The Future of Insulin- Genetically Modified Cows to the Rescue
Diabetes around the world, the IDF Diabetes Atlas (2021) reports that 537 million adults approx. of the age 20-79 years are suffering from diabetes. By the year 2045, 1 out of 8 adults will be a diabetic patient. Furthermore, 3 out of 4 adults suffering from diabetes live in low-income countries. From this report, we can get an idea, of how difficult diabetes will be in the future to manage.
Let’s understand what diabetes is actually. A person suffering from diabetes, cannot properly produce insulin, required to control the blood sugar level of the body. Insulin is a boon for diabetes treatment, it makes a deadly disease, manageable.
How does insulin do that? Insulin maintains your blood glucose levels. When higher glucose is in the bloodstream than required, it signals the body to store the extra glucose in the liver. This stored glucose is not released till the blood glucose level decreases in your body. The blood glucose usually decreases between meals, during stress, and requires an extra amount of energy.
For millions of people worldwide, the availability of insulin is a matter of constant struggle. But what if the answer lies, not in the high-tech laboratories, but away from these technologies in peaceful pasture? A recent study conducted in one of the universities of Brazil suggests that genetically modified cows have the potential to become diabetic remedies as a cheaper and more accessible solution.
For the first time, Brown cow is genetically altered and scientists have discovered an insulin precursor, in the “transgenic” cow’s milk.
The results published in Journal Trusted on March 12, suggest that it can be a potential solution for large-scale production of insulin, still, some research is required to confirm the delivered findings. Precautions related to the use of genetically modified animals in advanced human pharmacology are required.
How scientists were able to do that? a common question that can arise. University of Illinois and the Universidad de São Paulo collaborate to provide this potential solution. Expert scientists inserted a human DNA-coded snippet for insulin into the embryos of the cow. As a result, a healthy calf with the potential ability to produce a precursor of insulin called proinsulin in the milk was successfully conducted. This is a significant step forward, scientists are still working on standardizing the process. The aim is to create a transgenic bull that can help to pass this insulin-producing trait to a dedicated herd specifically segregated for insulin production.
Now comes the exciting part: Consider a single cow that can produce a single gram of insulin per litre of milk, and can be able to generate a sufficient amount equivalent to tens of thousands of units of insulin.
As traditional methods mainly rely on complicated equipment and bacteria, animal-based methods for insulin production could advantage of existing dairy infrastructure.
You can have a look at the findings of this research detailed in the Biotechnology Journal.
Ethical considerations of transgenic animals
The controversy related to genetically modified animals as a potential source of insulin is still going on among experts. Some experts suggest that relying on genetically modified animals may not be needed. Since the late 1970s, from E. coli and yeast, human insulin is biosynthesized. This is a more humane method for insulin production and the use of embryos or genetically modified animals is not required. Researchers should take in mind any ethical concerns that can arise through the production of insulin from transgenic cow’s milk and the safety aspects related to that. There is no clear understanding of the potential risks of using genetically modified animals for human pharmacology.
References:
- Monzani, P. S., Sangalli, J. R., Sampaio, R. V., Guemra, S., Zanin, R., Adona, P. R., Berlingieri, M. A., Cunha-Filho, L. F. C., Mora- Ocampo, I. Y., Pirovani, C. P., Meirelles, F. V., Wheeler, M. B., & Ohashi, O. M. (2024). Human proinsulin production in the milk of transgenic cattle. Biotechnology Journal, 19, e2300307. https://doi.org/10.1002/biot.202300307
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