BioMatNet Item: FAIR-CT95-0720 - The Plant as a Factory for the Production of Oral Vaccines and Diagnostics

FAIR-CT95-0720
The Plant as a Factory for the Production of Oral Vaccines and Diagnostics

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Biotechnology : FAIR Area 3 - Generic Science and Advanced Technologies for Nutritious Foods : Pharmaceuticals/Cosmetics : Plant Genetics

	Type of Project	Shared Cost
	Contract No	FAIR-CT95-0720
	Total Cost	2,021,738 ECU
	EC Contribution	1,010,869 ECU
	Start Date	01/12/95
	Duration	36 Months

The plant as a factory for the production of oral vaccines and diagnostics

Objectives

This project outlines work towards the use of plants for the production of pharmaceutical-based products. To accomplish this, a system comprised of a recombinant plant virus particle expressing antigenic sequences from viral pathogens will be used. The objectives are:

to use plants to develop the technology to produce edible, oral vaccines
to use plants to develop the technology to produce diagnostic reagents including edible vaccines

Technical Approach

This project will describe:

the viral pathogens to be studied
how the epitopes of these pathogens will be identified
how these sequences will be produced in plants and subsequently tested in both model and target animals for the development of vaccines.
how the plant produced sequences can also be used for the development of diagnostic products

The completion of the research outlined in this project will be an important step towards using plants as a way to generate raw materials for pharmaceutical products instead of purely as commodities. This would provide the European farmer with an opportunity of access to a new and lucrative market: pharmaceutical products.

Results to Date

A plant-derived vaccine, based on recombinant cowpea mosaic virus expressing an epitope from parvovirus, a pathogen of several animal species, has been shown to protect mink and dogs against the disease. This is the first demonstration of projection by a wholly plant-derived vaccine.

Contacts

Participant