Page 198 - Binder2
P. 198

What’s emerging isn’t just a different route of
               administration.

               It’s a new class of biologic architecture—designed not
               only for target affinity or potency, but for immune
               persistence, regulatory clarity, and global scalability.




               Designing for Immune Silence at the Molecular Level

               Traditional biologics are often optimized for
               pharmacodynamics—how strongly and specifically they
               bind their target. But rarely are they optimized for how the
               immune system will interpret them.


               Plant-based systems open the door to designing proteins
               that are not just active, but biocompatible—not just strong,
               but sustainable in the body.


               Scientists are now customizing expression cassettes for
               features like:


                   •  Glycosylation patterns that minimize immune
                       recognition
                       Unlike microbial systems, plants can glycosylate
                       proteins—a critical factor for proper folding,
                       function, and immune tolerance. By tweaking sugar
                       residues to avoid non-human epitopes (like alpha-
                       Gal or Neu5Gc), developers can reduce the risk of
                       immune rejection and ADA formation.
                   •  Antigen display that promotes tolerogenic
                       responses
                       Rather than simply exposing a therapeutic protein to
                       the immune system, edible biologics allow for
                       controlled antigen exposure—low-dose, mucosal,

                                          196
   193   194   195   196   197   198   199   200   201   202   203