A Glass Full of Milk Helps the Medicine Go Down

       While it has been relatively easy for the general public to warm up to the idea of Labradoodles and other genetically modified pets, we have yet to cuddle up to the idea of genetically modified products in our pantry.  A  wide divide has developed between the public perception and science surrounding genetically modified products and animals, while science has shown it is possible, society is unsure if we should, creating additional challenges for researchers, companies, and consumers alike.  This divide is one Emily Anthes crosses in her book “Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling Up To Biotech’s Brave New Beasts.”  Anthes discuss biotech’s vision to feed and protect the world through a glass of milk.  

       Milk is one of the most efficient ways to collect large quantities of a transgenic protein.  What Anthes describes in her book is the process of pharming, which is not a spelling error, but essentially the farming of pharmaceuticals.  This has already been done using livestock such as cows, goats, pigs, and sheep, modifying them in a way that can produce useful drugs and proteins.  In this modification process scientists alter an animal’s DNA, splicing in desired gene from another species, called a transgene into the fertilized egg of the animal. The transgene encodes for specific, usually human, proteins of medical value that are secreted into the animal’s milk, collected and purified.  To ensure that the transgene is expressed only in the milk, the gene for the protein is coupled with a specific DNA signal (promoter) that is only active in mammary glands.

          Anthes goes into detail discussing research done at University of California at Davis, by researchers James Murray and Elizabeth Maga, who along with a herd of goats are tackling the second largest cause of childhood death: diarrheal diseases. The transgenic goats created, have a single human gene that produces a protein lysozyme that has strong bacterial fighting abilities. These goats then can produce milk with lysozyme over 1000% more than the normal amount, and the milk has been found effective in helping the immune and digestive system in piglets (which have similar digestive systems to our own). Murray and Maga are now in the process of trying to get this milk approved by the FDA for human consumption.

     Similar projects have been filling up the news, such as researchers trying to battle everything from malaria to allergies of milk proteins through use of biotechnology in “pharming.”  While Malaria still kills over 650,000 each year, researchers at Texas A&M are working on developing a vaccine via goat.  Currently, the vaccine must first be isolated and purified before injecting into humans, but with further research and development getting a vaccination could be as easy as downing a cold glass of milk. .  

      Soon even more people will be able to drink up on dairy without discomfort; related research includes that of AgResearch company in New Zealand, who are trying to develop a hypoallergenic milk.  Scientists have worked their way up from genetically modified mice to cows that  produce milk without BLG (beta-lactoglobulin), a milk whey protein that causes allergic reactions, with adverse effects like vomiting and diarrhea. Producing milk without BLG involved interfering with the cow’s RNA (which acts as the messenger between DNA and the proteins), and were able to reduce BLG gene activity, thereby blocking production.

Daisy; Credit: AgResearch

Studies are now being done on Daisy, a transgenic calf, hormonally induced to lactate early. While no BLG proteins were produced, there was a higher than normal amount of casein proteins. While this has the benefit of adding higher calcium levels, and potentially increased cheese yields, unfortunately casein can also be a trigger in others of milk protein allergies. While there is still a long way to go getting this and related research approved by the FDA, this type of research is revolutionizing how we think of medicine manufacturing and distribution.

Anthes, Emily. Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech’s Brave New     
     Beasts. New York: Scientific American. 2013. Print.

Lee-Phillips, Melissa. “Genetically Engineered Cow Produces Hypoallergenic Milk.” 2 Oct 2012. Web. 9 Oct 2012. <  
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           335624.html#.UldCes2BBpM>.

Schiller, Ben. "Genetically Altered Goats Squirt Out Malaria-Curing Milk." Co.Exist. N.p., April 16, 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 
            2013. <http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679666/genetically-altered-goats-squirt-out-malaria-curing-milk>.

Sifferlin, Alexandra. “Researchers Genetically Modify a Cow to Produce Low-Allergy Milk.” 2 Oct 2012. Web. 9 Oct 2013.   
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