Coronaviruses roadmap:
Control Strategies
Roadmap for the development of disease control strategies for coronaviruses
Download 202410 Draft Coronavirus Disease control research roadmap FinalD
Genetic selection
Genetic selection
Research Question
- Breed livestock, wildlife and pets that are resistant to infections and less susceptible to disease. This section is designed around the discussion of host genetics
Research Gaps and Challenges
- Disease resistance is a complex and polygenic trait, often with varying host-responses across species
- Consequences of genetic improvement for health on other physiological traits. For the agricultural sector, we also need to consider the impact of changes in physiology on economic, animal welfare, ethical concerns and social acceptance of gene selection
- Consequences of introducing genetic mutations on the subsequent food safety and regulation of animal-derived products
- Availability and adaptability of the new breeds to extreme climates and/or LMICs
- Lacking resources e.g. high-quality full genome sequences (including metagenomics data and getting access to that), that would allow us to perform the genome manipulation
Solution Routes
- Creation and exchange of open databases, improving the access to genomics data for host species
- Identification and characterization of suitable genes that confer resistance to infection
- Genetic selection and gene editing (e.g. CRISPR) of production animals (including testing native breeds rather than existing commonly used breeds in production)
- Development and validation of diagnostic tools to confirm the presence/absence of inserted/modified genes and resistance to infection by standardized diagnostic pen-side approaches
Dependencies
- Basic science to understand the intricacies of early-stage infection across a range of host animal species
- Genome-sequencing of many animal species, including native breeds and wildlife that may typically be underrepresented compared to animal species commonly handled in laboratories for infection studies
- Ethical and legal framework that allows for genetic modification to be performed and socially accepted
State Of the Art
- Genome editing technology, especially CRISPR/Cas mediated gene knock-out/knock-in and precise modification, improved the efficiency of disease resistance animal breeding. Zhiguo et al 2022 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9266401/
- CRISPR has been used to produce Coronavirus resistant pigs, by editing a presumed receptor of the transmissible gastroenteritis virus Whitworth et al 2019 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11248-018-0100-3?utm_source=getftr&utm_medium=getftr&utm_campaign=getftr_pilot
Projects
What activities are planned or underway?
Differential susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 in animals : Evidence of ACE2 host receptor distribution in companion animals, livestock and wildlife by immunohistochemical characterisation
Planned Completion date 26/07/2021
Participating Country(s):
Netherlands
Veterinary Biocontained facility Network for excellence in animal infectiology research and experimentation
Planned Completion date 28/02/2023
Participating Country(s):
Europe