Pigs are resistant to incurable disease

Scientists in the united states for the first time modified genetically pigs, so as to be resistant to the virus ‘reproductive and respiratory syndrome of pigs”, a common internationally incurable disease, which costs 1.5 billion farmers and peasants of Europe every year.
The pigs suffering from this syndrome (PRRSv), they lose a lot of weight, rarely reproduce and have a high mortality.
The gene
Researchers of the universities of Missouri and Kansas, led by professor Randall Πράδερ they mutated the animals, so they don’t have in their DNA a gene that regulates a specific protein (CD163).
This protein helps the virus to spread in the body of the animal and, therefore, the absence of due to the genetic modification, creates the pig’s resilience against the virus PRRS.
When the mutant animals were exposed to the virus, I got sick and have continued to increase their weight properly. As the researchers said, the achievement that can have a huge positive impact for pig producers and in general for the industry of pig products. Scientists have confirmed that genetically modified animals do not exhibit side effects due to the absence of protein CD163.
The next step is the collaboration with the british biotechnology company Genus plc, which supplies the semen of pigs and bulls breeders internationally, to bring on the market the mutant pigs, something that is not expected to happen before spend at least five years. The research is published in the journal “Nature Biotechnology”.

Exit mobile version