Scientists create 2 gene-edited beagles

Kindred Companion Sciences said on August 5 that it had created two gene-edited beagles, Bailey and Alfie, that do not produce Can f 1, the protein widely described as the major dog allergen. The New York-based company said the work was detailed in a peer-reviewed paper in *The CRISPR Journal* titled “Targeted genetic knockout of Can f 1, the major allergen in dogs.” The dogs were born in September 2024 and have shown healthy growth and development, according to the company and coverage by the Associated Press and New Scientist. (abcnews.com) Dog allergies affect a large potential market, and Kindred said nearly one in eight Americans live with the condition. AP reported that researchers used gene editing to switch off the gene responsible for producing Can f 1, then transferred the edited genetic material into eggs implanted into a surrogate beagle. (msn.com) Tests later found no detectable Can f 1 in the dogs’ saliva or fur or dander, according to the reports. ### How did the researchers make the dogs? The Kindred team began with skin cells from a female beagle and used CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the Can f 1 gene, New Scientist reported. That edit inserted an extra DNA base near the start of the gene, shifting the genetic instructions so the cell no longer made a functional Can f 1 protein. (abcnews.com) After confirming the change and checking for unwanted mutations, the team cloned the edited cells and used them in embryo work that led to the two puppies. September 2024 is the birth date the company has given for both dogs. Kindred identified the pair as female beagles and said they have shown normal development since birth. Outside coverage described them as the first dogs reported to have had the primary allergen removed through gene editing. (abcnews.com) ### What exactly was removed? Can f 1 is the target in this work. Reports on the study described it as the main dog allergen and said it is found in saliva, hair and dander, which are common exposure routes for people with dog allergies. The company said no Can f 1 protein was detected in Bailey and Alfie’s saliva or dander. (newscientist.com) Poodles and goldendoodles are often marketed as hypoallergenic because they shed less, but AP said those dogs still produce allergy-triggering proteins. That distinction matters because the Kindred work aims at the protein itself rather than coat type or shedding alone. (finance.yahoo.com) ### Do the dogs appear to reduce allergic reactions in people? Matt Walker, Kindred’s co-founder and chief executive, has said he has been allergic to dogs his whole life. AP reported that Walker handled Bailey without developing his usual symptoms, and a separate account said skin-prick style testing with material from the edited dog did not trigger a response in him while material from other dogs did. Those observations are early and involve a very small number of people. (finance.yahoo.com) Outside experts quoted in AP coverage said broader testing will be needed to know whether removing Can f 1 is enough for most allergy sufferers. Dog allergy is not caused by a single exposure pathway alone, and reports noted that more human testing is needed before the dogs can be described as reliably allergy-free for the wider public. (abcnews.com) ### Why are scientists and ethicists treating this cautiously? AP said previous efforts to create hypoallergenic pets often relied on cloning, which produced sicker animals that were too genetically similar. The newer work uses targeted gene editing instead. AP also cited Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, who said one concern is that engineered pets could discourage adoption of stray or unwanted animals. (abcnews.com) The company’s own timeline remains longer than the headlines. Reports said Kindred hopes to test the technique in more dogs, including service animals, and will need wider allergy studies and regulatory review before any sale. For now, the named next participants are Bailey, Alfie and Kindred’s research team as they move into broader testing beyond the first two beagles. (msn.com) (abcnews.com) (news4jax.com)