Posted on 10/05/2004 9:13:06 PM PDT by Bugbear
Scientists claim SARS vaccine breakthrough Singapore scientists working to develop an edible vaccine for viruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have found a breakthrough in milk, media reports said today.
Researchers have successfully immunised mice from a virus similar to SARS by feeding them with genetically modified lactic acid bacteria, which is found in cultured milk drinks, the Straits Times reported.
This could mean that in a few years, doctors will be able to dispense a SARS vaccine that could simply be eaten or drunk, the principal investigator of the study, Associate Professor Lee Yuan Kun, told the paper.
"This will bypass people's fear of needles and the need for trained staff to do injections, and is a cheap and effective way to do mass immunisation," the paper quoted him as saying.
"The idea is that if you can drink it or eat it, it will reach a wider audience, particularly in developing countries which need them the most."
The scientists first cloned a surface protein of a virus belonging to the coronavirus family that includes SARS into lactobacillus casei bacteria.
Mice that were fed the concoction were seen to develop antibodies that protected them from subsequent infections.
The research team, which has been working on the project for three years, has already performed a similar cloning of the SARS virus into bacteria and yeast cells.
Testing on animals will be done soon, with clinical testing to follow in a few years, Associate Professor Lee told the paper.
SARS killed nearly 800 people and infected more than 8,000 worldwide last year, with 33 of the casualties coming from Singapore.
The United States and China are also developing "traditional" injection-delivered vaccines, with China already testing the results on volunteers.
The good news cometh tonight.
John Kerry = Bill Clinton II
I travel to Singapore about every other year so this is good news to me.
Ironically Honk kong has produced a movie called "City of SARS". It's a horror film. Hong Kong is like the Hollywood of Asia.
They'd better dig up some flu vaccine pronto.
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