Word: insulin
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...been overlooked. Now that imbalance should be somewhat corrected. Last week, after months of careful, skillful and imaginative use of the new gene-splicing techniques, California scientists announced that they had achieved a long sought goal: the creation in the lab of a microbe that can manufacture human-type insulin...
...those diabetics who either cannot make enough of the vital hormone or cannot use it effectively, the feat is potentially a double boon. In years ahead, it should ensure them of an abundant supply of insulin, which is needed by the body to metabolize sugar and other carbohydrates. It will also reduce their dependence on insulin extracted from cattle and swine, which causes allergic reactions in some 5% of the diabetics who need...
...research teams-one at the City of Hope National Medical Center in the Los Angeles suburb of Duarte, under Dr. Keiichi Itakura, the other led by Biochemist David Goeddell at a small South San Francisco biochemical firm, Genentech Inc. Though scientists had already produced a precursor of rat insulin with bacteria, making the finished human variety posed greater difficulties. For it consists of two distinct molecular chains, a so-called A strand and a B strand, each of which is produced separately inside the cells of the pancreas under the direction of its own characteristic gene...
...Insulin is a model system" for developing other applications of recombinant DNA research. Gilbert said...
...addition to these benefits. Gilbert said information and techniques gained from the insulin research may pave the way for commercial production of other proteins...