7 APPLICATIONS OF BIOLOGY IN MEDICINE - BIOLOGY - 2025

The applications of biology in medicine are all those practical tools that biomedicine offers in laboratory diagnostics, in medical care and in any other area related to health.

Medical biology offers a wide range of technological and scientific approaches, which could range from in vitro diagnostics to gene therapy. This discipline of biology applies the variety of principles that govern the natural sciences in medical practice.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Source: NIAID on Flickr., via Wikimedia Commons

For this, the specialists carry out investigations of the different pathophysiological processes, taking into account from the molecular interactions to the integral functioning of the organism.

Thus, biomedicine offers novel alternatives in relation to the creation of drugs, with lower toxic levels. In the same way, it contributes to the early diagnosis of diseases and their treatment.

Examples of applications of biology in medicine

Selective therapy for asthma

SRS-A (slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis) was previously thought to play an important role in asthma, a condition that afflicts humans so much.

Subsequent investigations determined that this substance is a mixture between leukotriene C4 (LTC4), leukotriene E4 (LTE4) and leukotriene D4 (LTD4). These results opened the doors to new selective treatments for asthma.

The work was aimed at identifying a molecule that specifically blocked the action of LTD4 in the lungs, thus avoiding the narrowing of the airways.

As a result, drugs containing leukotriene modifiers were developed for use in asthma therapies.

Selectivity and anti-inflammatory drugs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have long been used in the treatment of arthritis. The main reason is its high effectiveness in blocking the effects of arachidonic acid, located in the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX).

However, when the effect of COX is inhibited, it also prevents its function as a gastrointestinal protector. Recent studies indicate that cyclooxygenase is made up of a family of enzymes, where 2 of its members have very similar characteristics: CO-1 and COX-2.

COX-1 has a gastroprotective effect, by inhibiting this enzyme, the protection of the intestinal tract is lost. The fundamental requirement of the new drug would be oriented to selectively inhibit COX-2, to achieve the permanence of both functions: protective and anti-inflammatory.

The specialists managed to isolate a molecule that selectively attacks COX-2, so the new drug offers both benefits; an anti-inflammatory that does not cause gastrointestinal damage.

Alternative methods of drug administration

Traditional methods of administering pills, syrups, or injections require the chemical to enter the bloodstream, to be dispersed throughout the body.

The problem arises when side effects occur in tissues or organs for which the drug was not intended, with the aggravation that these symptoms could appear before the desired therapeutic level is achieved.

In the case of traditional treatment of a brain tumor, the drug must have a much higher concentration than usual, due to blood-brain barriers. As a consequence of these doses, the side effects could be highly toxic.

To achieve better results, scientists have developed a biomaterial that consists of a polymeric device. This is biocompatible and dissolves slowly releasing the drug. In the case of brain tumor, the tumor is removed and polymeric discs are inserted that are made up of a chemotherapeutic drug.

Thus, the dosage will be precisely that required and will be released in the affected organ, considerably reducing the possible side effects in other body systems.

Protein hydrogels to enhance the efficacy of stem cell injection therapy

In stem cell-based therapy, it is important that the amount delivered to the patient is clinically adequate. Furthermore, it is necessary that its viability be maintained in situ.

The least invasive way to deliver stem cells is direct injection. However, this option offers only 5% cell viability.

In order to meet clinical needs, specialists have developed a slimming and self-healing system that comprises two proteins that self-assemble into hydrogels.

When this hydrogel system is administered, in conjunction with the therapeutic cells, it is expected to improve cell viability at those sites where tissue ischemia exists.

It is also used in the case of peripheral arterial disease, where it is a priority to maintain the viability of the cells that allow blood flow in the lower extremities

Zinc to attack insulin-producing cells

Insulin injection works by controlling the symptoms of diabetes. The researchers propose acting directly on the beta cells of the pancreas that generate insulin. The key could be the affinity of these cells for zinc.

Beta cells accumulate zinc about 1,000 times more than the rest of the cells that make up the surrounding tissues. This characteristic is used to identify them and selectively apply drugs that promote their regeneration.

To do this, the researchers linked a zinc chelating agent to a drug that regenerates beta cells. The result indicates that the drug also fixed on beta cells, causing them to multiply.

In a test conducted on rats, beta cells regenerated about 250% more than other cells.

NGAL as a predictor of acute kidney injury

Lipocalin associated with neutrophil gelatinase, known by the acronym NGAL, is a protein used as a biomarker. Its role is to detect acute kidney injury in individuals with sickle cells. In these types of patients, serum measurement possibly predicted the onset of the disease.

Kidney disorders, such as increased creatinine and urea, are one of the complications of sickle cell disease. Research associates NGAL with nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

This makes NGAL a sensitive and important tool in the clinical setting, due to its low cost, easy access, and availability.

Furthermore, it is a sensitive biomarker that contributes to early detection, with a very wide range for routine evaluation, during the management of sickle cell disease.

Vitamin D, Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth inhibitor

Tuberculosis is primarily a lung disease associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The progression of the disease will depend on the response of the immune system, whose effectiveness is affected by external and internal factors, such as genetics.

Among the external factors are the physiological and nutritional status of the patient. Studies indicate that vitamin D deficiency may be directly related to impaired regulation of the immune system.

In this way, the immunomodulatory actions of said system on M. tuberculosis would be affected. The increased chance of contracting tuberculosis could be related to a low level of vitamin D.

Clinical relevance indicates that vitamin D3-induced antituberculous therapy could act as an adjunct to tuberculosis treatment

References

1. Atere AD, Ajani OF, Akinbo DB, Adeosun OA, Anombem OM (2018). Serum Levels of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) as Predictor of Acute Kidney Injury in Sickle Cell Subjects. J Biomedical. Recovered from jbiomeds.com
2. Campbell, A K. (1988) Chemiluminescence. Principles and applications in biology and medicine. ETDE Web. Recovered from osti.gov.
3. Smith RC1, Rhodes SJ. (2000). Applications of developmental biology to medicine and animal agriculture. Recovered from ncbi.nlm.nih.go
4. Ngan Huang, Sarah Heilshorn (2019). Protein-Engineered Hydrogels for Improved Efficacy of Stem Cell-Based Injection Therapy in a Murine Model for Peripheral Arterial Disease Stanford university. Recovered from chemh.stanford.edu.
5. Nathan Collins (2018). Researchers use zinc to target insulin-producing cells with regenerative drug. Stanford university. Recovered from chemh.stanford.edu.
6. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) (2003). Beyond the Molecular Frontier: Challenges for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Taken from: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
7. Soni P, Shivangi, Meena LS (2018) Vitamin D-An Immune Modulator and Growth Inhibitor of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis H37Rv. Journal of Molecular Biology and Biothecnology. Recovered from imedpub.com.