How do biopharmaceuticals work?

How do biopharmaceuticals work in the body? There are biopharmaceuticals that replenish the proteins produced in the body and those that suppress the movement of foreign substances that cause disease. Let's start by looking at biopharmaceuticals that supplement proteins.

Supplementing missing proteins

In the human body, various proteins work to keep us healthy. These proteins are specifically called bioactive proteins, and their deficiency can lead to diseases such as diabetes and anemia. Therefore, in order to replenish proteins, biotechnology such as genetic recombination was used to artificially create proteins and turn them into drugs, which is the beginning of biopharmaceuticals. This therapy is called "replacement therapy". So far, few small-molecule drugs that work to supplement proteins have been published, and biopharmaceuticals are considered to be important.

Suppressing the movement of foreign substances that cause disease

Some biopharmaceuticals make use of our immune system. Among these immune systems, the substance "antibody" is often used, and the development of "antibody drugs" is underway. Antibodies are molecules that interfere with the function of foreign substances by binding to them, and play a major role in our immune system.

Antibody drugs that use antibodies can treat pathogens and cancer with pinpoint accuracy because they utilize the ability of antibodies to bind to foreign substances. Therefore, they are expected to have high therapeutic efficiency and fewer side effects. However, there are some issues such as lack of manufacturing facilities and huge budget.

• The method of supplementing with protein is called "replacement therapy".
• Antibody drugs are biopharmaceuticals that utilize the human immune system.