Reading Exercise: Utilizing insects to discover novel pharmaceuticals

A

More drugs than expected are derived from, or inspired by, compounds found in living organisms. Turning to nature for healing and treating our ailments is an age-old practice – a tradition spanning tens of thousands of years. Consider other primates – like capuchin monkeys that use toxin-releasing millipedes to fend off mosquitoes, or chimpanzees using potent forest plants to combat intestinal parasites – revealing our ancient ancestors' grasp of rudimentary medicine.

B

Building upon these ancient foundations, pharmaceutical science and chemistry have refined the extraction, characterization, modification, and testing of these natural products. Eventually, modern pharmaceutical science shifted its focus from nature to the laboratory, creating synthetic chemical compounds. The primary reason for this transition is the challenge of discovering promising chemical compounds in nature. Obtaining enough of the required organism, isolating and characterizing the desired compounds, and producing sufficient quantities of these substances all present significant obstacles.

C

While laboratory-based drug discovery has achieved varying degrees of success, recent developments have renewed interest in natural products. Advances in genomic research allow us to explore nature's vast molecular diversity more comprehensively. This realization, coupled with emerging health challenges such as antibiotic resistance, has revitalized bioprospecting – the search for valuable compounds in nature.

D

Insects dominate the land, occupying every possible niche. This vast diversity has led to the evolution of a wide array of fascinating compounds for defense and offense. Their diversity surpasses that of all other animal groups combined. Despite being the most diverse animals, their potential as sources of therapeutic compounds remains untapped.

E

From the tiny proportion of insects that have been investigated, several promising compounds have been identified. For example, alloferon, an antimicrobial compound produced by blow fly larvae, is used as an antiviral and antitumor agent in South Korea and Russia. The larvae of a few other insect species are being investigated for the potent antimicrobial compounds they produce. Meanwhile, a compound from the venom of the wasp Polybia paulista has potential in cancer treatment.

F

Why have insects received little attention in bioprospecting? Firstly, the sheer number of insect species makes investigating them without a targeted approach daunting. Secondly, insects are generally small, and their glands, which produce potentially useful compounds, are even smaller. This makes obtaining sufficient quantities for testing challenging. Thirdly, despite their ubiquity, many insect species are rare and difficult to rear in captivity, limiting research materials.

G

At Aberystwyth University, UK, my colleagues and I have developed an ecological approach to target our efforts. We focus on insects that produce potent toxins for prey subjugation and preservation. Many insects thrive in unsanitary environments, combating thousands of microorganisms with antimicrobial compounds. This suggests ample potential for discovering or inspiring new antibiotics.

H

While natural history guides us, challenges persist in extracting useful compounds from insects. Advances now allow us to insert insect DNA segments encoding interesting compounds into cell lines for scalable production. Although the path from compound isolation to commercial product is fraught with challenges, successful animal-derived pharmaceuticals demonstrate the value of exploring this avenue.

I

With every bit of wilderness lost, potential medicines disappear. While I aspire to develop groundbreaking insect-derived medicines, my primary motivation lies in conservation. I believe every species, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, deserves to exist. Shedding light on nature’s medicine cabinet and exploring the chemistry of Earth’s most diverse animals can reshape perceptions of nature's value.

Questions 14-20

Reading Passage 2 has nine paragraphs, A-I

Which passage includes the following details?

Write the correct letter, A-I, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.

14   mention of factors driving a renewed interest in natural medicinal compounds.

15   how recent technological advances have made insect research easier

16   examples of animals which use medicinal substances from nature

17   reasons why it is challenging to use insects in drug research

18   reference to how interest in drug research may benefit wildlife

19   a reason why nature-based medicines fell out of favour for a period

20   an example of an insect-derived medicine in use at the moment

Questions 21-22

Choose TWO letters, A-E

Write the correct letters in boxes 21 and 22 on your answer sheet.

Which TWO of the following make insects interesting for drug research?

A   the huge number of individual insects in the world

B   the variety of substances insects have developed to protect themselves

C   the potential to extract and make use of insects’ genetic codes

D   the similarities between different species of insect

E   the manageable size of most insects

Questions 23-26

Complete the summary provided below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.

Research conducted at Aberystwyth University

Ross Piper and fellow zoologists at Aberystwyth University are using their expertise in 23………………………… when undertaking bioprospecting with insects. They are especially interested in the compounds that insects produce to overpower and preserve their 24…………………………. They are also interested in compounds which insects use to protect themselves from pathogenic bacteria and fungi found in their 25………………………… Piper hopes that these substances will be useful in the development of drugs such as 26……………………………..

Answers: 

14. C (“the development of new approaches focusing once again on natural products.”)

15. H (“Fortunately, it is now possible to snip out the stretches of the insect’s DNA that carry the codes for the interesting compounds and insert them into cell lines that allow larger quantities to be produced.”)

16. A (“capuchin monkeys who rub themselves with toxin-oozing millipedes to deter mosquitoes, or the chimpanzees who use noxious forest plants to rid themselves of intestinal parasites…”)

17. F (“Why is it that insects have received relatively little attention in bioprospecting?”)

18. I (“I sincerely believe that all species, … about the value of nature.”

19. B (“Then, for a while, …finding them is far from easy.”

20. E (“For example, alloferon, an antimicrobial compound produced by blow fly larvae, is used as an antiviral and antitumor agent in South Korea and Russia.”)

21. B (Đoạn G, “The creatures that particularly interest us are the many insects that secrete powerful poison for subduing prey and keeping it fresh for future consumption. → Khớp với ý B)

22. C (Đoạn H, “Fortunately, it is now possible to snip out the stretches of the insect’s DNA that carry the codes for the interesting compounds and insert them into cell lines that allow larger quantities to be produced. → Khớp với ý C)

23. Ecology (Đoạn G, “we use our knowledge of ecology as a guide…”)

24. Prey (Đoạn G, “ poison for subduing prey and keeping it fresh”)

25. Habitats (Đoạn G, “There are even more insects that are masters of exploiting filthy habitats”)