New vaccine could consign polio to the history books
A new vaccine that could spell the end of polio has been produced using a genetically modified “drug factory” plant. The leaves of the plant, a close relative of tobacco, contain virus-like particles (VLPs) that mimic the polio pathogen but are incapable of causing a harmful disease. In animal tests, the viral particle vaccine tricked the immune system into setting up a defence against polio.