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Written By: Admin | Updated : October 7, 2014 5:59 PM IST
Scientists in New Zealand have engineered a genetically modified cow, which produces milk that is less likely to cause allergic reactions. The milk produced lacks beta-lactoglobulin, a major whey protein of cow and sheep's milk, to which some people are allergic. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Milk allergy is the most common food allergy among infants affecting between 2% and 3% of infants in developed countries. Most outgrow it. Breastfed infants have a lower risk of developing a milk allergy than those who are formula fed.
Beta-lactoglobulin is found in milk from cows but not in a woman's breast milk. "It is not surprising that it constitutes a major milk allergen," the researchers from the University Waikato in New Zealand said.
Scientists added extra genetic material to disrupt the manufacturing process of beta-lactoglobulin protein using a technique called RNA interference. The resulting calf was born without a tail; the researchers, however, say that is "unlikely" to be because of the genetic modification. Since it had not yet become pregnant and produced milk normally, the scientists used hormones to start milk production.
Dubbed as a "milestone" by scientists, the study has raised ethical concerns by some campaign groups been, a British daily reported. "Before this goes any further, they need to establish what the cause of the defect in the calf was, as there is a possible link to the GM approach," Pete Riley, from the group GM Freeze, said.
"All milk samples from the transgenic calf were devoid of any detectable beta-lactoglobulin," they said, concluding that the technique used was efficient for modifying livestock.
