Health biotechnology

1. BIOTECHNOLOGY
Course code: BCH-611
Credit Hours: 3(2-1)
Teaching Faculty:
Dr Sadia Noreen
Dr Sumaira Kousar

2. HEALTH
BIOTECHNOLOGY
DR SADIA NOREEN
DR SUMAIRA KOUSAR

3.  Also called red biotechnology
 It includes:
o Production of medicines and pharmaceutical products for
treating or diagnosing disorders
o Designing of organisms to manufacture antibiotics and
vaccines
o Engineering of genetic defects through genomic
manipulation
o Use in forensics through DNA profiling
Biotechnology and medicine:

4. Medical Biotechnology
Medicine is by means
of biotechnology
techniques so much
in diagnosing and
treating dissimilar
diseases.
In medicine, modern
biotechnology finds
applications in areas
such as
pharmaceutical drug
discovery and
production,
pharmacogenomics,
and genetic testing.

5.  Drug production
 Pharmacogenomics
 Gene therapy
 Stem Cell
 Tissue engineering
 Genetic testing
Health Biotechnology

6.  It is the process in which pharmaceutical products
are produced through application of
biotechnological techniques
 Medicines are produced for:
• Diagnosis
• Cure treatments
• Prevention of diseases
Drug production

7.  Producing medicines through:
 Isolating enzymes
 Genetically engineering enzymes
Drug production

8.  Recently, plants are being genetically modified to
produce pharmaceutical products instead of their
natural compounds
 For Example:
A drug Elelyso for treating Gaucher is being
produced by genetically engineering carrots
Drug production

9.  INSULIN:
 Production of genetically engineered human insulin was one
of the first breakthroughs of biotechnology in the
pharmaceutical industry.
 Insulin was first produced in Escherichia coli through
recombinant DNA technology in 1978.
 PROCESS:- The human gene for insulin is placed into
bacteria, are cultured and allowed to produce insulin which is
collected, purified and sold to diabetics worldwide.
Drug production

10.  INTERFERON:
o Interferon interfere in transmission of viral genome from one cell
to another and it also inhibits the cell division of abnormal cells.
o Interferon produced using the recombinant DNA
technology is used to treat cancer patients.
o Interferon improved the quality of life of cancer
patients…..
Drug production

11. Human growth hormone
 Production of human growth hormone was first done in 1979
using recombinant DNAtechnology.
 scientists produced human growth hormone by inserting DNA
coding for human growth hormone into a plasmid that was
implanted in Escherichia coli bacteria.
 This gene that was inserted into the plasmid was created by
reverse transcription of the mRNA found in pituitary glands
to complementary DNA.
 Prior to this development, human growth hormone was
extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers, as animal
growth hormones have no therapeutic value in humans.

12. Human Blood Clotting Factor
 Production of human clotting factors was enhanced
through recombinant DNAtechnology.
 Human clotting factor ix was the first to be produced
through recombinant DNA technology using
transgenic Chinese hamster ovary cells in 1986.
 Plasmids containing the factor IX gene, along with
plasmids with a gene that codes for resistance to
methotrexate, were inserted into Chinese hamster
ovary cells via transfection.

13. Monoclonal Antibodies
They are so called
because they are
clones of an individual
parent cell.
Remember, antibodies
are specific proteins
that target pathogens
invading our body.

14. Pharma = Drug or Medicine
Genomics = The study of genes
Studying response of genetic make up of
an individual to a drug or pharmaceutical
products
Pharmacogenomics

15.  “One-size-fits-all drugs” only work for about 60
percent of the population at best. And the other 40
percent of the population increase their risks
of adverse drug reaction because their genes do
not do what is intended of them.
Use of Pharmacogenomics:

16.  Helps in the development of tailor made medicines
 Ensures more appropriate methods of
determining drug dosages
 Improve process of drug discovery and approval
 Obtaining of better and safer vaccination
 Decrease in the overall cost of Health Care
 Advanced Screening for Disease
Impotance Of Pharmacogenomics

18. Opinion:
 This sort of card would initially (~2025) include
mostly information related to drug metabolizing
enzymes.
 Around ~2050 it might include an entire individual
genome
Pharmacogenomics
SMART CARD
(Confidential)

19. Some barriers faced are:
 Complexity of finding gene variation that affect
drug response
 Limited drug alternatives
 Disincentives for drug companies to make
multiple pharmacogenomic products
 Educating healthcare providers
Pharmacogenomics

20.  The process in which a faulty gene is
removed or replaced with its healthy copy to
restore the normal function of that gene
Gene therapy

21. GENE THERAPY
 Gene therapy is the use of DNA as a pharmaceutical
agent to treat disease.
 It derives its name from the idea that DNA can be used to
supplement or alter genes within an individual cells as a
therapy to treat disease
 The most common form of gene therapy involves using
DNA that encodes a functional, therapeutic gene to
replace a mutated gene.
 Gene therapy is of two types , somatic gene therapy and
germ line gene therapy.

22. GENE THERAPY for diseases
Gene Therapy has made important medical
advances in less than two decades. Within this short
time span, it has moved from the conceptual stage to
technology development and laboratory research to
clinical translational trials for a variety of deadly
diseases. The most notable advancements are the
following:

23.  Replacing a mutated gene that causes
disease with a healthy copy of the gene
 Inactivating or “knocking out” a mutated gene
that is functioning improperly
 Introducing the new gene that help fight a
disease
Gene therapy

24. The process of gene therapy is of two types:
 Stem cell gene therapy:
In this gene therapy is applied on a fully developed
organism and the effects of gene therapy lasts only to
the operated organism
 Germ line gene therapy:
In this process gene therapy is done on a fertilized egg
or an early embryo and the altered genome is followed in
next generations.
Gene therapy

25. Gene therapy

26. STEM CELLS
 Stem cells are mother cells that have the potential to
become any type of cells in the body.
 Stem cells can become cells of the blood, heart, bones,
skin, muscle, brain, etc.
 Stem cells can repair and replace tissue in human body.
 Eg. Tissue in our skin needs constant renewal that could
not take place without stem cells.
 The easiest place to get stem cells is from an embryo.

27. Continue……
Stem cells are introduced
into a damaged area of the
body where, under the
right conditions, will
replace the damaged area.
Often times stem cells are
grown in a lab first to
ensure the right conditions
and then placed into a sick
person.

28. STEM CELLS (SOURCES)
 Embryonic stem cells
 Infant and adult stem cells
 Present in small numbers in
 Bone marrow
 Peripheral blood
 Skin epithelium
 Dental pulp of infant’s teeth
 May be obtained by reprogramming somatic cells
 Introduction of retroviruses carrying reprogramming genes into
fibroblasts

29. Tissue Engineering
 A form of regenerative
medicine, tissue engineering
is the creation of human
tissue outside the body for
later replacement.
 Usually occurs on a tissue
scaffold, but can be grown
on/in other organisms as
shown on the right.

30. Tissue Engineering
 Tissue engineers have
created artificial skin,
cartilage and bone marrow.
 Current projects being
undertaken include creating
an artificial liver, pancreas
and bladder.
 Again, we are far from
replacing a whole organ, but
just looking for “refurbishing”
our slightly used ones at the
moment.

31. The technique to grow an ear follows the steps
 1) taking a tiny piece of cartilage tissue,
 2) dissolving away the white springy tissue to collect the actual cells
inside (the cells are microscopic and trapped inside the white tissue
called matrix)
 3) expanding the number of cells by various methods in the
lab
 4) placing that increased volume of cells on or in
mould that have a shape of an ear
 5) implanting the new ear onto the patient.

32.  Tissue engineers have created artificial skin,
cartilage and bone marrow.
 Current projects being undertaken include creating
an artificial liver, pancreas and bladder.
 Again, we are far from replacing a whole organ, but
just looking for “refurbishing” our slightly used ones
at the moment.

33. XENO-TRANSPLANTATION
Xeno-transplantation is the use of live cells,
tissue or organs from non-human animal
species, for transplantation into a human
patient.
Interest has grown in this area of
biotechnology because up to 50% of people
waiting to receive vital organ transplants, such
as kidney, liver and heart, die while waiting for
a donor organ.

34. DISADVANTAGES
a)Potential health risks
1) Allergies
2) Toxicity
3) Nutrients imbalance
4) Decrease of food diversity
b)Enviornment effects
c)Cost

35.  The examination of a patient’s DNA molecule
to determine his/her DNA sequence for
mutated genes
 The genome of an individual is scaned for this
purpose by a scientist
Genetic testing

36.  Forensic/identity testing
 Determining sex
 Conformational diagnosis of symptomatic
individuals
 Newborn screening
 Prenatal diagnostic screening
Genetic testing

37.  Better drugs can be obtained by the knowledge of
genetics
 Genetic testing can be used to detect the
mutations regarding genetic disorders like cystic
fibrosis, sickle cell anaemia, hutington diseases,
etc.
 Tests are also being developed to detect various
cancers
Genetic testing

38. Questions