Perspective: edible vaccines--a concept coming of age.
In addition to their traditional role as a source of natural medicines, it is now possible to genetically engineer plants to produce pharmaceuticals. Transgenic plants expressing antigens from pathogenic microorganisms offer many advantages as low-cost production systems and effective delivery systems for vaccines. This new technology might contribute to global vaccine programs and might have a dramatic impact on health care in developing countries.
Mor
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Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca, NY 14853-1801, USA.
Gómez-Lim
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Palmer
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D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014765:Viral Vaccines