CONCLUSION IN BIOLOGY
discovering potential for safe and effective vaccines. Effective
ADEZA ANN E. AZARES
STEM 11- 7, Senior High School Department
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Many Biology research papers, journals and thesis trends
from 2000 to 2018 had truthfully evolved and made such development
to their discoveries from simply identifying new genomes to finding
latest treatment for severe diseases like cancer, HIV, Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary (COP) and more. Therefore, here are the
observations how Biology trends develop year by year starting from
2000 until 2018.
From 2000 to 2005, the trends are more about Ancient
Mitochondrial DNA. In those 5 years, researchers began sequencing
entire nuclear genomes of ancient humans, from Neandertals to Bronze
Age Europeans and Asians. These genomes offer more information
about identity, migrations, and evolution than maternally inherited
mitochondrial DNA.
Since genetic studies of Native American populations are
complicated by the demographic collapse and presumed major loss of
genetic diversity following European colonization at the end of the 15th
century. However, geographically widespread signals of low diversity
and shared ancestry, particularly striking in maternally inherited
mitochondrial and paternally inherited Y-chromosome sequence data
suggesting that small founding groups possibly initially entered the
Americas in a single migration event that gave rise to most of the
ancestry of Native Americans today.
In contrast, the distribution of some of the rare founding
mitochondrial haplogroups along the Pacific coast of North and South
America, and in northwestern North America, suggests that distinct
migrations along the coastal route and the ice-free corridor occurred
within less than 2000 years.
Consequently, in the year 2006, it was more about
vaccines and vaccination campaigns can virtually eliminate diseases in
a population. Many more diseases are now decreasing worldwide
thanks to these measures. Along with infectious diseases, there are
also huge growth potential opportunities for vaccines in other areas -
for example in treating chronic diseases, cancer, and weight disorders.
However, there is no “one size fits all” approach for
developing vaccines safely, especially for those that are biotechnology-
derived. Making sure vaccines are both effective and safe raises a
series of immunology-related challenges, that are of key interest to
many working in the field today.
While from the year 2007 to 2008, the trends are more
related to the developments in cellular therapeutics CAR-T cell
therapies are a good example of new and exciting immunotherapies.
Similar to drugs targeting Checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), CAR-T cell
therapy attempts to boost the immune response. T cells require two
signals to become activated. CAR-T cells are engineered to provide the
first signal which targets tumor cells, for example, enabling more
efficient targeted T cell activation. The use of CAR-T cells has led to
some amazing curative treatments for certain lymphomas and other
diseases such as leukemia.
After 2008, Monoclonal antibodies as a critical
component was the issue or trend that had most research produced in
the year 2009. The use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as reagents
has played an important role in the advancement of basic research,
diagnostics and product development and has delivered huge patient
benefits across a wide range of therapeutic areas.
Moreover, technologies such as antibody phage display
have expanded the available options to generate novel mAbs, in
particular human or humanized mAbs for therapeutic purposes such
as antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). An ADC molecule, consisting of
a monoclonal antibody conjugated with highly cytotoxic small
molecules through chemical linkers, is an emerging technology used in
cancer chemotherapy. These ADC-based cytotoxic agents have shown
vastly superior therapeutic applications compared to their free
counterparts for treatment of a wide range of cancers. However, there
are likely to be regulatory challenges in demonstrating adequate
quality, safety and efficacy of the final ADC and a case-by-case
approach will be needed to determine the most suitable pathway.
Then from 2009 to 2011, The use of pharmacodynamic
endpoints and biomarkers are the trends that Biologists researchers
focused on more. The successful development of molecules depends
greatly on detailed understanding of the underlying biological
processes as well as their pharmacological action. Therefore,
researchers are now applying predictive biomarkers of
pharmacological action routinely not only during clinical development
but also in the preclinical studies. As the mechanism of action of the
drug becomes more complex, the pharmacodynamic endpoints and
biomarkers are no longer “nice to have” extras on non-clinical safety
studies but pivotal for non-clinical safety data interpretation and the
design of clinical studies.
Afterward, in the year 2012, the trends had focused more
about Immunotherapy especially in Zoology, Genetics and
Microbiology. Decades of research has led to an increase in collective
understanding of the immune system as well as an improved
understanding of its variability within and between species, aiding drug
developers in translating learnings from the different phases of
therapeutic development and laying the foundation for further
advancements in immunotherapy. With improved immunotherapy
comes curative drugs and cell therapies that turn on and off the immune
system to help overcome the challenges of current unmet clinical
needs.
Immuno-oncology research in particular is being powered
by the success of new biological products. The drugs in this area are
very potent, hence they are effective for treating cancer. However, the
potency is such that making them safe is a crucial element. One area
that can help increase the success rate of oncology research
is choosing the right animal model at the very start of discovery. The
ability to research and leverage this earlier work can have a dramatic
effect on the time, resources and dollars put into the research.
While in 2013, researchers focused more on leading
therapeutic areas. With the ever-growing sophistication in the
development of therapeutic products, driven by technological
advancements to treat human disease, researchers have a better
understanding of the biological mechanisms and the effects of
therapeutic intervention. The main therapeutic areas of growth in
biopharmaceuticals continue to be oncology and hematology, along
with neurology and infectious disease.
Subsequently, from 2014 to 2015, researchers discovered
human embryo genome editing by clinical and genetics analysis. The
use of genome editing in embryos for assisted reproduction in humans
is currently prohibited by UK law, but is permitted in some research.
Scientists can do gene editing on discarded IVF embryos, as long as
they are destroyed immediately afterwards, for example.
Heritable genome editing could be used to wipe out genetic
diseases in certain families by deleting or permanently changing any
troublesome code in embryos, or the sperm and egg.
Thereafter, in 2016, one third of all new Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approvals were classed as a new biological entity.
In the same year, European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorized 27
new active substances with 12 (44%) being a biopharmaceutical.
Undoubtedly, one of the key growth areas in pharmaceutical
research is in the study of biologics, designed to meet unmet clinical
needs. In fact, according to “Evaluate Pharma”, biologics are set to
contribute 52% of the top 100 product sales by 2022.
Finally, biological research trends from 2017 to 2018 focused
more on the development on the treatment of cancer and other
diseases.
 Researchers have found an unconventional way to unleash the https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-
immune system against liver cancer in mice. Rather than directly blog/2019/translation-inhibitor-immune-checkpoint-protein
blocking the activity of an immune checkpoint protein that shields
tumors from the immune system, the researchers used an
investigational drug to curb production of the protein.

The immune system has the capacity to detect and eliminate

tumors, but cancer cells often find ways to hide or thwart an attack. The
researchers found that MYC-KRAS tumors contained more cancer-
killing immune cells than KRAS tumors. But because the MYC-KRAS
tumors also grew and spread more aggressively, the scientists
reasoned that the cancer cells might be shielding themselves from the
immune system.

These research trends will aid and assist our life, especially in our
health and for other species. Because it will help us to know that in
these past years, there are new discoveries for the development of
clinical setting like in medicine that will help us to know other treatments
for diseases that was unknown long- ago, until advanced research and
studies proved that there are still things in this world that yet have not
been discovered.

Therefore, from 2000 to 2018, the research trends focused

more on new discoveries like new found genomes in DNA and RNA,
newly discovered species, treatments, therapy, diseases in animals,
and also in the field of Pharmaceutical and Medical. Moreover, let’s also
consider other branches of Biology that produced many thesis and
journals like Genetics, Zoology and Microbiology.

REFERENCES:

Editing human embryos 'morally permissible'. (2018, July 17).

Retrieved February 20, 2019, from https://www.bbc.com/news/health-
44849034

Nci, Nci, & Nci. (n.d.). Blocking Cancer's Production of an

Immune Checkpoint Protein. Retrieved February 20, 2019, from