Anti-cancer drugs in chicken eggs

UK - A genetically-modified chicken whose eggs contain large amounts of a protein which can be used to treat cancer could become a commercial reality.

Scientists at the Roslin Institute, near Edinburgh, said they had developed a way of concentrating the protein in the egg whites of designer hens.

They said they had produced a version of an antibody designed to treat malignant skin cancer.

Egg production of three other protein drugs is also being studied.

Previous attempts to manufacture drugs in the eggs of designer chickens have yielded levels too small to be of practical use.

It is hoped the new technique will allow the production of a wide range of drugs in greater volume and at a fraction of the cost of conventional manufacturing methods.

Researchers said that the first chicken egg production line could be ready within five years.

Source: BBC