Generation of transgenic rice containing vaccines

Japanese scientists have created a genetically modified (GM) rice that contains a summer fever vaccine (hay fever) - an allergic disease caused by pollen or dust.

Tests in mice showed that this type of rice vaccine prevented an allergic immune reaction. Specifically, mice fed the above-mentioned transgenic rice were less likely to sneeze when exposed to pollen, compared to non-rice eaters (control group). It is known that the team created a similar kind of rice for humans and will test the safety in the next few years.

According to Dr Fumio Takaiwa , a member of the research team, the vaccine in the form of a plant has several advantages over the injectable vaccine, typically without pain, without complex refinement. He and his colleagues created vaccines using certain pieces of protein. These pieces are related to allergies and are found in the pollen of the Japanese willow - the common cause of summer fever in the country.

By adding the genetic material from these proteins to the rice genome, they have created the rice that contains the pollen proteins. After that, they fed a group of mice to eat rice every day, and for several weeks exposed them to the pollen of the willow. As a result, they produce less histamine - the chemical that causes summer fever - and less sneezing than the control mice.

Earlier this year, scientists announced that they had created a transgenic potato that could carry the vaccine against hepatitis B. The results showed that it worked in the first volunteer group. Many scientists believe that transgenic plants are a more efficient and cheaper way of producing vaccines and drugs. Traditional vaccines are made up of animal or bacterial cells and need to be extracted and purified. The plant vaccine eliminates these processes.

Minh Son ( According to ABC News, Japan Today )