Synthetic biology’s clinical applications

Synthetic biology provides scientists with an arsenal of new tools to accurately and efficiently modify the molecular workings of cells to gain medical advantages. According to Jim Collins, Termers Professor of Medical Engineering and Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, “Synthetic biology brings together engineering and molecular biology to model, design, and build synthetic gene circuits and other biomolecular components and uses them to rewire and reprogram organisms for a variety of purposes.” The clinical uses of synthetic biology already cover a wide range of areas, including diagnostics and treatments. Further, these clinical applications will likely expand more rapidly over the next few years because of the easy-to-use gene editing tools now available.

In 2012, molecular biologist Martin Jinek (now at the University of Zurich in Switzerland) and his colleagues published an article about clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) systems, which make it possible for any molecular biologist to edit an organism’s DNA (scim.ag/1piiXv7). This system has quickly supplanted previous editing modalities such as zinc finger nucleases. “This is the most widely used genome editing tool,” says Collins. “It’s starting to move synthetic  biology toward nonexperts, and it caught on because it works remarkably well in many organisms and is very easy to use.”

A standard editorial manager system is utilized for manuscript submission, review, editorial processing and tracking which can be securely accessed by the authors, reviewers and editors for monitoring and tracking the article processing. Manuscripts can be uploaded via editorial system or can be forwarded to the editorial office at biochemengg@scitecjournals.com; biochemical@scholarlypub.com

This technology can be used in several clinically related applications. “The process produces stabilized linear DNA that can be used both in the biomanufacturing of therapeutic DNA products, such as DNA vaccines and DNA-based gene therapy products, and in the creation of a variety of biological products, including therapeutic antibodies and viral vectors,” Caproni explains. “In both cases, large quantities of highly pure DNA are required, and it is apparent that the provision of DNA at this scale and purity is expensive, and is often a bottleneck in product development.” Because no bacterial steps are required, large amounts of dbDNA can be made quickly, which makes it easier and more economical to create therapeutic products.