A Syrian researcher, Firas Saqa Amini from the Faculty of Science at Damascus University, has succeeded in genetically modifying Leishmania parasites to produce a human therapeutic protein, potentially giving Syria a global step in the field of Biopharmaceutical Industry.
Firas Saqa Amini, a specialist in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, explained in an interview with SANA during a presentation of his achievement at the Damascus University Exhibition for Invention and Development, that he modified the genes of the Leishmania parasites (which cause Leishmaniasis, also known as “Aleppo’s boil” or “Habbat Halab”).
The goal was to make the parasites produce “a biologic drug that would serve numerous medical and economic sectors, representing a step towards self-sufficiency in biopharmaceutical production in Syria” said.
He clarified that the invention involves producing a biologic drug using local Leishmania parasites, which were isolated from an infected individual and then genetically engineered to express the human protein known as IGF-1 (This growth factor plays a critical role in stimulating cell proliferation and growth.
Amini highlighted that this protein could be used to treat patients suffering from dwarfism, Laron syndrome, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Furthermore, it benefits bodybuilders by enhancing muscle growth and increasing muscle mass.
This dual potential gives the protein both a therapeutic and an economic value, especially as it represents a novel global production system, since IGF-1 has never before been produced using Leishmania parasites.
He explained that the new system’s mechanism involves modifying the Leishmania parasite’s genome, followed by testing protein production using the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) technique, and finally verifying the protein’s efficacy with the MTT assay.
This research has established a system that can be used to produce any other biologic medicine using the Leishmania parasite. He pointed out that this is the first time IGF-1 has been produced in Syria using this method, and that its reliance on Leishmania could position Syria as the first country globally to produce this protein in this manner.
Amini added that Leishmania parasites typically cause severe skin ulcers (Cutaneous Leishmaniasis), and defined biologic drugs as treatments made from living organisms or materials derived from them, used to treat various diseases.
