Genetically modified cows may one day produce human breast milk
Date: 8.4.2011
Researchers in China led by Ning Li, the director of the State Key Laboratories for AgroBiotechnology at the China Agricultural University, have created cow milk similar to human breast milk which could one day replace the need for baby formula.
Human milk contains numerous proteins as well as human lysozyme (HLZ), which is a key in fighting bacteria and boosting an infant's immune system.
Li and his team introduced human lysozyme and other human proteins into the embryos of Holstein cattle and then placed these embryos into surrogate cows. In this recent study, printed in Public Library of Science One, the researchers state that it was cloning technology used to introduce the human genes into the cows DNA. When these genetically modified cows started lactating, the milk they produced contained HLZ as well as other human proteins such as lactoferrin and lactalbumin which also help to boost an infant's immune system.
Original Paper:
Yang B, Wang J, Tang B, Liu Y, Guo C, et al. (2011) Characterization of Bioactive Recombinant Human Lysozyme Expressed in Milk of Cloned Transgenic Cattle. PLoS ONE 6(3): e17593. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017593
Source:
