Scientists breed bird flu-resistant chickens

The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, best known for its production of Dolly the sheep, has successfully used gene editing technology to develop Chickens are resistant to avian influenza infection. British researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of modifying a small portion of chicken DNA to partially prevent influenza infection, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications.

What is avian influenza virus?

Avian influenza viruses are fatal to birds and can infect humans in extreme cases, causing significant economic losses around the world.Although Existing vaccines are effective

s, viruses have the ability to rapidly change their surface proteins, making them difficult to fight.

A team of scientists led by Mike McGrew used the following techniques: CRISPR gene editing Modify the genes in chicken cells that produce specific proteins. This allows us to breed chickens that have lower rates of infection when exposed to avian influenza viruses. However, in subsequent tests using higher doses of the virus, some chickens became infected, suggesting that more genetic modification is needed to achieve full resistance.

What did the researchers discover when they modified the genes of the farm’s chickens?

The researchers found that the virus was able to adapt to the genetic changes and use other similar proteins to continue replicating, albeit less efficiently.This leads to the team Exploring editing of two additional genes

, which makes it possible to stop the spread of viruses in eggs. Although it’s not yet possible to breed chickens through triple gene editing, scientists believe it could have harmful side effects.

Lluís Montoliu, a geneticist at the CSIC National Center for Biotechnology, believes that these developments open up the possibility of creating influenza-resistant animals through various genetic modifications.However, he warned that still There are technical and ethical challenges This technology still needs to overcome some difficulties before it can be applied in practice.

Practical applications of this research will also face logistical obstacles because of the need for editing lots of chicken. In addition, experts point out that this technology is only suitable for industrial poultry farming and not for wild birds, which are the main hosts of avian influenza viruses.

Despite these challenges, research shows that it is possible to use Gene editing to create drug resistance Avian influenza transmitted to chickens. Researchers continue to work on technical and ethical issues to translate this scientific advancement into practical solutions to combat this disease.