Pharming

Pharming refers to the use of genetic engineering to insert genes that code for useful pharmaceuticals into host animals or plants that would not naturally express those genes. The term is a portmanteau of "farming" and "pharmaceuticals." This biotechnological process is used to produce large quantities of medically valuable substances, such as hormones, antibodies, and vaccines.

History

The concept of pharming emerged in the late 20th century with advancements in genetic engineering and biotechnology. Early successes included the production of human insulin in genetically modified E. coli bacteria. The field has since expanded to include the use of transgenic plants and animals.

Methods

Pharming involves several key steps:

• **Gene Identification and Isolation**: Identifying and isolating the gene responsible for the desired pharmaceutical product.
• **Vector Construction**: Inserting the gene into a vector, such as a plasmid, which can transfer the gene into the host organism.
• **Transformation**: Introducing the vector into the host organism's cells.
• **Selection and Screening**: Identifying and selecting the successfully transformed cells.
• **Expression and Harvesting**: Cultivating the host organism to express the pharmaceutical product, which is then harvested and purified.

Applications

Pharming has a wide range of applications in medicine and agriculture:

• **Medicine**: Production of therapeutic proteins, monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines.
• **Agriculture**: Development of crops with enhanced nutritional value or resistance to pests and diseases.

Advantages

Pharming offers several advantages over traditional methods of pharmaceutical production:

• **Cost-Effectiveness**: Lower production costs due to the use of living organisms as bioreactors.
• **Scalability**: Easier to scale up production to meet high demand.
• **Complex Protein Production**: Ability to produce complex proteins that are difficult to synthesize chemically.

Challenges

Despite its potential, pharming faces several challenges:

• **Regulatory Hurdles**: Strict regulatory requirements for the approval of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their products.
• **Ethical Concerns**: Ethical issues related to the genetic modification of animals and plants.
• **Public Acceptance**: Public skepticism and opposition to GMOs.

Examples

Some notable examples of pharming include:

• **Atryn**: An anticoagulant produced in the milk of genetically modified goats.
• **ZMapp**: An experimental treatment for Ebola virus disease produced in genetically modified tobacco plants.

Related Pages

• Genetic engineering
• Biotechnology
• Transgenic plant
• Transgenic animal
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Therapeutic protein
• Monoclonal antibody
• Vaccine

See Also

• Biopharming
• Molecular farming
• Genetically modified organism