Fwd Cloned cat that doesn't cause allergies

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June 27, 2001

Entrepreneur Envisions a Cat That Doesn't Cause Allergies

By ANDREW POLLACK

C oming next — genetically modified pets?

 

Transgenic Pets, a small company in Syracuse, says it is developing a

genetically engineered cat that

will not cause allergies, an effort that could allow millions ofpeople who

cannot now do so keep catsas pets.

So far, the allergenfree cat is closer to concept than execution.

Transgenic Pets is a shoestring

operation run out of the home of its founder, Dr. David Avner, a31year old

medical resident who

works in the emergency room of a Syracuse hospital. But the researchto

develop the cat is being done

under contract by Dr. Xiangzhong Yang at the University ofConnecticut, who

is known for his work inanimal cloning.

" We feel confident by 2003 we'll be able to produce an allergenfreecat, "

said Dr. Yang, explaining

that the job will require genetic engineering and cloning. But thetype of

genetic manipulation andcloning required has not been achieved on cats.

There are some other companies trying to clone pets, so that peoplecan

have a copy of their beloved

animal after the original one dies. But this appears to be the first

company aimed at using genetic

engineering to develop pets with new traits. Other efforts atgenetically

altering animals have goals like

making goats that produce drugs in their milk or making salmon growfaster.

But the allergenfree cat could raise the ire of some cat lovers and

certainly of those opposed to

genetic engineering, who view it as interfering with nature.

" It's sick, " said Maria Alfaro, a yoga teacher from Santa Cruz,Calif., who

was protesting this week

outside the biotechnology industry's convention in San Diego.

Carol Barbee, president of the American Cat Fanciers Association, saidmany

people would welcome

such cats, providing the genetic modification did not harm the animal.

" If they end up with something that's not a cat, that's not fine, " Ms.

Barbee said.The Avners defend their effort. " These are animals that are

going to

be loved and cherished and will

bring joy, " said Jackie Avner, Dr. Avner's wife, who also works at the

company. Both Avners areallergic to cats, as is their 5yearold daughter.

Dr. Avner said that since the cats would not be eaten, they raised few

safety and regulatory concerns

and would in fact be safer than taking allergy medications, as somecat

owners now do. Also, the cats

will be spayed or neutered that so the allergenfree trait would not be

passed to other cats and so thatthe company could protect its investment.

The company said it planned to sell the cats for $750 to $1,000 each,about

the price of somepurebred animals.

But the company has not raised the $2 million it must pay Dr. Yang forthe

research. Dr. Avner will

speak to potential investors today at a forum for young companies at

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

" He's got a compelling business case, " said Bela L. Musits, directorof the

incubator program atRensselaer.

Scientists say that most allergic reactions to cats are caused by asingle

protein that is secreted by the

cat and is thought to help keep its skin moist. The gene for thisprotein,

known as Fel d1, was isolatedand sequenced years ago.

Producing the allergenfree cat will require knocking out this gene sothat

the protein will not be

produced. Mice with deleted genes are commonly produced to study the

functions of genes, by seeing

what happens when the gene is missing. Some scientists are tryingsimilar

approaches to removeallergenic proteins from foods.

Skin cells from a cat will be taken and grown in a test tube, Dr. Yang

said. The gene for the allergen

will be knocked out by replacing it with a defective copy.

The allergenfree cells will then be fused with egg cells from whichthe

genetic material has been

removed. The eggs will be induced to grow into an allergenfree embryo,

which can be implanted in a

surrogate. This is the technique used to clone animals like sheep andcattle.

Once some male and female allergenfree cats have been made this way,more

can be made byconventional breeding.

Still, challenges remain. In addition to overcoming the problemsinvolved

in producing gene knockouts

and cloning in cats, scientists also must see what effect deleting thegene

will have on the cat's skin or

on other bodily functions. It is quite possible the protein evolved toplay

some role other than making

people itch and their eyes water. But Dr. Avner said the availableevidence

suggested the protein wasnot really needed by the cat.

Dr. Martin D. Chapman, a professor of medicine at the University of

Virginia and a specialist on cat

allergies, said that the idea is interesting, but added, " I'm prettysure

it won't work for everyone. "

Dr. Chapman said that while the protein Fel d1 accounts for 60 percentto

90 percent of the allergies

to cats, there are other proteins that some people are allergic to.

If Transgenic Pets succeeds with cats, it might turn to dogs. But that

could prove more difficult becausedogs have more than one allergen.

Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company |