UCSF Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. fischbach@f schbach-group.org
Sci Transl Med. 2013 Apr 3;5(179):179ps7. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3005568.
Two decades ago, the pharmaceutical industry-long dominated by small-molecule drugs-was revolutionized by the the advent of biologics. Today, biomedicine sits on the cusp of a new revolution: the use of microbial and human cells as versatile therapeutic engines. Here, we discuss the promise of this "third pillar" of therapeutics in the context of current scientific, regulatory, economic, and perceptual challenges. History suggests that the advent of cellular medicines will require the development of a foundational cellular engineering science that provides a systematic framework for safely and predictably altering and regulating cellular behaviors.
二十年前，制药行业长期以来一直由小分子药物主导，随着生物技术的出现而发生了革命性变化。如今，生物医学正处于新的革命的边缘：利用微生物和人体细胞作为多功能治疗引擎。在这里，我们在当前科学、监管、经济和观念挑战的背景下讨论了这种治疗方法的“第三大支柱”的前景。历史表明，细胞药物的出现将需要发展基础细胞工程科学，为安全、可预测地改变和调节细胞行为提供系统框架。
