Revolutionizing Albumin Production: Growing Human Serum Albumin in Rice

Albumin is a vital protein found in the blood plasma of mammals, making up 50-55% of plasma proteins in humans. Synthesized in the liver, it acts as a carrier protein for various substances including hormones, bile salts, and blood clotting factors. However, its primary role is regulating blood volume by attracting water into the circulatory system, particularly in the capillaries. In medical settings, albumin is used as a plasma expander to treat shock caused by blood loss or burns, and in emergency situations to stabilize the wounded. It also plays a critical role in drug and vaccine production.

Although human serum albumin (HSA) is extracted from blood plasma, natural sources are insufficient to meet demand. Synthetic or laboratory versions of HSA have been difficult to produce, with past attempts using potato plants and tobacco leaves proving unsuccessful. Genetic engineering has provided new tools to produce HSA, with researchers successfully growing HSA in rice grains after introducing a gene for encoding HSA using bacteria (Agrobacterium) and activating it during seed production.

A green terraced rice field in Chiangmai, Thailand.

The HSA produced in rice was chemically and physically identical to human-derived HSA and biologically equivalent in rats. This breakthrough has enormous implications for HSA production, with approximately 2.8 grams of HSA produced from 1 kilogram of brown rice, making it an extremely cost-effective method with an almost unlimited supply. This development may help meet the demand for HSA in the medical field, particularly in areas affected by blood loss and shock.

Keywords: albumin, blood plasma, carrier protein, blood volume regulation, plasma expander, shock treatment, genetic engineering, rice grain, HSA production, cost-effective, medical field.