Maarg Manthan · Topic 11.19

Genetically Engineered Hormones and Vaccines

Science & Technology › Biotechnology – Applications · Topic 11.19

Genetically engineered hormones and vaccines are medicines made with recombinant DNA technology. For hormones, the human gene is put into bacteria, yeast or cells, which then make the hormone in large quantities, for example insulin, human growth hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and glucagon. For vaccines, only a safe part of the germ is made, as in the hepatitis B vaccine whose surface protein is produced in yeast, the first recombinant vaccine. Other types include recombinant protein subunit vaccines, viral vector vaccines, DNA vaccines and mRNA vaccines. These products are safer than older ones made from animal glands, dead bodies or whole germs, because there is no risk of germ contamination.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Science & Technology · Biotechnology – Applications

At a Glance

First recombinant hormone drug Insulin, 1982
First recombinant vaccine Hepatitis B
Vaccine types Subunit, vector, DNA, mRNA
Indian DNA vaccine ZyCoV-D
Host used Yeast, bacteria, cells
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Science & Technology: Biotechnology – Applications

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows forest biotechnology. It returns to medical products and describes the two most common groups of recombinant medicines, hormones and vaccines. Previous topic: Forest Biotechnology. Next topic: Xenotransplantation: Animal Organs for Human Patients.

Which Recombinant Hormones and Vaccines Exist?

Product	Details
Human insulin	Made in bacteria or yeast. Replaced insulin from pig and cattle pancreas
Human growth hormone	For children with growth failure. Made in bacteria. Earlier taken from the pituitary of dead bodies, which spread a brain disease
Follicle stimulating hormone	Used in fertility treatment, made in mammalian cells
Glucagon and GLP-1 drugs	Peptide hormones used in diabetes and weight control, many made in yeast
Hepatitis B vaccine	The surface antigen is made in yeast. The first recombinant vaccine
HPV vaccine	Virus like particles made in yeast or insect cells that look like the virus but contain no genes
Recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine	Biological E’s Corbevax is a protein subunit vaccine approved in India in 2021

What Are the Types of Genetically Engineered Vaccines?

Subunit vaccine: contains only a piece of the germ, such as a protein, which is safe and cannot cause infection
Virus like particle: empty shells of viral proteins that look like the virus and trigger strong immunity
Viral vector vaccine: a harmless virus, such as an adenovirus, carries a gene of the target germ. Covishield and the Ebola vaccine are examples
DNA vaccine: a plasmid carrying the gene for an antigen is injected, and body cells make the antigen. ZyCoV-D from Zydus Lifesciences was approved in India in 2021
mRNA vaccine: messenger RNA in lipid particles, as in Types of RNA and Their Technological Applications
Edible vaccines: plants engineered to carry antigens, still at research stage
Live attenuated recombinant: weakened germs with deleted genes so that they cannot cause disease
Conjugate vaccines: link sugar from a germ to a carrier protein to improve immunity, as in vaccines for pneumonia and meningitis

What Else Should You Remember?

Advantages: safety, consistent supply, no use of human or animal tissue, and ability to scale up in fermenters
Disadvantages: cost, need for adjuvants to boost immune response, cold chain and sometimes the need for several doses
Hepatitis B in India: the vaccine is part of the Universal Immunisation Programme, given from birth
HPV in India: the Serum Institute launched Cervavac, an indigenous quadrivalent HPV vaccine, in 2023, and the national rollout for girls is being planned or started. Check the latest status
Covishield: a viral vector vaccine based on the Oxford AstraZeneca design, made by the Serum Institute
Covaxin: an inactivated whole virus vaccine from Bharat Biotech, so not a genetically engineered type
Biological E: a Hyderabad company that made Corbevax and has produced other recombinant vaccines
Adjuvant: a substance added to a vaccine to boost the immune response
Thermostable vaccines: research aims to remove the cold chain need
Regulation: vaccines are approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation after trials, and genetic engineering work follows biosafety rules
Hormone safety: the contaminated cadaver growth hormone problem in the 1980s led to the shift to recombinant hormone
Link: how these proteins are made is described in Biopharmaceuticals and Therapeutic Proteins
Insulin analogues: changes in amino acids make insulin act faster or longer, a result of protein engineering
Needle free delivery: jet injectors, used for ZyCoV-D, push the vaccine through the skin without a needle
Pandemic preparedness: platform technologies let makers change the antigen quickly, which shortens the time to a new vaccine
Public supply: the Universal Immunisation Programme gives free vaccines, and new vaccines are added after expert review by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Firsts: first recombinant vaccine and drug
Vaccine types: matching vaccine with technology
Indian examples: Covishield, Corbevax, ZyCoV-D
Current affairs link: HPV vaccine rollout and new vaccines
Common errors: calling Covaxin a recombinant vaccine, or saying hepatitis B vaccine is made from blood plasma now

As an analytical point, recombinant vaccines allow India to supply large volumes safely and at low cost to many countries. Continuing investment in platforms makes the country ready for new outbreaks.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Hormones Insulin and growth hormone
Vaccines Types and examples
India Domestic platforms

What Came Next?

The next topic covers xenotransplantation. Next topic: Xenotransplantation: Animal Organs for Human Patients.

Key People and Terms

Recombinant Made by gene technology
Subunit Piece of germ
Vector Carrier virus
Adjuvant Immune booster
Antigen Immune trigger
VLP Virus like particle

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

First recombinant vaccine: hepatitis B.
ZyCoV-D is a DNA vaccine.
Covishield: viral vector.
Corbevax: protein subunit.
Covaxin: inactivated virus.

Do Not Confuse With

Covaxin and Covishield Inactivated virus versus viral vector
Subunit and DNA vaccine Protein versus gene injected
Recombinant and conventional vaccine Made by gene technology versus whole germ

Memory Hook

Yeast gives hepatitis, vectors carry the gene, DNA and mRNA ask the body to make.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for types, examples and Indian vaccines. These points help.

Advantages Safe and scalable
India Domestic makers
Challenges Cold chain, access

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Discuss the advantages of genetically engineered vaccines and hormones and the role of Indian firms in their production.”

How to Answer

Types Subunit to mRNA.
Advantages Safe, scalable.
India Firms and products.
Way Access.

GS Relevance

Prelims: examples of recombinant hormones and vaccines, vaccine types, Indian vaccines. GS Paper 3: science and technology, biotechnology, health.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a recombinant vaccine?

A recombinant vaccine is made using recombinant DNA technology, in which the gene for a protective antigen of a germ is put into a host such as yeast, so that the host produces the antigen. The vaccine contains only this safe piece, not the whole germ, and so cannot cause the disease. The hepatitis B vaccine is an example.

Why is recombinant growth hormone better than natural growth hormone?

Natural human growth hormone was once collected from the pituitary glands of dead bodies, in limited amounts, and in the 1980s some batches transmitted a brain disease. Recombinant growth hormone is made in bacteria, is pure and plentiful, and carries no risk of such contamination, so it replaced the older product.

What is a viral vector vaccine?

A viral vector vaccine uses a harmless virus, often an adenovirus, as a carrier to deliver the gene for an antigen of another germ into body cells, which then produce the antigen and train the immune system. Covishield, made in India by the Serum Institute, and the Ebola vaccine are examples.

What is ZyCoV-D?

ZyCoV-D is a plasmid DNA vaccine against COVID-19 developed by Zydus Lifesciences of Ahmedabad and approved for emergency use in India in August 2021. It was the first DNA vaccine for humans to be approved anywhere, and it was given with a needle free injector.

Is Covaxin a genetically engineered vaccine?

No. Covaxin, made by Bharat Biotech with the Indian Council of Medical Research, is an inactivated whole virus vaccine, made by growing and killing the coronavirus. It is a conventional type of vaccine. Genetically engineered COVID-19 vaccines in India include Covishield, Corbevax and ZyCoV-D.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The hepatitis B vaccine was the first recombinant vaccine.

True

Made in yeast.

2 Covaxin is a DNA vaccine.

False

It is an inactivated virus vaccine.

3 ZyCoV-D is a DNA vaccine developed in India.