PLANT-MADE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO TREAT AND PREVENT A RANGE OF DISEASES

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are immune system proteins that are used in targeted drug therapy and prophylaxis and are in high demand around the world to fight diseases. Despite advancements in biomedical technology, current methods for producing mAbs – primarily mammalian cell cultures – can be costly, time-consuming, and pose scalability challenges. Additionally, potential risks like viral contamination in these cultures further complicate matters. With the global mAbs market expected to exceed USD300 billion by 2025, there is a pressing demand for innovative production methods that can meet the increasing global need. Our combination of non-communicable and infectious disease mAbs will supply an enormous African and global market and impact global health. In the African context, the need for locally produced, affordable mAbs is even more pressing due to the continent’s unique health challenges and barriers to accessing expensive imported treatments. As such, a local, efficient and cost-effective method of mAb production is critically needed.

CSIR researchers have developed a pipeline of mAb products using an innovative plant-based platform. This technology leverages fleetingly agroinfiltrated plants to produce mAbs with an efficiency and scalability that significantly outpace current methods. Desired antibody genes are introduced into plants, which then serve as bioreactors, expressing the antibodies in a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and animal-free way, while retaining their critical quality attributes, including post-translational modifications. As part of the portfolio of products, researchers engineered humanised glycosylation and tyrosine sulfation into CSIR-developed HIV mAbs, resulting in potent efficacy. The research team has produced a series of mAbs for treating cancer, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases like HIV/Aids, rabies and COVID-19.