Synthetic biology for therapeutic applications

Mol Pharm. 2015 Feb 2;12(2):322-31. doi: 10.1021/mp500392q. Epub 2014 Aug 13.

Abstract

Synthetic biology is a relatively new field with the key aim of designing and constructing biological systems with novel functionalities. Today, synthetic biology devices are making their first steps in contributing new solutions to a number of biomedical challenges, such as emerging bacterial antibiotic resistance and cancer therapy. This review discusses some synthetic biology approaches and applications that were recently used in disease mechanism investigation and disease modeling, drug discovery and production, as well as vaccine development and treatment of infectious diseases, cancer, and metabolic disorders.

Keywords: cancer treatment; disease mechanism; drug discovery; infectious diseases; metabolic disorders; synthetic biology; therapeutic treatment; vaccine development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Drug Discovery / methods
  • Humans
  • Synthetic Biology / methods*