Turning microbes into medicine factories

Microbial medicine applies genetic engineering to the micro-organisms in our bodies to develop new treatments for disease. 

The human microbiome is the community of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes that inhabit just about any part of our bodies.

These microorganisms outnumber our own cells by ten to one, although they are a fraction of the size, and make up about five pounds of our body weight. And they are essential for our survival - among other things, they help us digest food, synthesise vitamins, and maintain a healthy immune system.

Thanks to recent developments in genetic engineering, these microorganisms can be modified by inserting new or altered genes into their DNA. This, in turn, can give them the ability to halt inherited diseases, or produce proteins, hormones, enzymes, antibiotics and other vital compounds – known as biodrugs or biopharmaceuticals – that can be used for the prevention and treatment of diseases like diabetes, cancer, anaemia, inflammatory bowel disease and obesity. This is what’s known as microbial medicine.

The International Human Microbiome Consortium (IHMC), a coordinated effort from organisations across the world, including the US National Institutes of Health and the European Commission, has set itself the huge task of analysing the genetic make-up of the entire human microbiome.  Through this process, called metagenomics, scientists hope to identify the metabolic functions encoded in the genes of the various microorganisms in our body. The ultimate goal is to understand how our microbiome influences health, and its potential role in the development of new therapies.

The first step into the uncharted territories of microbial medicine was taken in the early 1980s, when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appoved the use of human insulin obtained from genetically engineered Escherichia coli bacteria, as pioneered by pharma giants Ely Lilly and Genentech. This opened the door to one of the most exciting potential benefits of this new branch of biotechnology: the possibility of producing therapeutic compounds in unlimited amounts.

Since then, hundreds of new biodrugs have been produced, both by dedicated biotechnology enterprises and pharma companies, and several others are under development. Genetically engineered yeast is being manufactured by Sanofi for the production of artemisinic acid, which is used in a malaria treatment recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

South Korean scientists, meanwhile, have developed genetically modified (and non-toxic) salmonella bacteria that deliver microscopic capsules of cancer drugs directly and specifically to tumour cells, thereby limiting damage to healthy tissue.

Manufacturing biodrugs through genetic engineering is costly. It takes up to 15 years to bring a new product to the market, and the risk of failure is higher compared with traditional drugs. And while Europe is home to largest number biotechnology enterprises (these are mainly located in Germany, the UK and France), it produces fewer products, and has access to limited capital compared to the US.

But opportunities for developing innovative, more effective therapies that ensure the wellbeing of people around the world appear to be virtually unlimited.

Are 'biodrugs' the future of the pharmaceuticals industry? Share your views over on the Future Realities LinkedIn group, sponsored by Dassault Systèmes.