London — Scientists in Britain have used gene-editing techniques to stop bird flu spreading in chicken cells grown in a lab — a key step towards making genetically-altered chickens that could halt a human flu pandemic.
In the latest study, by editing out a section of chicken DNA inside the lab-grown cells, researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute prevented the bird-flu virus from taking hold in the cells and replicating. “We haven’t produced any birds yet and we need to check if the DNA change has any other effects on the bird cells before we can take this next step.”In the further work, the team hopes to use the gene-editing technology, known as CRISPR, to remove a section of the birds’ DNA responsible for producing a protein called ANP32, on which all flu viruses depend to infect a host.
The death toll in the last flu pandemic in 2009-2010 — caused by the H1N1 strain and considered to be relatively mild — was about half-a-million people worldwide. The historic 1918 Spanish flu killed around 50-million people.
Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Malpractice mania: One doc fights back - and winsNorth West surgeon Samuel Smith has won a lengthy court battle against a patient who accused him of negligence, in an important case for the medical fraternity that is grappling rising malpractice claims.
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »