The production of high quality recombinant proteins for the production of vaccines, diagnostic and therapeutic molecules, is costly and complex. All this can be reduced with the use of insects. The highly complex proteins (eg human) can not be synthesized in bacteria but in animal cells or transgenic animals. Currently, using insects as bioreactors specifically live worms is the most profitable alternative for the production of recombinant proteins.
The worms have been traditionally used by man for the production of silk, precious commodity product and that for many years served as currency in trade among nations.
At present they are using two types of worms: Trichoplusia ni (cabbage worm) and Bombyx mori (silkworm). Here are some examples of the use of worms:
* Production of large quantities of virus for study. Once infected the worms and after a time to grow, it liquefied these worms, obtaining a large amount of virus that will be used for various studies such as vaccine production for its eradication in humans or animals, etc …
* Creation of genetically engineered vaccines against CSF (hog cholera). Recombinant E2 protein was integrated into a worm virus (baculovirus), and the vaccine is produced in a cell line worms. This protein will be isolated and purified to administer it to pigs and cattle.
* Validation test enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Tests based on p30 protein produced in worms. With this system you can do various tests such as immunological assays or detection of ASF virus in infected animals. This whole process has a high sensitivity (the virus is detected in small amounts) and specificity (only detects a virus type). In addition to the p30 protein produced by a single larva can perform about 2000 tests.
* Making a chimera (proteins produced by two different ones) of p54 and p30. Was expressed in baculovirus and infected worms and larvae. Pigs were immunized with this new protein antibodies generated to survive virus exposure PPA (ASF). Furthermore, this protein can be used as a diagnosis of the disease.
Thus we can conclude that the worms can be a source of production of vaccines for animals as for humans, so cheap and not very complex.
