Plant-derived Oral Vaccines: The Current State of the Science and Its Value for the Future

The development of plant-derived antigens is very promising in vaccine research and the ability to synthesize vaccines cheaply and safely in plant, which can then be ingested, has enormous potential benefits. The goal of this project is to summarize and synthesize the work of current scientists on this issue into a cohesive argument in favor of plant-derived vaccinations, while acknowledging any possible drawbacks to their development and the actions that are being taken to overcome them. Hepatitis B, a virus for which orally administered, plant-based vaccines are currently being developed, serves as the case study in which these issues are analyzed. It was found that the synthesized protein is effective immunogenic in humans, but there is still the remaining challenge of making it generate a strong enough immune response through simple ingestion. For this reason, it is clear that plant-derived, oral vaccinations merit further research and hold real prospects of success.