Antigen-Specific Immunotherapy for Allergic and Autoimmune Diseases Using Plant-Made Antigens

Antigen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is the only available potentially curative treatment that targets the cause of allergic or autoimmune diseases. Subcutaneous and sublingual AITs are currently achieved for 3–5 years using natural antigens, but they are sometimes accompanied by adverse effects such as anaphylaxis. Plant-based vaccines have been generated by specifically expressing the modified antigens without side effects in transgenic plants to exploit safer, more effective, convenient and cost-effective AIT. High amounts of products were stably stored in subcellular compartment such as protein bodies (PBs). When these transgenic plants were orally administered to model animals, it was demonstrated that immune tolerance to the causing antigen was efficiently induced, suggesting the potential of plant-based vaccines for allergy and autoimmune diseases.