Engineering plant cells to express protein drugs for oral delivery involves transforming plant cells through either nuclear or chloroplast transformation to produce therapeutic proteins. The engineered cells are grown in bioreactors or hydroponic facilities at scale. The harvested cells are lyophilized into a powder or formulated as juice to provide long-term storage and oral delivery of the protein drugs to treat diseases without the need for refrigeration.

1. Engineering plant cells to express protein drugs for oral delivery
Neuro‐
degenerative
diseases
Ocular
inflammation
Selection Selection
Harvest
Cell culture
Capsule filler
CapsulePowder
Freeze‐dried leaves
Lyophilization
Seed collection
Propagation in greenhouse
Mass production of therapeutic
leaves in hydroponic system
Formulation of lyophilized plant cells in the form of juice
Harvest
Massive cell culture in
disposable bioreactor
Chloroplast transformation
Nuclear transformation
Metabolic
diseases
Figure 1. Engineering plant cells to express protein drugs and lyophilization for oral delivery. Plant cells are engineered by transforming either the nuclear or chloroplast genome. After a
selection process, plant cells are grown in sterile suspension cell bioreactors or in a hydroponic cGMP facility. Harvested plant cells are lyophilized to facilitate long term storage and cold
chain free delivery. The lyophilized leaves are powdered and capsulated or formulated in the form of juice for oral administration to treat or prevent human diseases. Kwon, KC and
Daniell, H. Plant Biotech. J. 13: 1017‐1022.