| Abstract text: |
The progress made by plant genetic engineering in the last two decades, allowed us to use edible plants as “bioreactors” producing edible vaccines, which permit the oral immunization of mammals, including humans. The first vaccine producing plant was obtained in the year 1990 by Crtiss and Cardineau. The oral immunization using transgenic plants as vaccines carrier, is a process which implies the transfer of specific genes isolated from an infectious agent (virus, bacteria) in the genome of the plant used as “bioreactor”. The transgenic plant, “inoculated” with the genes originating from an infectious agent, will synthesize a specific protein, which will not disease the mammal which ate leafs or fruits from that plant. The organism which consumed parts of the plant use as “bioreactor” will not get ill; but, the synthesized protein will act as characteristic antigen for the envisaged pathogen. The “antigen” will induce antibodies production against the pathogen, immunizing the consumer organism. Oral immunization eliminates the vaccines purification operations, their preservation, reducing the production costs, their effectiveness and patient’s injection. In this way, a new, systemic, prevention alternative developed, for many diseases as: B hepatitis virus, measles, rabies, transmissible gastroenteritis etc. As transgenic plants producing edible vaccines we mention: salad, tomatoes, potato, tobacco, banana tree etc. This research field knows an impressive development within the plant biotechnologies sciences. |
