They create a cow that produces human insulin proteins in its milk

With the aim of solving the world’s insulin supply problems, a group of scientists created a genetically modified cow which produces in its milk the proteins necessary for human insulin.

The scientists behind the experiment did Big hopes that a herd of these cattle can meet the demand of the important medical supply.

If such a herd were viable, the researchers believe it could overcome current methods insulin production, which is based on genetically modified yeasts and bacteria.

Insulin (and its role in diabetes) was first discovered in 1921, and for many years diabetics were treated with insulin obtained of the pancreas of cattle and pigs.

But in 1978, the first “human” insulin was produced using proteins from genetically modified E. coli bacteria, which, along with similar processes using yeast instead of bacteria, is the main source of medical insulin to date.

While the use of cows to deliver human insulin is nothing new, what is new is exactly that is the first time that the production of “human” insulin is achieved in a genetically modified bovine.

The research team, whose results were published in the Biotechnology Journal, led by animal scientist Matt Wheeler of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, inserted a particular segment of human DNA which encodes proinsulin (a protein that is converted into insulin) in the cell nuclei of 10 cow embryos, which were then introduced into the uterus of normal cows.

Only one of these genetically modified embryos developed into a pregnancy, which resulted in the natural birth of a transgenic child.

When he reached maturity, the team did various attempts to get the cow pregnant genetically modified, through artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization and even the old fashioned way.

But none were successful. The team notes that this may have more to do with how the embryo was created than with the fact that it has been genetically modified.

Finally they let the cow nurse through hormone induction, using an undisclosed method attributed to animal reproduction technician Pietro Baruselli of the University of São Paulo.

The cow did not lactate as much as during pregnancy, but how little milk she produced in a month was examined look for specific proteins, by Western blotting and mass spectrometry.

Transfer revealed two bands with molecular masses similar to human proinsulin and insulin, which were not present in the milk of non-transgenic cows.

Meanwhile, mass spectrometry indicated the presence of the C peptide which is removed from human proinsulin in the process of creating insulin, suggesting that enzymes in cow’s milk may have converted “human” proinsulin into insulin.

“Our goal was to make proinsulin, purify it into insulin, and go from there. But the cow She basically worked it out herself.. “The ratio of biologically active insulin to proinsulin is three to one,” Wheeler said.

A typical unit of insulin is 0.0347 milligrams, so if, as Wheeler proposes, each cow could produce one gram of insulin per liter of milk, that would be 28,818 units of insulin.

“For farms, specialized structures with a high health status would be needed, but It’s nothing extraordinaryn for our well-established dairy industry,” the scientist said.

“I see a future where a herd of 100 head could produce all the insulin the country needs. And what about a larger herd? S“and could supply the whole world in a year”hill.

Source: Scientific Notice