Researchers have used yeast instead of poppies to make opioids. Aware of the concerns over "homebrew heroin," the team of Stanford researchers indicated that the process is still in its infancy and expressed a desire to open up a dialog with lawmakers.
With the production of opioids reliant on the farming of poppy flowers, the research team sought out a new way to produce the chemical on which so many drugs are based.
"This is a proof-of-principle, and major hurdles remain before optimization and scale up could be achieved," the team stated. "Open discussions of options for governing this technology are also needed in order to responsibly realize alternative supplies for these medically relevant compounds."
Despite what some would call a flood of pharmaceutical opioids available, there's still a desire to shift reliance away from the poppy rich regions in Afghanistan and Mexico. The cartels profit from poppy production in Mexico, while the Taliban and Al Qaeda benefit from the farms in Afghanistan.
It takes about a year for opioids to go from field to pharmacy, but the approach being worked out by the Stanford team produces the chemicals in just days.
Many experts thought it would be impossible to bioengineer yeast to make opioids, but that was more than a decade ago when the team first set out, according to Christina Smolke, senior author and associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford.
"This is only the beginning," said Smolke. "The techniques we developed and demonstrate for opioid pain relievers can be adapted to produce many plant-derived compounds to fight cancers, infectious diseases and chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and arthritis."
For those who have been monitoring research into bioengineering opioids, there have been concerns that the technology would essentially move production of heroin from under the thumb of cartels and terrorists to domestic dealers and users.
At the moment, the Stanford team's process for brewing yeast to make opioids is significantly less efficient than farming. Farming is still about 100,000 times more efficient than brewing, but the researchers are ready to talk to lawmakers as the technology matures.
"We want there to be an open deliberative process to bring researchers and policymakers together," Smolke said. "We need options to help ensure that the bio-based production of medicinal compounds is developed in the most responsible way."
