Exigency of Plant-Based Vaccine against COVID-19 Emergence as Pandemic Preparedness

Anirudha Chattopadhyay; A Abdul Kader Jailani; Bikash Mandal

doi:10.3390/vaccines11081347

Exigency of Plant-Based Vaccine against COVID-19 Emergence as Pandemic Preparedness

Vaccines (Basel). 2023 Aug 9;11(8):1347. doi: 10.3390/vaccines11081347.

Authors

Anirudha Chattopadhyay¹, A Abdul Kader Jailani², Bikash Mandal³

Affiliations

¹ Pulses Research Station, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar 385506, India.
² Department of Plant Pathology, North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Quincy, FL 32351, USA.
³ Advanced Centre for Plant Virology, Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India.

Abstract

After two years since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than six million deaths have occurred due to SARS-CoV-2, leading to an unprecedented disruption of the global economy. Fortunately, within a year, a wide range of vaccines, including pathogen-based inactivated and live-attenuated vaccines, replicating and non-replicating vector-based vaccines, nucleic acid (DNA and mRNA)-based vaccines, and protein-based subunit and virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines, have been developed to mitigate the severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These vaccines have proven highly effective in reducing the severity of illness and preventing deaths. However, the availability and supply of COVID-19 vaccines have become an issue due to the prioritization of vaccine distribution in most countries. Additionally, as the virus continues to mutate and spread, questions have arisen regarding the effectiveness of vaccines against new strains of SARS-CoV-2 that can evade host immunity. The urgent need for booster doses to enhance immunity has been recognized. The scarcity of "safe and effective" vaccines has exacerbated global inequalities in terms of vaccine coverage. The development of COVID-19 vaccines has fallen short of the expectations set forth in 2020 and 2021. Furthermore, the equitable distribution of vaccines at the global and national levels remains a challenge, particularly in developing countries. In such circumstances, the exigency of plant virus-based vaccines has become apparent as a means to overcome supply shortages through fast manufacturing processes and to enable quick and convenient distribution to millions of people without the reliance on a cold chain system. Moreover, plant virus-based vaccines have demonstrated both safety and efficacy in eliciting robust cellular immunogenicity against COVID-19 pathogens. This review aims to shed light on the advantages and disadvantages of different types of vaccines developed against SARS-CoV-2 and provide an update on the current status of plant-based vaccines in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; biofarming; plant; transient expression; vaccines.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Mathews L Paret of the University of Florida for his invaluable contribution and unwavering support in funding the Article Processing Charge (APC) for the publication of this article within the scope of the postdoctoral research associate training.