Application of microbes in pharmaceutical industries

 

Application of microbes in pharmaceutical industries

Microbes are used for the production of drugs, vaccines, enzymes, and various therapeutic agents in the pharmaceutical industry. They are invaluable tools in drug discovery, manufacturing, and development. The important products that manufactured by microorganism in pharmaceutical industry is described below.

1. Vaccine Production

Vaccines are biological preparations that provide immunity against infectious diseases.  A vaccine contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microorganism, its toxins or its surface proteins.

Types of Vaccines:

Live Attenuated Vaccines - These vaccines use a weakened (attenuated) form of the microorganisms that can still grow but does not cause disease.  Examples: Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccine, Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV)

Inactivated (Killed) Vaccines - These vaccines contain microorganisms that have been killed or inactivated so they cannot reproduce.  Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Hepatitis A Vaccine

Subunit and Conjugate Vaccines - These vaccines use molecules like proteins or polysaccharides of the microorganisms to stimulate an immune response. Hepatitis B Vaccine - Contains the surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine 

Toxoid Vaccines - These vaccines use inactivated toxins produced by bacteria to elicit immunity.  Examples - Diphtheria and Tetanus Vaccines - contain inactivated toxins (toxoids) of Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Clostridium tetani, respectively.

2. Production of Antibiotics

Antibiotics are one of the most significant contributions of microbes to medicine. They inhibit the growth or kill bacteria, fungi, virus, etc.

Bacteria - Streptomycin from Streptomyces griseus, Tetracycline from Streptomyces rimosus, Erythromycin from Streptomyces erythreus, Bacitracin from Bacillus subtilis.

Fungi - Penicillin from Penicillium chrysogenum, Cephalosporins from Cephalosporium

3. Production of Therapeutic Enzymes

Therapeutic enzymes are proteins used to treat diseases by replacing deficient or absent enzymes in patients or by facilitating biochemical reactions in the body. Microbes are used to produce these enzymes on an industrial scale.

Streptokinase produced by Streptococcus and is used to dissolve blood clots in patients with myocardial infarction (heart attack) or deep vein thrombosis.

Asparaginase produced by Escherichia coli and Erwinia chrysanthemi used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) to deplete asparagine, an amino acid necessary for cancer cell growth.

Cellulase produced by fungi like Trichoderma reesei used in the treatment of disorders like Gaucher’s disease to help in breaking down complex carbohydrates.

4. Probiotics

Probiotics are "live microbial feed supplement which beneficially affects the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance".  Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures, such as in yogurt or as dietary supplements. Probiotics are also delivered in fecal transplants, in which  stool from a healthy donor is delivered like a suppository to a patient.  Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics and certain yeasts and bacilli are also used.

Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 -   Improve abdominal pain and bloating in IBS patients.

Lactobacillus paracasei St11 - reduce incidence of H. pylori-caused gastritis and reduce inflammation

5. Biopharmaceuticals such as proteins, hormones, etc

Recombinant Proteins

Insulin: Human insulin is now produced using recombinant DNA technology from Escherichia coli or yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is produced using recombinant E. coli

Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) are produced in mammalian cell cultures for use in treating cancers, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases.

Gene Therapy Vectors - Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Vectors and Lentiviral Vectors are used in gene therapy to deliver therapeutic genes to patients

6. Production of Amino Acids and Vitamins

Microbes are used in the industrial production of essential amino acids and vitamins, which are used as dietary supplements or as ingredients in pharmaceutical formulations.

Amino Acids:

Glutamic Acid (Monosodium Glutamate - MSG) produced by Corynebacterium glutamicum is used as a flavor enhancer in food and in parenteral nutrition formulations.

Lysine  Produced by Corynebacterium glutamicum and Escherichia coli is used as a dietary supplement.

Methionine Produced by Escherichia coli is used as a supplement in pharmaceuticals and animal feed.

Vitamins:

Vitamin B12 Produced by Propionibacterium and Pseudomonas species is used in the treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency and in multivitamin formulations.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Produced by Ashbya gossypii and Bacillus subtilis is used as a dietary supplement and in the fortification of foods.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) Produced by Acetobacter species is used as an antioxidant and dietary supplement.

7. Biotransformation and Synthesis of Complex Molecules

Biotransformation involves the use of microbes to convert simple compounds into more complex and valuable products, often with higher specificity and efficiency than chemical methods.

Steroid Transformation to convert precursor steroids such as cortisone or prednisone into active steroid drugs by Fungi like Rhizopus species and bacteria like Corynebacterium species.

Microbes are used to produce enantiomerically pure compounds, which are critical in the development of safe and effective drugs. Example is the production of (S)-naproxen, an anti-inflammatory drug using microbes.

8. Production of Bioactive Compounds

Statins such as lovastatin and simvastatin, Produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus species are used to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Immunosuppressants such as rapamycin or tacrolimus produced by Streptomyces is used as an immunosuppressant during organ transplantation.

Anticancer Compounds such as doxorubicin and bleomycin from Streptomyces species are used in chemotherapy to treat various cancers.