IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF ANTIBODIES PRODUCED IN PLANTS

Plants are capable of synthesizing and assembling virtually every kind of antibody molecule, ranging from the smallest antigen-binding domai ns and fragments, to full-length, and even multimeric, antibodies. A n umber of plant hosts can be used, and because this is a versatile expr ession system that can be scaled-up to agricultural proportions, a che ap and plentiful supply of antibodies could be made available. Immunot herapy is one of the many potential uses for bulk quantities of antibo dy. In particular, passive immunotherapy of mucosal surfaces may be po ssible, because functional secretory antibodies can be engineered in p lants.