Observations
Tobacco-derived procollagen presents opportunities for regenerative medicine
Stable collagen replica has advantages over animal and human sources
We all know that tobacco is bad for us—it is the single greatest cause of preventable death worldwide and smoking is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and cancer, to name a few. Its contribution to the visible effects of skin ageing is particularly devastating, causing premature wrinkles, dull complexion and loss of elasticity.
But, perhaps ironically, it looks as if the tobacco plant has wound healing applications in regenerative medicine. A scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has discovered that a stable replica of human collagen can be produced from tobacco plants, with implications for use in human medical procedures.
Natural human type-one collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is found in scar tissue, tendons, skin, artery walls, fibrocartilage and the organic part of bones and teeth. Collagen produced commercially (procollagen) is produced from farm animals and human cadavers, but animal materials may harbour human pathogens. Human collagen derived from cadavers minimises the risk of immune reactions, but is expensive and is often subject to ethical issues.
Procollagen is used in surgical implants and for wound healing applications, such as artificial skin substitutes in the management of burns. The global market for collagen-based medical devices in orthopaedics and wound healing is more than US$30bn.
Professor Oded Shoseyov, of the Robert H Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, has reported the successful co-expression of all five essential genes required for procollagen from transgenic tobacco plants. The collagen is non-allergenic and non-immunogenic, with no risk of pathogens or animal-derived hazards. Professor Shoseyov's invention has been patented and his scientific findings have been published in Biomacromolecules journal.
Collplant Ltd, a company established based on the technology developed in Professor Shoseyov's laboratory, has raised US$15m to establish the first commercial molecular farming company in Israel. The company offers “pure virgin human collagen” which, as it is not extracted from donors, is available in large quantities. Collplant also provides collagen-based products engineered for wound management and orthopaedic applications.
