What is it about?
Vaccination is the most suitable and persuasive healthcare program for the prohibition of various deadly diseases. However, the higher production cost and purification strategies are out of reach for the developing nations. In this scenario, development of edible vaccine turns out to be the most promising alternative for remodeling the pharmaceutical industry with reduced production and purification costs. Generally, oral route of vaccination is mostly preferred due to its safety, compliance, low manufacturing cost and most importantly the ability to induce immunity in both systemic and mucosal sites. Genetically modified microorganisms and plants could efficiently be used as vehicles for edible vaccines. Edible vaccines are supposed to reduce the risk associated with traditional vaccines. Currently, oral vaccines are available in the market for several viral and bacterial diseases like cholera, hepatitis B, malaria, rabies etc. Herein, the review focuses on the breakthrough events in the area of edible vaccines associated with dietary microbes and plants for better control over diseases.
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Why is it important?
The use of bio‐engineered bacteria and plants as an oral vaccine could possibly change the vaccine industry in the near future, but a lot of attention and acceptance are needed for the success of this approach. Till now, this approach has shown more advancement than conventional vaccines in terms of safety and financial aspects. Proper distribution and utilization might help in eradication of various diseases along with saving millions of lives as various life‐threatening diseases like polio, measles is under control only because of vaccines. Advancement in vaccine development will automatically reduce the utilization of antibiotics and the issue of antibiotic resistance will also be resolved. Complex multimeric proteins might be produced through edible vaccines while the microbial system is not able to express multimeric proteins. However, public acceptance is the major issue as some wrong opinions are there like genetically modified crops are harmful to the society along with the environment. Close observations and full attentions are needed to avoid cross contamination between transgenic and non-transgenic plants due to pollination. Any pharmaceutical compound that might enter into the human food chain might adversely affect wildlife.
Perspectives
Presently, edible vaccines are also under trial for various human as well as animal diseases like measles, hepatitis B, C, E, foot and mouth diseases, and so forth. The combinatory effect of these vaccines with other vaccination programs might be utilized to prevent diseases like dengue, rabies etc. Various fruits, grains, vegetables like bananas, rice, potatoes, tomatoes, and so forth are under thorough check to be utilized as edible vaccines. A novel concept named “Therapeutic food” or “Ready to Use Therapeutic Food” notified by FAO might be helpful for the availability of edible vaccines as biopharmaceuticals. Adoption of edible vaccines as biopharmaceuticals would be dually beneficial, that is, the problem of malnutrition would be solved along with improved global health. Till now, no edible vaccines have been in the market or approved by the USFDA as these are basically genetically modified crops. oral delivery of vaccines is the topic of ardent research as only 40 proteins are taken orally. However, nearly 60% of molecular drugs are orally administered. Dedicated research and advancement are the demands of this field to dream of an era with full control over infectious diseases.
Dr. Deepak Kumar
Banaras Hindu University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Insight of oral vaccines as an alternative approach to health and disease management: An innovative intuition and challenges, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, November 2021, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/bit.27987.
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