For years , scientists have been looking forcheaper and fast ways to make vaccines , including tinkering with what sound like an unlikely source : Tobacco plants . In fact , thehighly experimental serumgiven to the two American Ebola patient was created using this novel proficiency . Here ’s how it works .
Your Future Flu Vaccines Could Be Grown Inside a Tobacco Plant
Whether for vaccine or serums , the canonic idea is to turn tobacco plant plants into protein factories . tobacco plant plants are n’t by nature prepared to make human - like protein , of course , so it lease some clever genetic engineering . The experimental Ebola blood serum , ZMapp , was developed at small startup called Mapp Biopharmaceutical and manufactured at a Kentucky quickness possess by Reynolds American — yes , the same tobacco behemoth that makes Camels . Presumably , they do make love a thing or two about produce tobacco .
The blood serum itself is a mixture of three antibody , or proteins that our immune systems make to hold fast to and neutralize invading pathogen . To obtain antibody for the Ebola virus , scientists taint mice and reap their antibodies . The mouse antibodies have to then be “ humanized ” by swapping out mouse - specific parts for their human equivalent . This is n’t loose work , but it ’s a pretty well - established technique .
Where we get into unfamiliar territory is mass producing these antibodies that have been fastidiously harvested and modified . That ’s where baccy plant life come in . The gene for the antibodies were slipped into a virus that specifically infects tobacco plant plants . As viruses do , they take over the plant life ’s cellular phone , force them to start making the antibodies . The last footprint is just harvest the baccy leaves and extract the protein .
But “ mass producing ” enough protein for a dose of blood serum is not the same as masses produce enough blood serum for a whole population . Reynoldstells The New York Timesit’ll take several months to surmount up mathematical operation .
That ’s all seize that ZMapp even works and is safe . In a highly unusual turn of event , the American patients get the blood serum before it was even quiz for safety in orotund animal report . And while they do seem to be doing better , there ’s no tattle yet whether it was due to ZMapp . We ’re in chartless territory here . [ New York Times , Reuters ]
Top epitome : Vasiliy Koval / shutterstock
Ebolavaccines
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , scientific discipline , and culture news in your inbox daily .
word from the future , deliver to your present .
You May Also Like
