Here is a URL that describes the biotechnology of insulin production. http://www.littletree.com.au/dna.htm
One great advantage of the GM produced insulin is that it is identical to human insulin unlike that extracted from animal sources such as pigs. There have been some problems. Insulin produced using e coli bacteria has sometimes been contaminated causing allergic reactions. However with more careful lab processes and also the use of yeast cells instead of e coli this is no longer common. Some patients seem to react better with the older non-human insulin but they are a small minority. Since the market is so small these patients are finding it more and more difficult to obtain the animal insulin. If there we public ownership of the means of production these products would still be made available because they serve a need even if they are not very profitable any more. Some patients have complained that using GM insulin they are no longer aware when they have low blood sugar. Studies have not confirmed this. With time many patients become unable to detect these episodes in any event. The vast majority of patients have done well with GM insulin since with the animal product there are often adverse reactions since it is not the same as human insulin. Cheers, Ken Hanly
