Gene-edited pigs have been created by scientists at Edinburgh's Roslin Institute, offering a breakthrough in resistance to classical swine fever (CSF). This highly contagious and often fatal disease has caused significant losses for pig farmers worldwide.
Helen Crooke, mammalian virology deputy leader at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), where the trial was performed, stressed that CSF is "devastating" for livestock and farmers. The disease causes fever, skin lesions, convulsions, diarrhea, and often death within 15 days.
To combat this threat, researchers targeted a gene responsible for producing DNAJC14 protein, which plays a critical role in the replication of pestiviruses, including CSF. By making precise edits to their DNA, they created a line of pigs with enhanced resistance. The edited animals remained healthy and showed no signs of infection when exposed to CSF.
In contrast, control animals exhibited symptoms of the disease and high levels of the virus in their blood just one week after inoculation. Subsequent generations of gene-edited pigs were monitored without any adverse effects on health or fertility.
The breakthrough comes as countries are relaxing rules around gene editing in agriculture. The UK's Precision Breeding Act has paved the way for gene-edited crops, while other nations have already approved gene-edited livestock. This technology has far-reaching potential to create healthier animals and reduce losses for farmers.
However, Dr. Simon Lillico, a research scientist at Roslin Institute, emphasized that there is "a moral imperative" to use this technology to make animals more resilient to diseases. The study's findings are published in the journal Trends in Biotechnology, marking a significant step forward in using genomics-enabled innovation to build resilience to disease in livestock populations.
The scientists hope that their discovery will have practical applications in reducing losses for pig farmers worldwide and creating healthier animals. As the field of gene editing continues to advance, researchers are eager to explore its potential benefits and challenges in agriculture and animal health.
Helen Crooke, mammalian virology deputy leader at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), where the trial was performed, stressed that CSF is "devastating" for livestock and farmers. The disease causes fever, skin lesions, convulsions, diarrhea, and often death within 15 days.
To combat this threat, researchers targeted a gene responsible for producing DNAJC14 protein, which plays a critical role in the replication of pestiviruses, including CSF. By making precise edits to their DNA, they created a line of pigs with enhanced resistance. The edited animals remained healthy and showed no signs of infection when exposed to CSF.
In contrast, control animals exhibited symptoms of the disease and high levels of the virus in their blood just one week after inoculation. Subsequent generations of gene-edited pigs were monitored without any adverse effects on health or fertility.
The breakthrough comes as countries are relaxing rules around gene editing in agriculture. The UK's Precision Breeding Act has paved the way for gene-edited crops, while other nations have already approved gene-edited livestock. This technology has far-reaching potential to create healthier animals and reduce losses for farmers.
However, Dr. Simon Lillico, a research scientist at Roslin Institute, emphasized that there is "a moral imperative" to use this technology to make animals more resilient to diseases. The study's findings are published in the journal Trends in Biotechnology, marking a significant step forward in using genomics-enabled innovation to build resilience to disease in livestock populations.
The scientists hope that their discovery will have practical applications in reducing losses for pig farmers worldwide and creating healthier animals. As the field of gene editing continues to advance, researchers are eager to explore its potential benefits and challenges in agriculture and animal health.
. Can't say I'm too comfy with it. But at the same time, think about all the farmers who are losin' their livelihoods due to CSF 
. Maybe this is a step in the right direction? But what about unintended consequences? Like, what if these gene-edited pigs end up cause problems elsewhere? Or, how do we know they won't just get sick somewhere else that we don't even think of? 
It's a big responsibility, man...
this is a massive breakthrough for pig farmers everywhere! i mean, can you imagine if there was a way to protect your entire herd from that devastating disease? it's like, game changing for the industry. but at the same time, i'm glad they're being super cautious about using this tech in agriculture. i don't want anyone getting hurt by a gene-edited animal. 
also, it's cool to see how the relaxation of rules around gene editing is paving the way for new innovations. maybe one day we'll have gene-edited crops that can help feed the world? 
Like, aren't there risks of unintended consequences? But on the other hand, CSF is literally killing pigs left and right... 
It's like, do we really have a choice here? The more I think about it, the more I'm torn... 
I mean, isn't gene editing supposed to be some kind of silver bullet for disease resistance? 
But what if it just creates new problems down the line? 
! I think this is such a breakthrough and can be really beneficial for farmers who lose so many animals due to CSF.
. It's great to see countries relaxing rules around gene editing because it means we can move forward with new technologies like this one 
!
] Scientists just saved pigs from a life of diarrhea and death! 
Gene-edited pigs are the real MVPs now 
#GeneEditedPigs #SwineFever #PigSavior
I was talking to someone from the farm industry last week and they were all about how devastating CSF has been for them. It's not just the financial loss, but also the emotional toll of losing animals. This breakthrough could literally save lives (and livelihoods) 
. And can you believe it's happening in the UK? The Precision Breeding Act is still relatively new, so this is a huge vote of confidence in gene editing tech 
. Now we just need to see how this gets rolled out and if other countries follow suit 
.
.
The moral aspect of this study is also really interesting - if we can make animals more resilient to diseases, it could save countless lives and reduce suffering 
and its not just about saving lives, it's also about reducing losses for farmers 
and creating healthier animals 
. And the fact that this tech is being relaxed for gene editing in agriculture is super exciting 
. Now we just gotta see how it all plays out and if these pigs really do make farming easier and healthier 
The fact that these edited animals didn't even show any symptoms of the disease is just amazing. And the best part? They still had no problems with their fertility or health! 
Gene-edited pigs can literally save farmers from losing their entire herd due to CSF. It's a huge deal for the industry, right? And it's not just about saving money (although that's a major plus 
. Still, it's an amazing step forward in making our food system healthier and more sustainable