toward the commercialization process. The aim of molecular farming is to produce
large quantities of active and secure cost-effective pharmaceutical proteins. These
approaches, in comparison with other established microbial and animal expression
systems, show various advantages in the biosynthesis of pharmaceutical biomolecules. So far, lots of valuable pharmaceutical proteins and antibodies have been
produced by this method, which can help the treatment of patients remarkably in
developing countries where the production and preservation costs of such medicines
cannot be afforded. However, there are still some disputes, such as the acceptance by
the general public and the biosecurity hurdles. On the other end, it is astonishing to
consider that a technology that began with the hypothesis that the plant cells could
behave as a reactor for newly induced biosynthesis has actually resulted in lifesaving treatments like in the case of Z-Mapp and Elelyso. The recent past has seen
the emergence of PMP-based companies and the beginning of commercial era of
PMP products. The success of Protalix Biotherapeutics and Medicago (just to name
one of the expanding companies in the field) and many others will probably sustain
the future of the PMP field. Looking ahead, the progress of further products to
market and the gaining of a wider acceptance of the biopharmaceutical industry are
hoped.
Acknowledgments Silvia Massa is the recipient of the special Grant from MIUR (Italian Ministry
of University and Research) “ENEA 5 x Mille” (Young investigator Project: New therapeutic
strategies for the treatment of cancer).
References
Barta A, Sommergruber K, Thompson D, Hartmuth K, Matzke MA, Matzke AJ (1986) The
expression of a nopaline synthase - human growth hormone chimaeric gene in transformed
tobacco and sunflower callus tissue. Plant Mol Biol 6(5):347–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/
BF00034942
Binder A, Lambert J, Morbitzer R, Popp C, Ott T, Lahaye T, Parniske M (2014) A modular plasmid
assembly kit for multigene expression, gene silencing and silencing rescue in plants. PLoS One
9(2):e88218. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088218
Bortesi L, Fischer R (2015) The CRISPR/Cas9 system for plant genome editing and beyond.
Biotechnol Adv 33:41–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2014.12.006
Capodicasa C, Chiani P, Bromuro C, De Bernardis F, Catellani M, Palma AS, Liu Y, Feizi T,
Cassone A, Benvenuto E, Torosantucci A (2011) Plant production of anti-β-glucan antibodies
for immunotherapy of fungal infections in humans. Plant Biotechnol J 9:776–787. https://doi.
org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2010.00586.x
Capodicasa C, Catellani M, Moscetti I, Bromuro C, Chiani P, Torosantucci A, Benvenuto E (2017)
Comparative analysis of plant-produced, recombinant dimeric IgA against cell wall β-glucan
of pathogenic fungi. Biotechnol Bioeng 114(12):2729–2738. https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.26403
Cardi T, Lenzi P, Maliga P (2010) Chloroplasts as expression platforms for plant-produced
vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines 9(8):893–911. https://doi.org/10.1586/erv.10.78
Castle D, Dalgleish J (2005) Cultivating fertile ground for the introduction of plant-derived
vaccines in developing countries. Vaccine 23(15):1881–1885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vac
cine.2004.11.022
98
S. Massa et al.
large quantities of active and secure cost-effective pharmaceutical proteins. These
approaches, in comparison with other established microbial and animal expression
systems, show various advantages in the biosynthesis of pharmaceutical biomolecules. So far, lots of valuable pharmaceutical proteins and antibodies have been
produced by this method, which can help the treatment of patients remarkably in
developing countries where the production and preservation costs of such medicines
cannot be afforded. However, there are still some disputes, such as the acceptance by
the general public and the biosecurity hurdles. On the other end, it is astonishing to
consider that a technology that began with the hypothesis that the plant cells could
behave as a reactor for newly induced biosynthesis has actually resulted in lifesaving treatments like in the case of Z-Mapp and Elelyso. The recent past has seen
the emergence of PMP-based companies and the beginning of commercial era of
PMP products. The success of Protalix Biotherapeutics and Medicago (just to name
one of the expanding companies in the field) and many others will probably sustain
the future of the PMP field. Looking ahead, the progress of further products to
market and the gaining of a wider acceptance of the biopharmaceutical industry are
hoped.
Acknowledgments Silvia Massa is the recipient of the special Grant from MIUR (Italian Ministry
of University and Research) “ENEA 5 x Mille” (Young investigator Project: New therapeutic
strategies for the treatment of cancer).
References
Barta A, Sommergruber K, Thompson D, Hartmuth K, Matzke MA, Matzke AJ (1986) The
expression of a nopaline synthase - human growth hormone chimaeric gene in transformed
tobacco and sunflower callus tissue. Plant Mol Biol 6(5):347–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/
BF00034942
Binder A, Lambert J, Morbitzer R, Popp C, Ott T, Lahaye T, Parniske M (2014) A modular plasmid
assembly kit for multigene expression, gene silencing and silencing rescue in plants. PLoS One
9(2):e88218. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088218
Bortesi L, Fischer R (2015) The CRISPR/Cas9 system for plant genome editing and beyond.
Biotechnol Adv 33:41–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2014.12.006
Capodicasa C, Chiani P, Bromuro C, De Bernardis F, Catellani M, Palma AS, Liu Y, Feizi T,
Cassone A, Benvenuto E, Torosantucci A (2011) Plant production of anti-β-glucan antibodies
for immunotherapy of fungal infections in humans. Plant Biotechnol J 9:776–787. https://doi.
org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2010.00586.x
Capodicasa C, Catellani M, Moscetti I, Bromuro C, Chiani P, Torosantucci A, Benvenuto E (2017)
Comparative analysis of plant-produced, recombinant dimeric IgA against cell wall β-glucan
of pathogenic fungi. Biotechnol Bioeng 114(12):2729–2738. https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.26403
Cardi T, Lenzi P, Maliga P (2010) Chloroplasts as expression platforms for plant-produced
vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines 9(8):893–911. https://doi.org/10.1586/erv.10.78
Castle D, Dalgleish J (2005) Cultivating fertile ground for the introduction of plant-derived
vaccines in developing countries. Vaccine 23(15):1881–1885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vac
cine.2004.11.022
98
S. Massa et al.