Abstract
A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluated the immunogenicity of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) expressed in potatoes and delivered orally to previously vaccinated individuals. The potatoes accumulated HBsAg at ≈8.5 μg/g of potato tuber, and doses of 100 g of tuber were administered by ingestion. The correlate of protection for hepatitis B virus, a nonenteric pathogen, is blood serum antibody titers against HBsAg. After volunteers ate uncooked potatoes, serum anti-HBsAg titers increased in 10 of 16 volunteers (62.5%) who ate three doses of potatoes; in 9 of 17 volunteers (52.9%) who ate two doses of transgenic potatoes; and in none of the volunteers who ate nontransgenic potatoes. These results were achieved without the coadministration of a mucosal adjuvant or the need for buffering stomach pH. We conclude that a plant-derived orally delivered vaccine for prevention of hepatitis B virus should be considered as a viable component of a global immunization program.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3378-3382 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 102 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2005 |
Keywords
- Mucosal immune response
- Oral vaccine
- Surface antigen
- Transgenic plant
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General