Scientists from the Institute of Gene Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, together with colleagues from Belarus, have created transgenic animals that give milk with the human protein lactoferrin. Recently, the Russian biotechnological center for transgenesis in the pharmaceutical industry became a resident of the Skolkovo innovation project
Work on breeding animals that could produce milk with human proteins is underway in many countries around the world. In Russia, these works were started by scientists under the leadership of the director of transgenbank Igor Goldman from the Institute of Gene Biology (IBG) of the Russian Academy of Sciences more than 10 years ago. For the first time, Izvestia spoke about this promising scientific direction back in June 2004.
But at first, the ideas of our geneticists did not find support at home - then there were no purebred goats in the country, no money. But scientists found understanding, financial support and pedigree goats in the Union State of Russia and Belarus. Over the years, they have managed to create genetically engineered constructs that allowed the human lactoferrin protein to be introduced into the body of animals. They were tested on mice and then implanted into goat eggs. We got goats-producers, from them - the offspring of goats that give milk with magical human protein.
Lactoferrin is the same protein with which mother's milk replaces a newborn baby's immunity that has not yet formed. It protects against disease, stress, cold and heat - from anything that can harm the baby. And when faced with infections, it works as a natural antibiotic, destroying bacteria, viruses and fungi.
“Children who are bottle-fed do not receive lactoferrin, therefore they are more likely to get sick and among them the morbidity and mortality are much higher,” says Elena Sadchikova, head of the transgenesis laboratory at the IBG RAS. - To help them, donor milk could be used. But it is not enough, moreover, it can be a source of dangerous viruses and bacteria, therefore its use as a source of lactoferrin is prohibited in Russia.
But lactoferrin is needed not only for children, it is also effective in the treatment of cancer and many other diseases. It is no coincidence that one gram of it costs up to $ 3,000 on the world market. In many countries around the world, transgenic cows have already been bred, whose milk contains human lactoferrin. Even the Chinese have recently reported this.
However, our scientists did not choose goats by chance. Firstly, not all children can tolerate cow's milk, and goat's milk has long been used in medical nutrition. Secondly, a high-yielding goat produces up to a ton of milk per year. Thirdly, the protein isolated from it must be registered as a drug, which takes time, and goat milk can be simply drunk by both children and adults. Fourth, the content of lactoferrin in it is, on average, 10 times higher than in human breast milk, and it is completely identical to human milk.
The goals of the scientists were supported by Russian farmers. Two goat farms for producing medicinal milk have already been built - in the Moscow region and near Veliky Novgorod. Farmers are ready to start producing milk and various products from it. In the meantime, geneticists have also created a technology for isolating therapeutic lactoferrin from it, as well as separating human and animal proteins. Now it is necessary to conduct all the required tests of the drug and register it as a drug. Under the umbrella of Skolkovo, geneticists are sure, all this work will go much faster.