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Genetically modified tobacco will replace expensive laboratories for the production of drugs
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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From. Scientists at the University of Surrey believe that it can be used to prevent HIV infection.
The drug was developed as part of the Pharma-Planta project. Its goal was to search for cheaper ways of obtaining useful compounds, which can then be used as a basis for funds available to poor countries. The production of antibodies from tobacco is 10-100 times cheaper than the standard method of isolating agents.
At the heart of the manufacture of most drugs is an expensive fermentation process. But in modified tobacco monoclonal antibodies P2G12, working against HIV, are simply grown. After 45 days, the tobacco is harvested, the leaves are ground and the antibodies are removed.
It is known that the safety of antibodies has already been tested on volunteers. 11 healthy women participated in the study. Two of them were given antibodies, and the rest - a placebo. Now scientists have to test the effectiveness of antibodies in terms of the effectiveness of protection against infection.
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