov, S. (2023). Electron beam processing of biological objects and materials. In O. Artun (Ed.), Ion beam technology and applications. IntechOpen. DOI
  6. Tahergorabi, R., Matak, K. E., & Jaczynski, J. (2012). Application of electron beam to inactivate Salmonella in food: Recent developments. Food Research International, 45(2), 685–694. DOI
  7. Bhatia, S. S., & Pillai, S. D. (2022). Ionizing radiation technologies for vaccine development - A mini review. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 845514. DOI
  8. Sabbaghi, A., Miri, S. M., Keshavarz, M., Zargar, M., & Ghaemi, A. (2019). Inactivation methods for whole influenza vaccine production. Reviews in Medical Virology, 29(6), e2074. DOI
  9. Alimov, A. S., Bliznyuk, U. A., Borchegovskaya, P. U., Varzar, S. M., Ishkhanov, B. S., Shvedunov, V. I., Yurov, D. S., Elansky, S., & Rozanov, V. V. (2017). Using accelerated electron beams for the radiation processing of foodstuffs and biomaterials. Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Physics, 81(6), 743–747. DOI
  10. Fertey, J., Bayer, L., Schönfelder, J., Rögner, F.-H., Gotzmann, G., & Dietze, M. (2016). Pathogens inactivated by low-energy-electron irradiation maintain antigenic properties and induce protective immune responses. Viruses, 8(11), 319. DOI
  11. Ainsbury, E. A., Abrantes, A. M., Baatout, S., Baeyens, A., Botelho, M. F., & Frey, B. (2023). Individual radiation sensitivity and biomarkers: Molecular radiation biology. In S. Baatout (Ed.), Radiobiology textbook (pp. 387–424). Springer International Publishing. DOI
  12. Mavragani, I. V., Nikitaki, Z., Kalospyros, S. A., & Georgakilas, A. G. (2019). Ionizing radiation and complex DNA damage: From prediction to detection challenges and biological significance. Cancers, 11(11), 1789. DOI
  13. Keyer, K., & Imlay, J. A. (1996). Superoxide accelerates DNA damage by elevating free-iron levels. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 93(24), 13635–13640. DOI
  14. Daly, M. J. (2009). A new perspective on radiation resistance based on Deinococcus radiodurans. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 7(3), 237–245. DOI
  15. Reisz, J. A., Bansal, N., Qian, J., Zhao, W., & Furdui, C. M. (2014). Effects of ionizing radiation on biological molecules—mechanisms of damage and emerging methods of detection. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, 21(2), 260–292. DOI
  16. Singh, A., & Singh, H. (1982). Time-scale and nature of radiation-biological damage: Approaches to radiation protection and post-irradiation therapy. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 39(2), 69–107. DOI
  17. Liu, Y., Shao, Y., Wang, L., Lu, W., Li, S., Xu, D., & Fu, Y. V. (2022). Inactivation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus with electron beam irradiation under cold chain conditions. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 27, 102715. DOI
  18. Hu, D., Sun, T., Yao, L., Yang, Z., Wang, A., & Ying, Y. (2020). Monte Carlo: A flexible and accurate technique for modeling light transport in food and agricultural products. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 102, 280–290. DOI
  19. Rafiepour, P., Sina, S., & Mortazavi, S. M. J. (2023). A multiscale Monte Carlo simulation of irradiating a typical-size apple by low-energy X-rays and electron beams. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 212, 111016. DOI
  20. Feng, G., et al. (2020). Electron beam irradiation on novel coronavirus (COVID-19): A Monte-Carlo simulation. Chinese Physics B, 29(4), 048703. DOI
  21. Schopf, S., Gotzmann, G., Dietze, M., Gerschke, S., Kenner, L., & König, U. (2022). Investigations into the suitability of bacterial suspensions as biological indicators for low-energy electron irradiation. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 814767. DOI
  22. Zhdanov, D. D., Ivin, Yu. Yu., Piniaeva, A. N., et al. (2025). Degradation of poliovirus Sabin 2 genome after electron beam irradiation. Vaccines, 13(8), 824. DOI
  23. Scherließ, R., et al. (2014). Induction of protective immunity against H1N1 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 with spray-dried and electron-beam sterilised vaccines in non-human primates. Vaccine, 32(19), 2231–2240. DOI
  24. Fertey, J., Thoma, M., Beckmann, J., Bayer, L., Finkensieper, J., Reißhauer, S., et al. (2020). Automated application of low energy electron irradiation enables inactivation of pathogen- and cell-containing liquids in biomedical research and production facilities. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 12786. DOI
  25. Eberlein, V., et al. (2023). Mucosal application of a low-energy electron inactivated respiratory syncytial virus vaccine shows protective efficacy in an animal model. Viruses, 15(9), 1861. DOI
  26. Skrobarczyk, J. W., Martin, C. L., Bhatia, S. S., et al. (2022). Electron-beam inactivation of human rotavirus (HRV) for the production of neutralizing egg yolk antibodies. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 840077. DOI
  27. Motamedi-Sedeh, F., et al. (2017). Protection of Litopenaeus vannamei against white spot syndrome virus by electron-irradiated inactivated vaccine and prebiotic immunogen. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 130, 421–425. DOI
  28. Kraevsky, S. V., Kanashenko, S. L., Ivin, Yu. Yu., et al. (2025). Atomic force microscopy of poliovirus particles after inactivation by chemical methods and accelerated electrons. Viruses, 17(11), 1498. DOI
  29. Gnedenko, O. V., Ivin, Yu. Yu., Piniaeva, A. N., & Archakov, A. I. (2025). The SPR analysis of the interaction of inactivated poliovirus vaccine attenuated strains with antibodies. Biomeditsinskaya Khimiya, 71(1), 59–64. DOI
  30. Souda, M., et al. (2019). EP1.09-01 Suitability of Qubit RNA IQ to determine the RNA quality of FFPE samples in cancer genomic medicine. Journal of Thoracic Oncology, 14(10, Supplement), S998. DOI
  31. Agafonova, L. E., Zhdanov, D. D., Gladilina, Y. A., Shishparenok, A. N., & Shumyantseva, V. V. (2024). Electrochemical approach for the analysis of DNA degradation in native DNA and apoptotic cells. Heliyon, 10(3), e25602. DOI
  32. Roque, J., Santos, P., et al. (2022). Inactivation mechanisms of human adenovirus by e-beam irradiation in water environments. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 106(9), 3799–3809. DOI
  33. Schmidt, T., et al. (2012). Inactivation effect of standard and fractionated electron beam irradiation on enveloped and non-enveloped viruses in a tendon transplant model. Transfusion Medicine and Hemotherapy, 39(1), 29–35. DOI
  34. Abolaban, F. A., & Djouider, F. M. (2021). Gamma irradiation-mediated inactivation of enveloped viruses with conservation of genome integrity: Potential application for SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine development. Open Life Sciences, 16(1), 558–570. DOI