PubMed · 2026-01-06
Scientists are engineering edible plants to produce vaccines that people can eat instead of inject. Early human trials with hepatitis B antigens in potatoes and cholera proteins in other crops showed real immune responses, and newer tools like CRISPR and AI-assisted protein design are making the approach more precise and potent.
Human subjects who ate potatoes expressing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) showed measurable seroconversion, confirming real immune response from an edible plant vaccine.
Chloroplast transformation boosts antigen production by more than 100-fold compared to conventional plant expression, making viable dose levels achievable.
Plant cell walls provide natural bioencapsulation that protects antigens through the gastrointestinal tract and promotes targeted release to mucosal immune tissues, generating both IgA and IgG responses.
