宏基因组二代测序技术在外源病毒污染检测中的挑战

    Challenges of Metagenomic Next-generation Sequencing Technology in the Detection of Exogenous Virus

    • 摘要: 外源病毒污染是威胁生物制品安全的核心风险,传统检测方法因灵敏度不足、广谱性有限及依赖动物实验等问题,难以应对低丰度或未知病原体的筛查需求。宏基因组二代测序技术凭借其高灵敏性与无偏性,为外源病毒检测提供了全新解决方案,并被ICH Q5A(R2)列为推荐方法。然而,宏基因组二代测序技术在实际应用中面临多重技术挑战:宿主核酸干扰(占比>99%)导致目标信号被掩盖,试剂污染与标签跳跃现象引发假阳性风险,数据库缺失与分析工具算法阈值设置争议加剧未知病原体误判,标准化流程缺失致使实验室间结果不可比等。本文结合典型案例,全面剖析宏基因组二代测序技术在实际应用中面对的挑战性问题,并针对性总结出多项优化方案,包括靶向宿主核酸剔除、双端标签法以及多中心标准化验证等。实现宏基因组二代测序技术向“监管级方法”发展,需通过技术创新驱动、数据库统一与监管协同,为生物制品安全评价提供坚实技术支撑。

       

      Abstract: Exogenous virus contamination represents a critical risk to biopharmaceutical safety. Conventional detection methods, constrained by insufficient sensitivity, limited broad-spectrum capability, and reliance on animal experimentation, struggle to address the screening demands for low-abundance or unknown pathogens. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS), with its high sensitivity and unbiased nature, offers a novel solution for exogenous virus detection and has been endorsed as a recommended method in ICH Q5A(R2). However, mNGS faces multiple technical challenges in practical applications: host-derived nucleic acid interference(>99% of total content) obscures target signals, reagent contamination and index hopping introduce false-positive risks, incomplete databases and controversies over analytical algorithm thresholds exacerbate misidentification of unknown pathogens, and the lack of standardized protocols compromises inter-laboratory comparability. Through case studies, this paper comprehensively analyzes the challenges encountered in mNGS implementation and proposes targeted optimization strategies, including host nucleic acid depletion, unique dual indexing, and multicenter standardization validation. To advance mNGS as a “regulatory-grade method”, collaborative efforts in technological innovation, unified pathogen databases, and regulatory harmonization are essential to establish robust technical frameworks for biopharmaceutical safety evaluation.

       

    /

    返回文章
    返回