Industrial Production of Insulin by Genetically Modified Organism

Abstract

Insulin is a hormone secreted from the β cells of the islets of Langerhans, a specific group of cells in the pancreas. Life would not exist without insulin. In order to utilize the glucose (energy) found within the carbohydrate-laden foods we consume, insulin must be present to facilitate its (glucose) absorption. The rapid increase in the number of diabetic patients globally and exploration of alternate insulin delivery methods such as inhalation or oral route that rely on higher doses, is bound to escalate the demand for recombinant insulin in near future. Recombinant human insulin has been produced predominantly using E. coli (Escherichia coli)and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (a species of yeast) for therapeutic use in human. Current manufacturing technologies would be unable to meet the growing demand of affordable insulin due to limitation in production capacity and high production cost. Insulin is one of the most important drugs in medical science therefore it is important to have a basic knowledge about it. In this review we take a brief look on the history of insulin, its properties and function. We also focus on its industrial production concept and technique along with its purification process. We conclude with the current delivery system for insulin and future prospects.