Therapeutic proteins are encoded in the bird’s DNA and produced as part of the egg white

• Genetically modified chickens that produce human proteins in their eggs can offer a cost-effective method of manufacturing drugs widely used for treating cancer and other diseases, a study has found.
• The research, which initially focused on producing high quality proteins for use in scientific research, found the drugs work at least as well as the same proteins produced using existing methods.
• Eggs are already used for growing viruses that are used as vaccines, such as the flu jab.

Anti-cancer drug

• This new approach is different because the therapeutic proteins are encoded in the chicken’s DNA and produced as part of the egg white.
• Protein-based drugs, which include antibody therapies such as Avastin and Herceptin, are widely used for treating cancer and other diseases.
• For some of these proteins, the only way to produce them with sufficient quality involves mammalian cell culture techniques, which are expensive and have low yields.
• Other methods require complex purification systems and additional processing techniques, which raise costs.
• The approach is efficient and produces better yields.

The Hindu