Rice contains vaccine against cholera

The team, led by Professor Hiroshi Kiyono, of the University of Tokyo's Department of Immunology, announced the development of a rice containing vaccine for cholera. This progress may reduce the difficulty of vaccine distribution in developing countries in the near future.

Rice is the latest plant variety to be studied for vaccination.This is an important finding in countries that are medically weak due to a lack of cryogenic technology for long-term vaccine storage.

This method can produce immune reactions not only throughout the body but also in other parts like the nose, mouth and genitals.

Conventional vaccines do not produce an immune response in areas with mucous membranes in the body.Therefore, this new vaccine will work well against common infectious agents through mucous membranes, for example cholera virus, E. coli, virus that causes immune system decline in humans, influenza virus and SARS.

David W. Pascual, a molecular biologist at Montana University, said Japanese researchers were able to produce an immune response in mice, while avoiding allergic reactions to the rice itself.

In addition, this genetically engineered rice can be stored at normal temperatures without the risk of infection.

However, the use of modified rice to create a vaccine reaction does not mean that this is an edible vaccine.Scientists don't want the public to think that eating this rice will be vaccinated.

Instead, the vaccine will be provided as capsules or tablets containing rice flour and is considered a drug and not a food.

After the success of rats, it is thought that more basic research is needed and hopes to test the vaccine on primates in the near future.

Huyen Trinh