Joe Caspermeyer, Media Relations Manager & Science Editor
(480) 727-0369 | joseph.caspermeyer@asu.edu
July 16, 2008
Charlie Arntzen to give lecture at the American Phytopathological Society Centennial Meeting Plenary Session
Global initiatives to improve human health will need more than scientific innovation— securing safe and affordable food and water systems are just as critical to long-term success. These issues will be among the topics discussed at this year’s special two-day plenary session of the American Phytopathological Society (APS), “Agriculture, Food Security and Public Health: Global Issues – Global Solutions.”
Regents’ Professor and F.E. Nelson Presidential Chair in Plant Biology Charles Arntzen, PhD, of the Center of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at the Biodesign Institute, will give a lecture titled “Biopharming and Plant-Derived Pharmaceuticals,” at the symposium, held from July 26-29 in Minneapolis. In addition to Arntzen’s presentation, other nationally-renowned environmental researchers will cover topics from the renewed interest in agricultural sciences to agriculture that meets the needs of a changing world.
Although plants have been used for millennia as sources of medicinal products, it is only in the last decade that the tools of genetic engineering have been successfully applied to plants to create a new biomanufacturing system for pharmaceutical products. During his lecture, Arntzen will review the current status of plant biotechnology, product development pipelines, and the regulatory processes relevant in ensuring the safety and efficacy of such products.
“Protein drugs (monoclonal antibodies, subunit vaccines, growth factors and hormones, and human enzymes) are revolutionizing the prevention and treatment of disease. Because these drugs must be produced in living systems, initial costs of protein drugs can be higher than older generation, chemically synthesized drugs,” Arntzen said. “Economic factors have driven the search for new biomanufacturing technology for protein pharmaceuticals, especially by researchers interested in production of vaccine and therapeutics for the developing world.”
Arntzen is pioneer in the development of plant-based vaccines for a variety of human and animal diseases. He has a particular interest in overcoming health and agricultural challenges in the developing world. Arntzen’s primary area of research is plant molecular biology and protein engineering, with an emphasis on applications of plant biotechnology that could help prevent illness and suffering from infectious disease. His current research includes the expression of pharmacologically active products in transgenic plants.
In addition to his research on producing more effective vaccines against natural pathogens, Arntzen is exploring plant biotechnology to reduce the threat of biowarfare agents. As author of numerous publications focused on various aspects of plant-based vaccine technology, Arntzen has participated in numerous national and international committees that serve general scientific interests. He has also provided expertise and national service since 2001 on the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST), and was awarded the Botanical Society of America’s Centennial Award in 2006.
-written by Alison Farquhar
