Recombinant DNA Technology

Recombinant DNA Technology

Human life is dependent on health. Unfortunately, over the years, health institutions in developing countries have fallen short of acceptable levels. In addition, the increased industrialization has fostered the increased production of toxic gases, whose effects have negatively affected human life. The increased severity of the issue calls for modern technologies as a perfect intervention. Recombinant DNA technology has emerged as a solution to some health issues. Recombinant DNA technology comprises techniques that alter a gene’s genetic components to have the desired traits within the organism or the product of the organism (Cooper, 2017). The paper below provides greater insight into how the advent of recombinant DNA techniques aids the understanding of proteins such as interferon, insulin, and interleukins.

Since Banting and Best isolated protein called “isletin” from the pancreas, which was later injected into diabetic dogs and proved an effective strategy, insulin has proved effective in managing the diabetic conditions. However, the implementation of the invention led to antibody-antigen resistance due to the antibody-antigen difference between humans and dogs (Baeshen et al., 2017). The other issue was that the extraction from the dog’s organ was an insinuation that impure insulin was obtained. The impure insulin presented more complications rather than solutions to diabetic patients. Recombinant DNA techniques have therefore developed a wider grasp and understanding that insulin can be artificially prepared from organisms whose result is pure and more effective insulin. DNA has genes that encode different protein types that an organism can produce. The recombinant technology encodes the protein that cuts it from the genomic DNA within a given chain sequence. The isolated pieces and the genetic component needed to encode the protein extracted from them are then analyzed. The plasmids are then subjected to incubation with a weakened E. coli strain. Gene encoding enzyme will break down some of the antibiotics that, in return, allow the bacterial ant, the plasmid growth in the plate on the plate with antibiotics (Landgraf & Sandow, 2016). The bacteria die in the process. Following that, the bacteria grow and proliferate, at which point it is prompted to generate insulin and protein similar to those found in humans. The recombinant DNA techniques have made it easier to understand that insulin can be artificially made.

Interleukins are glycoprotein components that are majorly used for immune responses for protection against inflammations and are produced by leucocytes. The glycoproteins can also be referred to as cytokines. Over time, the immune systems have been solely known to produce cytokines by themselves (Lorne, 2017). Recombinant DNA technology has proved an effective strategy in strengthening the mechanism of the cytokines. E. coli microorganism presents an improvement chance for the cytokines. E. coli contains a protein that can be extracted to help in the multiplication of the immune cells, effectively improving the cells. The recombinant DNA techniques extract the gene from E. coli, and the protein from the human is incubated together. Therefore, the gene becomes compatible with the human genetic material that helps make more cytokines. The human interleukins- formed as a result of recombinant DNA are capable of additional immune response compared to the body’s immunity (Lorne, 2017). The additional immunity is due to the protein component from the E. coli that is compatible with the human immune cells offering an effect on the microbial pathogens and reducing the pathogenicity manifestation of the viruses in the human system. Recombinant DNA techniques have made us understand that the immune cell components consist of proteins that can be modified to increase their responsive mechanism.

Interferons are proteins that are produced by cells in response to a virus. Interferons are also effective in oncological therapy and remedy. Alick and Jean discovered the interferon. The Interferons were initially thought to be only effective for the virus and oncological complications. The Interferons exist in different forms, such as “alpha, beta, gamma, and lambda” Interferons. The different Interferons have different receptors and mechanisms of action (Taylor, 2014). Initially, the Interferons were hard to obtain for clinical use until the use of the recombinant DNA techniques in cloning alpha Interferons. The alpha Interferons were the first Interferons genes in mammalian heart cells to be cloned. Cloning the Interferons in the cells makes it easier to alter the different proteins within the cells. The interference within the proteins of the cells has led to the identification of anti-hepatic genes. The insertion of the anti-hepatic genes has rendered the body resistant to hepatitis A and B. the mechanism has also been applied in Kaposi’s sarcoma, which has been an issue for quite some time (Taylor, 2014). The ability to copy and transfer genes from one organism to another has made it much easier to understand that proteins may now be cloned and their gene transferred, making them resistant to specific circumstances.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Recombinant DNA techniques have effectively promoted health promotion and understanding of proteins such as insulin, interferons, and interleukins. The recombinant DNA techniques make it easier to manufacture artificial insulin and improve the interleukin response mechanism by inserting better protein in the genes. The recombinant DNA techniques have also proved effective in oncological and virus eradication in the body system through cloning. 

References

Baeshen, N. A., Baeshen, M. N., Sheikh, A., Bora, R. S., Ahmed, M. M. M., Ramadan, H. A. I., Saini, K. S., & Redwan, E. M. (2017). Cell factories for insulin production. Microbial Cell Factories, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-014-0141-0

Cooper, G. M. (2017). Recombinant DNA. The Cell: A Molecular Approach. 2nd Edition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9950/#:~:text=This%20obstacle%20to%20the%20progress

Landgraf, W., & Sandow, J. (2016). Recombinant Human Insulins – Clinical Efficacy and Safety in Diabetes Therapy. European Endocrinology, 12(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.17925/ee.2016.12.01.12

Lorne. (2017). Recombinant Cytokine - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Www.sciencedirect.com. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/recombinant-cytokine

Taylor, M. W. (2014). Interferons. Viruses and Man: A History of Interactions, 101–119. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07758-1_7