The future of plant-produced pharmaceuticals and industrial proteins

Abstract

For more than 4,000 years, extracts from plants have been used regionally for pharmaceutical purposes. To be of practical value for industrial use, however, a means of production that would provide a ready supply of the plant tissue is required. This was not always possible due to geographic or climatic conditions necessary for growth of the plant, thereby limiting production. In more recent years, the active ingredient contained in the plant could be identified and reproduced in a laboratory by synthetic chemistry to provide commercial quantities. These early approaches focused on small molecules and proteins were excluded because of their complex nature and cost of their chemical synthesis. With the advent of recombinant DNA technology, proteins have taken on a new life and, with their high degree of specificity, have led to many eco-friendly product solutions for the environment and increased safety in patient care. This chapter reviews the history, and casts a look to the future, of plants as hosts for recombinant protein production.