Edible vaccines

However, there are limitations as edible vaccines are still new and developing. Advocates claim that vaccines produced in edible plants would be low-cost and would not require refrigeration, making them more accessible to poor people in developing countries. Edible vaccine can elicit mucosal immunity, which is not observed in traditional vaccines. But edible vaccines come into contact with the lining of the digestive tract.

In theory, then, they would activate both mucosal and systemic immunity.

That dual effect shoul in turn, help im- prove protection against many danger- ous microorganisms, including, impor- tantly , the kinds that cause diarrhea. It involves introduction of selected desired genes into plants and then inducing these altered plants to manufacture the encoded proteins. Scientists believe that vaccines can now be transported in foods, such as a banana. This would allow children to be vaccinated without the need for a shot. The new development would be especially useful in areas lacking in proper medical supplies (Langridge).

At present edible vaccine are developed for veterinary and human use. But the main challenge faced by edible vaccine is its acceptance by the population so that it is necessary to make aware the society about its use and benefits.

A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A disease antigen that stimulates the body to produce an antibody. Vaccine : Definition 1. Ideal vaccine It should not be toxic or pathogenic.

The edible vaccine involves the introduction of selected desired genes into plants and then inducing these altered plants to manufacture the altered protein. The genes encoding antigens of bacterial and viral pathogens can be expressed in plants in a form in which they retain native immunogenic properties. Potato edible vaccine also tried against rabbit haemorrhagic virus in wild rabbits. The main benefit of producing edible vaccine from potato is the ease of transformation and propagation.

We could integrate the genetic information of the antigen into the plant’s own genome, leading to the production of “transgenic” plants which express antigen in their leaves. Edible algae based vaccination is a vaccination strategy under preliminary research to combine a genetically engineered sub-unit vaccine and an immunologic adjuvant into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii microalgae. Microalgae can be freeze-dried and administered orally. It’s been over years since I introduced students in my plant sciences classes to the idea of using genetically-engineered plants (GMOs) as a source of edible vaccines.

An interview on edible vaccines. Fighting ebola with tobacco. Normal vaccines need for refrigeration and purified serum, hypodermic needles, or even trained medical professional to distribute and oversee vaccinations but these conditions are not required for edible vaccines.

Foods under study as alternatives to injectable vaccines include bananas, potatoes and tomatoes as well as lettuce, rice, wheat, soybean and corn39.

They also would make the process of vaccination easier. Having the vaccines grown locally would eliminate some of the shipping issues and costs. Many of these diseases are likely to require booster vaccinations or multiple antigens to induce and maintain protective immunity.

An edible vaccine in contrast to the traditional vaccines would not require elaborate production facilities, purification, strerilization, and packaging or specialized delivery systems. Injectable vaccines are usually made by synthesizing antigenic proteins in mammalian cell culture. Not require skilled person and needles to Fig. Potato: A potato based vaccine to combat the Norwalk virus (Stomach virus), which is spread by contaminated food and water.

Development of edible vaccines is a possible high-volume, low-cost delivery system. ETEC ( Enterotoxigenic E. coli ) and rotavirus. In the recent years the plant based vaccines called edible vaccines which are cheap compared to the traditional vaccines have been current area of research. MISRA et al: EDIBLE VACCINES : A NEW APPROACH TO ORAL IMMUNIZATION 1. Hepatitis B virus Tobacco.

Rabies virus Tobacco Rabies 119. HIV virus Tomato AIDS 23. Vibrio cholerae Potato Cholera 24. The Sabin vaccine was much more protective than the earlier, injectable, Salk vaccine.

The Sabine vaccine was delivered by “eating” or swallowing a sugar cube.