Recent innovations in Baculovirus-insect cell expression Systems for Therapeutic Protein Production

Abstract

The production of recombinant glycoproteins is pivotal for numerous therapies targeting human diseases, forming a cornerstone of the medical industry. The baculovirus-insect cell system has emerged as a leading method for producing high-value therapeutic glycoproteins. This system has several advantages, including rapid cultivation of insect cells, high production yields, and relatively straightforward post-translational processing. Insect cells, being eukaryotic, have functional glycosylation pathways, offering a significant advantage over prokaryotic cells which lack these capabilities. These advantages are particularly promising for the expression and testing of post-translational processing in de novo proteins, which are newly developed and extensively researched through AI-based computational methods. However, challenges remain, particularly with expression levels and glycosylation modifications, which need to be addressed to optimize protein production. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the baculovirus-insect cell expression system, highlighting progress in insect cell utilization, expression optimization, glycosylation modifications, and the production of therapeutic proteins.