Vaccine antigen production in transgenic plants: strategies, gene constructs and perspectives.
Stable integration of a gene into the plant nuclear or chloroplast genome can transform higher plants (e.g. tobacco, potato, tomato, banana) into bioreactors for the production of subunit vaccines for oral or parental administration. This can also be achieved by using recombinant plant viruses as transient expression vectors in infected plants. The use of plant-derived vaccines may overcome some of the major problems encountered with traditional vaccination against infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases and tumours. They also offer a convenient tool against the threat of bio-terrorism. State of the art, experimental strategies, safety and perspectives are discussed in this article.
Sala
Francesco
F
Department of Biology, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milano, Italy. francesco.sala@unimi.it
Manuela Rigano
M
M
Barbante
Alessandra
A
Basso
Barbara
B
Walmsley
Amanda M
AM
Castiglione
Stefano
S
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000941:Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D023482:Bioterrorism; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D011639:Public Opinion; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D000941:Antigens; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit