Pharmaceutical Production through Transgenic Plants: Benefits and Hurdles

Introduction Pharmaceuticals as we know them have been used all over the world. Earliest known drugstore was based in Baghdad in the 8th century. The age of modern pharmaceuticals began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Pharmaceuticals Modern pharmaceuticals, as of 2006, sees a total spending $643 billion. Top selling drug of the world is Lipitor, a cholesterol pill.

Protein-based medicines Currently, there are around 30 different protein-based medications on the market. There are around 100 different kinds of protein medications that are in the later stages of testing. Currently, the market of protein based pharmaceuticals totals about $47 billion in spending. These protein based pharmaceuticals are used to treat hepatitis, anemia, diabetes, and cancer.

Normal production Normal production of pharmaceuticals involves infrastructure and labor heavy processes, which is costly in terms of time and money. This pushes the costs of pharmaceuticals upwards. As a result, new methods were sought in order to reduce the cost of protein production.

The Solution Transgenic plants that can naturally cultivate the proteins necessary for the production of pharmaceuticals. Recent breakthroughs in genetic engineering has raised the possibility of cultivating widely used pharmaceutical products through the use of transgenic plants.

How is this done? By inserting the genes necessary for various protein pathways, it is possible for crops to produce the proteins necessary for medications.

“Pharming” so far The process of “pharming” is already being used in animals in order to produce needed materials for medical use. Examples include alpha 1-antitrypsin in sheep milk and C1 inhibitors as well as fibrinogen in cow milk. Production of human insulin in livestock is also occurring.

Specifics of the Process Due to the popularity of using the tobacco plant in the process of pharming, I will go over the process used to introduce new genetic material into that crop.

Examples Insulin in safflower Influenza vaccine in alfalfa Aprotinin, spermicidal antibodies, and trypsin in corn Hepatitis C vaccine in potatoes Lactoferrin and lysozyme in rice as well as barley Due to the relative ease of transformation, tobacco is a very popular plant in the field of pharmaceutical growth. Tobacco has been used in studies to harvest antibodies receptors, lipase, lactoferrin, interferons, and, intercellular adhesion receptors (CD54-rhiniviruses) multitude of vaccines.

Edible Vaccines Edible vaccines are foods that when consumed give the same effects of a regular vaccination. The initial human test of edible vaccines consisted of potatoes with hepatitis B surface antigens. Axis Genetics, unfortunately, went out of business, possible out of a greater fear from the public regarding genetic engineering. In the end, however, the test proved successful, resulting in a heightened immune response similar to a normal vaccination.

Problems with Transgenic Plants Numerous hurdles face the process of “pharming” for pharmaceuticals. The largest concern is the fear that transgenic plants with cross with crops that form the food supply. Many have demanded that pharmaceutical plants be grown in high containment environments in order to prevent them from contaminating none genetically modified crops, such as greenhouses. As with most biotechnology, pharmaceutical plants have to deal with the disdain of the public, which has limited development into the field.

Regulation Due to their unique nature, plant farmed pharmaceuticals have to face two sets of regulations before they are able to enter the market. First, the drugs that PMPs are used in must pass the parameters of the Food and Drug Administration, who are responsible for both safety of pharmaceutical and agricultural products. Second, rising concern over the safety of transgenic crops has provoked careful study by the Department of Agriculture, who have regulations over the development and safety of genetically modified crops.

Conclusion Through transgenic engineering, it is possible to synthesize foreign proteins within a crop. These proteins can then be used for the production of pharmaceuticals. The process of pharming may lead to a less costly method of procuring the necessary ingredients for medications that are needed today. The economic viability of pharmaceutical crops depends on the reduction of costs that it brings versus the cost of the containment necessary in order to prevent crossing with the greater food supply.

References Pew Charitable Trusts. “Tending the Fields: State and Federal Roles in the Oversight of Genetically Modified Crops” www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Food_and_Biotechnology/Tending_Fields_Biotech1204.pdf Ohlrogge, J., and M.J. Chrispeels. 2003. Plants as chemical and pharmaceutical factories. pp. 500-527. M.J. Chrispeels and D.E. Sadava (eds.) Plants, genes, and biotechnology. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, MA Petersen, Robert K.D., and Charles J. Arntzen. 2004. On Risk and Plant-Based Biopharmaceuticals. TRENDS in Biotechnology 22(2): 64-66.