Harnessing the power of an expanded genetic code toward next-generation biopharmaceuticals

Synthetic biology has been revolutionizing the biopharmaceutical industry from drug discovery, clinical development to the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. As one of its most promising areas, genetic incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAA) into proteins via an expanded genetic code emerged with great promise in the pharmaceutical industry recently with multiple therapeutic candidates tested in human clinical trials and one approved veterinary drug. Expanded building blocks enable proteins to have new or modified functions, providing ample opportunities for innovative or improved medicines. Here we review the current progress in the technology platforms for manufacturing ncAA-containing therapeutics and the pharmaceutical applications of an expanded genetic code.