15 February 2024 | Chiara Gai, Margherita Alba Carlotta Pomatto, Maria Chiara Deregibus, Marco Dieci, Alessandro Piga and Giovanni Camussi
The article reviews the potential of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from plants for oral mRNA vaccine delivery. EVs, which are naturally produced by various organisms, can protect nucleic acids from enzymatic degradation and confer stability, making them suitable for vaccine development. Plant-derived EVs, in particular, offer advantages such as high yield, scalability, and low cost. Studies have shown that EVs from orange juice (oEVs) loaded with SARS-CoV-2 mRNA can protect their cargo, remain stable at room temperature for one year, and induce a SARS-CoV-2 immune response in mice. Lyophilized oEVs containing S1 mRNA administered to rats via gavage induced specific humoral immune responses, including the production of blocking antibodies and Th1 lymphocyte activation. The article concludes that mRNA-containing oEVs could be a promising alternative for developing new oral vaccines due to their optimal mucosal absorption, resistance to stress conditions, and ability to stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses.The article reviews the potential of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from plants for oral mRNA vaccine delivery. EVs, which are naturally produced by various organisms, can protect nucleic acids from enzymatic degradation and confer stability, making them suitable for vaccine development. Plant-derived EVs, in particular, offer advantages such as high yield, scalability, and low cost. Studies have shown that EVs from orange juice (oEVs) loaded with SARS-CoV-2 mRNA can protect their cargo, remain stable at room temperature for one year, and induce a SARS-CoV-2 immune response in mice. Lyophilized oEVs containing S1 mRNA administered to rats via gavage induced specific humoral immune responses, including the production of blocking antibodies and Th1 lymphocyte activation. The article concludes that mRNA-containing oEVs could be a promising alternative for developing new oral vaccines due to their optimal mucosal absorption, resistance to stress conditions, and ability to stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses.