Personal Injury Law

Tabacco Plant Used As Source For New Norovirus Vaccine

By Marler Clark LLP

Tobacco could get a whole new reputation as science turns to the lowly plant as the source for a new vaccine to stop the dreaded Norovirus.

Also known as the cruise ship virus, Norovirus is responsible for the sudden onset of diarrhea and vomiting. In addition to cruise ships, it often strikes hotels, nursing homes and colleges.

A new vaccine is unique in its origin as it was made in a tobacco plant using an engineered plant virus. Scientists are using plants in the battle against norovirus, swine flu, bird flu, and other infectious diseases, said Dr. Charles Arntzen, speaking Tuesday at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Norovirus, like the flu virus, is constantly changing, which has made creating a vaccine for it challenging for pharmaceutical companies, Arntzen said.

'The recent outbreak of H1N1 influenza virus has once again reminded us of the ability of disease-causing agents to mutate into new and dangerous forms,' he said in a news release.

The norovirus will continue to evolve into new strains, so Arntzen's team designed a vaccine manufacturing process quick enough to keep up with it and other shape-shifting viruses, he said.

Full post as published by Norovirus Blog on August 18, 2009 (boomark / email).