Molecular Farming of Plants and Animals for Human and Veterinary Medicine

Molecular farming has been hailed as the "third wave" of genetically-modified organisms produced through biotechnology for the bio-based economy of the future. Unlike products of the first wave, such as herbicide resistant crop plants, which were perceived to benefit only the farmers who used them and the agrochemical companies who developed them, products of molecular farming are designed specifically for the benefit of the consumer. Such products could be purified from food or non-food organisms for a range of applications in industry, as well as animal and human health. Alternatively, the products of this technology could be consumed more directly in some edible format, such as milk, eggs, fruits or vegetables. There is a rapidly-growing interest Qn the part of the public as well as in the medical community in the role food plays in health, especially in the immunophysiological impact of food over and above the role of basic nutrition. Front Matter....Pages i-xix Tobacco, a Platform for the Production of Recombinant Proteins....Pages 1-31 Alfalfa: An Efficient Bioreactor for Continuous Recombinant Protein Production....Pages 33-47 The Use of Viral Vectors for the Production of Recombinant Proteins in Plants....Pages 49-71 Control of the N-Glycosylation of Therapeutic Glycoproteins Produced in Transgenic Plants: A New Challenge for Glycobiologists....Pages 73-109 Production and Commercialization of Biopharmaceuticals from Milk....Pages 111-125 A Seed-Derived Oral Subunit Vaccine for Human Cytomegalovirus....Pages 127-153 Use of Plant Virus-Based Expression Systems for the Production of HIV Vaccines....Pages 155-177 Suppression of Autoimmune Diabetes by the Use of Transgenic Plants Expressing Autoantigens to Induce Oral Tolerance....Pages 179-196 The Production and Delivery of Therapeutic Peptides in Plants....Pages 197-222 An Oral Vaccine in Maize Protects Against Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus in Swine....Pages 223-236 Production of Antibodies in Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa)....Pages 237-257 The Production of Recombinant Antibodies in Plants and Plant Cells....Pages 259-285 Immunotherapeutic Potential of Antibodies Produced in Chicken Eggs....Pages 287-317 The Production of Recombinant Cytokines in Plants....Pages 319-338 Edible Vaccines in Plants for Livestock Pathogens....Pages 339-367 Back Matter....Pages 369-374 Until recently, agriculture was seen as a minor customer of the pharmaceutical industry. However, as this book amply demonstrates, agriculture may be poised to become a much more important supplier rather than consumer of pharmaceuticals. This book is the most comprehensive and up-to-date compilation of bio-farming strategies to provide health products that are both safer and lower-cost than those produced conventionally. The style and information presented assumes a university undergraduate level of genetics and biology. Technical information regarding the methods used and the results, as well as perspectives on commercialization and regulation, is provided by scientists prominent in this diverse and burgeoning field. This book is an invaluable resource for undergraduate and graduate students, university faculty, and researchers in government and corporate labs, as well as research managers, planners, and consultants in biotechnology