By: Athena S. | Edited by: Shelomith H.

Medical biotechnology is the use of living cells and cell materials for research in order to produce pharmaceutical and diagnostic products (drugs, vaccines, etc.) that treat and prevent human diseases. Some examples of biotechnology include STEM cell treatments, therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, genome sequencing, and gene-therapy drugs.

Insulin: The Golden Highlight of Recombinant DNA Technology

The creation of synthetic human insulin as a result of recombinant DNA technology was one of the first golden highlights of biotechnology. This synthetic insulin was created in 1922 from bacteria and yeast, which then were used to regulate blood sugar levels. In turn, this synthetic insulin has since saved the lives of millions of diabetic patients. Human insulin injections are used to control the level of blood sugar in people diagnosed with diabetes. Those who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes experience an insufficient level of insulin in their bodies, and consequently cannot control the amount of sugar in their blood. In contrast, those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes experience spikes in their blood sugar levels due to their uncontrollable bodily function which produces insulin abnormally. With the usage of human insulin injections, however, people are able to maintain healthy levels of blood sugar in their bodies.

Some popular biotech drugs include:

Humira

Humira contains adalimumab, an active biologic drug belonging to the class of medications known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF). This drug is created from living cells and is injected in the subcutaneous layer of the skin to treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, pediatric Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Rituxan

Rituxan is a monoclonal antibody, an antibody made by cloning a unique white blood cell, that contains the active drug rituximab. It is a biologic medication, or drug made of living cells. Rituximab is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), granulomatosis with polyangiitis, microscopic polyangiitis, and pemphigus vulgaris. Rituxan is also approved to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is CD20-positive, presence of CD20 protein in blood cells, by acting on this protein. Common side effects of Rituxan include nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, joint/muscle pain, weakness, and flushing.

Remicade

Remicade (infliximab) is a chimeric IgG1k monoclonal antibody. It is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and chronic plaque psoriasis. Remicade is often used when other medications have been ineffective because it can prevent the effects of the protein tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the body. Common side effects of remicade include headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, skin rash, stuffy nose, sinus pain, and a warm/tingly feeling (flushing).

Avonex

Avonex is used to treat multiple sclerosis, although it is not a cure for it. It may help slow the exacerbation of the disease and decrease flare-ups of symptoms (balance problems, numbness, or weakness). Some side effects of avonex include pain, swelling, or redness at the injection site. When this medication is used for the first time, flu-like symptoms can also manifest, such as headaches, tiredness, fever, chills, and muscle aches.

Neulasta

Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) is used to treat infections during chemotherapy. It functions by stimulating the growth of healthy white blood cells in the bone marrow once chemotherapy is injected. Neulasta is usually given 24 hours after chemotherapy to encourage white blood cells to grow and fight infection. It can also be given as a shot in the subcutaneous layer of the skin. Few people experience side effects such as bone pain, tenderness at the injection site, and blood test abnormalities.

Herceptin

Herceptin (trastuzumab) is used in immune targeted therapy to treat breast cancer and metastatic stomach/GE cancer. Herceptin is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer from growing. It can also be used to treat earlier stages of HER2-positive breast cancer, either as part of a regimen with chemotherapy or alone after a chemotherapy regimen that includes anthracycline to reduce the risk of recurrence. Herceptin attaches itself to the HER2 receptors on the surface of breast cancer cells and blocks them from receiving growth signals. By blocking the signals, herceptin can hinder or slow down the growth of breast cancer. It can also fight the cancer by alerting the immune system to destroy cancer cells onto which it is attached. The most common herceptin side effects are headaches, diarrhea, nausea, fever, infection, insomnia, chills, rash, cough, and heart problems.

Lantus

Lantus contains the active drug glargine (a long-acting insulin) that is subcutaneously injected to treat diabetes by improving the blood sugar levels in adults and children (age 6 or older) with type 1 diabetes and adults with type 2 diabetes. Some common side effects of Lantus are rash, edema, upper respiratory infections, hypoglycemia, weight gain, lipodystrophy (changes in skin thickness near the injected area), redness, itchiness, tenderness, or pain around the injection site.

Avastin

Avastin is a monoclonal antibody and anti-angiogenesis drug. It is used to treat glioblastoma, metastatic colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, metastatic kidney cancer, advanced cervical cancer, and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Some of the most common side effects of Avastin are weakness, nausea and vomiting, poor appetite, abdominal pain, constipation, upper respiratory tract infection, diarrhea, and low white blood cell count.

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Medicine Derived From Biotechnology