Uses of Enzymes in Medicine, Pancreatic Enzymes, Blood Circulation System, Collagenase, Rhodonase, Asparagenase, Tumour Cells, Lymphocytic Leukaemia

Back to Home

Home >> Enzyme Technology >>Uses of Enzymes in Medicine

Back to Home

	Uses of Enzymes in Medicine- Enzyme applications in medicine are as extensive as in industry. Pancreatic enzymes have been used in digestive disorders since nineteenth century. Most enzymes are used extracellularly for (i) topical applications, e.g., col1agenase, (ii) removal of toxic substances, e.g., rhodonase, or in
(iii) disorders within blood circulation system, e.g., streptokinase, urokinase, etc. The enzyme preparations must be of high purity and free from unwanted contamination; therefore, they are generally from animal, sources and very costly. For example, urokinase is isolated from human urine and costs nearly $ 200/mg; the annual market for this enzyme is nearly $150 million. Enzymes have a major potential application in treatment of cancer, e.g., asparagenase in the treatment of lymphocytic leukaemia. Tumour cells are unable to synthesize L-asparagine due to an enzyme deficiency, and obtain this amino acid from body fluids. Asparaginase drastically reduces the levels of free L-asparagine in the blood stream, creating starvation in tumour cells for this amino acid; normal cells are not affected since they can synthesize L-asparagine.
Asparaginase is injected intravenously, shows half-life of about 1 day (in dog), and may lead to complete recovery in 60% of the cases. Enzyme applications in medicine are limited by and suffer from certain limitations. 1. Their large molecular size interferes with their distribution among body cells. 2. Enzymes are antigenic, and can elicit immune response in the patient, especially on prolonged use. 3. Most enzymes have short effective life in the circulatory system; e.g., of few minutes.