Recombinant DNA Applications

 Download PDF Copy

By Yolanda Smith, B.Pharm.

Recombinant DNA (rDNA) has many uses in the society of today, from research and
biotechnology to the medicine stocked on the shelves of pharmacies. The ability to
manipulate the creation of DNA with technology has proven to be useful in various
applications, as outlined below.

Food Industry
The process to manufacture cheese usually relies on an enzyme called rennet, which
contains chymosin. Traditionally, this substance is taken from the stomach milk-fed
cows to manufacture cheese. However, recombinant DNA of chymosin has been in use
since 1990, and is genetically and structurally identical to the original enzyme, but can
be produced in larger quantities and a lower cost.

A specific variety of rice, golden rice, is genetically engineered with recombinant DNA to
express enzymes that promote B-carotene biosynthesis. At present this is still in the
process of passing regulations, but has the potential to reduce prevalence of vitamin A
deficiency worldwide.

Pharmaceutical Industry
Diabetic patients often require injections of human insulin to help control levels of
glucose, as they have lost the ability to regulate blood glucose effectively. Using rDNA
to create human insulin rather than obtain it form animal sources allows their
widespread use across the pharmaceutical industry.
Recombinant human growth hormone is used to support normal growth and
development for patients with malfunctions in the pituitary gland. This offers a
noticeable benefit, particularly when contrasted to previously used methods of obtaining
the hormone from cadavers, which could pose serious negative health effects.

Blood clotting factors play an essential role in the management of patients that suffer
from hemophilia, a bleeding disorder involving lack of ability to produce enough blood
clotting factor VIII for blood coagulation to function as normal. The ability to manufacture
recombinant blood clotting factor VIII allows larger quantities to be used in practice and
reduces the need for blood donation to obtain the factor naturally.

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver that can be prevented with the hepatitis B vaccine.
Recombinant DNA of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen is produced in yeast cells to
be included in the vaccine.  This is beneficial as the hepatitis virus does not proliferate
in vitro and recombinant DNA provides a method to create the DNA needed to control
hepatitis B.

Medical Research
Recombinant DNA has been used in the development of the most common diagnostic
techniques for HIV.

 The antibody test uses a recombinant HIV protein to measure antibodies in the
body that proliferate when there is a HIV infection.
 The DNA test uses reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to
detect presence of HIV genetic material. This technique was developed using
rDNA of molecules and analyzing the genome sequences.

Agricultural Industry