The prospect of “edible vaccines” has been employed in the growth of bananas, tomatoes and potatoes in an attempt to produce new satisfying options for the prevention of diseases like HIV. According to New Scientist, the root of genetic engineering in crops lies in the 1977 discovery that the soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens can be used as a tool to inject potentially useful foreign genes into a plant. With the help of that microbe in the transferral of useful genes into plant cells, geneticists have developed a multitude of new – or what are called transgenic crops.
(New Scientist, 2006, http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9921 )
The technology of producing transgenic crops can be applied to produce plants transformed with a gene emanating from HIV. A research group at the Orebro Life Science Centre has successfully achieved this in a plant species which has gone on to produce several transformed plant lines that express the protein corresponding to the inserted gene. Scientists working on this research eventually hope to see an edible vaccine used to target prevention of disease in the third world .
(Orebro University, 2007, http://www.oru.se/templates/oruExtNormal____40417.aspx ).
The edible fruit or vegetable will be more accessible, cost-effective and practical; as it will not require a sterile administration by medical professionals (therefore reduce the risk of infection) and also won't need to be refrigerated like many commercial vaccines do (and this is vital in third world countries that may not have access to power). Research currently consists of carrying out trials with mice consuming the transgenic plant to test for the development of the desired immunological response scientists have been working towards.
By Sarah 42048972
