Plantibodies as biopharmaceuticals: A review

Abstract

Antibodies are essential part of vertebrate immune system which can now be produced by transforming plants with antibody- coding genes from mammals/humans. Such plant-derived antibodies or plantibodies function as the same way as mammalian antibodies. Production of plantibodies offers several advantages over other methods of antibody production, such as, low cost of production, high yield of antibodies, less time required, etc. Hence, plants are now gaining widespread acceptance as green bioreactors. Several plantibodies are under clinical trials. Agricultural crops such as tobacco, tomato, potato, soya bean, alfalfa, rice and wheat are commonly used for the production of plantibodies.