U.S.-Brazilian
research team to tackle deadly intestinal diseases with genetically enhanced
goats' milk
Source: UC Davis
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Via: CheckBiotech
Scientists in Brazil and at the University of California,
Davis, are teaming up to develop a herd of genetically modified dairy goats,
whose milk is expected to protect against the types of diarrheal diseases that
each year claim the lives of more than 2 million children around the world.
The team plans to have a milk-producing herd of these goats
established in
The new project, funded with a $3.1 million grant from
“This collaborative study and effort is timely and
geographically important,” said
“The interaction between under-nutrition and diarrhea has
been a long-lasting concern in developing countries,”
“This is an exciting partnership that promises to increase
our understanding of how lysozyme destroys the
harmful bacteria that cause intestinal infections and diarrhea, and encourages
the growth of beneficial bacteria,” said UC Davis animal science professor
James Murray.
“We fully expect that the lysozyme-rich
milk that these goats produce will provide remarkable improvements in the
health of the children in those parts of
Their research has shown that dairy goats can be genetically
engineered to carry the human gene that causes them to produce elevated levels
of lysozyme in their milk. Furthermore, they have
shown that pigs that were fed the lysozyme-rich milk
were better able to fend off bacterial infections than were those animals that
were fed goats’ milk that did not contain the human enzyme.
The lysozyme enzyme is a protein
found in the tears, saliva and milk of all mammals.
“We all consume lysozyme in our
saliva every time we swallow,”
Providing the bridge between the scientists in Brazil and
the United States are two former UC Davis animal science graduates and
postdoctoral fellows, Marcelo Bertolini and his wife,
Luciana Bertolini, both now faculty members at the
University of Forteleza.
Other members of the research team include Renato Moreira and Manoel Odorico of the Federal
University of Ceará,
During the first two years of the project, Murray and Maga will work with the Bertolinis
and Freitas to transport semen or embryos from
transgenic goats at UC Davis to the State University of Ceará,
and establish the new breeding and milking herd there for the study. All of the
genetically modified animals will be in a closed herd, without contact with
other domestic animals. Additionally, these animals are not intended to be
given or sold to producers or released into the population at the current time.
In
Laboratory studies in both countries will focus on
characterizing the effects of the lysozyme-rich milk
on different strains of bacteria, as well as similar studies with lactoferrin. Feeding trials will also be carried out in
animal models to ensure the safety and efficacy of consuming goat milk
containing these important compounds, singularly and in combination.
The long-term goal for the project, which would require
renewed funding after three years, is to determine whether the lysozyme-rich goats’ milk offers a safe and efficient
method for preventing and treating diarrheal diseases in people. After
extensive studies in the lab and using animal models, the goats’ milk carrying
enhanced levels of lysozyme would be provided to
children from some of the Brazilian communities that are plagued by diarrheal
diseases.
“
“Scientists worldwide must demonstrate that the ‘gene
revolution’ may offer important tools for solving the problems of the very
poor, much as the ‘green revolution’ did during the 1960s,” said Luiz Antonio Barreto de Castro,
state secretary for research and development for
“We are hopeful that the results of this lysozyme-rich
goats’ milk project and findings from other RENORBIO research projects will
extend beyond
About UC Davis
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Media contact(s):
James Murray, UC Davis Animal Science, (530) 752-3179,
jdmurray@ucdavis.edu
Elizabeth Maga, UC Davis Animal
Science, (530) 752-5930, eamaga@ucdavis.edu
Marcelo Bertolini,
Pat Bailey, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9843,
pjbailey@ucdavis.edu
Source: UC Davis
greenbio.checkbiotech.org