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  • Humans, hogs may eat their way to flu resistance

    (MEATPOULTRY.com, May 05, 2009)
    by Bryan Salvage
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    One-stop complete news resource for news, ideas, trends, innovations, issues and more that impact the meat and poultry processing industry.


    AMES, IOWA ? Iowa State University researchers are putting flu vaccines into the genetic makeup of corn, which may someday allow pigs and humans to get a flu vaccination simply by eating corn or corn products.

    "We're trying to figure out which genes from the swine influenza virus to incorporate into corn so those genes, when expressed, would produce protein," said Hank Harris, professor in animal science and one of the researchers on the project. "When the pig consumes that corn, it would serve as a vaccine."

    This collaborative effort project involves Mr. Harris and Brad Bosworth, an affiliate associate professor of animal science working with pigs, and Kan Wang, a professor in agronomy, who is developing the vaccine traits in the corn.

    According to the researchers, the corn vaccine would also work in humans when they eat corn or even corn flakes, corn chips, tortillas or anything that contains corn, Mr. Harris said. The research is funded by a grant from Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute, and is their Biopharmaceuticals and Bioindustrials Research Initiative.

    If the research goes well, the corn vaccine may be possible in five to seven years. In the meantime, the team is trying to expedite the process. "While we're waiting for Wang to produce the corn, we are starting initial experiments in mice to show that the vaccine might induce an immune response," Mr. Bosworth said.

    Mr. Harris said the team still needs more answers. "The big question is whether or not these genes will work when given orally through corn," he added. "That is the thing we've still got to determine."

    Stability and safety are several advantages to the corn vaccine. Once the corn with the vaccine is grown, it can be stored for long-term without losing its potency, researchers claim. If a swine flu virus breaks out, the corn could be shipped to the location to try to vaccinate animals and humans in the area quickly. Because corn grain is used as food and feed, there is no need for extensive vaccine purification, which can be an expensive process.
    Upon this gifted age, in its dark hour,
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  • #2
    Re: Humans, hogs may eat their way to flu resistance

    5-7 years - unusable now
    no purification;
    delivering corn instead of vaccines (seems that would be needed much more transport vehicles, enormous storidges, etc. - or it would be enaugh to eat the single corn ...)


    Originally posted by LMonty View Post
    (MEATPOULTRY.com, May 05, 2009)
    by Bryan Salvage
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    One-stop complete news resource for news, ideas, trends, innovations, issues and more that impact the meat and poultry processing industry.


    AMES, IOWA — Iowa State University researchers are putting flu vaccines into the genetic makeup of corn, which may someday allow pigs and humans to get a flu vaccination simply by eating corn or corn products.

    "We're trying to figure out which genes from the swine influenza virus to incorporate into corn so those genes, when expressed, would produce protein," said Hank Harris, professor in animal science and one of the researchers on the project. "When the pig consumes that corn, it would serve as a vaccine."

    This collaborative effort project involves Mr. Harris and Brad Bosworth, an affiliate associate professor of animal science working with pigs, and Kan Wang, a professor in agronomy, who is developing the vaccine traits in the corn.

    According to the researchers, the corn vaccine would also work in humans when they eat corn or even corn flakes, corn chips, tortillas or anything that contains corn, Mr. Harris said. The research is funded by a grant from Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute, and is their Biopharmaceuticals and Bioindustrials Research Initiative.

    If the research goes well, the corn vaccine may be possible in five to seven years. In the meantime, the team is trying to expedite the process. "While we're waiting for Wang to produce the corn, we are starting initial experiments in mice to show that the vaccine might induce an immune response," Mr. Bosworth said.

    Mr. Harris said the team still needs more answers. "The big question is whether or not these genes will work when given orally through corn," he added. "That is the thing we've still got to determine."

    Stability and safety are several advantages to the corn vaccine. Once the corn with the vaccine is grown, it can be stored for long-term without losing its potency, researchers claim. If a swine flu virus breaks out, the corn could be shipped to the location to try to vaccinate animals and humans in the area quickly. Because corn grain is used as food and feed, there is no need for extensive vaccine purification, which can be an expensive process.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Humans, hogs may eat their way to flu resistance

      > According to the researchers, the corn vaccine would also work in humans when they eat corn

      "would" ? or "might" ? or such

      > "The big question is whether or not these genes will work when given orally through corn,"

      figure it out. Quickly. Please.


      Maybe we can "vaccinate" by eating infected pork in the meantime...

      with proper mouth hygiene
      the virus is killed in stomach and produces immunity in intestine ???

      50% of flu-infections are asymptomatic
      almost 100% had antibodies after 1918
      I'm interested in expert panflu damage estimates
      my current links: http://bit.ly/hFI7H ILI-charts: http://bit.ly/CcRgT

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Humans, hogs may eat their way to flu resistance

        Originally posted by LMonty View Post
        AMES, IOWA ? Iowa State University researchers are putting flu vaccines into the genetic makeup of corn, which may someday allow pigs and humans to get a flu vaccination simply by eating corn or corn products.

        "We're trying to figure out which genes from the swine influenza virus to incorporate into corn so those genes, when expressed, would produce protein," said Hank Harris, professor in animal science and one of the researchers on the project. "When the pig consumes that corn, it would serve as a vaccine."
        One more kind of GMO to worry about. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I suspect the companies paying for this kind of university development are jumping for joy at the prospect of being able to manipulate our food yet again. Hasn't it occurred to anyone that industrial agricultural practices might be partly to blame for the die-offs and epidemics we're seeing lately? Well, yes, it has occurred to a lot of people, but they're seen as the same kind of survivalist nuts as a lot of flu trackers are.

        Playing with food at the genetic level in order to address a problem that might have been caused by agribusiness to begin with is like handing the key of the house to the burglar to keep them from breaking the windows to get in.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Humans, hogs may eat their way to flu resistance

          you may keep eating your original nonmanipulated corn flakes,
          but I'd prefer some vax with mine
          I'm interested in expert panflu damage estimates
          my current links: http://bit.ly/hFI7H ILI-charts: http://bit.ly/CcRgT

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Humans, hogs may eat their way to flu resistance

            Originally posted by gsgs View Post
            you may keep eating your original nonmanipulated corn flakes,
            but I'd prefer some vax with mine
            beware gsgs,

            after dinner, when you switch off the lights, maybe you starts to emiting fluorescent light ...

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Humans, hogs may eat their way to flu resistance

              I'm in the same camp as LizW. GM foods are another area that needs further research by independent scientists and their studies need to be honored. Meanwhile I avoid corn (since it's almost all GM) at every opportunity. I would NOT eat corn infused with vaccine.

              .
              "The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Humans, hogs may eat their way to flu resistance

                I'm in the same camp as LizW. GM foods are another area that needs further research by independent scientists and their studies need to be honored. Meanwhile I avoid corn (since it's almost all GM) at every opportunity. I would NOT eat corn infused with vaccine.
                Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey Smith is a good place to start in layman's terms. Dr. Vandana Shiva has also written widely about the damage caused by GM foods. There is already a large amount of research. It just isn't being talked about.

                Comment

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