ABSTRACT
Since the first reports 20 years ago, genetically engineered plants with improved traits, pest and herbicide resistance, etc., have produced significant agricultural revenues. In contrast, the development of plants as bioreactors to produce transgenic proteins for pharmaceutical use is in its infancy. Numerous immunotherapeutic proteins, antibodies, and vaccines have been produced; however, a limited number have made their way into clinical trials. The most advanced product in human clinical trials is a secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody composed of four polypeptide chains that inhibits the binding to teeth of Streptococcus mutans, the major oral pathogen. This chapter will summarize recent work demonstrating the potential of plants to synthesize and assemble complex proteins suitable for human therapeutic use.
