Biotechnology 54000, September 8, 2009
Case Studies in rDNA drugs
Biotechnology 54000, September 8, 2009
Case Studies in rDNA drugs
I. Case Studies: How well do your know your Biotechnology Drugs?
Patient 1: Is a 60-year-old woman who has been rushed to the ER, complaining of pain in the center of her chest that is spreading down her shoulders, neck and arms. A team of emergency room physicians determine that the woman is suffering an Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI; heart attack), most likely due to a blood clot in her coronary arteries. What medication would likely be administered to this woman to restore blood flow to the heart within minutes of injection? Briefly, how does this medication work?
Patient 2: Is a 50-year-old man with Type I diabetes. He visits his physician because he is concerned about a number of small sores on his feet that do not seem to be healing well. He also saw a TV commercial on a new diabetes medicine, Byetta. He wants to discuss trying Byetta alone or in combination with the Humalog mix he currently takes. What is “Humalog Mix” and would you recommend for this patient’s two concerns?
Patient 3: is undergoing chemotherapy for malignant melanoma. What are two rDNA drug options that drugs might be recommended for this patient? How are they different? Why might Aranesp and Neulasta be prescribed along with the chemotherapy regimen?
Patient 4: Is a 35-year old man admitted to the hospital with bacterial pneumonia. Although a course of IV antibiotics is administered, his symptoms suddenly and rapidly worsen, with loss of consciousness, systemic blood clotting, and indications of multiple organ failure presenting within 4 hours of his admittance. Given the rapid deterioration of the patient’s health, what life-threatening condition would you suspect (other than pneumonia!), and what rDNA medication would you recommend?
Patient 5: Is a 12-year-old girl with Turner syndrome (45,
X0). She is far shorter than her peers, a common feature of women with Turner syndrome, and her
pediatrician predicts her full height will be 4 feet, 8 inches. Her parents
would like to investigate treatments that might increase the height of their
daughter while she is still growing. What two approved choices for medication might be
indicated for this girl, and as a pediatrician, what are some benefits and drawbacks
of this type of treatment that you might discuss with this otherwise healthy
young girl - and her concerned parents?
Quick diagnosis! What rDNA meds would be indicated for
the following people:
Patient 6: A 50-year old man with chronic plaque psoriasis.
Patient 7: A 9th grade girl in Indiana, before she can be allowed to enter
her freshman year in High School, 2009
Patient 8:A man with a “central line” (central
venous access catheter) that has become occluded by a blood clot
Patient 9: A 40-year old patient recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
Patient 10: A healthy, 22-year old woman, not yet sexually active, who visits her physician for her annual Pap smear
Patient 10: A 70-year old female with osteoporosis
Patients 11-16: Hmmm...what are the chances of this happening?
6 patients are all in a waiting room. One patient has been diagnosed with Malignant melanoma, one with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, another with Hairy cell leukemia, still another with Kaposi's sarcoma, one with Chronic hepatitis B (HBV), and a final person with Condylomata acuminata (if you don't know, don't ask!). Amazingly, they find that they are all taking the SAME medication, which is...
II. Human Growth Hormone: cDNA cloning and expression in Bacteria
1. Who authored this paper? (and what does this have to do with the Midnight Raid of Peter Seeburg and Axel Ullrich?)
2. What human tissue was source of the hGH? (and what is acromegaly?)
3. Why was cDNA used rather than genomic DNA?
4. Conclusions of Figures 3, 4, and Figure 6?
III. For Visual Learners ... think fast! :)
| What is the protein product of this drug? This drug is prescribed for what indication? |
How is this drug similar to the one at left? How is is different? |
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| A fairly new drug for what indication? What is the protein product of this drug? |
Who would benefit from this drug..and what are the dangers? |
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| What are these two drugs? How do they differ? | |
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4 million Americans are infected with this disease...and this drug fights it...what disease is it? |
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| June 8, 2006: What did the FDA approve, and what are the protein products? Who will this product help? | Tagline: "Are you ready to start Chemotherapy?" ... "Be Ready" What is this drug and what does it do? |
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What is the protein product of this drug? |
Who would benefit from this drug..and why? |
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| What is the protein product of this drug? Who would receive it, and are there any dangers in this product? | What is the protein product of this drug? How is it new and improved over its older 'sibling'? |
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This drug is indicated for what condition - and what is the protein product? |
Just WHO is Lilly taking care of...and how does it differ from the drug at right? |
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What is the protein product of this drug? |
What recombinant protein forms the basis of these 3 drugs? What is their indication? How are they similar and different? |
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| This drug is indicated for what condition - and what is the protein product? | What is the protein product of this drug? |
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IV. Mechanism of Action: A bit more detail on the Mechanism of Action (MOA) of some of the drugs:
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MOA: Interferons and T-cell autoimmune diseases
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MOA is unknown, but interferons act by:
*Good
website on the differences between Interferons, Interleukins and other "Biologic
Therapies" that help the immune system work better against disease.
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Abnormal dendritic cells (antigen presenting cells) show a protein called LFA-3 on their surface. The LFA-3 protein binds to the T-cell CD2 receptor, and prompting the T cells to initiate an inflammation pathway as T-cell "memory effector cells". The LFA-3 part of the fusion protein binds to the T-cell CD2 receptor (preventing the dendritic cells from binding), and the IgG1 "tail" signals NK cells to seek and destroy the T-cells...way cool! More info Because Amevive reduces T-cell counts (important for fighting off infections, etc), T-cell levels are monitored closely after treatment MOA |
Proleukin in an Interleukin 2, another immune system modulator:
IL-2 activates the immune system in several ways, but the
major one is to stimulate T cell and natural killer (NK) cell proliferation.
