EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports

The generation of genetically modified large animals has several advantages for different applications including meat, dairy and wool production and reproductive traits. However, the precise modification of the animal’s genome is still challenging because traditional gene modifications by homologous recombination is only efficient in authentic embryonic stem cells. Recent advances in the development of novel, robust and efficient genome editing technologies based on programmable nucleases have substantially improved our ability to make precise changes in the genomes of eukaryotic cells. Targeted genome editing by Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and the CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) (CRISPR/Cas9) system, has received unprecedented acceptance in the scientific community for development of novel approaches for augmenting productivity in livestock. It has currently emerged as novel approach to modify endogenous genes in various cell types and organisms including livestock such as pig, cattle, goat and sheep. In this article, we review the history of the discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 system, mechanism of action and the applications of CRISPR technology in livestock.

 Keywords: Genome Editing; CRISPR/Cas9; Animal Welfare; Livestock

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