Dow continues to demonstrate leadership in applying science and technology in innovative ways. In 2006, Dow AgroSciences LLC (a Dow subsidiary) received the world’s first regulatory approval for a plant-made vaccine utilizing the CONCERT™ Plant-Cell-Produced System .
Plant-based vaccines contain no animal components, and therefore offer important safety advantages over conventional vaccines developed from animal cells. This approach eliminates the risk of animal virus contaminants associated with current production systems.
In addition, the CONCERT™ Plant-Cell-Produced System uses only plant cells – not the whole plant – to produce vaccines in a bio-contained facility, reducing environmental concerns associated with field-produced systems involving whole plants, seeds and pollen.
This new technology is being used to research and develop vaccine solutions for animals such as horses, dogs, cats, poultry, swine, and cattle, and applying this breakthrough to human diseases is a real possibility.
This kind of innovative thinking is just one example of how the Human Element at Dow is contributing to more sustainable chemistry solutions; for more, please visit http://www.dow.com/commitments/studies/index.htm.
