Scientists have taken a major step toward enabling pig to human organ transplantation by using a novel gene editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9.
Researchers at Harvard University and the nearby biotech startup eGenesis used CRISPR-Cas9, a new gene-editing method that replaces unwanted segments of DNA with "desirable" ones, to allow pig embryos to develop without harboring pig viruses that are harmful to humans.
The new research is detailed in a study published in the journal Science on Thursday. In it, the scientists show how they were able to generate 37 designer pigs without active porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) that can be transmitted to humans and are potentially deadly. Read more...
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