Last Edited 31/10/2023
Synthetic biology (SB) involves an engineering perspective into drug discovery, shown to evidently decrease the length of clinical phases, by reconstructing biological components to form artificial pathways and bioproduction of natural derivatives. Targeting drug-drug interactions with versatile computational tools, creates new routes for both existing and new drugs, forming a variety of effective treatments for cancers and diseases (Trosset & Carbonell, 2015, p. 6285).
Trosset & Carbonell, 2015, highlights the significance of its evolution in pharmaceutical research. This involves the design of synthetic circuits in conjunction with CRISPR-Cas9 screenings, in helping to identify drug-resistance in the mammalian species, making personalised therapeutics prevalent for patients who require it (Konermann et al., 2014 p. 583-588, Xie et al., 2020). Because of this, the latest developments in metabolic engineering, including on-demand synthesis, can help mass-production rates and efficiency of drug production; This has large economic value for pharmaceutical companies, who not only have active competition but also have a duty to yield a standardized product reach the market quicker for patients (Trosset & Carbonell, 2015, p. 6285). The impact of this suggests a potential improvement to drug discovery phases in lead optimization and refinement, which may suggest easier success during the FDA drug review and post-market monitoring (Fatehi & Hall, 2015).
However, as SB is at a novel stage, the implication of bioterrorism may be argued that it may be “doing more harm than good”, and the risk poses a larger threat overall for the body (Jefferson et al., 2014). Although these myths are bypassed with insignificant evidence, the concern is raised upon patients, giving them the ability to refuse treatment, which may be distressing for the medical professional. A lack of demand for pharmaceuticals in certain populations may be seen as a loss for companies that prioritise marginalising, which may result in a decline in investments in similar drug discovery projects (Israel et al., 2021, p. 2532).
Regardless of this, the possibilities of SB are endless, where this research can work alongside computational technologies to expand research on drug discovery in a fast and cheap way.