Plant Viral Vectors for Vaccine Development

Plant viruses are useful tools for quickly and easily producing recombinant proteins in plants. Compared to systems that use genetically modified plants, viral vectors are easier to work with and can produce recombinant proteins faster and in larger amounts. Recently, there has been growing interest in using plant viruses as vectors to make vaccines, either as whole proteins or as small parts displayed on plant virus particles. The best examples for this purpose are tobacco mosaic virus, cowpea mosaic virus and potato virus X. Vaccines made using these viruses target various human and animal diseases and have often triggered immune responses and provided protection against infections. This review looks at the benefits of using plant virus vectors, the progress in developing different viral vector systems, and immune studies that support the idea of vaccines made from plant viruses.