title: Molecular pharming - VLPs made in plants.
abstract: Plant-based expression offers a safe, inexpensive and potentially limitless way to produce therapeutics in a quick and flexible manner. Plants require only simple inorganic nutrients, water, carbon dioxide and sunlight for efficient growth. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are convincing look-alikes of viruses but without carrying infectious genomic material. However, they can still elicit a very potent immune response which makes them ideal vaccine candidates. In this review the different methods of plant expression are described together with the most recent developments in the field of transiently-expressed plant-made VLPs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom. Electronic address: johanna.marsian@jic.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marsian
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Lomonossoff
mesh_terms: D015870:Gene Expression; D058634:Molecular Farming; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism*