Engineering Plants as Platforms for Production of Vaccines

Abstract

Microbial pathogens have always posed serious threats and challenges to human existence. Pathogenic microbes causing epidemic and pandemic outbreaks have the potential of effacing life on earth. Vaccines are used as prophylactic as well as treatment measures against diseases and are effective in eradicating deadly pathogens. Conventional vaccines though effective, have high production costs, involve tedious purification processes and have biosafety issues, requiring time-consuming biosafety tests for commercial production. Plant-based vaccines offer several advantages over the conventional systems such as ease of production, storage, higher yields, stability and safety. The review discusses significance, advantages, comparisons, prospects and challenges or constraints in the production of plant-based vaccines and antibodies.