Gene Editing Could Help Pave the Way for Pig-to-Human Transplantations

Although much of the promise of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing techniques has centered around correcting disease-causing gene mutations, the advance is also showing potential in the field of xenotransplantation, for example, for making porcine organs safe for transplantation into humans. In an important step in this direction, a team led by researchers at the biotechnology company eGenesis recently edited the pig genome to deactivate a family of retroviruses.Organs from pigs, which can grow to a convenient human size, could help alleviate the growing organ shortage if scientists continue to make strides in addressing their immunological incompatibility; however, the pig genome includes remnants of ancient viral infections called porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs), which can be passed on to other cells when cultured together. In contrast to human endogenous retroviruses, which are mostly defective and not replication competent, PERVs that are integrated in the pig genome can be released as particles that infect human cells. As reported with other retroviruses, PERV integration could potentially lead to …