Posted on 01 February 2008 by tomatocasual.com
Potential HIV Vaccine from Tomatoes
By Michelle Fabio
Researchers at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Irapuato, Mexico have reported that they have successfully produced transgenic tomato plants that produce an HIV protein called Tat, which is normally produced soon after infection with the HIV virus; the Tat protein allows the virus to replicate in host cells as well as infect new cells.
As the presence of anti-Tat antibodies have shown to stop the progression of AIDS, scientists are seeking to develop a vaccine based on the protein.
