Chicken eggs medicines - Should the genetic engineering options be used?

Proteins from eggs for the treatment of diseases?

Humankind is increasingly intervening in nature by genetically modifying food and animals, for example. These interventions are quite critical and the question arises: are such modifications really necessary? For example, medics have now created genetically engineered chickens that produce high quality proteins in their eggs that are supposed to be a cost effective way of producing certain types of anti-cancer and other disease medicines.

The University of Edinburgh scientists modified chickens to lay eggs containing proteins that can be used to make key medicines. The experts published the results of their study in the English language journal "BMC Biotechnology".

Will we use proteins from eggs from genetically modified chickens to treat diseases in the future? (Image: Natika / fotolia.com)

Chicken eggs as a method of producing high quality medicines

The study, which initially focused on the production of high quality proteins for scientific research, showed that the active ingredients present in chicken eggs of modified chickens function at least as well as the same proteins produced with previously available methods. High protein levels can be extracted from each egg with a simple cleansing system, and for the chickens themselves, who normally lay their eggs, this has no adverse effects, say the scientists. The findings provide solid evidence of the benefits of chickens as a cheap method of producing high-quality medicines - for research studies and possibly one day for improved treatments for patients, the experts add.

Grow viruses from eggs

Eggs are already being used to breed viruses that are used as vaccines, such as flu shots. However, the new approach differs from the previous approach in that the therapeutic proteins are encoded in the chicken's DNA and produced as part of the protein. Initially, the team focused on two proteins that are essential to the immune system and have therapeutic potential: a human protein called IFNalpha2a, which has potent antiviral and anticancer effects, and a protein called macrophage-CSF which stimulates damaged tissue to repair itself.

Three eggs were enough for clinically relevant dose

Three eggs were enough to produce a clinically relevant dose of the drug. Since chickens can lay up to 300 eggs a year, the medical community believes that their approach to some key medicines may be cheaper than other methods of production used so far. The scientists have not yet produced drugs for patients, but the study shows that the system is feasible and could easily be adapted for the production of other therapeutic proteins. Protein-based medicines, including antibody therapies such as Avastin and Herceptin, are commonly used to treat cancers and other diseases.

New approach is more efficient and cheaper

For some of these proteins, the only way to produce them with sufficient quality is in so-called mammalian cell culture techniques, which are expensive and have low yields, the experts explain. Other methods require complex cleaning systems and additional processing techniques that increase costs. Scientists have previously demonstrated that genetically modified goats, rabbits and chickens can be used to produce protein therapies in their milk or eggs. The authors of the current study say their new approach is more efficient, yields better, and is more cost effective than these earlier attempts. Drugs are not yet manufactured for humans, but this study indicates that chickens are commercially suitable for the production of proteins suitable for drug discovery studies and other biotechnology applications, said study author Professor Helen Sang of the University of Edinburgh.

Is genetic engineering a curse or a blessing??

In general, of course, the question arises: whether the genetic modification of animals could not be detrimental to humans in the future. More and more plants and animals are being genetically engineered by humans in ways that are beneficial to humans. Do we really have the right to intervene so strongly in nature? Critics of such procedures see a great danger here. With regard to the current study, it must therefore be stated that a consideration alone, from the standpoint of efficiency and costs, falls too short. Although the researchers show that their process is feasible and could also offer (financial) benefits, to justify the use of genetic engineering remains questionable. (As)