New Delhi
TOBACCO has had a bad press. Not
surprising, if you consider the dangers of nicotine addiction, lung cancer and other ills.
But for millions of women in the developing world who are at risk for cervical cancer,
tobacco may soon become a lifesaver, says a Wired news report.
University researches are working on
genetically engineering tobacco plants to produce an experimental vaccine against the
human papilloma virus, or HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer.
A sexually transmitted disease, HPV is the
origin of virtually all cases of cervical cancer- though a relatively small number of HPV
sufferers develop cancer. As experimental vaccine against HPV is now undergoing human
trials, but the high cost of production could make it unavailable to many women in poor
countries.
The vaccine might be approved for clinical
use in 5-7 years, but it’s projected to cost about $100 per dose. Three doses of the
vaccine are required to confer HPV immunity. That would make it too expensive for use in
poorer nations.
But researchers at North Carolina State
University are now developing a transgenic tobacco plant that will produce the protein
needed for the HPV vaccine. With this, the cost per dose of the vaccine could drop to a
few cents.
Experts estimate it will take five years to
develop the transgenic tobacco and the extraction methods necessary to produce the HPV
vaccine in substantial quantities.
