  
First transgenic cloned pigs born in US
Last Updated: 2001-04-11 14:01:05 EDT (Reuters Health)
By Richard Woodman
LONDON (Reuters Health) - Scottish biotechnology firm PPL Therapeutics, creator of Dolly the sheep, said on Wednesday it has produced the world's first transgenic cloned piglets.
PPL said each of the five piglets, born in the US, has a foreign marker gene in its DNA structure, a major step towards the production of genetically engineered pig organs for use in human transplantation.
Although the firm cloned its first pigs last year, they were not transgenically modified, a necessary step to prevent organ rejection by human recipients.
In a statement, PPL said the birth of the five new pigs demonstrates the feasibility of producing so-called "knock-out" pigs, where a gene that triggers rejection by the human immune system is inactivated.
Alan Colman, PPL's Research Director said PPL now had the technical expertise and intellectual property to put it in the lead in producing the type of pig which should become the industry standard for xenotransplantation--a pig lacking the alpha 1-3 gal transferase gene.
PPL has already reported that it has achieved the required targeted gene knock-out in pig cells, using the same patented technology that led to the lambs Cupid and Diana, and is well on the way to 'converting' these cells into animals.
The company said today that clinical trials could start in as little as 4 to 5 years, adding that analysts believe the market could be worth $5 billion for solid organs alone, with as much again possible from cellular therapies such as transplantable islet cells for the treatment of diabetes.
Recent reports have been skeptical about the chances of success with xenotransplantation, warning of the risks of viral transmission. However, a company spokesman told Reuters Health that the "viral threat is not considered significant."
Most of PPL's work on xenografts is done by PPL's US staff in Blacksburg, Virginia, supported by US Government's National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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