Cannabinoids are a class of secondary metabolites unique to the cannabis plant that contain the molecular structure of alkyl and monoterpenoid groups. Previously, multiple studies have demonstrated the biological activity of cannabinoids in animals and humans through numerous cannabinoid receptor pathways. Cannabinoids and their preparations have also been found to treat chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, cancer-related nausea and vomiting, weight loss, loss of appetite, spasms and other conditions.
Recent researchers from Oregon State University and Oregon University of Health and Sciences found that CBGA and CBDA, two cannabinoid acids commonly found in cannabinoid varieties, can bind to the coronavirus spike protein, which may help prevent infection of human cells. The report also said that CBGA and CBDA are equally effective against SARS-CoV-2 α variant B.1.1.7 and β variant B.1.351.
Of the more than 120 cannabinoids naturally produced in hemp, many are underproduced to meet R&D and commercial production needs. Although synthetic cannabinoids have been approved by the FDA, chemical synthesis costs relatively high, and may use environmentally unfriendly chemicals, and most importantly, chemically synthesized cannabinoids have lower pharmacological activity compared to cannabinoids extracted from plants. In recent years, through the combination of gene editing and synthetic biology, it is expected to increase the synthetic production of cannabinoids.
Recently, Dyadic, a Jupiter, Florida-based biotechnology company, unveiled a new method of synthesizing cannabinoids using its proprietary C1 cell production platform, which is less expensive, more efficient, or can be used commercially.
Dyadic was founded in 1979 and its upbringing can be described as "from jeans to genes": the first to wash blue jeans with pumice in the early 1980s, then turning to enzymes as the industry evolved, and then in the early 1990s, a filamentous fungus strain called C1 was discovered for the production of cellulases and other enzymes.
Over the next two decades, Dyadic built the C1 technology platform, one of the world's premier gene expression systems for commercialization. During the development of C1, two accidental mutations were discovered: the first changed the morphology of the organism, resulting in higher productivity; the second created the C1 White Strain TM, which allowed the production of more pure enzymes and other proteins at high productivity.
Figure丨 20 years of development history of C1 technology platform (Source: Dyadic official website)
C1 technology is a powerful and versatile fungal thermophilic filaria expression system for the development of enzymes and other proteins. Dyadic is using C1 and other technologies to develop and manufacture animal vaccines and drugs such as virus-like particles (VLP) and antigens, monoclonal antibodies, Fab antibody fragments, Fc-fusion proteins, biosimilars, and other therapeutic proteins.
On December 31, 2015, the company sold its industrial technology business to DuPont for $75 million. DuPont reserves certain rights to use C1 technology for pharmaceutical applications, including the development and production of pharmaceutical products, and to pay royalties to Dyadic after commercialization. The technology has also been licensed to third parties, such as Abengoa Bioenergy, BASF, Codexis, etc., for industrial (non-pharmaceutical) applications. In December 2021, the company also announced a partnership with Johnson & Johnson's Jassen Pharmaceuticals to manufacture therapeutic proteins using the C1 manufacturing platform.
Joe Hazelton, Dyadic's Chief Commercial Officer, said, "We believe that the Company's C1 production platform can be used to produce a purer, regulatory-compliant end product that is not only economical but also more environmentally friendly than traditional plant-derived cannabinoid production processes, and can be further designed and optimized by synthetic biology methods for C1 cells to produce cannabinoids." ”
Resources:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dyadic-introduces-novel-method-produce-133000637.html
https://www.dyadic.com/about/the-dyadic-story/
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