Animal Biotechnology

Applications of Transgenic Animals

The benefits of transgenic animals to human welfare can be grouped into areas: Agriculture Medicine Industry Environmental

Agricultural Applications
Breeding
Traditional cross breeding have been used for ages to create chickens, cows, pigs etc. Farmers have always used selective breeding to produce animals that exhibit desired traits (increased milk production, high growth rate). Traditional breeding is a time-consuming, difficult task. Researchers have now used gene transfer to improve the productivity of livestock. Now it is possible to develop traits in animals in a shorter time and with more precision. It also offers farmers an easy way to increase yields. Scientists can improve the size of livestock genetically. Transgenic cows have been used to produce milk which are richer in proteins and lower in fat.

Quality
In the past, farmers used growth hormones for the development of animals but this technique was problematic, especially since residue of the hormones remained in the animal product. Herman, a transgenic bull carries a human gene for Lactoferrin (gene responsible for higher iron content). Transgenic cows exist that produce more milk or milk with less lactose or cholesterol. By transgenesis Pigs and cattle can produce more meat. Wool quantity and quality can be improve by developing transgenic sheep. Eggs can be made healthier with high quality of protein and lower level of cholesterol and fates.

Disease resistance
Scientists are attempting to produce disease-resistant animals i.e., influenza-resistant pigs but a very limited number of genes are currently known to be responsible for resistance to diseases in farm animals. Disease-resistant livestock is not a reality just yet But there are some improvement in disease reduction in animals. The Foot- and- Mouth disease (FMD) in England in 2000 led to destruction of herds (Grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic) of cattle, sheep and goat. Transgenic disease protection promises a long term cost effective method of battling animal diseases.

Medical Applications
Xenotransplantation The transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one specie to another. Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or xeno-transplant. In contrast allotransplantation refer to a same transplant. Patients die every year for lack of a replacement heart, liver or kidney. For example, about 5,000 organs are needed each year in the UK. Transgenic pigs may provide the transplant organs needed to alleviate the shortfall.

 Human xenotransplantation offers a potential treatment for end-stage organ failure, a significant health problem in parts of the industrialized world. It also raises many novel medical, legal and ethical issues A continuing concern is that many animals, like pigs, have shorter lifespans than humans, meaning that their tissues age at quicker rate. Disease transmission and permanent alteration to the genetic code of animals are also causes for concern. Transplant organs may soon come from transgenic animals. Currently, xenotransplantation is hampered by a pig protein that can cause donor rejection but research is underway to remove the pig protein and replace it with a human protein.

Nutritional supplements and pharmaceuticals Research is also underway to manufacture milk through transgenesis for treatment of diseases like, hereditary emphysema and cystic fibrosis. Products such as insulin, growth hormone and blood anti-clotting factors have already been obtained from the milk of transgenic cows, sheep and goats. The first transgenic cow (Rosie) produced human protein-enriched milk at 2.4 grams per liter. This transgenic milk is a more nutritionally balanced product than natural milk and could be given to babies or the elderly with special nutritional or digestive needs. Rosies milk contains the human gene alpha-lactalbumin. A transgenic cow exists that produces a substance to help human red cells grow.

Human gene therapy Human gene therapy involves adding a normal copy of a gene (transgene) to the genome of a person carrying defective copies of the gene. The potential for treatments for the 5,000 named genetic diseases is huge and transgenic animals could play a role. For example, the A. I. Virtanen Institute in Finland produced a calf with a gene that makes the substance that promotes the growth of red cells in humans

Industrial Applications
In 2001, two scientists at Nexia Biotechnologies in Canada spliced spider genes into the cells of lactating goats. The goats began to manufacture silk along with their milk and secrete tiny silk strands from their body. By extracting polymer strands from the milk and weaving them into thread, the scientists can create a light, tough, flexible material that could be used in such applications as military uniforms, medical microsutures and tennis racket strings. Biosteel is an extraordinary new product that may be soon used in bullet proof vests and in suture silk for stitching wounds. Toxicity-sensitive transgenic animals have been produced for chemical safety testing. Transgenic animals have been used to produce pharmaceutical protein: example a human gene called AT III has been transferred to goats.

Animals have been used as Bioreactors to produce proteins. Genes for desired proteins are introduced via Transgenesis to target cells. The target cells are cloned & several such cells are raised into adults. These adults may produce milk or eggs (due to the presence of introduced gene rich in desired protein). Microorganisms have been engineered to produce a wide variety of proteins, which in turn can produce enzymes that can speed up industrial chemical reactions. Transgenic goat milk contain protein that prevents blood clotting (goats multiply faster than cows). Hen bioreactor eggs are used to enrich protein by recombinant DNA technology.

Environment Friendly

Enviropigs
Transgenic pigs expressing the phytase gene in their salivary glands. The phytase gene was introduced by DNA microinjection & used the parotid secretory protein promoter to specifically drive expression in the salivary glands. Phytate is the predominant storage form of phosphorus in plant-based animal feeds (soybean meal). Pigs & poultry cannot digest phytate and consequently excrete large amounts of phosphorus. Enviropigs excrete 75% less phosphorus. Microinjected an E. coli phytase gene under the control of a mouse parotid secretory protein promoter

EnviropigTM an environmentally friendly breed of pigs that utilizes plant phosphorus efficiently.

Transgenic mice/animal: applications

Transgenic models for Alzheimer disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington disease, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, tumorigenesis, hypertension, neurodegenerative disorders, endocrinological dysfunction, coronary disease etc. Using transgenic mice as test systems (e.g., protein [CFTR] secretion into milk, protection against mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus using a modified lysostaphin gene). Conditional regulation of gene expression (tetracycline-inducible system). Conditional control of cell death (used to model and study organ failure; involves the organ-specific engineering of a toxin receptor into the mice and then addition of the toxin to kill that organ).

What are Ethical concerns surrounding transgenesis?

Ethical concern is ever increasing as the technology grows, including the issue of lab animal welfare. These ethical issues include questions such as Should there be universal protocols for transgenesis? Should such protocols demand that only the most promising research be permitted? Is human welfare the only consideration? What about the welfare of other life forms? Should scientists focus on in vitro transgenic methods rather than, using live animals to alleviate animal suffering?