Influenza vaccine production in plants

Plants have been identified as promising expression systems for commercial production of vaccine antigens. Transgenic plants, including edible plant parts are suggested as excellent alternatives for the production of vaccines and economic scale-up through cultivation. As an important case the spectre of an influenza pandemic has led to a revision of national and global pandemic preparedness plans and has stressed the need for more efficient influenza vaccines and manufacturing practices. This article reviews the current status of developments in the area of use of plants for the development of vaccine antigens against influenza.

transgenic plants, vaccine antigens, influenza, pandemic