FOOD VACCINES

General

The introduction of vaccines has led to a

significant decline in worldwide morbidity
and mortality due to various diseases.
Vaccines have been shown to be generally
safe and cost-effective.
Vaccines trick the immune system into
producing antibodies or immune cells that
protect against disease-causing organisms.

General

1796- Edward Jenner, an English physician,

observed that milkmaids stricken with cowpox
rarely became infected with smallpox.
This led to the development of first vaccine.
He inoculated a young, healthy child with fluid
from a cowpox pustule.
He later inoculated the child with fluid from a
smallpox pustule.
The child remained disease free.

General

By 1980, an updated version of Jenners

vaccine led to the eradication of smallpox
By the beginning of the 20th century,
vaccines for rabies, diphtheria, typhoid
fever and plague in addition to smallpox
vaccine had been produced.
We now have vaccines against more than
20 infectious diseases.

Background

80% of worlds infants immunized

20% remaining account for 2,000,00
death annually
Mostly remote, impoverished nations
Foods could produce vaccines

Mucosal Immunity

Surfaces provide a portal of entry for

pathogens

Gastrointestinal Tract
Urogenital Tract
Respiratory Tract

Injections dont stimulate immunity very well

Edible vaccines would come into direct
contact with mucosal lining

Engineering Edible Vaccines

Argobacterium tumefaciens

Bacteria that has been manipulated to

have plasmid + foreign gene

Plasmid + antigen transferred into plant

material
This antigen can be produced in large
quantities by the plant

Engineering Edible Vaccines

Issues with Edible Vaccines

Edible vaccines are thought to be

possible and promising yet there are
still some issues

Amount of Vaccine made

Amount made by plant is usually low

Need to make sure, the amount is

sufficient to stimulate the immune system

Need to activate immune system and

not leave body unused

Targeting strategy:

attaching antigens to
cells that bind with M
cells in intestinal lining
M cells take in materials
that enter intestines
and pass them down to
other cells like antigenpresenting cells.

Macrophages degrade
proteins/antigens into
fragments and display
them on the cell
surface.
When T lymphocytes
recognize the foreign
fragments they trigger
the release of
antibodies and help in
bigger attack on the
cells

Plant Growth

Plants tend to grow poorly when

producing large amounts of vaccine.
Solution: introduce regulatory
elements that cause antigen genes to
turn on at certain times or in certain
regions of the plant, for ex. after plant
is grown or when in just the leaf or root

Each Plant has pros and cons

Potatoes: good
because can be
stored for long
periods without
being refrigerated
Disadv.: needs to
be cooked in order
to eat and heat can
denature proteins

Most beneficial
because some
potatoes are eaten
raw in some
countries and heat
does not completely
destroy protein

Other foods

Lettuce
Carrots
Peanuts
Rice
Wheat
Corn
soybeans

Edible Vaccines and Pregnant

Women

Can a vaccine taken by a pregnant

women also vaccinate the unborn child?
Vaccine and antibodies can be
transferred from mother to child by milk
or through the placenta

Future on Edible Vaccines

More research is being done to:

Determine if one vaccine can help protect

against multiple diseases
Determine what would be a good dose or
how often vaccine would need to be taken
If vaccine can cause a negative response
instead of positive