Tobacco Can Be Drug Rabies

As a forerunner of cigarettes, tobacco plants may be said to have killed many people. But recently scientists discovered that when genetically modified plants can be used as pain medication or a rabid dog rabies affordable, especially for patients in developing countries.

The team of researchers from the University of London claims to have successfully developed an antibody that is derived from tobacco that has been genetically modified. These antibodies are made to prevent the rabies virus attached to the nerve endings in around the body part bitten and 'walk' to the brain.

 

"Rabies has killed thousands of people and the number of victims continues to grow each year, especially for rabies infection is not cured because it is almost 100 percent fatal and often lead to death," said one researcher, Leonard Both, Ph.D. of Molecular Immunology Unit Hotung, St. George's, University of London.

"For that produce antibodies from transgenic plants affordable opening the prospect of adequate rabies prevention for families in developing countries, particularly low-income," he added as quoted from Indiavision, Tuesday (05/02/2013).

First, Both and colleagues 'humanise' these antibodies that can be tolerated by humans. Then the antibodies were produced using transgenic tobacco plants as a platform or medium. Afterwards, the antibody can be purified from the leaves of plants and characterized according to the composition of protein and sugar.

Once tested, proved that the antibodies produced from tobacco leaves that can neutralize different types of rabies virus and identified a number of existing antibodies to the viral envelope (the membrane that causes the virus can survive outside the cell) using a particular rabies virus.

In response to this study, the editor of The FASEB Journal where the study was published, revealing Gerald Weissmann, "Although can be cured by using antibodies that work on time but somehow rabies is deadly, especially for patients in developing countries that lack treatment because of the high production costs of drugs .

To that end, producing antibodies that 'humane' and safe in tobacco that have been genetically modified to reduce the cost of accessing the treatment of rabies and save more lives.