Engineered chloroplasts as vaccine factories to combat bioterrorism.
Bacillus anthracis is ideal for making biological weapons, but the licensed anthrax vaccine is unsuitable for widespread public administration. Recombinant subunit-vaccine candidates offer potential alternatives, and plant-based production systems facilitate the inexpensive bulking of target antigens. A recent report demonstrates expression of anthrax protective antigen in tobacco chloroplasts--this material is immunogenic and protective when injected into mice. Provided an economic purification scheme can be developed, this technology holds promise for an improved vaccine.
Streatfield
Stephen J
SJ
Applied Biotechnology Institute, 101 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 100, College Station, TX 77845, USA. sstreatfield@fraunhofer-cmb.org
D000881:Anthrax / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022122:Anthrax Vaccines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D022122:Anthrax Vaccines; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial