A Nicotiana benthamiana plant to be used by the Plant Molecular Farming group for the production of an avian influenza vaccine.
Developing a plant-based vaccine for measles
Over 30 million cases of measles are reported each year resulting in at least 611,000 deaths. Severe infection may lead to complications such as deafness, pneumonia and inflammation of the brain. Although eradication of the measles virus (MV) is theoretically possible, it is made difficult in practice by the highly contagious nature of MV, complacency in non-endemic countries, waning immunity in young adults, and limitations of the MV live attenuated vaccine (LAV). These include the requirement for refrigeration, subcutaneous administration, and reduced efficacy in the presence of maternal antibodies. Until MV is eradicated outbreaks will continue to occur in Australia, as happened in 2001 when 43% of cases were hospitalised.
Our research has demonstrated that plants are a viable production and delivery system for a subunit MV hemagglutinin (H) vaccine that addresses the limitations and concerns surrounding the MV-LAV. Oral delivery of temperature-stable freeze-dried plant material in capsules or paste formulations has the potential to; i) substantially enhance vaccine coverage in children and infants, especially in resource poor regions, and ii) provide a safe non-replicating vaccine which could be used to boost waning immunity in young adults world-wide.
Funding Support: