Going Green

Did you know that proteins developed as therapeutic agents have been produced in plants since the late 1990s?  There have, in fact, been several biologics produced in transgenic plants, including gastric lipase, interferon, and insulin, that have entered human clinical trials. There are also clinical trials underway for cancer treatments based on proteins produced in plants.

The use of plants has several advantages over fermentation and cell-based technologies. There is no use of animal derived products or growth factors, and aseptic handling systems are also not necessary. No time-consuming identification and isolation of appropriate cell is required, either, so plant-based systems can be functional in a much shorter time. In addition, the biological features of bacterial, viral, and plant biology can be combined to achieve high yields and offer significant flexibility.

Have you utilized this technology? What was your experience? Do you agree that plant-based protein expression has significant potential? Or do you see problems with it, and if so, what concerns do you have?

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Cynthia Challener, PhD

Editor

The Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manufacturing & Marketplace Report