TY  - EJOU
AU  - Li, Xiaobing 
AU  - Liu, Yongsheng 
AU  - Wei, Limin 
AU  - Rao, Li 
AU  - Mao, Jingxin 
AU  - Li, Xuemei 

TI  - From Model Organism to Pharmaceutical Powerhouse: Innovative Applications of Yeast in Modern Drug Research
T2  - BIOCELL

PY  - 2025
VL  - 49
IS  - 5
SN  - 1667-5746

AB  - Yeast-based models have become a powerful platform in pharmaceutical research, offering significant potential for producing complex drugs, vaccines, and therapeutic agents. While many current drugs were discovered before fully understanding their molecular mechanisms, yeast systems now provide valuable insights for drug discovery and personalized medicine. Recent advancements in genetic engineering, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology have improved the efficiency and scalability of yeast-based production systems, enabling more sustainable and cost-effective manufacturing processes. This paper reviews the latest developments in yeast-based technologies, focusing on their use as model organisms to study disease mechanisms, identify drug targets, and develop novel therapies. We highlight key platforms such as the yeast two-hybrid system, surface display technologies, and optimized expression systems. Additionally, we explore the future integration of yeast engineering with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and advanced genome editing technologies like CRISPR/Cas9, which are expected to accelerate drug discovery and enable personalized therapies. Furthermore, yeast-based systems are increasingly employed in large-scale drug production, vaccine development, and therapeutic protein expression, offering promising applications in clinical and industrial settings. This paper discusses the practical implications of these systems and their potential to revolutionize drug development, paving the way for safer, more effective therapies.
KW  - Yeast; model organism; pharmaceutical research; drug discovery; synthetic biology; metabolic engineering; vaccine development; therapeutic proteins; machine learning; biopharmaceuticals

DO  - 10.32604/biocell.2025.062124