Despite the promise of cholinesterases as effective
treatments against nerve-agent intoxication, the practicality of this
therapeutic approach depends on the availability of large amounts of these
enzymes. Furthermore, these enzymes are required in stoichiometric rather than
catalytic quantities.
The present invention is a method of making a transgenic
plant that is capable of expressing a physiologically active human
acetylcholinesterase (AChE), human butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) or their
derivatives. It is a robust system that is capable of production and delivery of
effective countermeasures against pesticides and non-conventional warfare
agents. ASU researchers have identified that a more efficient and less costly
enzyme source is greatly needed; thus, they have dedicated their work to
increasing the yield and purity of the enzymes produced in transgenic plants by
increasing the levels of expression of the enzymes in plants. This is done so by
optimizing the expression constructs that encode them for expression in plants.
Potential Applications
The market for the plant-production of enzymes is poised to
grow rapidly, fueled by the need for a reliable, safe, non-supply limited and
inexpensive source of ChEs, and the emergence of other transgenic plant
technologies.
- Prophylaxis for anticipated exposure
- Post-exposure treatment of victims
- Topical skin protectants
- Personal and large filtering devices
- Decontamination of equipment and
buildings
Benefits and Advantages
The transgenic plant offers:
- Quality – enzymes produced are fully equivalent to
enzymes derived from other sources
- Improved safety – no concerns of human pathogen and prion
contamination
- Scalability – rapid, extremely large scale-up is possible
with this technology
- Production flexibility with low capital investment –
large stockpiles of transgenic seeds can be produced and stored in disperse
locations
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For more information about the inventor(s) and their
research, please see
Dr. Mor's
departmental webpage
Dr. Mor's laboratory
webpage
