Plants to grow vaccines against diseases

Genetically modified (GM) plants are to be used to grow vaccines for use in the worldwide fight against HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes and rabies, thanks to a grant of e12m from the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

Pharma-Planta draws on the expertise of 39 scientists from 11 European countries and South Africa to address significant health problems affecting Europe and the developing world, although the primary aim is to provide medicines for poorer countries.

In the first international project of its kind, Pharma-Planta will develop the concept from plant modification through to clinical trials; human trials of the drugs are expected to begin within four years.

'We are addressing the serious issue of global inequality of health,' said scientific co-ordinator Professor Julian Ma, from St George's Hospital Medical School in London. 'Although the major burden of 21st century disease is in the developing world, we have to accept it as a global problem as these are the countries that do not have access to vaccines.

'We know we can use GM technology to force a plant's molecular apparatus to produce a range of medically useful compounds. However, plant derived materials used in humans have never been formally addressed within the EU, so this project aims to provide help for the millions of people that die each year throughout the world from vaccine-preventable diseases.'

Because plants are inexpensive to grow, they could be used to produce large quantities of drugs or vaccines at a cost of anywhere between 10 and 100 times lower than conventional production, which is often labour intensive, expensive, and produces relatively small amounts of pharmaceuticals.

If the project is successful, the techniques would be licensed to developing countries, who would then be able to start up their own production to generate whatever amount they require, at a cost that would not impact greatly on their economy.

Although the project has not finally decided which plants will be used, the likely candidates are tobacco or maize.

The Life Sciences Priority Thematic Area (PTA) of the 6th Framework Programme(FP6) has a budget of e2.3bn over the lifetime of FP6. The work programme aims to enable consistent and co-ordinated progress in biomedical research at a European level to improve the health of the EU citizen. The final call for proposals will open in May 2005.