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Rabies Antibodies From Tobacco Plants

Posted by timothy on from the smokin' dept.

Makarand writes "The tobaccco plant has been genetically engineered to produce rabies antibodies. After the DNA coding for the human antibody against rabies was inserted into the plant, rabies antibodies were found in the plant extract. These antibodies were effective in binding to and neutralising the rabies virus in animal tests with no adverse or allergic reactions."

5 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Get rabbies... by MBCook · · Score: 4, Funny
    Get addicted!

    Cigarettes aren't selling well? Just wait untill people get rabies! Then give them our vaccine, and they'll get addicted to it! It's the perfect plan.

    He he he.

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    Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
  2. Adverse events by Boglin · · Score: 4, Interesting
    "with no adverse or allergic reactions."
    A good friend of mine did some consulting work on a computer system for a certain multi-national pharmaceutical manufacturer. His tales of what went on there are some of the most depressingly humorous stories I have ever heard (with all the sides (patients, politicians, managers, the FDA, animal rights activists, doctors, researchers) commiting their fair share of the stupidity). What brought this to mind is when he told me about the FDA's requirement that they track all the adverse events caused by the medication, such as headache or dizzyness. The funny part is that Death is not considered an adverse reaction. Death is a natural occurance, and patients who die while testing your medication aren't worth keeping track of.
  3. Re:No surprise by Muhammar · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, recently they also produced transgenetic tobbaco with firefly genes which glows in the dark when sprayed with a chemical called "luciferin".

    http://www.gla.ac.uk/ibls/US/L1/l12002/plantwat/ bi oplant.htm

    We will have more of these nasty tobbaco hybrids soon - pack-hunting around, biting their victims and even infecting them with rabbies.

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    I doubt that we will ever figure out - and I suspect that even if we did figure out we couldn't do much about it
  4. Re:And corn, and other edibles by avalys · · Score: 4, Funny

    >I'd rather get sick of whatever they're trying to cure.

    We'll miss you - rabies is fatal.

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    This space intentionally left blank.
  5. So.... by mbstone · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does this mean tobacco chewers won't just spit, now they'll foam at the mouth, too?