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Cat allergies may soon be a thing of the past as Virginia companies develop new gene-editing injectables

 


It is estimated that cat allergies occur in approximately 10% of the world’s population. Treatment options for patients include antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal steroids. But now, a Virginia-based company could have come up with a way to make all cats allergen-free through genetic editing.

It has been confirmed that 10 cat allergens cause a reaction in humans. However, a major cause is a protein called Fel d 1, which is produced by saliva, sebum (skin), perianal space (anal sac), and lacrimal gland (eye).

Fel d 1 is probably responsible for keeping the cat’s skin healthy and may also interact with the cat’s hormonal system. Male cats are the most Fel d 1. Fewer Toms have been castrated and fewer female cats.

Cats spread Fel d 1 protein on their hair and skin during grooming. When dry skin cells and hair are shed by invisible dandruff, Fel d 1 can float in the air for long periods of time and quickly stick to surfaces such as sweaters, blankets and carpets.

Indoor Biotechnologies (InBio), Charlottesville, VA, used genetic editing to delete the two Fel d 1-encoding genes, with the ultimate goal of keeping an allergen-free cat. February, the company Published the paper Details of research results. The company has successfully used the gene editing tool CRISPR to remove these genes.

The animals were not harmed during the study conducted on feline cells. To conduct the CRISPR experiment, Indoor Biotechnology, in collaboration with a local organization of the Animal Cruelty Prevention Association, obtained tissue samples from 50 cats.

(Getty Images)

“We’ve hypothesized what would happen if we could remove a gene from a cat,” said Martin Chapman, CEO of indoor biotechnology at the University of Virginia and former professor of medicine and microbiology. OneZero Magazine. “What we ultimately want to see is a cat that has been genetically engineered to not produce Fel d 1.”

The company is not interested in breeding new genetically modified cats. Instead, it aims to develop CRISPR-based drugs to edit cat DNA that people already have. If the drug turns out to be safe, the cat owner can go to a local vet for an injection and go home with a cat that does not cause allergies.

Current research is the first step in a company’s plan for the same. Next, Indoor Biotechnologies will edit a gene in the salivary tissue of laboratory cats to see if it stops producing proteins that cause allergies.

Scientists still do not know whether removing the gene responsible for Fel d 1 is harmful to cats. One way to understand the results is to delete the protein-producing gene in the cat embryo and transfer the embryo to the uterus of a female cat. The resulting kitten must then be studied for any medical problems. Needless to say, this study contains many ethical conundrums that could provoke the anger of animal rights groups.

There are other less invasive methods available. Nestlé researchers at Purina PetCare Cat food It uses antigen-antibody interactions to inactivate some of Fel d 1 by binding to antibodies from chicken eggs. This approach does not stop the cat from producing Fel d 1. Instead, it converts Fel d 1 in saliva into compounds that the human immune system does not respond to.

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