Red biotechnology

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Many red biotechnology products are produced in fermenters, such as this facility for the production of vaccines

Red biotechnology , also known as medical biotechnology , comprises the areas of biotechnology that deal with the development of therapeutic and diagnostic processes - from biochips for medical diagnostics to personalized medicine to drug production and gene therapy.

history

The modern history of red biotechnology began with the discovery of the world of microbes and with it many pathogens at the end of the 15th century. Another milestone was the triumphant advance of antibiotics with the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 .

The discovery of the structure of the DNA double helix by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 was revolutionary . Since then, numerous new findings have been made in cell and molecular biology.

The human genome has been deciphered since 2000 , and research is increasingly focusing on the genomes of other organisms. Furthermore, individual proteins or the entirety of the proteins, the so-called proteome , are examined.

The objects of interest in red biotechnology are pathogens and potential active ingredient producers from nature, but also the possible healing of diseases through gene therapy.

Methods

The methods of red biotechnology differ according to their objective and area of ​​application. In this respect, there is overlap with other areas of biotechnology and genetic engineering.

Gene therapy

The basic consideration in gene therapy is the knowledge that some diseases (so-called hereditary diseases ) are caused by one or more defective genes, so that, according to this approach, the cure could be achieved by exchanging the defective genes. An example of this is thalassemia . A distinction is made between the following approaches:

  • In in vitro gene therapy, cells are removed from the patient, genetically modified and then returned to the patient.
  • In in vivo gene therapy, the patient is treated directly with the correction DNA in a vector (for example retroviruses ), which is intended to bring the DNA into contact with the genome of the target cells.

Development of new drugs

Biotechnological drugs ( biopharmaceuticals ) are produced by genetic modification of microorganisms, farm animals or plants (intersection with green genetic engineering ). Both the producing organism and the product can be changed iteratively until the desired active ingredient is created. The application-oriented branch of science that encompasses the scientific methods and techniques for developing, testing, manufacturing and licensing drugs is called pharmaceutical biotechnology . There are often several technologies to choose from. One example of this is the development of insulin supplements .

Manufacture of biochips for diagnostics

Defined DNA or proteins are applied to a carrier and then contacted with a sample material. The reactions are then evaluated. Like a DNA microarray, the protein microarray contains a large number of test fields in a very small space.

application areas

Medical diagnostics

Biotechnological processes can be used to detect diseases and genetic defects quickly and reliably, and also to identify susceptibility to certain medical problems in advance.

Genetic tests have the following goals:

  • Detection of infectious diseases (medical diagnostics )
  • Pharmacogenomics (Personalized Medicine)
    • In some cases, drugs do not work. A genetic peculiarity can ensure that a drug is broken down again immediately, for example, if the patient belongs to this genetic group. He then needs a higher dosage or another drug to achieve the desired effect. The same applies to unusual side effects.
    • The biochip , a credit card-sized and laboratory-independent measuring device, will in future be used in the field of diagnostics. With the biochip, genetic data of the patient could be called up within a very short time. Biochips are likely to radically change the medicine of the future. This should accelerate the development of new active ingredients and enable the earlier detection of diseases. They allow the customized dosage and side-effect-free application of drugs because they enable the individualization of medicine ( personalized medicine ), the so-called pharmacogenomics.
    • If the doctor knows the genetic constitution of his patient, which he can determine with the aid of the biochip, he can increase the drug dose or change the drug more easily. He can adjust the patient individually.
  • Proof of hereditary diseases ( prenatal diagnosis ): With the help of genetic diagnosis, genetic changes can be detected and specifically treated.
  • Identification of people, for example to fight crime
  • Clarification of family relationships, e.g. B .: paternity tests
  • Population Genetics - Understanding the pathways of population spread , e.g. B. of man

Manufacture of medicines

  • The classic route to an effective drug is usually extremely complex, lengthy and risky. For a long time it was only possible to find active substances with random tests; it takes 10 to 15 years to help patients. Genetic diagnostics and biotechnological processes not only simplify and accelerate the discovery and production process of remedies, they also improve the testing of their effectiveness and reduce the likelihood of side effects. Some active ingredients cannot be synthesized chemically due to their complexity . Genetically engineered active ingredients such as insulin , vaccines , interferon , growth hormones or blood clotting factors are standard today. Many new genetically engineered active ingredients are in development. In their development and production, safety measures must be observed that are defined in Germany by the Genetic Engineering Act and detailed in the Genetic Engineering Safety Ordinance . Work in the laboratory or production area takes place under a certain security level (S1 to S4).
  • Red biotechnology is used primarily for diseases for which traditional drugs and procedures have so far provided no or only limited healing options. In particular, the fight against the various cancers through targeted interventions in the control mechanisms of tumor growth is often mentioned as a goal. In the treatment of tumors , but also in other medical procedures, an important sub-goal is the targeted use of the drug, in which the active ingredient is only released in the diseased tissue so as not to unnecessarily burden the rest of the body. Even if high hopes are placed in these drug delivery systems , especially in cancer research , they are not limited to this sub-area.

Gene therapy

→ Main article: Gene therapy

Medicines obtained from microorganisms can not only help to cure diseases, but also the body's own genes or cells. With gene therapy one hopes to be able to treat genetic defects:

Forms of therapy:

  • Genes as vaccines to mobilize the immune system by transferring immunomodulatory genes
  • somatic gene therapy : substitution, i.e. replacement of a genetic defect. Cells are removed from the patient, they are multiplied, genetically modified and re-implanted, or the “healing” genes are attempted to reach their destination using vectors. This also includes the transport of suicide genes d. H. Genes that are supposed to drive degenerate genes to "suicide".
  • the germline d. H. the controversial influence on faulty or imperfect genes in the embryo stage

Regenerative Medicine

  • It deals with the development and application of methods to heal diseased or destroyed tissues and organs.
  • In what is known as tissue engineering , tissue is grown that, as a body's own transplant , can replace defective tissue - such as cartilage, bones or skin - by sowing cells on biocompatible and biodegradable materials. By cloning the tissue from the patient, optimum compatibility can be ensured.
  • Stem cell therapy is still in basic research . Stem cells that have not yet specialized in a certain function could be specifically programmed and used as a donor source for transplants if the body's own cells are lost through acute or chronic diseases: for example, the insulin- producing cells of the pancreas , heart muscle cells or nerve cells .

Up to now, adult stem cells , which are found in human adults, can only be converted into a certain cell type and reproduced to a limited extent . This is why research is also carried out on fertilized egg cells that are left over after artificial insemination. However, there are ethical concerns in this case.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ DECHEMA : Medical Biotechnology . Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  2. ↑ Third genetic engineering report: Third genetic engineering report (PDF) p. 12. 2015. Accessed on January 16, 2017.