By Leo Cora
Plasmid DNA has emerged as a key development in the biological drug manufacturing industry. It plays a vital role in next-generation cell production, vaccines, and even gene therapies. If one is concerned about what is Plasmid DNA, he/she must understand that it is the future of biopharma manufacturers around the world. Several manufacturing expertise units in the world are facilitating advancement in important therapies and investing millions of money in the sector.
What are plasmids?
Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA units, usually circular, and found across a wide range of bacterial species. The DNA units function independently and have the potential to self-replicate. Furthermore, plasmids are also found to consist of genes that can encode cellular activity proteins, vital for the survival of bacteria.
A few plasmids are engaged in the development of resistance to foreign substance digesting, antibiotics, and killing other types of bacteria. They can be chosen from the environment and shifted between bacteria through HGT or Horizontal Gene Transfer procedure. Thus offers a unique nonsexual procedure for transferring genetic information between individual bacterial species and across a range of species.
Understanding of Plasmid
In the 1940s, scientists and researchers were aware of the existence and presence of independent strands of DNA in bacterial cells. The understanding of what plasmid DNA is, its functions, and its significance were not well understood. It was in 1952 when the terminology plasmid was coined.
The plasmid was referred to as any extrachromosomal gene element. It was observed that virus strains picking up bacterial DNA got transferred to another virus-host by the transduction process. When it was realized that DNA is the genetic information carrier, the plasmid DNA strands with the potential to shift became clearer. By 1960 several plasmids were discovered, thereby making a significant contribution in the field of biotechnology.
Easy genetic modification
Scientists and researchers across the biotechnology discipline manipulate plasmids as and when required. Plasmids have the reputation of an attractive genetic engineering tool, because of the stability and ease of genetic modification features. Plasmids are said to have 1000 to 30,000 DNA base pairs, which makes them easier and simpler to manage or handle.
The highlighting feature is that there is no degradation when cut and returned to the original shape. Therefore, researchers and scientists find it easier to incorporate new DNA successions into current plasmid backbones. Furthermore, their self-replication in bacterial cells helps to generate a large amount of DNA.
Therapeutic protein production
In the 1970s, for the first time, the first pharmaceutical application of plasmids was acknowledged. The biotechnology sector understood what Plasmid DNA is and its application in the biopharma sector. The pharma sector introduced recombinant DNA into bacteria, enabling the production of therapeutic proteins.
As years passed by and advancement was made in the biotechnology discipline, utilizing transgene plasmids, human insulin production was successful. By the 1980s, advancement in transfection procedures and the expression vector led to the production and manufacture of complex proteins and biomolecules used for multiple therapeutic purposes.
Manufacturing gene therapies and vaccines
At the beginning of 1991, researchers were experimenting and exploring the use of plasmid DNA for gene therapies. Plasmids are preferred for gene therapies because of their quality of generating a large quantity of DNA, with lower risks of immunogenicity and oncogenesis. Moreover, they are also easier to manufacture in huge quantities and have the right stability for pharmaceutical manufacturing purposes.
In the modern era, the majority of gene therapies are delivered in vital vector format, manufactured using multiple distinct plasmids. Plasmid DNA can easily stimulate antibodies (humoral immunity) as well as T cells (cell-mediated immunity). This is the primary reason for their application in vaccines. DNA vaccines are a revolutionary discovery, and they are under the later development phase for addressing several diseases like HIV-AIDS, neurological problems, several types of cancer, Ebola, malaria, and different types of influenza.
After researchers from all over the world have understood what Plasmid DNA is, they started working on the manufacturing of vaccines and gene therapies. The plasmids are used in a way to generate proteins from specific pathogens and then purified for vaccines. When the plasmid DNA is used for gene therapies, there is no need to include any infectious elements in the body. Moreover, their stable nature enables large-scale manufacturing.
Functions of plasmids
Plasmid DNA performs multiple functions. The bacterial survival improvement is found in genes that make use of plasmids. This is found in genes that are responsible for eliminating other bacterial strains as a defense mechanism for the host via toxin production. The bacterial replication feature is also one of the highlighting functions of some plasmids. The tiny size of plasmids terminates the found DNA that seems to possess a specific function. This is in contrast with the presence of an abundance of noncoding DNA. Furthermore, a single cell might consist of a wide array of coexisting plasmids, each one of them with distinct functions.
Using plasmids in DNA technology
Since plasmids can replicate bacteria cells, they are also referred to as replicons. The DNA units can imitate independently within a relevant suitable host. Thanks to the automatic replicating features that make plasmids useful for creating identical DNA pieces. This is a molecular biology process, which is known as DNA cloning.
A target gene is incorporated into the plasmid to create a clone. Plasmids play a significant role in gene therapy and are widespread across the globe. Recombinant DNA technology utilizes plasmids to deliver insulin and different hormonal agents into the body. The lab-modified plasmids create an antibiotic resistance that kills the harmful bacteria in the body.
Conclusion
Once researchers and scientists figured out what is Plasmid DNA is, they have utilized and used them as an efficient tool to clone DNA, manipulate genes, and also transfer genes from one host to another. It has been several decades since plasmids DNA has been in use in the biotechnology sector. With the latest and the most advanced technological innovations, plasmid DNA has been paving the way for the future of biopharma discoveries.
