A biomedical researcher at the University of Central Florida, (UCF) has developed the first low-cost vaccine capable of eradicating malaria and cholera. He accomplished this feat by using botanical techniques to grow the vaccine, which was later injected into experimental mice. The use of plants to develop the vaccine made it very cheap to produce, which is great news for peoples of developing and underdeveloped countries, who will not have any problem buying this vaccine, (UCF). The plant-grown vaccine is very cheap to develop because it requires less labor and technology, (UCF).
Currently there is no FDA-approved vaccine capable of preventing malaria, (UCF). What is malaria? According to Dorland’s Medical Dictionary (DMD), malaria is a serious infectious disease seen in many warm regions of the world, caused by the protozoal parasite Plasmodium, and is transmitted by mosquito of the Anopheles genus. Malaria is one of the world’s leading causes of death, although the majority of patients recover after becoming infected with the malaria parasite, (DMD).
When a mosquito bites an infected person, it sucks up blood infected with the malaria parasite residing in the person, then directly transmit it into the bloodstream of the next person the mosquito bites. While inside the infected human, the parasites enter liver cells first and then the bloodstream, where they penetrate red blood cells (erythrocytes). They later burst out of the red blood cells-rupturing them after several reproductive cycles. This is when symptoms of chills and a fever of 104 degrees and above occur, (DMD). Malaria kills over 1 million people annually, (UCF).
There is only one vaccine in existence to fight cholera, (UCF). However, it is too expensive for people of developing or underdeveloped countries to afford. So, outbreaks commonly occur in these countries after floods or other natural disasters because people are unable to buy the vaccine. So, children lose immunity after three years of getting the vaccine if they did get it in the first place, (UCF).
What exactly is cholera? Cholera is a sometimes-fatal acute infectious inflammatory disease of the intestine. It is prevalent in Asia, and is caused by Vibrio cholerae, (DMD). The disease is characterized by severe diarrhea, and vomiting, causing extreme fluid and electrolyte loss, accompanied by muscle cramping and weakness, (DMD). It is sometimes called Asiatic cholera, (DMD).
These diseases are definitely serious health challenges posed to the unlucky peoples of developing world. So, any medical advances that tackle diseases commonly found in their environment, brings great hope for these people. With all this said, what exactly is the process by which plants are used genetically to develop the malaria-cholera vaccine? What plants are involved? Are they familiar to us?
The research team used genetically engineered tobacco and lettuce plants to produce the malaria and cholera vaccine. The team injected mice with freeze-dried plant cells containing the vaccine. The scientists also introduced the freeze-dried plant cells containing the vaccine orally to mice, and then exposed the mice to the cholera toxin and the malaria parasite, (UCF). Mice that did not receive the vaccine were also exposed to the cholera toxin and the malaria parasite. The mice that were injected with the vaccine did not contract cholera infection or malaria. However, mice that did not receive vaccination treatment were sickened very quickly by both diseases. The interesting thing is that mice that were treated with the plant-grown vaccine, showed long lasting immunity for more than 300 days, which is equivalent to 50 years in human, (UCF).
Mankind could be onto something big here. Not only is the development of the malaria-cholera vaccine ground breaking, but it is also very inexpensive to produce. This bode well for people of underdeveloped or developing countries because they will be able to pay for the vaccine very easily.
New Vaccine For Malaria and Cholera Developed Using Plants!
Comments: 0February 18th, 2009 by admin