EPO for the Brain
Engineered Moss produces human hormone without doping activity
In the human blood, the EPO protein has attached several complex sugar structures which make up to 40% of its molecular mass. These sugar moieties modify half-life and function of the hormone in the human body. A specific form of this complex glycoprotein, the asialo-EPO, can provide tissue protection but does not stimulate red blood cells. Thus, recombinant asialo-EPO is regarded as a safe drug as it has no potential doping activity.
Scientists from the Chair of Plant Biotechnology of the University of Freiburg, Germany, around Dr. Eva Decker and Professor Ralf Reski and from the Freiburg-based biotech company greenovation have genetically engineered the moss Physcomitrella patens in such a way that it now produces recombinant human asialo-EPO in the moss bioreactor. Attachment of the correct sugar moieties to the recombinant protein was proven by Professor Friedrich Altmann from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria.
The collaborative work was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and by the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung. The researchers published their results in the current online-version of the Plant Biotechnology Journal.
Eva Decker explains: “Asialo-EPO is hard to produce in animal cell cultures. In contrast, the genetic engineering performed in moss did not alter growth or performance of the plants. We, therefore, suggest the moss bioreactor as the system of choice for the production of this potentially neuroprotective protein.”
Ralf Reski, a co-founder of greenovation and currently Senior Fellow at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) says: “This exciting new protein is the result of a combination between plant biotechnology and synthetic biology we are dedicated to in our Freiburg-based research cluster of excellence, BIOSS. We hope that its potential as biopharmaceutical will be assessed soon.” FRIAS and BIOSS are both funded by the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments.
Original publication
Juliana Parsons, Friedrich Altmann, Claudia K. Arrenberg, Anna Koprivova, Anna K. Beike, Christian Stemmer, Gilbert Gorr, Ralf Reski, Eva L. Decker: "Moss-based production of asialo-erythropoietin devoid of Lewis A and other plant-typical carbohydrate determinants." Plant Biotechnology Journal 2012.
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Original publication
Juliana Parsons, Friedrich Altmann, Claudia K. Arrenberg, Anna Koprivova, Anna K. Beike, Christian Stemmer, Gilbert Gorr, Ralf Reski, Eva L. Decker: "Moss-based production of asialo-erythropoietin devoid of Lewis A and other plant-typical carbohydrate determinants." Plant Biotechnology Journal 2012.
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