Science can do the impossible. This is going to be the best makeover and role reversal in medicine: well known cancer causing tobacco may be used to combat a certain type of cancer!
Researchers of Standford University are using tobacco plants as mini factories for producing antibodies that cure a form of lymphoma. Tobacco plants are injected with chemical and ‘tobacco mosaic’ virus concoction and the antibodies produced by the plants are used in patients to destroy malignant cells. The study and trials are in preliminary stages.
What is most appealing about this approach is very aptly put by Dr Ronald Levy, who is leading the research, as under,
It’s pretty cool technology – and it’s really ironic that you would make a treatment for cancer out of tobacco. That appealed to me.
The plant produced vaccines are safer and a lot more cheaper. So after causing cancer all over the globe tobacco plant may end up going down medicine history as cheapest life-saver!!!
source: BBC
