Gene editing could create chickens that are resistant to bird flu to stop the spread of the virus

In a promising shift in modern science, researchers have made Significant progress has been made in the fight against avian influenza, On July 12, the disease World Health Organization (WHO) have Be alert to its risks to humans.

At the time, the entity stated current outbreak also known as Avian Influenza “It has caused serious damage to animal populations, including poultry, wild birds and some mammals, and harmed farmers’ livelihoods and the food trade.”

in some meaning, gene editing technology It is being improved and may be the key to development. disease-resistant chicken for this devastating disease.This is demonstrated by a study that my colleagues and I published in the journal nature communicationswhich details how to ANP32A protein editingcrucial for the occurrence of avian influenza in chickens, may be An effective way to nip the spread of the virus in the bud.

In this way, we demonstrate the potential of this technology gene editing for Protect chickens from the threat of avian influenza. this Diseases are caused by viruses that are constantly evolving It discourages countless people biosecurity measureslike a good hygiene habitsthis Restrict movement among birds, Surveillance is carried out through appropriate testing and culling of infected birds.

Gene editing refers to The process of making precise changes to an animal’s specific genes, Introduce traits such as resistance to certain diseases, increased productivity, and traits that improve your health.

A breakthrough in gene editing would prevent the huge economic damage currently being suffered from bird flu outbreaks. It would also be an important step toward controlling diseases that can cause serious illness and death in humans.

Avian influenza outbreaks around the world have caused billions of dollars in damage. The USDA reports that as many as 50 million chickens will die from the disease in 2022. Meanwhile, the South African Poultry Association recently said that more than 7 million chickens were culled after the outbreak was detected in the first half of 2023.

In addition to the economic impact, bird flu outbreaks also pose risks to human health: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the disease was thought to have the potential to trigger a devastating human pandemic. This prompted international monitoring led by the World Organization for Animal Health, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This concern is well-founded, as all three flu pandemics of the 20th century, including the 1918 flu that killed tens of millions of people, originated in birds.

Vaccination is the primary method of preventing avian influenza outbreaks in chicken flocks. However, because the virus evolves rapidly, its effectiveness is limited. This makes existing inoculants less effective over time.

In addition, there are many strains of avian influenza viruses, and the vaccine is only effective against specific strains, so it needs to match the main strain causing the epidemic. In turn, the use of inoculants may impose significant costs and practical barriers to distribution.

Unlike vaccines, gene editing targets one or more proteins in chickens that are critical to all strains of avian influenza, effectively stopping the virus.

Beneficial genetic changes introduced into one animal through gene editing can occur naturally in another animal. For example, gene editing renders cows nameless by introducing genetic changes found in naturally nameless cows. This is important because many dairy cows have horns, leading to the painful practice of dehorning calves to reduce the risk of injury to the animals and farmers.

Still, it’s important not to confuse gene editing with genetic modification, which involves transferring genes from one species to another. This distinction is necessary for regulatory purposes, especially since older genetic modification technologies face strict regulations in many countries, hampering their development.

To produce gene-edited chickens in our research, we used the powerful molecular scissors CRISPR/Cas9 to perform unique gene editing.Therefore, we turned to the chicken ANP32A protein

Compared to “normal” chickens hatched at the same time, these gene-edited individuals matured with no apparent adverse effects on their health and well-being. To test their resistance, we exposed genetically modified chickens to low doses of avian influenza viruses. Surprisingly, nine out of ten of these chickens showed complete resistance and did not spread to other chickens.

We took a more ambitious step and inoculated the genetically modified samples with an unnaturally high dose of the virus: 1,000 times the lower dose. This time, 5 out of 10 modified and vaccinated chickens were infected.

We also found that avian influenza viruses can adapt to use the edited ANP32A protein, as well as two related proteins: ANP32B and ANP32E. However, we demonstrated through cell experiments that editing all three proteins simultaneously completely suppressed the virus. In summary, ongoing research aims to identify the specific combination of gene edits required to create the next generation of gene-edited chickens that provide complete and permanent protection against avian influenza.

Gene editing should be considered an important tool for preventing and controlling deadly animal diseases. Supportive government regulations are needed to promote the development of gene editing aimed at improving animal health and welfare. The potential of disease-resistant animals to protect global food security and public health is a compelling reason to pursue the path of biotech innovation.

*Alewo Idoko Ako He is a researcher and Currently working on the development of human gene therapies University of Bristol, UK. Previously, he worked at the University of Edinburgh, where he was involved in developing applications of gene editing technology in chickens, with a particular focus on generating resistance to avian influenza.

*This article is publish Originally in The Conversation.