The diseases hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) remain a significant health threat worldwide, causing approximately 1.3 million deaths each year.
In Romania, the prevalence of both diseases is notably high, creating an urgent need for more accessible prevention methods. The current HBV vaccine fails to protect approximately 10 % of vaccinated individuals, and the duration of immunity is uncertain, leading to gaps in long-term protection. As of now, no vaccine exists for HCV, although antiviral therapies offer effective treatment options, though often at high costs.
Led by Dr. Jihong Liu Clarke, Research Professor and Coordinator for China relations at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), and Dr Norica Nichita at the Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy (RAS), a successful collaboration supported by the EEA and Norway Grants has spanned two major projects for more than a decade. The projects have united Norwegian and Romanian expertise in biotechnology and health innovation to address the pressing need for affordable vaccines against the two diseases.
For Romania, partaking in the research effort has not only been about advancing scientific knowledge, but also about developing solutions that have direct implications for public health in the country.
Advancing vaccine development through green biotechnology
The Norwegian/Romanian research collaboration has focused on producing HBV and HCV vaccine components using plants and algae, offering an alternative to conventional production methods that rely on expensive mammalian cells. This approach builds on previous projects, including the GreenVac project (2014-2017), which demonstrated the potential of plant-based