Foods as production and delivery vehicles for human vaccines.
Vaccination is a great asset for eradication of infectious diseases in humans and animals. With the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains and an alarming increase in new and re-emerging pathogens, the need for vaccination continues to be a high priority for mammalian diseases. In the last several years, a novel approach for developing improved mucosal subunit vaccines has emerged by exploiting the use of genetically modified plants. It has been demonstrated that plant-derived antigens are functionally similar to conventional vaccines and can induce neutralizing antibodies in mammalian hosts. Using genetically engineered plants for the production of immunogenic peptides also provides a new approach for the delivery of a plant-based subunit vaccine, i.e., oral delivery, provided these immunogenic peptides are expressed in an edible part of the plant, such as grain or fruit. Thus, food crops can play a significant new role in promoting human health by serving as vehicles for both production and delivery of vaccines.
Korban
Schuyler S
SS
Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801, USA. s-korban@uiuc.edu
Krasnyanski
Sergei F
SF
Buetow
Dennis E
DE
D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000276:immunology*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014612:Vaccines