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    Biopharming

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    Ronaldo Chacha
    This document discusses biopharming and the production of pharmaceuticals using genetically engineered organisms. It provides the example of producing human antithrombin from the milk of transgenic goats. The document also discusses the idea of making "edible vaccines" produced in plants like bananas or potatoes to provide a low-cost, needle-free delivery method for vaccines, but notes there are still technical challenges to be addressed before this becomes a viable option.

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    Biopharming

    Uploaded by

    Ronaldo Chacha
    35 views2 pages
    This document discusses biopharming and the production of pharmaceuticals using genetically engineered organisms. It provides the example of producing human antithrombin from the milk of transgenic goats. The document also discusses the idea of making "edible vaccines" produced in plants like bananas or potatoes to provide a low-cost, needle-free delivery method for vaccines, but notes there are still technical challenges to be addressed before this becomes a viable option.

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    This document discusses biopharming and the production of pharmaceuticals using genetically engineered organisms. It provides the example of producing human antithrombin from the milk of transgenic goats. The document also discusses the idea of making "edible vaccines" produced in plants like bananas or potatoes to provide a low-cost, needle-free delivery method for vaccines, but notes there are still technical challenges to be addressed before this becomes a viable option.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    35 views2 pages

    Biopharming

    Uploaded by

    Ronaldo Chacha
    This document discusses biopharming and the production of pharmaceuticals using genetically engineered organisms. It provides the example of producing human antithrombin from the milk of transgenic goats. The document also discusses the idea of making "edible vaccines" produced in plants like bananas or potatoes to provide a low-cost, needle-free delivery method for vaccines, but notes there are still technical challenges to be addressed before this becomes a viable option.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    MUTASIA LUKUNGA

    SCB211-0084/2016

    BSc BIOTECHNOLOGY

    INTRODUCTION TO BIOPROCESSING AND CELLULAR ENGINEERING

    ASSIGNMENT

    BIOPHARMING
    Biopharming is the production and use of transgenic plants and animals genetically engineered to
    produce pharmaceutical substances for use in humans or animals. It often involves the insertion
    of gene constructs derived from humans. Biopharming exists on a spectrum of activity and is not
    clearly demarcated from its nearest neighbors. For example, genetically modified yeast, bacteria,
    and animal cell cultures have for some time been used to produce pharmaceutical substances in
    enclosed bioreactor systems, but are generally not included in the definition of biopharming. On
    the other hand, plant cell cultures, a newer development but also involving enclosed bioreactors,
    are typically included together with whole-plant methods in plant biopharming. While animals
    are also being genetically modified to alter their nutritional composition, to make them better
    models for human disease

    EXAMPLE

    Antithrombin is a blood protein which inactivates certain enzymes in the coagulation system to
    prevent excessive clotting. Individuals with a genetic or acquired antithrombin deficiency are at
    an increased risk of developing damaging blood clots. Genetically engineered antithrombin has
    been biopharmed from transgenic goats to produce stocks for commercial use. A human gene
    encoding for antithrombin is introduced into the fertilised egg of a goat. The modified eggs are
    implanted into the uterus of surrogates, which give birth to transgenic offspring. The transgenic
    offspring will produce human antithrombin in its milk, which can then be extracted and purified.
    Each year, the transgenic goat can produce a quantity of antithrombin equivalent to 90,000
    human blood donations
    Making “Edible Vaccines” in Plants

    Some scientists believe that vaccines could be produced in edible plants, such as bananas or
    potatoes, which would then provide the delivery vehicle. This approach would yield vaccines
    that are needle-free and require no adjuvants, chemicals that stimulate the immune response.
    When the plant is ingested, the plant cell walls would protect the vaccine antigens from
    degradation by stomach acid and digestive enzymes. Then in the intestine, the antigens would be
    released and transported into the circulatory system. Edible vaccines would stimulate both
    mucosal and systemic immunity, providing a higher level of protection than traditional vaccines.

    Advocates claim that vaccines produced in edible plants would be low-cost and would not
    require refrigeration, making them more accessible to poor people in developing countries. But
    although several edible vaccines have entered clinical trials, none has yet been approved for
    marketing.5 Indeed, many technical questions remain to be answered before edible vaccines will
    become a viable option. Although a potato may express vaccine antigens, how many people will
    eat a raw potato? If the potato is cooked, will the vaccine remain effective? How does one ensure
    a uniform product or determine the appropriate dose?

    Some scientists are now thinking of producing edible vaccines in bananas or potatoes and
    processing them into a powder, which would be more usable and consistent. It is not yet clear,
    however, if this approach is commercially viable. In any event, regulatory safeguards will be
    required to protect consumer health and the environment.

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