Genetics Blog Assignment
Banana Vaccines: By Tegvir Deol
When we first hear the word banana vaccine it
may sound weird at first and leads many of us to think that is there such thing
as banana vaccines? Well yes, there is such thing as banana vaccines.
Before I begin to discuss and give a description
about banana vaccines you will need to know why and what made scientists think
of this invention. Most scientists believed vaccines can be produced in edible
plants, such as potatoes, tomatoes, and of course bananas. This new idea of
producing edible vaccines is completely needle-free, which requires no
chemicals that cannot stimulate our immune response.
Banana Vaccines are genetically engineered edible
vaccines that are used to help 3rd world countries cure viruses such as
Hepatitis B and influenza. It is successful in providing a inexpensive cure for
those who can’t afford it and many do not have to think about not getting the
full treatment. Hepatitis B is one of the most serious and a most common disease
found today which affects more than 2 million people worldwide. For those who don’t
know what Hepatitis B is; it actually is a virus that infects the liver. How an
individual can get Hepatitis B is by sharing needles such as drugs, getting a
tattoo or a piercing from an unsterilized tool, and having unsafe sex will
cause you to get infected from this virus. This edible vaccination is injected into
bananas which are then ingested from the banana into your body. It contains the
amount of dosage given from 1 vaccine to the banana. Banana vaccines are
designed to prevent infections and spread of other diseases from the use of 1
needle being used for everyone in poor countries, which is found to be unsafe
as it promotes the disease to spread, the use of banana vaccines are safe to
use and are affordable for the poor to get the cure in order to fight the
disease.
This diagram of how edible vaccines
such as bananas are made:
How Does the
Banana Vaccine Work?
Once the vaccine
is consumed, plant cell walls help protect the vaccine antigens from being
damaged by stomach acids and the digestive enzymes. Next the antigens inside
the intestine will then be released and transported into our circulatory
system. Finally the vaccine stimulates the mucosal (Mucosa refers to any of the
moist tissue that lines our body cavities).
DISADVANTAGES:
- Difficulties in
judging the dose can make it harder for one to judge the amount of antigen in
the banana because it cannot be accurately measured
-The danger of introducing a new gene into the
Plant DNA population is not known. It can cause diseases and spread into other
plants and animals. It can also cause extinctions of species. The result of it
is unknown.
-
Scientists need to be sure that the vaccine is meant to improve immune
responses instead failing and overwhelming the immune response.
-Research has shown that consuming certain
proteins at times can cause the body to shut down its responses to those
ingested proteins. This can lead the body to be exposed to new diseases rather
than becoming immunized against the ones being treated.
Ethical
Issues:
-
More research is being done to determine whether one vaccine is able to protect
against several vaccines, finding out what would be a good dose and how often
should the vaccine be taken. But most importantly more research is being done
to be sure if the vaccine creates a negative or positive response.
In
my opinion I think that banana vaccines will help as well as other edible
vaccines in many developing countries because they are affordable and
convenient. People will less likely be infected from unsterilized needles.
Banana vaccines will be able to cure hepatitis B and influenza and many other
common diseases, this will save a lot of lives. People in 3rd world
countries will be able to access and afford them more easily. It will help
children because it is less painful then getting injected.
Discussion
Question:
Do you agree with
genetically engineered vaccines to be used as a cure for diseases? Years from
now how can you guarantee that the invention of a banana vaccine or any other
edible vaccine will not cause newer diseases?
References:
https://www.mcdb.ucla.edu/Research/Goldberg/HC70A_W12/pdf/EdibleVaccines.pdf http://kemates2.tripod.com/misc/vaccinedelivery/edible%20vaccines/openingpage.htm
http://prezi.com/fvog6yr75ly1/edible-vaccines
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