This plant vaccine shows promise against the delta and gamma variants of SARS-CoV-2

How to convince the most heat-resistant to get vaccinated? By delivering vaccines using different techniques of mRNA. After the Novavax vaccine, the Canadian company Medicago revealed the promising results of a plant-based vaccine.

On February 14, 2022, nearly 53 million people had a full vaccination schedule in France. adoption vaccination permit Slight increase in numbers. Looks like a glass ceiling has been reached. So how do you convince the most heat-resistant to vaccinate? There are several reasons for delaying the vaccine. among them, Refusal of vaccines based on messenger RNA technology come first. Novavax Vaccinewhich will soon be available in France and is based on more traditional techniques, perhaps making it possible to increase vaccination coverage. Most interestingly, in Canada, the results of a candidate plant vaccine were just published.

The vaccine effectively prevents moderate to severe forms

This is a phase III, randomized, double-blind, trial. placebo Conducted in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain and the United States. The vaccination schedule included two intramuscular injections, 21 days apart. The primary end point was to forbid From symptoms from one SARS-CoV-2 infection. Samples can be arranged. Most of the patients were infected alternate delta (n = 45.9%) or the gamma variable (n = 43.4%).

A total of 24,141 people were included in the trial. Among them, 157 people were infected, 118 of them in the control group and 39 in the vaccinated group. Therefore, the vaccine is 71% effective in preventing asymptomatic forms COVID-19. Regarding moderate to severe forms of the disease, 32 occurred in the control group versus 8 in the vaccinated group. Efficacy against moderate to severe forms of the disease is 84.5% (excluding subjects who tested positive at the start of the trial). Adverse effects were very rare and not serious.

How it works ?

The plant used is a relative of tobacco, and is considered a herb. It has an excellent yield of protein production. The principle is the following. A bacterial vector, non-phytotoxic, was injected with a plasmid containing uncomfortable Which codes for the spike protein of the virus. The plant is then placed in contact with these bacteria : The plant cellular machinery will produce spike protein and then expel it. All that remains is to restore it.

The file was submitted to Health Canada at the end of 2021 and could be approved in the coming weeks. In addition, this technology, which combines the traditional technology of viral particles with the innovative technology for their production in the plant, can be transferred to other diseases.