Tag

Genetically Modified Organisms

All articles tagged with #genetically modified organisms

science-and-technology1 year ago

"Superpig: The Savior of the World's Bacon Crisis"

A U.K.-based company, Genus, has developed a gene-edited pig that is resistant to the devastating PRRS virus, potentially becoming the first genetically modified animal approved for wide human consumption by the FDA. The altered pig, created through a technique that disables a receptor necessary for the virus to establish infection, aims to address the $2.7 billion annual cost to the pork industry and improve animal welfare. While the approval process is complex, this development marks a shift in the GMO debate to include meat, though reducing pork consumption for environmental reasons remains a consideration.

health2 years ago

Breakthrough: Successful Second Transplant of Genetically Modified Pig's Heart

Surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig's heart into a second patient with terminal heart disease. The first patient who received a pig heart died after two months, but the organ functioned well with no signs of acute organ rejection. The second patient, a Navy veteran, underwent the transplant surgery and is currently recovering well. The procedure offers hope to those facing a shortage of human donor organs, although it is still in the early stages of development. The pig heart used in the transplant underwent genetic modifications to reduce the risk of rejection by the human immune system.

health2 years ago

"Exploring the Potential of Animal Gene Insertion for Protein-Boosted Fruits and Vegetables"

There are currently no moves to insert animal genes into fruits or vegetables to give them a protein boost for vegetarians and vegans. Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disease that requires individuals to avoid high amounts of phenylalanine their whole lives. While genetic modifications might improve life for people with PKU, the kind of genetic modification that would make safe foods like fruits and vegetables unsafe does not currently exist. In terms of autoimmune diseases like Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), recurrence is rare, with only about 5% of patients experiencing a relapse. Vaccination is often considered a risk, but the risk of being diagnosed with GBS after vaccination is about one person per million vaccinations.