Pharmacogenomics and Gene Therapy

Study Notes

Medical Biotechnology

DNA and protein microarrays are used for detecting genetic diseases.
Pharmacogenomics customizes medicine based on a patient's genetic profile.
Gene therapy involves delivering therapeutic genes to correct disease conditions.
Adenovirus and retrovirus are commonly used for gene therapy applications.
Other applications of medical biotechnology include:
- Artificial blood
- Vaccines and therapeutic antibodies
- Regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and stem cells
- Cell and tissue transplantation

Plant Biotechnology

The development of new crops has been accelerated through direct gene transfer.
Plant transgenesis involves transferring genes to plants directly to produce:
- Foods and feed crops
- Plant-produced vaccines and bioplastics
- Phytoremediation plants
Methods of plant transgenesis include:
- Protoplast fusion
- Leaf fragment technique
- Gene guns
- Chloroplast engineering
- Antisense technology
- Agrobacterium tumefaciens is used to infect plants
Applications of plant biotechnology include:
- Vaccines for plants
- Genetic pesticides (Bacillus thuringiensis genes)
- Herbicide resistance
- Enhanced nutrition (e.g., Golden rice)

Animal Biotechnology

Animal biotechnology involves genetically engineering animals to improve their suitability for agriculture, industrial, or pharmaceutical applications.
Applications of animal biotechnology include:
- Cloning (e.g., Dolly)
- Faster growth rates or leaner growth patterns
- Healthier products (e.g., lower-cholesterol eggs)
- Increased nutritional content (e.g., lactoferrin in milk)
- Human polyclonal antibodies can be produced in cattle plasma
- Biosensors and immunoassays

Biopesticides

Biopesticides are specific to their target, do not leave toxic residues, reduce the risk of resistance development, and produce a lesser overall impact on the environment.
Types of biopesticides include:
- Microbial pesticides
- Biochemical pesticides
- Plant-incorporated protectants

Environmental Biotechnology

Biofertilizers contain living microorganisms that colonize the rhizosphere of the plant and promote growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary nutrients.
Applications of environmental biotechnology include:
- Pollution prevention through source reduction, waste minimization, recycling, and reuse.
- Biofuels (bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas)
- Bioplastics/biopolymers (PLA, PHB)
- Enzymes
- Biosurfactants

Industrial Biotechnology

Industrial biotechnology uses biotechnology for the sustainable processing and production of chemicals, materials, and fuels.
Biotechnological processing uses enzymes and microorganisms/cells to make products in a wide range of industrial sectors, including:
- Chemicals
- Pharmaceuticals
- Food and feed
- Detergents
- Paper and pulp
- Textiles
- Energy
- Materials
- Polymers

Description

Learn about the role of pharmacogenomics in personalized medicine and gene therapy in medical biotechnology. Understand how genetic profiles are used to design effective drug therapy and treatment strategies.