Researchers have developed genetically modified (GM) pigs that are resistant to the classical swine fever virus (CSFV), a widespread, highly contagious, often fatal disease that causes significant economic losses. The study, led by Hongsheng Ouyang and colleagues from Jilin University, is published in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens.

The researchers investigated the biology of CSFV extensively, as there is an urgent need to develop effective approaches to eradicate CSFV. Ouyang and colleagues generated CSFV-resistant pigs by combining the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 with RNA interference (RNAi), a technique that silences gene expression.

The researchers showed that the GM pigs could effectively limit the replication of CSFV and reduce CSFV-associated clinical signs and mortality. Disease resistance could also be stably transmitted to first-generation offspring. Currently, the researchers are conducting long-term studies to monitor the safety and effectiveness of this approach as these animals age.

For more details, read the open access paper in PLOS Pathogens.