Risk assessment and risk management of transgenic pharmaplants

Based on “Pharmaplants Session” in REPORT OF THE CANADA-NORWAY EXPERT WORKSHOP ON RISK ASSESSMENT FOR EMERGING APPLICATION OF LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISUMS (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/4INF/13), pharmaplants include the plants which produce therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines as traits. They do not include industrials and nutraceuticals. In Japan, we developed peptide immunotherapy for allergic diseases using a rice-based edible (needle-free) vaccine, targeting what we call, “cedar pollen allergy (see below, I will put them in Library site soon)”, and it is involved in pharmaplants.

I agree that we had better focus on pharmaplants based on the above definition in this session. However, we should bear in mind the other plants, which produce organic substances for the other use than pharmaceuticals, since they also have potential to affect on the biodiversity as well as the pharmaplants.

 Literature
 Nochi, T., et al. . Rice-based mucosal vaccine as a global strategy for cold-chain- and needle-free vaccination. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104:10986-91, 2007.
 Hiroi, T. and Takaiwa, F. Peptide immunotherapy for allergic diseases using a rice-based edible vaccine, Curr. Opin. Allergy. Clin. Immunol., 6: 455-460, 2006.
 Takagi, H., et al. A rice-based edible vaccine expressing multiple T cell epitopes induces oral tolerance for inhibition of Th2-mediated IgE responses. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 102: 17525-17530, 2005.

In case of pharmaplants, there are two growth condition, open field and glasshouse (closed condition), depending on cropping size and trait, as Leticia Pastor Chirino pointed out. I propose that we focus on open field. Because the assessment items in closed condition are limited within disposal and pollen dispersion in view point of biodiversity.

Just for your information, please find the URL of the literature on pharmaplants (peptide immunotherapy for cedar pollen allergy) in Japan. The following manuscripts are two of three ones in the previous mail.

1) Nochi, T., et al. . Rice-based mucosal vaccine as a global strategy for cold-chain- and needle-free vaccination. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104:10986-91, 2007.
=>URL:http://www.pnas.org/content/102/48/17525.abstract

2) Takagi, H., et al. A rice-based edible vaccine expressing multiple T cell epitopes induces oral tolerance for inhibition of Th2-mediated IgE responses. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 102: 17525-17530, 2005.
=>URL: http://www.pnas.org/content/102/48/17525.abstract

Best regards,
Y.Yogo