Biopolymers and cell. 1999; 15 (1): 5 - 9

Transgenic plants as edible vaccines — reality and future prospects

N. N. Domansky

This review describes the recent progress in the construction of transgenic plants for vaccine production Transgenic plants are an attractive and cost-effective alternative to microbial systems for the production o~ proteins with pharmaceutical value. Advances in biotechnology are enabling plants to be exploited fi': expression of candidate vaccine antigens with the goal of using the edible plant organs for economical delivery of oral vaccines. It has recently been shown that genes encoding antigens of bacterial and viral patlwgens can be expressed in plants in a form in which they retain native immunogenic properties. Transgenic potato tubers expressing bacterial antigens stimulated humoral and mucosal immune response; when they were provided as a food. Although the utility of «edible vaccines» to prevent disease remains l< be established, the successful implementation of this strategy can be the first step on the way to modern vaccines of new generation.