The repaired cells are then returned to the patient's body. Animals that have been modified by genetic engineering are used to diagnosis and treat human diseases. In some case studies, transgenic mammals are used to produce pharmaceuticals in their milk. Some of the products that are now produced by transgenic bacteria, such as insulin, may soon be obtained by milking transgenic cows, sheep or goats. AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, as well as inherited disorders like sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis can be diagnosed within hours using a new technique that duplicates specific DNA molecules.
Earlier diagnosis can mean earlier intervention and treatment.
No vaccine is currently available for RSV, a virus that can be deadly for infants less than six months old and for the elderly, particularly in nursing homes. For research purposes, Korban selected the tomato as the plant crop for manufacturing the vaccine. He identified one of the proteins that envelopes the virus as a target for synthesizing the vaccine, obtained its corresponding gene from the National Institutes of Health laboratory and transferred this gene into tomato seeds to grow transgenic plants that produce this antigenic protein in the fruit. Eventually, apples will be used to house the vaccine. The vaccine could be administered orally through apple juice instead of by needle.