Abstract
Molecules derived from plants make up a sizeable proportion of the drugs currently available on the market. These include a number of secondary metabolite compounds the monetary value of which is very high. New pharmaceuticals often originate in nature. Approximately 50% of new drug entities against cancer or microbial infections are derived from plants or micro-organisms. However, these compounds are structurally often too complex to be economically manufactured by chemical synthesis, and frequently isolation from naturally grown or cultivated plants is not a sustainable option. Therefore the biotechnological production of high-value plant secondary metabolites in cultivated cells is potentially an attractive alternative. Compared to microbial systems eukaryotic organisms such as plants are far more complex, and our understanding of the metabolic pathways in plants and their regulation at the systems level has been rather poor until recently. However, metabolic engineering including advanced multigene transformation techniques and state-of-art metabolomics platforms has given us entirely new tools to exploit plants as Green Factories. Single step engineering may be successful on occasion but in complex pathways, intermediate gene interventions most often do not affect the end product accumulation. In this review we discuss recent developments towards elucidation of complex plant biosynthetic pathways and the production of a number of highvalue pharmaceuticals including paclitaxel, tropane, morphine and terpenoid indole alkaloids in plants and cell cultures.
Keywords: Plant cell culture, medicinal plants, natural products, secondary metabolites, pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering.
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title:Plant Cells as Pharmaceutical Factories
Volume: 19 Issue: 31
Author(s): Heiko Rischer, Suvi T. Hakkinen, Anneli Ritala, Tuulikki Seppanen-Laakso, Bruna Miralpeix, Teresa Capell, Paul Christou and Kirsi-Marja Oksman-Caldentey
Affiliation:
Keywords: Plant cell culture, medicinal plants, natural products, secondary metabolites, pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering.
Abstract: Molecules derived from plants make up a sizeable proportion of the drugs currently available on the market. These include a number of secondary metabolite compounds the monetary value of which is very high. New pharmaceuticals often originate in nature. Approximately 50% of new drug entities against cancer or microbial infections are derived from plants or micro-organisms. However, these compounds are structurally often too complex to be economically manufactured by chemical synthesis, and frequently isolation from naturally grown or cultivated plants is not a sustainable option. Therefore the biotechnological production of high-value plant secondary metabolites in cultivated cells is potentially an attractive alternative. Compared to microbial systems eukaryotic organisms such as plants are far more complex, and our understanding of the metabolic pathways in plants and their regulation at the systems level has been rather poor until recently. However, metabolic engineering including advanced multigene transformation techniques and state-of-art metabolomics platforms has given us entirely new tools to exploit plants as Green Factories. Single step engineering may be successful on occasion but in complex pathways, intermediate gene interventions most often do not affect the end product accumulation. In this review we discuss recent developments towards elucidation of complex plant biosynthetic pathways and the production of a number of highvalue pharmaceuticals including paclitaxel, tropane, morphine and terpenoid indole alkaloids in plants and cell cultures.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Rischer Heiko, Hakkinen T. Suvi, Ritala Anneli, Seppanen-Laakso Tuulikki, Miralpeix Bruna, Capell Teresa, Christou Paul and Oksman-Caldentey Kirsi-Marja, Plant Cells as Pharmaceutical Factories, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2013; 19 (31) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612811319310017
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612811319310017 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
BCR/ABL1 Fusion Transcripts Generated from Alternative Splicing: Implications for Future Targeted Therapies in Ph+ Leukaemias
Current Molecular Medicine Evaluation of Direct Effect of Testosterone on NGEP and LM O1 Expression in LNCaP Prostate Cancer Cells
Current Biomarkers (Discontinued) Eph/Ephrin Signalling and Function in Oncogenesis: Lessons from Embryonic Development
Current Cancer Drug Targets Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/6 (Cdk4/6) Inhibitors: Perspectives in Cancer Therapy and Imaging
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry The Efficacy of Vitamin K, A Member Of Naphthoquinones in the Treatment of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Current Cancer Drug Targets Antiplatelet and Antileukocyte Effects of Cardiovascular,Immunomodulatory and Chemotherapeutic Drugs
Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Oncoproteomics of Neuroblastoma: A Blueprint for Future Progress
Current Proteomics Origins and Consequences of AID Expression in Lymphoid Neoplasms
Current Immunology Reviews (Discontinued) Interaction Between Arsenic Trioxide and Human Primary Cells: Emphasis on Human Cells of Myeloid Origin
Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets (Discontinued) Epigenetic Alterations of the Wnt/β -Catenin Pathway in Human Disease
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets Effect of Drugs in Cells and Tissues by NMR Spectroscopy
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Chemotherapy of Chagas Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design Bioengineering RNA Silencing Across the Life Kingdoms
Recent Patents on Biotechnology The Role of Nucleoside Transport in the Antineoplastic Activity of Purine Nucleoside Chemotherapeutic Agents
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews HDAC as a Therapeutic Target for Treatment of Endometrial Cancers
Current Pharmaceutical Design Immunotoxins Constructed with Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins and their Enhancers: A Lethal Cocktail with Tumor Specific Efficacy
Current Pharmaceutical Design In Vivo Target Validation: Methodology and Case Studies on the Janus Kinase Tyk2
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Metabolism and Distribution of Novel Tumor Targeting Drugs In Vivo
Current Drug Metabolism The Effect of Lipoic Acid on Macro and Trace Metal Levels in Living Tissues Exposed to Oxidative Stress
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry New Insights about the Potential Application of the Association of Vitamins C (Sodium Ascorbate) and K3 (Menadione) as Auxiliary Therapy in Cancer Treatment
Medicinal Chemistry Reviews - Online (Discontinued)