Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Genetically Modified Pigs

 


   

          Untied therapeutics corp. has recently gained approval from the FDA for a type of genetically modified pig. However the companies initial intentions are not to use this big for meat although that may happen in the future. The purpose of this pigs genetic modification is to remove alpha-gal sugar from the animal. This is because a lot of medications are made out of these animals and alpha-gal can sometimes result in an allergic reaction. So by removing this from the pigs, they can produce medications for people that suffer from this allergy. This is a very big find in the medical world, and a very big deal in terms of the FDA approving this. This could mean they are more open to future genetically modified animals for food and medical use. This will no doubt lead to very beneficial therapeutics for people who have an allergy to alpha-gal sugar, and potentially one day even have meat for people with allergens. (Choi, 2020)


Source: Choi, C. (2020, December 16). US regulators OK genetically modified pig for food, drugs. Medical Xpress - medical research advances and health news. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-genetically-pig-food-drugs.html 


Links used: 

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-genetically-pig-food-drugs.html

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-its-kind-intentional-genomic-alteration-line-domestic-pigs-both-human-food

3 comments:

  1. This is interesting considering that anything that is genetically modified is either opposed or supported as of recently when concerning fruits, vegetables, and plants. However, now that modification of pigs genes could potentially be live saving, I think it is for the benefit of having a healthier and safer medication for people who are allergic to alpha gal surgars. If the FDA does approve, it would be one of the first animals to be genetically modified not for a cosmetic purpose but for overcoming a health concern which I fully support.

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  3. well this is something refreshing, after all, most news about experimentation with genetics is usually against it. it is good that in the field of medicine the view towards it is different and perhaps that method van be applied to create different treatments for other allergies.

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