Genetically engineered tobacco plants used to grow anti-lymphoma vaccine

Darkfrog submitted, created time 3 months 3 weeks (www.sciam.com)

Reports in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences report that an experimental vaccines has triggered the immune systems of eleven (out of sixteen) patients to attack their tumors. The patients are afflicted with what is called follicular B-cell lymphoma. Dangerous side effects? None.

The interesting part? The vaccine was grown courtesy of some genetically engineered tobacco plants.

Of course, all of the patients were also receiving chemotherapy at the time, so it may be difficult to tell which results may be attributed to the vaccine itself.

Researchers advocate this vaccine as an early post-diagnosis treatment for this slow-growing form of cancer and as a supplement to chemotherapy.

Keywords: tobacco genetically engineered plants immunology anti-cancer vaccines chemotherapy cancer cancer treatments genetic engineering cancer lymphoma vaccines anti-tumor vaccines