In China, researchers are using
CRISPR/Cas9 to editing the genes of beagles to create dogs that have more
muscle mass. The altered gene,
Myostatin, gives bully whippets and Belgian Blue cattle their bulky muscle
without any known cause of health problems.
Liangxue Lai of the South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and
Regenerative Medicine in Guangzhou, China injected the gene editor into 35 beagles’
embryos. 27 puppies were born of which
only 2, a male Hercules and a female Tiangou, had the edited genes. The female
has both copies of the myostatin gene mutated in all of her cells developed
bigger thigh muscles by at 4 months but Hercules didn’t have the double
mutation in all of his cells and didn’t develop as much by 4 months. He did pack on more muscle as they matured. Even thou only a low number of the puppies
were born with the mutations Lai believe the editor is not very efficient in
dogs but the process just needs to be optimized. Next Lai and colleagues hopes to make
mutations that mimic genetic changes like Parkinson’s disease and hearing loss
in human. They also don’t plan on making designer pets for sale using this
technique; it’s for biomedical research only since beagles are very close to
human in terms of metabolic, physiological and anatomical characteristics.
I think it’s amazing that China and
the US use dogs for research needs; I have heard about rats and other animals
but not beagles. Instead of making
designer pets my first concern is that this process will eventually be used to
give humans bigger and more efficient muscles.
I can imagine the next generations of athletes trying to be larger by having their genes edited with bull genes. The research need is perfect but we
do not need to make altered humans to be us stronger or to gain animalistic abilities.
