Swallow This

摘要

It's such an obvious idea, it's surprising no one thought of it before. Everybody knows that microorganisms can be genetically altered to pump out virtually any human protein to order. And it's also clear that lots of diseases could be treated with proteins, if only it were possible to get the right dose to the right place at the right time. Up to now, that's been the stumbling block. But perhaps there's a way. Just swallow some genetically altered bugs and let them make a home in your gut. Hey presto: a cheap and steady supply of home-made medication―for life, perhaps. It's a medical revolution already waiting in the wings. Researchers in Belgium and the Netherlands are poised for the first trials in humans. If the tests get the go-ahead, it will be the first step towards a radically new kind of therapy: using GM bacteria to deliver therapeutic proteins just where they're needed. Sounds promising. But before anyone swallows a single GM bug, the researchers will have to prove that it's safe. And not just for the patients who'll be asked to turn their intestines into GM bioreactors. Once the modified bacteria are released into the environment, there's no recalling them, and no way of knowing if they'll stay benign. Is that a risk we're prepared to take?