Plant-made vaccines and reagents for the One Health initiative

Rybicki, Edward Peter

I feel that it is in the sphere of interests of One Health, though, that molecular farming could truly make an immediate impact: the application of plant-made proteins as inexpensive reagents could revolutionise point-of-care diagnostics, for example; use of farmed vaccines that could be the same proteins used in diagnostics could also make universal vaccination of livestock against certain diseases a reality. Where there are vaccines for animals but these are not safe for humans, such as in the case of RVFV and CCHFV, plant-made subunit vaccines may safely bridge the human-animal divide. Plant-made influenzavirus A vaccines, whether type-specific or universal, could soon be a realityand may make vaccination of swine and poultry a much easier and cheaper and safer prospect. Rabies vaccines and especially therapeutics would be a most worthy target, given that most animal and human victims of the disease are in developing countries. It is also possible that molecular farming could allow more routine application of therapeutics in veterinary medicine, given the low cost of goods and the potential for oral dosing.