These studies show that ethanol can be detected in the breath of in the absence of drinking it and that obese mice have higher breath ethanol than lean mice. This intriguing hypothesis, based upon the findings in this study, remains to be tested. Richter, L. J., Thanavala, Y., Arntzen, C. J., and Mason, H. S. 2000. Production of hepatitis B surface antigen in transgenic plants for oral immunization. As many as 500 million people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis B virus.
Vaccination generally requires a course of three injections over a one year period.
As hepatitis B virus infection is endemic in many poorer parts of the world, an inexpensive and conveniently administered vaccine is necessary. In this study, the authors expressed HBsAg in transgenic potato tubers. This preliminary study is an important initial step that may ultimately lead to the development of an inexpensive, oral vaccine for hepatitis B. Schwarz, M., Wright, A. C., Davis, D. L., Nazer, H., Bjorkhem, I., and Russell D. W. 2000. Journal of Clinical Investigation. Progressive intrahepatic cholestasis is actually a group of inherited diseases caused by errors of metabolism that affect the production and secretion of bile.