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Maize could soon be used in producing antibodies to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. The antibodies are only produced in the maize kernels, making it easy to extract them using current maize-processing methods.

Researchers at Epicyte, a biotech company in San Diego, said their technology promises to make the mass production of therapeutic antibodies easier and cheaper. At the moment, therapeutic antibodies are produced using hamster ovary cells - an expensive method that produces limited amounts.

But Epicyte's new "plantibody" technology allows the DNA that provides codes for antibodies to be introduced into crops such as maize. The antibodies are only produced in the maize kernels, making it easy to extract them using current maize-processing methods.

The HX8 genes have already been transferred into maize and Epicyte plans to start clinical trials of the antibody next year. It hopes that plantibodies will be cheap enough for consumers to buy them over the counter. Epicyte said that this is the ultimate goal of the company.

Both the fight against sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes and an effort to stop pregnancy would be helped if women's reproductive tracts were "supplemented" with appropriate antibodies.

The antibody for herpes, HX8, works by sticking to the virus and blocking its entry into cells, and has proved highly effective in animal tests. Epicyte has now produced anti-sperm antibodies in a gel form. However such products have to be produced in bulk to be cost-effective.

The New Scientist (October 3, 2001) reported that although condoms provide some protection against herpes infection, they are not 100 percent reliable. But HX8 can provide protection in the vagina for 24 hours. Epicyte is also developing antibodies that block HIV transmission and the virus that causes genital warts.