Current Events: The First Drug Made by Genetically Modified Plants is Approved for Human Use by the FDA

     Imagine having Gaucher Disease. This is a lysosomal storage disorder and is caused by lack of a specific enzyme. You may have worried about possible drugs to use to help cure your disease, but now there is no more need to look. Engineers at an Israeli biotech firm (Protalix Biotherapeutics) have been able to produce this enzyme in carrot cells. They just need to inject a specific gene into them. The drug is called Elelyso. Results from trials have showed that using Elelyso have showed greater improvement than another treatment from hamster cells. Elelyso is the first drug made by genetically modified plant cells approved for humans. Previously, there have been concerns about using drugs made from genetically modified plants, but in recent years treatments have been proven successful for animals. This may have lead the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) to approve Elelyso for humans.
      I believe that this drug will lead to other drugs from modified plant cells. Researchers believe this too; they believe that they can create enzymes to treat many other disorders and diseases. In addition this treatment doesn't contain pathogens that can affect mammalian cell stocks and doesn't lead to a shortage of usable drugs. Furthermore, the FDA approving this drug may mean that they are open to other drugs from genetically modified plant cells. This will lead to more drugs that can treat other disorders like the Gaucher Disease. Thanks to the engineers in the Israeli biotech firm, a new door as been open to new types of drugs created from genetically modified plants.

By injecting a gene into carrots, engineers are able to produce a specific enzyme needed from Gaucher Disease patients


Article and picture from:
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-05/first-plant-derived-biologic-drug-approved-human-use-fda