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 Some
of the most promising and powerful applications of genetic engineering
are in the field of medicine. Researchers are using it to diagnose
and predict disease, and to develop therapies and drugs to treat
devastating diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and cystic
fibrosis. Explore more about ways genetic engineering techniques
can be used for medical purposes.
Recombinant
DNA
Recombinant
DNA is one of the core techniques of genetic engineering. It is
the process of removing DNA from one organism and inserting it into
the DNA of another organism, giving it new traits. Recombinant DNA
can be used to make crops resistant to pests or disease, it can
be used to make livestock leaner or larger. In medicine, the technique
can be used to develop drugs, vaccines, and to reproduce important
human hormones and proteins. By engineering human DNA into a host
organism, that organism can be turned into a factory for important
medical products. Insulin production is an excellent example of
the recombinant DNA process. Host organisms can range from bacteria
like E. coli, to plants, to animals.
Genetically
Engineered Pharmaceuticals
insulin for
diabetics
factor VIII for males suffering from hemophilia A
factor IX for hemophilia B
human growth hormone (GH)
erythropoietin (EPO) for treating anemia
three types of interferons - fight viral infectios
several interleukins
granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for stimulating
the bone marrow after a bone
marrow transplant
tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) for dissolving blood clots
adenosine deaminase (ADA) for treating some forms of severe combined
immunodeficiency (SCID)
angiostatin and endostatin for trials as anti-cancer drugs
parathyroid hormone
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Genetically
Engineered Insulin
 The
resulting insulin is so close to human insulin that it is virtually
impossible to distinguish one from the other. More
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