Tobacco has long been blamed for causing fatal lung disease, but now the plant may be used to save lives. Israeli researchers have genetically engineered tobacco plants, to produce the anti-malaria drug Artemisinin.
Israeli scientists are using genetically-modified tobacco to produce the anti-malaria drug, Artemisinin, cheaply and efficiently.
Alexander Vainstein, researcher of Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said, "Today the drug is produced from Artemisia Anua, it's a plant that is not actually agriculturally suitable product. So we modified tobacco and we now have tobacco plants producing the same drug. And this is actually the first time, as far as we know that this final product was produced anywhere in any system."
Since tobacco grows quickly, with large biological mass suitable for drug extraction, the researchers say industrial production of the GM crop should be possible.
Jacob Golenser, reserch expert of Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said, "It's an important step towards a better production of Artemisinin which is a very important drug, being an introductory drug to some other derivatives that are nowadays used as a first-line drug against malaria and probably, in the future, also against some other diseases like cancer and some parasitic diseases."
Malaria is one of the world's most lethal diseases. The WHO says that in 2010, it killed more than 650,000 people. If tobacco can help reduce malaria fatalities, the plant may undergo an unexpected image makeover.
烟草一直被指责是造成肺部疾病的元凶,但现在这种植物似乎可以用来挽救生命。以色列研究人员通过烟草植物转基因产生出了抗疟疾的药物青蒿素。该药物既廉价又有效。疟疾是世界上最致命的疾病。世界卫生组织表示2010年,超过650000人因此病而丧生。如果烟草可以帮助减少疟疾死亡,这种植物可能会颠覆人们对其原有的观念。