PLANT-MADE PHARMACEUTICALS (PMPs) &
PLANT-MADE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS (PMIPs):
Oregon State University Outreach in Biotechnology Program
by Erin McGregor, Intern
Steve Strauss, PhD, Program Director, [email protected]
Kirstin Carroll, PhD, Program Coordinator, [email protected]
541 737 6578 | Department of Forest Science - OSU, Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-5752
http://wwwdata.forestry.oregonstate.edu/orb/
August 12, 2005
Summary of PMP/PMIP crops
Plant-made pharmaceuticals (PMPs) and industrial products (PMIPs) are proteins produced by
genetically engineered plants. This technique would allow for the production of important
medical and industrial compounds without the drawbacks of current methods. PMPs and PMIPs
could be less expensive to produce, more capable of producing proteins similar to human cells,
and less likely to contain pathogens. On the other hand, PMP/PMIP crops do pose risks of
contamination of the environment or food supply, possibly exposing humans and animals to
compounds which could be harmful to their health without their knowledge. However, there are
no universal risks or benefits that apply to all PMP/PMIP crops; each crop posses a unique set of
pros and cons which must be assessed individually. PMP and PMIP crops are currently regulated
by the USDA and FDA, who include the state in decisions about risks associated with these
crops.
Examples of the potential value of PMP/PMIP crops:
¾ New fibers and plastics could improve the healing process for surgical patients or
radically change industrial textile properties.
¾ Biodegradable plastics and biofuels could create more sustainable products and reduce
reliance on fossil fuels.
¾ Industrial enzymes could reduce the pollution created by paper and textile production.
¾ Biopharmaceuticals could be more easily and safely produced and more affordable for
patients.
¾ Humanitarian efforts could be aided by more stable vaccines able to reach developing
areas or by vaccines which could be given with a piece of fruit instead of a needle.
¾ Oregon farmers could benefit from value-added crops.
¾ Oregon researchers could benefit from grants and new research opportunities.
Examples of the potential risks posed by PMP/PMIP crops:
¾ The transgenic crop could inadvertently enter the food supply, exposing consumers to
potentially toxic compounds.
¾ Environmental contamination could occur, including the transfer of genes to wild plants
or animals consuming the transgenic crop.
¾ The agricultural and food production industries could be held financially liable for
problems related to food supply or environment contamination by recalls, lawsuits, or
public perception issues.
Summary of SB 570
Oregon SB 570 (Oregon Genetically Engineered Pharmaceutical and Industrial Crop Act),
written by the Oregon chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, passed the Oregon Senate
but did not reach a vote in the House before the end of the 2005 session. If passed, the bill would
have placed a four-year moratorium on PMPs or PMIPs grown outdoors or using a food/feed
crop in Oregon. These crops would have been banned for research purposes, as well as future
commercial purposes. The bill would not have restricted GE crops producing chemicals they
produce naturally, GE crops producing chemicals generally recognized as safe by the FDA, or
non-food/feed biopharm crops grown inside in contained, controlled facilities. Although the bill
would have allowed the production of “a greater or lesser quantity of a chemical or enzyme that
naturally occurs in the plant,” such as plant-based enzymes, many such compounds undergo
slight modification during genetic engineering to increase their production or performance, and
thus could have also been banned due to vague wording of the bill. Box A (below) gives
examples of specific products – vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and medical and industrial
compounds – which could have been banned in Oregon by SB 570.
BOX A: Examples of specific products that have been developed by researchers using
transgenic plants but which could have been banned from any research in food crops and/or field
cultivation in Oregon by SB 570:
Vaccines and Antibodies:
ƒ Vaccines for type I diabetes, cholera, E. coli, Norwalk virus, Hepatitis B, dental caries,
malaria, influenza, cancer,2 hepatitis B, HIV.3
ƒ Tumor-associated marker antigen, secretory immunoglobin for treatment of dental caries,
full-length IgG1, treatment of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.2, 4
ƒ Vaccines against hepatitis B and Norwalk virus have already passed one stage of clinical
trials.1
Biopharmaceuticals:
ƒ Therapies for hepatitis B and C, liver cirrhosis, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, hemorrhage,
hypertension, provitamin-A deficiency, amino acid deficiency.2
ƒ Two of the most expensive drugs: glucocerebrosidase and granulocyte-macrophage
colony-stimulating factor, used to treat Gaucher’s disease and Neutropenia, respectively.2
ƒ Trypsin inhibitor for transplantation surgery, wound repair, and blood substitute.2
Other Medical Compounds:
ƒ Proteins lactoferrin, lysozyme, and β-casein to fortify infant formula and other foods to
prevent intestinal conditions, particularly child death to diarrhea.5, 7, 8
ƒ The human growth hormone somatotrophin, used to treat hypopituitary dwarfism in
children, and potentially Turner syndrome, chronic renal failure, and HIV wasting
syndrome.7
ƒ Collagens, used in the cosmetics and food industries, as well as for the production of
medical and surgical supplies.5, 9
ƒ Elastin, present in ligaments and arterial walls and one of the strongest known natural
fibers, could be used to prevent post-surgical adhesions and scars or as a transducer, superabsorbent, or biodegradable plastic.5, 9
Industrial Compounds:
ƒ Biodegradable plastics using poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) or poly(3-hydroxybutyrate),
offering alternatives to petroleum-based polymers at time of decreasing petroleum reserves
and increasing environmental concerns.5, 9
ƒ Crops with specific traits that are optimized for biofuels and bioenergy – such as optimized
production of bio-based lubricants and esterified fatty acids – making the production of
biofuels a more efficient process, a key step in creating a sustainable alternative to
petroleum.11
ƒ Spider silk, which is stronger than and one-tenth the weight of high tensile steel, has a
tensile strength comparable to that of the synthetic superfiber Kevlar, and can stretch to
more than twice its length before breaking. Because of these phenomenal qualities, spider
silk could be useful for a wide variety of industrial and medical purposes, including organ
transplants.6, 9
ƒ Industrial enzymes, such as laccase which breaks down lignin and could be used in paper
and textile production or water treatment plants instead of the current toxic processes.10
CITATIONS:
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11.
Transgenic Tobacco Plants Producing Human Interleukin-18. (2004). A. A.
Turchinovich, et al. Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics, 395: 104-107.
Transgenic plants as factories for biopharmaceuticals. (November, 2000). G. Giddings,
G. Allison, D. Brooks, & A. Carter. Nature Biotechnology, 18: 1151-1155.
Antigens produced in plants by infection with chimeric plant viruses immunize against
rabies virus and HIV-1. (May 27, 1997). V. Yusibov, et al. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 94 (11): 5784-5788.
Secretory IgA Antibodies from Plants. (July, 2004). Wycoff, K.L. Current
Pharmaceutical Design, 11 (19): 2429-2437.
Transgenic plants as protein factories. (October, 2001). G. Giddings. Current Opinion in
Biotechnology, 12(5):450-4.
Production of spider silk proteins in tobacco and potato. (June, 2001). J. Scheller, KH.
Gührs, F. Grosse, & U. Conrad. Nature Biotechnology, 19: 573-577.
Biotech company planting genetically engineered rice in N.C. (July 16, 2005). David
Rice. Winston-Salem Journal.
Calif. company's 'pharmaceutical rice' plan sows controversy. (July 25, 2005). L.
Morello. Greenwire.
Plant-based material, protein and biodegradable plastic. (April, 2005). J. Scheller & U.
Conrad. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 8(2):188-196.
Criteria for high-level expression of a fungal laccase gene in transgenic maize. E. E.
Hood, et al. Plant Biotechnology Journal (2003). pp. 129–140.
Crop biotechnology provides an opportunity to develop a sustainable future. (July, 2005).
J.S. McLaren. Trends in Biotechnology, 23(7): 339-342.
Other sources used:
Altor BioScience to make therapeutic antibodies in transgenic lettuce. (July 21, 2005). Altro
BioScience website: http://www.altorbioscience.com/
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO): http://www.bio.org/foodag/.
Colorado State University, Transgenic Crops:
http://www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/transgeniccrops/hotbiopharm.html.
Production of hepatitis B surface antigen in transgenic plants for oral immunization. (November,
2000). L.J. Richter, Y. Thanavala, C.J. Arntzen, & H.S. Mason. Nature Biotechnology,
18: 1167-1171.
Scientists work to save tobacco farms. (July 21, 2005). A.R. Paley. Washington Post.