Gene-edited beagles may offer a future option for people with dog allergies
Tests found no detectable Can f 1 in the beagles’ saliva and fur, and a skin-prick test on an allergic researcher showed no reaction.
- On Wednesday, Columbia University geneticist Dieter Egli and colleagues published research in the CRISPR Journal showing successful base editing in early-stage human embryos, achieving precise DNA changes without chromosomal alterations.
- Researchers overcame previous challenges by synthesizing a protein in the lab to replace messenger RNA, which had impaired early-stage embryo development during earlier genetic modification attempts.
- Egli and colleagues stated that "translation to a clinical context remains premature," emphasizing the results should contribute to conversations on embryo editing risks and benefits.
- Vanderbilt University professor Ellen Wright Clayton noted concerns about downstream genetic effects and accessibility, while bioethicist Jeffrey Kahn warned approval could pressure physicians toward "off-label" trait selection.
- In a separate application, Matt Walker of Kindred Companion Sciences produced hypoallergenic beagles using CRISPR, though bioethicist Arthur Caplan warned the approach might discourage adoption of unengineered strays.
44 Articles
44 Articles
Despite the advances, it will take years for millions of people with allergies to have hypoallergenic pets.
Matt Walker couldn't pet a dog without sneezing, until he and other scientists used a genetic editing technique to produce a hypoallergenic beagle called Bailey.
Fur Real: Biotech Startup Eliminates Major Dog Allergen in Beagle Pups Using CRISPR
Researchers at Kindred Companion Sciences, a New York-based start-up company, have successfully used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to breed dogs lacking the primary protein responsible for human dog allergies. The study, published online in The CRISPR Journal (a sister journal to GEN), details the engineering and birth of a pair of healthy beagle puppies, Alfie and Bailey. The puppies represent a key first step towards addressing canine allergenicity…
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