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| 'GM could make pig organs for humans' | 'GM could make pig organs for humans' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A gene-editing method could one day make pig organs suitable for use in people, scientists say. | A gene-editing method could one day make pig organs suitable for use in people, scientists say. |
| Prof George Church and colleagues used a technique called Crispr to alter the DNA of pig cells to create a better match for humans. | Prof George Church and colleagues used a technique called Crispr to alter the DNA of pig cells to create a better match for humans. |
| The early work, in the journal Science, aims to address concerns about rejection and infection by viruses embedded in pig DNA. | The early work, in the journal Science, aims to address concerns about rejection and infection by viruses embedded in pig DNA. |
| If successful, it could be an answer to the shortage of human donor organs. | If successful, it could be an answer to the shortage of human donor organs. |
| Years more research is needed before genetically modified pigs could be bred to grow organs for people. | Years more research is needed before genetically modified pigs could be bred to grow organs for people. |
| Gene editing | Gene editing |
| Crispr is a relatively new scientific tool that lets scientists snip and play around with the code of life - DNA. | Crispr is a relatively new scientific tool that lets scientists snip and play around with the code of life - DNA. |
| Prof Church, from Harvard University, used it to inactivate a retrovirus present in the pig cell line. | Prof Church, from Harvard University, used it to inactivate a retrovirus present in the pig cell line. |
| This porcine endogenous retrovirus is potentially risky because it can infect human cells - at least in the lab. | |
| In tests on early pig embryos, Prof Church was able to eliminate all 62 copies of porcine endogenous retroviruses from the pig cells using Crispr. | In tests on early pig embryos, Prof Church was able to eliminate all 62 copies of porcine endogenous retroviruses from the pig cells using Crispr. |
| Next, he checked if the modified pig cells would still easily pass the retrovirus on to human cells. They did not, although there was still a small amount of transmission. | Next, he checked if the modified pig cells would still easily pass the retrovirus on to human cells. They did not, although there was still a small amount of transmission. |
| Prof Church says the discovery holds great promise for using animal organs in people - what doctors call xenotransplantation. | Prof Church says the discovery holds great promise for using animal organs in people - what doctors call xenotransplantation. |
| Prof Church, who part-owns a company that wants to develop modified pigs to grow organs, said: "It was kind of cool from two stand points. | |
| "One is it set a record for Crispr or for any genetic modification of an animal, and it took away what was considered the most perplexing problem to be solved in the xenotransplantation field. | "One is it set a record for Crispr or for any genetic modification of an animal, and it took away what was considered the most perplexing problem to be solved in the xenotransplantation field. |
| "With immune tolerance, that completely changes the landscape as well. | "With immune tolerance, that completely changes the landscape as well. |
| "These two things, immune tolerance and now getting rid of all the retroviruses, means we have a clear path." | "These two things, immune tolerance and now getting rid of all the retroviruses, means we have a clear path." |