6 Directions of the Biotech Industry
Biotech is at its peak right now, but where is it heading? Which are the newest technologies revolutionizing our health and bodies?
Our organs are made of tissues that are made of different types of cells. A brief knowledge of how cells work would be useful for a better understanding of how some of the following technologies work. Genes are part of the cell, more specifically, they store the hereditary information and form the genome. In other words, different genes give one’s body different characteristics like gender, eye color, skin color and so on.
One can say that the cell is the most basic component of the body. The life of the cell is a simple one, it is created, it fulfills its purpose and then dies and gets eliminated. Some of the cells face changes in their genome, also called mutations. These changes can be anything from missing genes to added or copied ones. When this happens, the cell starts dividing abnormally and does not fulfill its purpose anymore. If it is not eliminated, it forms tumors.
In the following paragraphs, using the previously presented knowledge, you will be able to understand how the latest trends in the Biotech industry work. Six different technologies have been chosen, based on their revolutionary impact and usage.
Targeted treatments
Chemotherapy is, at the moment, one of the most used methods in treating cancer. It is harmful to both the cancer cells and the healthy cells. Fortunately, there are some other treatments available, but they are still not enough on their own and work together with standard treatments like chemotherapy. When working together, the alternative treatments reduce the damage caused by the standard methods. Some of these alternative methods are targeted therapy and immuno-oncology.
Targeted treatments can be used in different ways. They can stop the tumor from spreading by not letting it form blood vessels, which assure nutrition. Without these, it is impossible for the tumor to grow.
One more feature that targeted treatments have is to act as a protector for targets around the cancer cells. The name “targeted” comes from their particular characteristic of acting differently, not only from one type of cancer to another but also from one patient to another. New types of targeted treatments are being developed every day and there is much more room for development.
Cell and Gene Therapy (CRISPR)
Cell and Gene Therapy, more specifically, the CRISPR gene-editing technique, is a genetic engineering technique in molecular biology by which the genomes of living organisms can be modified without any surgical procedure. This process is said to take place in vivo, meaning without extracting the target from the host. As mentioned earlier, cells may suffer from mutations. These mutations cause many diseases, such as cancer, autism, and hemophilia (more about genetic disorders here).
The CRISPR is using the bacterial antiviral defense system of the Cas9 protein. The protein is inserted in the organism together with a synthetic guide sequence of RNA. Once inserted, the protein detects the sequence identical to the one of the synthetic guide. By using the defense mechanism, it slices the desired sequence from the cell’s genome. In other words, the altered genes or sequences of genes caused by mutations can be removed from the organism. (more about this technique here).
Scientists are still trying to figure out how the human genome works, so even if the discovery of this technique was made public in 2012, it is still a developing field, and there is much more room for new innovative breakthroughs. It also brought with it many conflicts among specialists, most of them on an ethical and legal basis. The most talked-about one was in 2019 when a scientist helped create the first genome-edited babies. As a result, the process of genome-editing on humans was considered unethical and, for now, is not encouraged.
Even if this is a sensitive subject at the moment, CRISPR is still under development and already used in some medical areas. Other proteins that work even more precisely than Cas9 have been discovered. One example is protein Cas14.
BMIs
The BMIs are so en vogue that even Elon Musk has a start-up in the field. BMI stands for Brain-Machine Interface, and it is a technology that links the brain (or muscle) stimuli with the computer. As a result, it can provide a lot of benefits, from helping disabled people to improving human bodies, helping them overcome their physical limitations.
There is a lot of research taking place in this domain. One of the researches aims to transform brain signals into audible responses to support individuals who suffered traumatic injuries or have paralysis. Some aim to connect multiple brains to form human brain networks. Others want to mimic and use the muscular stimuli from parts of the body, like hands. A lot of novel technologies are developed here, technologies that can change how we operate a computer or even our own bodies.
Augmented reality for surgery
Augmented reality has become remarkably popular and is a significantly useful tool for surgeons. It helps minimize the possible damages which can take place during surgery and increase the success rate of the procedure. It gives the surgeon easy visual access to areas around the targeted location, and so provides the specialist with an ensemble view.
It consists of complex setups using cameras, sensors and some processing units like computers (check out the collaboration between Philips and Microsoft and their product Hololenses 2 for a more detailed understanding of how these setups work). The technology still has room for development, and there are many people already trying to take it to the next level.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is divided into two main parts: one that consists of electronic medical records and one that focuses on providing users with online medical assistance. Electronic medical records can facilitate cross-border interoperability and reduce the cost of healthcare significantly. This will allow better and faster innovation while respecting one’s privacy. Online medical assistance could spare both the patient and the doctor a lot of trouble, in the case of a minor injury, and might make the examination more comfortable for the patient.
A lot of private companies, as well as a handful of governmental initiatives, have already jumped on this bandwagon. The electronic health record (DMP) system in France, a free service adopted voluntarily through French territories since its launch in 2011, is a good example of the safe and successful application of EHRs for better healthcare. Another example is Belgian-American Andaman7, which allows patients to create a personal health record (PHR) on their smartphone.
Artificial organs
The main issue when it comes to a transplant is finding a donor. Fortunately, this is becoming less and less of a struggle. Another new trend in surgery is using 3D printed organs for transplants. The 3D printers use bio-ink, a printable material made from living cells that can be used to model tissues. Bio-inks can contain one or more types of cells, depending on the necessity. They are usually blended with suspension cells, which are cells that guide them towards fulfilling the desired purpose. The guiding cells can come from a donor, or even from the patient itself, in order to produce a personalized organ that will easily adapt inside the body.
So far, the technology of 3D printed tissue has created some fully functional organs, which led to successful transplants all around the world. Some of the successfully 3D printed organs which are also available on the “market” are kidney, liver, heart, cornea, and bones (check this article about the 3D Printed Organ Market).
All of these discoveries are huge steps in improving our bodies and health. Ideals like never getting sick or old or even living forever are closer to us than ever before. We are ready to enjoy the change and the future that could be even more fabulous than the present.
Written by Iulia Bunescu
Market Researcher at Linnify
