Biopump protein method for diseases

Technology that delivers proteins from a ‘biopump’ made out of a patient’s own tissue could soon replace daily injections for people suffering from chronic diseases.

Medgenics is developing the system to treat a range of illnesses, such as anaemia and hepatitis C. According to the group, its procedure has far fewer side effects than those associated with current protein delivery methods.

Dr Andrew Pearlman, chief executive, told The Engineer Online: ‘What we’re doing is following the model of nature by using a patient’s tissue to develop their own protein drug.

‘To do this, we use a special harvesting device that removes a layer of the patient’s skin. We then transform it into a biopump and implant it back into the patient to deliver proteins over a sustained period of time,’ he added.

The tissue used to develop the biopump is about half the size of a toothpick and can be frozen for future use. Pearlman said that a viral vector, which does not have any of its own genes, is used to transfer the genes of the protein needed by the patient. This is then exposed to the tissue in an external processing station that transforms the micro-organ into a biopump within 10 to 14 days.