Vaccines and Immunization

Animal & Plant Derived Vaccines

It has been about 30 years since the first plant engineering technology was established. Although the concept of plant-based pharmaceuticals or vaccines motivates us to develop practicable commercial products using plant engineering, there are some difficulties in reaching the final goal: to manufacture an approved product. At present, the only plant-made vaccine approved by the United States Department of Agriculture is a Newcastle disease vaccine for poultry that is produced in suspension-cultured tobacco cells. The progress toward commercialization of plant-based vaccines takes much effort and time, but several candidate vaccines for use in humans and animals are in clinical trials. This review discusses plant engineering technologies and regulations. Animal and plant-derived vaccines represent a unique category of vaccines produced using biological systems other than traditional cell cultures or microbial fermentation. These innovative vaccine production methods offer several advantages, including cost-effectiveness, scalability, and reduced risk of contamination. By harnessing the natural ability of animals and plants to produce proteins, scientists can create vaccines that are safer, more efficient, and potentially more accessible to populations worldwide.