Oral delivery of therapeutic proteins bioencapsulated in plant cells: Preclinical and clinical advances

Oral delivery of protein drugs (PDs) made in plant cells could revolutionize current approaches to their production and delivery. Expression of PDs reduces their production cost by elimination of prohibitively expensive fermentation, purification, cold transportation/storage, and sterile injections and increases their shelf life for several years. The ability of plant cell wall to protect PDs from digestive acids/enzymes, commensal bacteria to release PDs in gut lumen after lysis of plant cell wall, and the role of gut-associated lymphoid tissue in inducing tolerance facilitate prevention or treatment of allergic, autoimmune diseases or antidrug antibody responses. The delivery of functional proteins facilitates treatment of inherited or metabolic disorders. Recent advances in making PDs free of antibiotic resistance genes in edible plant cells, long-term storage at ambient temperature maintaining their efficacy, production in Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) facilities, Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies for clinical advancement, and Food and Drug Administration approval of orally delivered PDs augur well for advancing this novel drug delivery platform technology.