New Study Shows Gene Editing Techniques Could Help Prevent Spread of Bird Flu
According to a new study conducted by British scientists, gene editing techniques have the potential to stop the spread of bird flu among chickens and reduce the risk of transmission to humans. The scientists used CRISPR-Cas9, a powerful gene-editing tool, to limit the bird flu virus from infecting chickens. While their method is designed to prevent bird flu from spreading among chickens, it could also lower the risk of transmission to humans.
The bird flu outbreak in the UK, caused by the H5N1 strain, has resulted in significant losses for the poultry industry, with costs exceeding £100 million. The researchers edited the ANP32A gene in chicken germ cells, which are precursors to reproductive cells, in order to restrict the virus. They found that fully-grown chickens were resistant to the virus after being exposed to it.
Gene editing is a technique that allows scientists to make changes to an organism’s DNA, leading to changes in physical traits. CRISPR-Cas9, the genome editing tool used in this study, functions like genetic scissors, allowing for precise edits in DNA. By targeting the section of DNA responsible for producing the ANP32A protein, the scientists were able to prevent the bird flu virus from replicating.
The study, led by scientists from the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London, and the Pirbright Institute, demonstrates the potential of gene editing in providing permanent disease resistance that can be passed down through generations. The researchers emphasize the importance of additional genetic changes for the virus to effectively infect and spread in humans.
Professor James Wood from the University of Cambridge’s veterinary medicine department praises the study for showing significant resistance of chickens to bird flu and highlights the potential for gene-edited, disease-resistant chickens to transform the poultry industry. However, further research on a larger scale is needed before implementing gene-edited chickens into commercial farming.
The study’s findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, have promising implications for preventing future bird flu outbreaks. As bird flu continues to pose a major threat to both farmed and wild bird populations globally, the use of gene editing techniques could offer a breakthrough solution in protecting poultry and reducing risks to humans and wild birds.
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