Smokin' -- HIV vaccine based on tobacco?

I want more information, like ... why tobacco? Does this plant have all kinds of medicinal properties I'm unaware of, so ingrained in the "smoking is unhealthy" mindset of a native Californian?

Science Daily: Do Plants Have the Potential to Vaccinate Against HIV?

Scientists have developed a new kind of molecule which they believe could ultimately lead to the development of a vaccine against HIV using genetically modified tobacco. Writing in Plant Biotechnology Journal, Dr Patricia Obregon and colleagues from St George's, University of London along with researchers at the University of Warwick say they have overcome a major barrier that has so far frustrated attempts to turn plants into economically viable "bioreactors" for vaccines.