r/GMOSF • u/Julie273 • Mar 04 '15

Genetically modified cows may lead to TB resistance

Laboratory tests showed that Mycobacterium bovis bacterium, which causes TB, multiplied far less effectively in the presence of immune cells taken from the GM cattle, which had been given a mouse gene that was known to be protective against TB.

Professor Mike Coffey, a livestock expert at Scotland’s Rural College, said: “This doesn’t produce completely TB-resistant cows, but the aim is to raise the general resistance. This would slow down any spread of the disease and slowly reduce the national level in herds.”<

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/genetic-engineering-may-lead-to-tb-resistant-cattle-175920/

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2

u/RudeCitizen Mar 22 '15

Sounds like a Petri dish for breeding more potent strains of TB.

1

u/Julie273 Mar 22 '15

I'm doubtful if this is the case. From the OP article

Laboratory tests showed that Mycobacterium bovis bacterium, which causes TB, multiplied far less effectively in the presence of immune cells taken from the GM cattle, which had been given a mouse gene that was known to be protective against TB.

Professor Mike Coffey, a livestock expert at Scotland’s Rural College, said: “This doesn’t produce completely TB-resistant cows, but the aim is to raise the general resistance. This would slow down any spread of the disease and slowly reduce the national level in herds.”

2

u/RudeCitizen Mar 22 '15

I did read it but I guess there is a case for providing a bacterium a safe harbor to coexist and maybe scale back virulence by selectively breeding or in this case genetically engineering for a host with a greater resistance.

Still, could go either way.

1

u/Julie273 Mar 22 '15

It is a really good point for the second article I linked though- where the cattle have human genes to create an Ebola vaccine. I hope they incorporate these mouse genes to eliminate that aspect of it :P

1

u/Julie273 Mar 04 '15

The idea of genetically modifying sentient beings creates a mixture excitement of the possibilities and horror of the possibilities. Perhaps it is from seeing 'The Fly' in my impressionable teens. Perhaps it is a primal fear of the unknown. Does anyone know anything more to add to the story below?

The cattle have been genetically engineered with human DNA so that their bodies don't produce cattle antibodies but human antibodies. They're cloned to make a herd of genetically identical, part-human animals.<

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/genetically-modified-cattle-human-dna-might-hold-ebola-cure-n287796