Genetic engineering got a legal boost(激励) in 1980. The U.S. Supreme Court said that a patent could be granted on a genetically engineered oil-eating bacterium(细菌). This bacterium would help clean up oil spills. The ruling encouraged companies to invent new life forms, and three important medical products were quickly developed.
l Human interferon(干扰素)-- a possible solution to some cancers and viral disease. A newly engineered bacterium produced human interferon as a by-product. This new product reduced the cost of interferon.
l Human growth hormone-- for children whose bodies do not grow to normal height. An expensive growth hormone(荷尔蒙) was previously produced from human cadavers, but by changing the genetic make-up of the single-cell bacterium E. coli, and affordable growth hormone could be produced.
l Human insulin(胰岛素)-- for the treatment of diabetes. People with diabetes used to rely on a beef- or pork-based product until 1982. Now insulin can be manufactured by genetically altered bacteria.
Advances in genetic engineering have continued, though they constantly must be weighed against the safety of procedures. There is clearly much more to discover.
41. This passage is mainly about
A. the human growth hormone.
B. the effects of altering cells.
C. insulin resistance.
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