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GMO, transgenic plants and genetically modified foods from a medical point of view.

The scientific developments of genetic engineers of the 20th century led to the first appearance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the late eighties. GMOs included three groups: genetically modified microorganisms or GMMs; genetically modified plants or GMR; genetically modified animals or GMF. The process of "inserting" a foreign gene of any organism into the genome of the original organism is called transgenesis, and the transfer of genes in related types of organisms is called cisgenesis. Organisms resulting from this process are called "transgenic organisms". For example, plants obtained in this way are also called " transgenic plants". The purpose of such transfers from genome to genome was the desire to endow the desired organism with the valuable vital properties of another organism. In particular, when it came to the plant world, the scientists had ample opportunities to change the original genome theoretically in any necessary direction.

There are two reasons that sparked the interest of geneticists in the problems of the productivity of the plant world. The first reason is the need to increase the amount of food in connection with the growth of the human population. The second reason is the practically unlimited possibilities of obtaining plant raw materials for the production of medicines. For example, the recently discovered ability of a plant cell to produce the most complex biologically active substances (BTA) used in the composition of anticancer drugs (podophyllotoxin, taxol) cannot but be adopted by the pharmaceutical industry, which it successfully does, since these substances are artificially synthesized there is no possibility in the chemical industry yet.

The basis of a high yield of plants is the absence of various factors that adversely affect the life cycle of a plant. These include:

Insect pests

Instability to the action of herbicides

Plant diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi

Low resistance to subzero temperatures

Poor tolerance to dry climates

Soil salinity

A scientific breakthrough in such a delicate matter as genetic engineering, on the one hand, became a blessing for mankind, solved the problems of nutrition and the production of medicines, but on the other hand, it became a factor leading to the vulnerability of organisms that consume GMO (animals and humans). Why?

If you look in detail at how GMO act on the world of plants, insects, animals and humans, then the following picture is drawn.

1. In agriculture, for the cultivation of corn and cotton, an organic insecticide, a bacterial Bt toxin (in the form of a suspension of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis), has been used very successfully for a long time to combat many harmful insects.

Bioengineered plant structures obtained by inserting the Bt-toxin gene into the corresponding representatives of the desired plant species turned out to be very resistant to insect pests, and moreover, if previously beneficial insects died from the action of an insecticide, now the effect of the toxin has become selective - only on insects. pests. But it turned out that the built-in insecticide is constantly present in such a plant, and therefore it is impossible to regulate its concentration. And also, the toxin is also located in those parts of the plant (especially in the first generation of GMR) that were not previously affected by insects.

2. Herbicides, which used to treat agricultural land, acted on harmful plants, disrupting their metabolic processes and leading to death, due to chemicals such as ammonium glufosinate, glyphosate and others. By transferring the EPSPS gene from the soil bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens to the plants, and the PAT gene from the Streptomyces viridochromogenes bacteria, the scientists obtained plants resistant to glyphosate and ammonium glufosinate, respectively. This reduced the cost of treating fields with pesticides. But facts have emerged that there is a danger of transferring such a property as resistance to herbicides to other plants (for example, weeds). There have also been conducted studies on the stability of these properties in plants for several years and it turned out that without additional treatment with herbicides, this resistance is “washed out” from the genome. But when it comes to trees that have been growing for years without a generation change, the issue of safety remains open.

3. Many plants cultivated in the world are susceptible to fungal, bacterial and viral diseases that lead to the death of the crop. Geneticists have found ways that allow plants to resist such diseases. For example, one of the very common technologies is co-suppression. It allows you to transfer the gene of a special virus into the plant's DNA, which is engaged in re-coding the protein of the plant, after which the plant begins to produce the protein of the virus on the eve of the time when it becomes infected with a viral infection, and thereby activates the plant's protective mechanism in advance to prevent the virus from multiplying.

Further, plants of the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes) have a fungal disease - late blight. Previously, the cultivation of these plants required treating the fields with fungicide multiple times in one season (up to 16 times), which significantly poisoned the soil and water. Genetically modified representatives of these plants were created with signs of resistance to late blight, but along with useful properties, the gene also transferred a number of undesirable qualities for plants.

4. Along with the experiments of genetic engineers in the field of creating genetic modifications, opposite studies were carried out, aimed at identifying the undesirable consequences of the consumption of genetically engineered products by animals and humans. The laboratory animals were fed food from transgenic plants for a period determined by the experiment . The results were disappointing:

In rats, a natural toxin began to accumulate in the body, immunity decreased, blood composition changed, allergic reactions appeared, irreversible changes in the digestive system;

The offspring of rats turned out to be with high mortality, underdeveloped, with abnormalities of internal organs, with reduced resistance to diseases, the second generation turned out to be sterile.

5. As for human health, it is rather difficult to conduct research on the effect of GMOs and transgenic plants on the human body, since it requires long time intervals. As a rule, all research in this area is in the nature of the analysis of statistically collected information. As a result of the data obtained in this way, it turned out that today, allergic reactions to the products of genetic engineering are of particular danger. The fact is that gene transfer is actually the transfer of a foreign protein, to which the body normally responds with an appropriate immune response - an allergic reaction . And the consequences of allergies can be very serious and even fatal.

Scientists are also concerned about the fact that there is a high risk of developing processes in the human body over time:

intoxication ,
metabolic disorders,
changes in the intestinal microflora,
increasing antibiotic resistance,
allergic reactions of unknown origin,
decrease in immune function.

A separate topic for concern of scientists is the so-called horizontal gene transfer from a consumed genetically modified plant to an animal or from a plant and an animal with a gene modification to a person. The crux of these concerns is that a person consumes a certain amount of DNA (approximately 0.1 to 1 gram) when eating. The digestion process breaks down DNA into individual nucleotides, which reach the intestines. But since some plants in their altered genetic code carry particles of animal code (for example, a scorpion), there is concern about the possibility (still theoretical) of embedding pieces of DNA into animal cells, which can activate dormant genetic potential in humans.

All of the above dangers will be scientifically substantiated only after a certain period of time, and scientists do not know which one. There is still not enough evidence for such a justification. This means that even generations may change before the danger of consuming GMO and transgenic plants is proven.

Today, there are hundreds of transgenic plants and thousands of transgenic products based on them. Typically, gene modifications are distributed in four directions:

Raw materials for products:

Soy
Corn
Beet
Carrot
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Cereals
Oils

Vegetables and fruits for consumption:

fresh
preserved

Food:

Soy derivatives (soy milk, the beans themselves and their sprouts, bean curd, and so on)
Corn derivatives (flakes, popcorn, sticks, flour, cereals, butter, starch)
Tomato derivatives (mashed potatoes, pasta, ketchup, juices, sauces)
Sugar beet derivatives (sugar, alcohol)
Potato derivatives (starch, chips, french fries, semi-finished puree)
Grain derivatives (flour, cereals, crackers, crispbread, bread, pasta)
Vegetable oils ( trans fats )
Rice derivatives (flour, grain, granules, flakes)

Nutritional supplements:

Natural dyes
Sweeteners
Structuring additives
Preservatives

And this is not a complete list, since it is necessary to add meat and sausages, the range of which is very wide.

The production of genetically modified products (GMFs) is difficult to stop, but many scientists agree that there should always be a choice for humanity: consume GMF or grow those species that are natural. For these purposes, there is a labeling system for GMO products. Certain legislative acts have been adopted, forcing the manufacturer to label their products. But they operate either not in all countries, or - selectively.

But in addition to finished products, there are also raw materials that may not be labeled, which means that the product made from it will not have GMO labeling .