Tobacco plants yield norovirus virus

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- A new vaccine "manufactured" in a tobacco plant protects against norovirus, a common viral infection that causes diarrhea and vomiting, U.S. researchers say.

Charles Arntzen of Arizona State University says norovirus, sometimes called the "cruise ship virus," can spread like wildfire through passenger liners, schools, offices and military bases.

The plant biotechnology opens the door to more efficient, inexpensive ways to bring vaccines quickly to the public, especially critical in times when viruses mutate into unpredictable new strains, Arntzen says. Noroviruses are always mutating, making it a moving target for vaccine developers.

The research team re-engineered plant viruses to produce high levels of specially designed "viruslike" nanoparticles in tobacco plants. At about 25 nanometers in diameter, the particles are about the same size as the norovirus, but they consist only of the outer surface protein -- the portion of the virus recognized by the human immune system, Arntzen says.

The particles contain none of the infectious material of the original virus, but they stimulate a robust immune response to fight off an actual infection, the study says.

The findings were presented at the 238th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington.