February 28, 2017
Precisely two weeks ago the NAS released a report on committee recommendations regarding human gene editing, which we highlighted here. The report was big news internationally and also for us, not only in terms how far science has progressed but because LSI Faculty Director, Gary Marchant is a member of that particular NAS human gene editing committee. Nonetheless, the focus was on humans. But, what about…dogs? Or other pets? What if they could be engineered to live longer and healthier lives? Maybe a dog’s true purpose is just that.
Though there are some hurdles to overcome, including regulatory issues, through genetic engineering, dog breeder David Ishee has already produced a “super mastiff” and plans to diversify to bring the science to other breeds.
In her article, Would You Want a Dog That Was Genetically Engineered to Be Healthier? Vanessa Bates Ramirez makes an interesting point from an ethical perspective — if human beings are, in effect, responsible for having encouraged health problems in dogs, especially purebreds, perhaps, there is a responsibility to undo the effects of years of selective breeding. With evolving technologies like CRISPR-Cas9, both man and man’s best friend stand to benefit.
The author of this post, Yvonne Stevens, and one of her 3 boxers, Charlie. As noted by Ramirez, “[c]enturies of inbreeding have left many dog breeds with a severely limited gene pool, and this lack of genetic diversity is to blame for disorders like brachycephaly in bulldogs, hyperuricemia in dalmations, and cardiomyopathy in boxers.”