2007年VOA标准英语-Inexpensive Vaccines Against Diseases May be So

By Steve Mort
Orlando, Florida
16 January 2007
 
watch Cheap Vaccines² report

 
A U.S. scientist is developing a method to produce inexpensive vaccines against disease. Professor Henry Daniell, from the University of Central Florida, has found a way to genetically³ engineer plants to make large amounts of certain vaccines.

The drugs, taken orally rather than by injection, would be much cheaper than traditional vaccines -- making them ideal for use in poor countries. And the U.S. government hopes the research will boost the availability of medicines to fight bio-terror threats like anthrax.

At this lab, scientists are working to revolutionize the way people around the world are vaccinated⁴ for a range of diseases.

 
Professor Henry Daniell
Professor Henry Daniell has devised a way to produce oral vaccines at a fraction of the usual cost, making them affordable⁵ in developing countries. "One third of the world population, two billion people, earn less than two dollars a day. And a $26,000 to $40,000 treatment is unimaginable for that population. So even though treatments are available they're beyond their reach. And now, through oral delivery, it is possible for the world, no matter where they live, to get this treatment in an affordable manner."

Scientists first inject plants, like tobacco, lettuce⁶ or carrots, with vaccine¹ genes⁷.

They are then planted in a greenhouse before being crushed and put into capsules to be taken by patients. The method skips a number of traditional processes involved in producing the therapeutic⁸ proteins needed to make vaccines -- cutting the price of the final product.

Professor Daniell explains. “By doing this you completely eliminate all the other costs associated with the therapeutic proteins. But the major unanticipated advantage of this was our ability to cure certain autoimmune diseases which has never been done before. And so that was an added benefit which came in relation to reducing the cost of the therapeutic proteins".

And these oral vaccines, if approved, would be much easier to mass produce.

It's estimated just one acre of tobacco plants, for example, could produce enough anthrax vaccine to inoculate⁹ everyone in the United States.

Professor Daniell says the possibilities are wide-ranging. "We have now developed this system for several vaccines -- for the bio-terrorism vaccines like anthrax and for plague, but for other important diseases in developing countries -- waterborne pathogens like cholera¹⁰, amebiasis and also viruses like rotavirus. All of these vaccines have already been developed. We are also in the process of developing vaccines for malaria¹¹ and tuberculosis¹²".

The U.S. government, including the National Institutes of Health, has provided $3 million of funding for the research. Tests in mice have been successful and it's believed there are fewer side effects than with traditional vaccines.

The next step, Professor Daniell describes, “is to move this to human clinical trials. And in the case of bioterrorism vaccines, these are on fast track approval. And so in those cases we have found additional support in the U.S. It is extremely expensive -- it costs $300-400 million to do these clinical trials".

Professor Daniell says he decided¹³ to work on cheap vaccines after witnessing the impact of disease in his native India.

It's hoped the research will lead to treatments for further illnesses, including diabetes¹⁴ and hepatitis, as well as other bioterrorism agents.

1 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

2 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

3 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

4 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

5 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

6 lettuce   

n.莴苣；生菜

参考例句：

• Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿，我好做色拉。
• The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。

7 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

8 therapeutic   

adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的

参考例句：

• Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。
• When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。

9 inoculate   

v.给...接种，给...注射疫苗

参考例句：

• A corps of doctors arrived to inoculate the recruits.一队医生来给新兵打防疫针。
• I was just meant to come out here and inoculate some wee babies.我是过来这边给小孩子们接种疫苗的。

10 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

11 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

12 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

13 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

14 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。