Tokyo scientists develop rice-protein cholera vaccine

A research group at the University of Tokyo has created an oral cholera vaccine encased in rice protein that could be used in large-scale cost effective vaccination programs, according to a report by Reuters. The vaccine, which proved effective in protecting mice from the disease, does not require refrigeration and is provided as a capsule.

The group said that, because rice protein is stable in acidic environments, the vaccine is able to transit through the stomach to the small intestine where it triggers an immune response to cholera antigen. The researchers plan to begin primate trials in the future, with the eventual aim of initiating human clinical evaluation.