Experts Review Potential of Plant-Based Edible Vaccines

Edible plant-based vaccines were developed to become part of the solution to address the possible hazards associated with the parenteral vaccines. Experts from India say that edible vaccines may eventually eradicate the global outbreak of infectious diseases.

According to the experts, edible vaccines are made by plants with antigenic protein introduced into the plant cells. Specific genes of interest in the plant cell produce the desirable encoded protein in the plants and these can have the same effect as conventional vaccines that are commonly used today. However, plant-based edible vaccines offer more advantages when compared with conventional vaccines. They cost less to manufacture and are easier to transport, thus edible vaccines can be easily brought to developing and underdeveloped countries where they are needed the most.

Edible vaccines are introduced to the body orally. According to the experts, edible vaccines are safe and will not be the source of infection because it is composed of antigenic protein and does not contain pathogenic genes. Instead, they play a significant role in stimulating mucosal immunity when they come in contact with the digestive tract lining. The induction of mucosal and peripheral immunity combined with the easy administration of the vaccine, therefore, creates a huge opportunity for more research about edible vaccines. When all the advantages are identified, the experts believe that the new technology of oral vaccines can help overcome the challenges experienced using conventional vaccines.

The full paper is published by Life Sciences.