Cholera vaccine in rice; Human trials successful

Cholera vaccine in rice; Human trials successful

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese scientists have developed rice with a cholera vaccine using genetic engineering, and their initial tests on humans have been successful.

It should be noted that vaccines given to prevent cholera, polio or any other disease have to be stored in a very cold environment, whether they are vaccines given in the form of drops or vaccines given as injections.

Called “MucoRice-CTB”, the new vaccine is made by grinding rice while preserving it at room temperature for a long time and does not require any special treatment.
In order to make this vaccine, some genetic changes were made in the rice plants commonly grown in Japan, so that they began to develop this vaccine on their own, which is also present in the appropriate amount in their rice.

No special care is required to use these rice, but they are simply ground into a powder and drunk by dissolving it in slightly salty water.

In these initial medical trials of 30 volunteers, most people who took Mycorrhiza CTB developed clear resistance to cholera.

However, 11 of them did not develop immunity against cholera, or had very little immunity. However, none of the volunteers reported adverse or harmful effects of the vaccine.

As a precautionary measure, the vaccine-producing rice was grown in specially enclosed areas.

During the first phase of medical trials (Phase 1 clinical trials), volunteers were given four doses of the vaccine at two-week intervals, consisting of 3 mg, 6 mg or 18 mg (per dose), respectively.

Volunteers who were given high doses of the vaccine also showed higher resistance to cholera, which is a clear indication of the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Cholera is caused by a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae, which is commonly found in contaminated water.

Cholera may be followed by vomiting and diarrhea. The body loses a lot of water in a very short period of time, which makes the person very weak and can lead to the death of a severely affected person.

According to the World Health Organization, cholera affects between 1.3 million and 4 million people worldwide each year, with between 21,000 and 143,000 deaths annually.