Green factories for biopharmaceuticals

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Molecular Farming
• Pharmaceutical Production

Background:

• Plants and plant cells are utilized for producing diverse recombinant proteins such as vaccines, antibodies, hormones, and enzymes.
• Various plant species and platforms serve as production hosts, each offering distinct advantages in terms of production timelines, scalability, and cost.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent case studies of recombinant pharmaceuticals produced in plants.
• To demonstrate the versatility and unique benefits of molecular farming in pharmaceutical production.
• To identify remaining challenges and bottlenecks in plant-based protein production.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and case studies on plant-based recombinant protein production.
• Analysis of different plant production platforms and their specific properties.
• Evaluation of clinical trial data and therapeutic applications of plant-derived proteins.

Main Results:

• Whole plants enable economical and safe large-scale production of pharmaceuticals, particularly for high-demand, high-cost proteins.
• Seed-based systems offer advantages in processing, distribution, and mucosal delivery of therapeutic proteins.
• Plant-specific N-glycans, initially a concern, can enhance protein performance or confer unique therapeutic characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Molecular farming presents a versatile and advantageous approach for pharmaceutical production, offering scalability and cost-effectiveness.
• Plant-derived glycoproteins have demonstrated therapeutic potential, with plant glycans sometimes providing unique benefits.
• Addressing current bottlenecks is crucial for further advancing plant-based pharmaceutical manufacturing.