With the stamp of Cesar Milstein
monoclonal antibodies, those that earned him the Nobel Cesar Milstein in 1984, will begin to be developed in Argentina. A consortium formed by the INTI, Roffo Institute, the University of Quilmes and three private labs won a competition at the Ministry of Science and Technology to do so. INTI treated in a dedicated laboratory, which will be available to the public or private entities who intend to industrial production of these drugs. Monoclonal antibodies are widely used in diagnosis, since the pregnancy test that is sold in pharmacies even the most sophisticated and treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. In recent years, internationally, its applications have grown a lot. Until now Argentina imports all consuming, for a value above 200 million dollars a year.
The project was selected for one of the grants that the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation has, in this case, applications of biotechnology in the health sector, amounting to about seven million dollars. In addition to public institutions, comprise the consortium laboratories PharmADN, Elea and Romikin. "All we were working together for years in this area, "said Alberto Diaz, director of the Biotechnology Center of the INTI (National Institute of Industrial Technology), who was director of the career of Biotechnology at the University of Quilmes.
The project developed in the coming years the first monoclonal antibody molecules to be produced industrially in Argentina, but also, ideally, will be mounted on the INTI the technological capacity to other companies or the state manufacture these substances, " Diaz added.
Monoclonal antibodies were developed by the Argentine César Milstein (Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1984) in Britain, where he had emigrated after the military coup of 1962 -. Antibodies, you know, are chemicals that the body produces in reaction to the presence of a foreign molecule, present for example in a virus. The antibody is produced by cells called lymphocytes, in contact with the invading molecule, the lymphocyte produces a substance that allows the immune system cells recognize and destroy it.
But lymphocytes do not play outside the body: how to produce antibodies in industrial quantities? This was the problem resolved Milstein: Working with mice, managed to merge cells with cells from tumors, and hybrid cell was achieved, lymphocyte, its ability to produce specific antibody, tumor cell, its ability to reproduce indefinitely. All of these progeny cells were equal to each other: a single clone. Then: "monoclonal antibodies".
In the years since its inception, the monoclonal antibodies are "humanized" by genetic engineering, it does lose its characteristics of mouse-which in turn generate adverse reactions in the body, "and has perfected the technique of industrial production, cell cultures required in huge quantities. Today it is widely used in diagnosis and treatment of some types of cancer and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The usefulness of these antibodies is that they can make very specific substance, for example, which is present on the surface of certain tumor and only there. For this, of course, is to develop specific antibody. "Of about 30 existing in the world, about ten are imported to Argentina, with an annual value of about 200 or 250 million dollars," said Alejandro Krimer, project development manager of the Biotechnology Center of INTI. The project would make possible to produce them here. The
grant money, "about two million dollars will be invested in the development of monoclonal antibody plant in INTI," said Krim. This plant will be located halfway between laboratory research and commercial enterprise: "A research laboratory working with cell culture medium in containers of one liter capacity, a commercial laboratory with cultures of one to two thousand gallons; INTI's lab will have a capacity of 50 to 100 liters, ie, will achieve the first step on an industrial scale. " Krimer
explains the function of this scale Performance: "A difficult domestic private laboratory at risk of setting up a plant at this level to develop a product that might not work: when state spending is distributed in the developments that made different private or public. What is not business for the company it is for the NRTIs, it is put into effect a technology transfer role, used national workforce, it generates domestic products are taxed and the end recover investment. " Pedro Lipcovich
mejorsalud
0 comments:
Post a Comment