Biopharmaceuticals: Protein Therapy and Vaccine Development

Biopharmaceuticals

Protein Therapy

• Uses proteins to prevent, treat, or cure diseases
• Examples:
  • Insulin for diabetes
  • Growth hormone for growth hormone deficiency
  • Enzyme replacement therapy for lysosomal storage diseases
• Protein therapy can be used to:
  • Replace deficient or abnormal proteins
  • Inhibit or stimulate biological processes
  • Deliver genes or small molecules

Vaccine Development

• Biopharmaceuticals used to prevent infectious diseases
• Types of vaccines:
  • Subunit vaccines (e.g., Hepatitis B)
  • Conjugate vaccines (e.g., Haemophilus influenzae type b)
  • DNA vaccines (e.g., COVID-19)
• Vaccine development involves:
  • Identification of antigenic targets
  • Selection of vaccine platform (e.g., viral vector, mRNA)
  • Preclinical testing and clinical trials

Monoclonal Antibodies

• Laboratory-produced antibodies that target specific antigens
• Used to treat various diseases, including:
  • Cancer (e.g., rituximab for non-Hodgkin lymphoma)
  • Autoimmune disorders (e.g., adalimumab for rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Infectious diseases (e.g., palivizumab for respiratory syncytial virus)
• Monoclonal antibodies can:
  • Neutralize toxins or viruses
  • Inhibit cell signaling pathways
  • Enhance immune responses

Biopharmaceuticals

Protein Therapy

• Prevents, treats, or cures diseases by using proteins
• Examples of protein therapy include:
  • Insulin for diabetes
  • Growth hormone for growth hormone deficiency
  • Enzyme replacement therapy for lysosomal storage diseases
• Protein therapy can:
  • Replace deficient or abnormal proteins
  • Inhibit or stimulate biological processes
  • Deliver genes or small molecules

Vaccine Development

• Biopharmaceuticals used to prevent infectious diseases
• Types of vaccines include:
  • Subunit vaccines (e.g., Hepatitis B)
  • Conjugate vaccines (e.g., Haemophilus influenzae type b)
  • DNA vaccines (e.g., COVID-19)
• Vaccine development involves:
  • Identifying antigenic targets
  • Selecting a vaccine platform (e.g., viral vector, mRNA)
  • Conducting preclinical testing and clinical trials

Monoclonal Antibodies

• Laboratory-produced antibodies targeting specific antigens
• Used to treat diseases, including:
  • Cancer (e.g., rituximab for non-Hodgkin lymphoma)
  • Autoimmune disorders (e.g., adalimumab for rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Infectious diseases (e.g., palivizumab for respiratory syncytial virus)
• Monoclonal antibodies can:
  • Neutralize toxins or viruses
  • Inhibit cell signaling pathways
  • Enhance immune responses

This quiz covers the basics of biopharmaceuticals, including protein therapy and vaccine development. Learn about the uses and examples of protein therapy, as well as the types of vaccines used to prevent infectious diseases.