A Swedish research team from Örebro University has successfully altered the genes in some plants to aid in the production of an HIV vaccine. The plants have been genetically modified to produce a protein (p24) which is common to all HIV viruses. This is particularly important as the HIV virus has many variants due to its rapid rate of mutation. The researchers utilised a bacterium vector to insert the viral genetic material into the plant’s DNA as viral genetic material (RNA) cannot be directly inserted into the plant’s DNA sequence.
The plants producing this protein are then fed to mice. The immune systems of the mice then developed antibodies against the protein they had consumed. Researchers are hoping for a similar result in antibody production in humans. They have nominated the carrot as an ideal plant to genetically modify to express the genes producing the protein as they can be eaten raw which is reduces the risk of damage to the protein from heating. These findings have enormous potential in terms of providing an effective and inexpensive vaccine against a wide-spread disease. The findings can be found in the academic dissertation by Ingrid Lindh of Örebro University.
Source
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514084103.htm (article)
http://www.healthinitiative.org/HTML/hiv/firstcontact/hivbig.htm (picture)
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