Corona virus disease (COVID-19) first emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, from where it quickly spread worldwide, causing a pandemic. In response to the global crisis, scientists began to work intensively on developing effective treatments and vaccines against the new SARS-CoV-2 virus. One of the innovative approaches involved plant systems, where transgenic plants are used as factories for producing various active substances such as vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, therapeutic proteins, industrial enzymes etc. They offer a viable alternative to traditional methods, providing a safe, cost-effective, and scalable production method. Moreover, with the emergence of different virus variants like Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron, which due to their mutations made it more challenging to achieve adequate immunity with existing vaccines. Plant-based systems have the ability to quickly adapt and produce new antigens. Despite public concerns over the use of transgenic plants, the first plant-based vaccine, Covifenz, was approved in 2022 and was developed by the Canadian company Medicago. The vaccine is based on virus-like particle (VLP) technology, which mimics the virus's structure without containing its genetic material, allowing for a safer way to trigger an immune response. Sudden increase in the number of people infected with the new virus also required a rapid development of vaccines, which under normal circumstances could take over 10 years. Although some phases of testing were somewhat accelerated, all safety and efficacy guidelines were followed during the process.
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