Dengue virus has been treated in a corrective way taking the effects it produces in the body until its natural immune reaction takes place to get rid of the pain, particular details as hematocritos, plaquetes and white globules are some tests taken in the corrective handle of the disease. It is important to know that there are four serotypes involved in this virus (A, B, C, and D), which serotype B and serotype D are the more predominant in Honduras.
A second infection with a different serotype virus causes a cross immunological reaction called “Dengue Hemorragico” (Hemorrhagic Dengue) due to its hemorrhagic (internal and external) symptoms which are highly lethal.
On year 2010 there were 39 million cases of Dengue disease in the world. There were 66,814 cases reported in Honduras according to the Weekly Epidemiological Telegram of the Honduras Health Secretariat, Vector General Direction.
Based on this statistics the IGEM-UNAH team is proposed to create a protein that awake the body immune response to the 4 serotypes to avoid the cross reaction previously mentioned.
To obtain this protein, the Synthetic Biology was used as a prime process through incorporation of a plasmid in a bacteria (E. Coli) in order to be replicated and getting this way the previously studied protein where four Dengue virus serotypes epitopes were incorporated in the plasmids to be inserted in the bacteria.
This process took several months of hard team work in several ways like conceptualization (virology, immunology, bacteriology, molecular bacteriology, etc.) and the laboratory analysis and other to get that the searched protein could comply with quality standards as well as the goal for which it was designed.
After lab tests, redesigns and other the process was purified and systemized to obtain easy replication and of course, the best on obtaining the protein.
The process to obtain the protein is in process to be incorporated to the International Patents System (PCT) being this the main product to sell within the business plan. Very important is to mention that PCT has under its registration no protein obtained under the Synthetic Biology process with the purpose that our product offers.
Market that our product search is pharmacies that can reproduce the process and purify the protein to obtain the Dengue vaccine. Knowing the occurrence of this virus disease in Honduras, Latin America and the world we assure buyers. Another way to market this product is to work with laboratories interested in Dengue vaccine production.
There are two ways to sell our product: selling the patented product protocol to obtain the protein to control Dengue and the other is create an investment oriented to the final vaccine elaboration.
According to these two selling possibilities there are many that can be taken as business opportunities such as:
1.- Protocol to obtain the protein is already elaborated which reduces the vaccine elaboration time.
2.- IGEM-UNAH team and the Honduras Science Technology and Innovation Institute IHCIETI have the experience to work on the Synthetic Biology to obtain the final vaccine.
3.- Both IGEM-UNAH and IHCIETI are well known organizations with high ranks of Synthetic Biology in our country.
4.- The need of vaccine to combat Dengue, that does not exists, and that is needed worldwide in the tropic and subtropic is a great opportunity to market the product and great possibility of international business.
Nevertheless, there are some risks that can affect our product such as
1.- Purification, analysis, serological tests and others could be high in time and could increase the elaboration costs.
2.- Economical costs of the vaccine elaboration.
3.- Non desired reaction to the vaccine by the patient.
However , taking into account opportunities and risks, it is clear that our product is quality and has great business potential both locally and internationally