Insulin animal-derived

Human insulin is derived from a biosynthetic process using strains of Escherichia coli (recombinant DNA, rDNA). Human insulin appears to cause fewer allergic reactions than does insulin obtained from animal sources. Insulin analogy, insulin lispro, and insulin aspart are newer forms of human insulin made by using recombinant DNA technology and are structurally similar to human insulin. 

Although a high degree of homology is evident between insulins from various species, the same is not true for proinsulins, as the C peptide sequence can vary considerably. This has therapeutic implications, as the presence of proinsulin in animal-derived insulin preparations can potentially elicit an immune response in humans. 

Traditionally, commercial insulin preparations were produced by direct extraction from pancreatic tissue of slaughterhouse pigs and cattle, followed by multistep chromatographic purification. However, the use of animal-derived product had a number of potential disadvantages, including ... 

Human forms are derived from recombinant or biosynthetic human insulin. Animal sources are derived from purified pork insulin. 

Endogenous substances given essentially as replacement therapy (i.e., physiological levels), particularly where there is previous clinical experience with similar products (e.g., animal insulins, pituitary-derived growth hormone, and calcitonin). 

Insulin (see text) is traditionally isolated from horses and swine, and it has been used to treat type I diabetes melli-tus. However, after many years of use, about 5% of diabetics develop a severe allergy to the foreign protein. These people can now be treated with bacteria-derived human insulin, which costs only about 10% more than the animal-derived hormones. 

Biotechnology-derived products have led to renewed interest in establishing reference standards based on the same bulk of material. Thus a single formulation, assay, and reference standard may be the fact worldwide. This situation can become complex such as with insulin where both biotechnology-derived insulin and animal-source insulin are in the marketplace at the same time. 

A wide range of pharmaceutical substances are derived from animal sources (Table 1.10). Many are protein-based and detailed description of products such as insulin and other polypeptide hormones, antibody preparations, vaccines, enzymes, etc., have been deferred to subsequent chapters. (Many of the therapeutic proteins are now also produced by recombinant DNA technology. Considerable overlap would have been generated had a product obtained by direct extraction from native sources been discussed here, with further discussion of a version of the same product produced by recombinant DNA technology at a later stage.) Non-proteinaceous pharmaceuticals originally derived from animal sources include steroid (sex) hormones, corticosteroids and prostaglandins. A limited discussion of these substances is presented below, as they will not be discussed in subsequent chapters. Most of these substances are now prepared synthetically. 

Not all vanadium chelates have antidiabetic properties in animals. For instance, four mixed 0,S binding bidentate ligand precursors were derived from maltol to yield four new complexes, two pyranthiones and two pyridinethiones. These complexes are hydrolytically stable and had no observable insulin-enhancing properties [147], The ultimate effectiveness of a vanadium-complex as an antidiabetic drug... 

Biotechnology-derived pharmaceuticals (biopharmaceuticals) appeared for the first time in the 1980s for medical treatment of diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and hypophysical dwarfism. Since then the number and types of biopharmaceuticals have climbed and continue to dramatically increase. One reason for the increase is the evolution of recombinant manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. This has provided sufficient amounts of proteins for development and clinical use, whereas, for example, the amount of insulin or growth hormones extracted from animal or human tissues had been limited. Another... 

MTP-3115 (93), a close derivative of MTP-1307 (92), also improves glucose tolerance in normal and diabetic mice, but unlike the two previous compounds MTP-3115 also lowers blood glucose levels in fed and fasted animals, both normal and insulin-resistant. Since insulin secretagogues do not normally have an effect in insulin-resistant models, MTP-3115 is likely to exert its hypoglycaemic effect by a different mechanism [398], although an insulin releasing effect has been reported [399]. 

The words natural and organic are quite appealing to the consumer. Synthetic is often considered less desirable. Many believe that natural is better, safer, or not foreign to the body, but quite the opposite may exist. Native is identical to what is produced by or present in the body. Natural products refers to substances that are use to promote health or treat illness derived from plant, mineral, or animal sources. Organic refers to the level of pesticides or chemicals used in the growing process. For example, insulin from pork or beef sources is natural, but not native. Recombinant insulin is synthetic, but native. Thus, synthetic, as in synthetic insulin or estrogen, does not necessarily mean foreign or less desirable. 

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