Genetically Modified and Cloned Animals. All in a Good Cause? A Report by GeneWatch UK Genetically Modified and Cloned Animals. All in a Good Cause? By Jay Rutovitz and Sue Mayer April 2002 The Mill House, Manchester Road, Tideswell, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 8LN GeneWatch Phone: 01298 871898 Fax: 01298 872531 UK E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.genewatch.org The research and production of the report was supported by a grant from The Body Shop Foundation. Acknowledgments We are grateful to Vicky Robinson and Julia Wrathall of the RSPCA, Gill Langley of the Dr Hadwen Trust, Jacky Turner of Compassion in World Farming and Stephen Blakeway of Vetwork UK for their helpful comments on a draft of this report. The content of the final report remains the responsibility of the authors alone. Cover photograph: Gaur Standing, © Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., Worcester, Massachusetts. The gaur calf, ‘Noah’, born in January 2001, was cloned from an adult gaur with a cow as a surrogate mother. The calf died 48 hours after birth from an infection. The gaur is an endangered species and the calf was cloned as part of an attempt to preserve the species. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......................................................................................................... 6 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 10 1.1 Scope of the report .................................................................................................... 11 1.2 GeneWatch UK’s position .......................................................................................... 11 2 OVERVIEW OF THE TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................ 12 2.1 What modifications have taken place?...................................................................... 12 2.2 Genetic modification techniques................................................................................ 12 2.2.1 How does it work? .............................................................................................. 12 2.2.2 Microinjection ...................................................................................................... 14 2.2.3 Viral transfection ................................................................................................. 15 2.2.4 Embryonic stem cell modification ....................................................................... 16 2.2.5 Sperm mediated transfer .................................................................................... 16 2.2.6 Poultry ................................................................................................................. 16 2.2.7 Cloning ................................................................................................................ 17 2.2.8 Localised gene transfer ...................................................................................... 17 2.3 What does genetic modification involve for the animal? ........................................... 18 2.4 How successful is genetic modification? ................................................................... 18 2.5 What stage is the technology at? .............................................................................. 19 3 ETHICS ........................................................................................................................... 21 3.1 Species integrity and crossing species barriers ........................................................ 21 3.2 Utilitarianism ...............................................................................................................22 3.3 The human-animal relationship ................................................................................. 23 3.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 23 4 ANIMAL WELFARE......................................................................................................... 24 4.1 Reproductive and other medical interventions .......................................................... 24 4.2 Mutations....................................................................................................................25 4.3 Expression of the transgene and unexpected effects ............................................... 25 4.4 Wastage ..................................................................................................................... 26 4.5 Housing and husbandry effects ................................................................................. 26 4.6 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 26 5 LABORATORY ANIMALS ............................................................................................... 28 5.1 Species integrity and our relationship to laboratory mice.......................................... 29 5.2 Basic biological research ........................................................................................... 30 5.3 Disease models ......................................................................................................... 31 5.4 Safety testing ............................................................................................................. 33 5.5 Alternatives ................................................................................................................ 35 5.6 Welfare....................................................................................................................... 37 5.7 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 37 6 PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTION – ‘PHARMING’ ..................................................... 39 6.1 Commercialisation...................................................................................................... 39 6.2 Alternatives ................................................................................................................ 45 6.3 Effect on animals’ welfare .......................................................................................... 46 6.4 Safety ......................................................................................................................... 47 6.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 48 7 AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................... 49 7.1 Meat production ......................................................................................................... 50 7.2 Wool production ......................................................................................................... 55 7.3 Milk production ........................................................................................................... 55 GeneWatch UK April 2002 4 7.4 Disease resistance ..................................................................................................... 56 7.5 Phosphate reduction - the ‘enviro-pig’ ....................................................................... 57 7.6 BioSteel® production ................................................................................................. 58 7.7 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 58 8 XENOTRANSPLANTATION............................................................................................ 60 8.1 The organ ‘gap’ .......................................................................................................... 60 8.2 History and the application of genetic technologies .................................................. 60 8.3 Success rates ............................................................................................................ 61 8.4 Risks of xenotransplantation ..................................................................................... 62 8.4.1 Transfer of disease-causing organisms ............................................................. 62 8.4.2 Incompatible physiology ..................................................................................... 63 8.5 Threats to animal welfare .......................................................................................... 63 8.6 Who’s involved? ......................................................................................................... 64 8.7 Alternatives ................................................................................................................ 65 8.8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 66 9 CLONING ........................................................................................................................67 9.1 Abnormalities ............................................................................................................. 67 9.2 Companion animals ................................................................................................... 69 9.3 Cloning extinct and endangered species .................................................................. 69 9.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................