INTRODUCTION:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Radiation Oncology have proposed to use the state-of-art gene-editing techniques to generate hypo-allergenic cats.
BACKGROUND:
Cat allergy in humans is an immune reaction to allergens produced by cats. Sensitivity to cat allergens is common in populations all over the world, varying from 15% in northern Europe to 34% in Japan. The hypersensitivity of the immune system to cat allergens triggers symptoms that can range from mild nasal congestion to life-threatening anaphylaxis. One of the most common allergens is protein fel d1, secreted by the cat’s sebaceous glands. Although targeting fel d1 has shown clinical benefits in some cat allergic patients, this immunotherapy may require years of treatment and has the rare risk of paradoxically causing anaphylaxis. The most promising approach of a sublingual immune tolerance protocol has been clinical trialed in Germany, but is not yet available in the US where the predominant method of treatment is still immune suppression with either anti-histamines or steroid medications.
INNOVATION:
UCLA researchers led by Prof. Robert Chin proposed to use the state-of-art gene-editing techniques to knock out fel d1 in cats to get rid of the allergens as environmental hazards. The gene-modified cats will be deficient of fel d1, and therefore the allergens will be eliminated at the source of production. Generating these allergen-free cats will not only reduce the risk of cat allergy in a large swath of the population but also likely to increase the cat adoption rate.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
• Generate hypo-allergenic cats to reduce the risk of cat allergy
ADVANTAGES:
• Get rid of cat allergens at the source of production
• No further treatment is needed for cat allergic patients