Tobacco Study Offers Hope in Treating Debilitating Disease
A recent study using tobacco plants is offering hope in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Plantigen, Inc. and the Lawson Health Research Centre discovered that feeding tobacco plants carrying the human gene interleukin-10 to mice reduces the severity of inflammation and improves the health of mice. Interleukin-10 is a protein made by cells of the immune system that can reduce the production of other proteins that cause inflammation and are related to inflammatory bowel disease.
AAFC scientist Dr. James Brandle offers insight into the potential for plants, like tobacco, in helping to improve the health of Canadians.
1. What were the goals at the start of your study? What were you hoping to achieve?
We hoped to improve the health of IBD sufferers and create new opportunities for tobacco farmers and rural Canada.
2. Agriculture is so much more than food and feed. Science and innovation are changing the way we think about and use our traditional crops, like tobacco. If you had one message for Canadians about the contribution of agriculture research to our society, what would that message be?
It's an exciting time to be involved in ag-research. In this age of biotechnology, we're discovering new and innovative uses for our crops in industries ranging from biofuels to pharmaceuticals, and these discoveries are helping our agriculture industry grow and prosper, as well as contributing to the well-being of Canadians.
3. This is a good news story about tobacco. From your perspective, is there a role for tobacco in the health of Canadians?
Yes, there is. Tobacco has lost its place in Canada's agricultural economy because of legitimate concerns about human health. But it has the benefit of over 100 years of crop improvement research, so why not harness all of that effort and put it to a new and better use?
4. What was your most surprising discovery?
That mice actually like to eat tobacco and that plants are quite capable of making human proteins.
5. What's the next step in this research?
Our next step is to try to get an effective dose of interleukin-10 into pill form. To do this, we need to increase the amount of interleukin-10 in the tobacco plants so that only small amount of tobacco tissue is required for each application.
6. Can we expect human trials in the near future?
That is certainly our goal. Older treatments for IBD had limited efficacy or serious side effects. Newer biologic therapies are better, but very expensive and have side effects that may limit long-term use. There is a clear need to develop new methods of treatment.
Ultimately, our hope is that this research will benefit the health of Canadians and others worldwide afflicted by this disease.
To access the complete study, please visit:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2006.00214.x (opens in new window)
The Government of Canada is committed to investing in our science resources and expertise to support the health and well-being of Canadians. This commitment is clearly defined in AAFC's new Strategy for Agriculture Science and Innovation.