Creating Prion-Free Cows

Science Daily is reporting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is reporting positive results from a recent study designed to create genetically engineered prion-free cattle. From the article: "ARS studied eight Holstein males that were developed by Hematech Inc., a pharmaceutical research company based in Sioux Falls, S.D. The evaluation of the prion-free cattle was led by veterinary medical officer Juergen Richt of ARS' National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, Iowa. The evaluation revealed no apparent developmental abnormalities in the prion-free cattle."

What about the positive effects of the prions?

[tade]

Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prion [wikipedia.org] mentions this article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=p ubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=159 31169&query_hl=6&itool=pubmed_DocSum [nih.gov] that mentions the prions in relation with long term memory. I wonder how well they tested the cows without the prions. (Abstract below)

Changes in protein conformation drive most biological processes, but none have seized the imagination of scientists and the public alike as have the self-replicating conformations of prions. Prions transmit lethal neurodegenerative diseases by means of the food chain. However, self-replicating protein conformations can also constitute molecular memories that transmit genetic information. Here, we showcase definitive evidence for the prion hypothesis and discuss examples in which prion-encoded heritable information has been harnessed during evolution to confer selective advantages. We then describe situations in which prion-enciphered events might have essential roles in long-term memory formation, transcriptional memory and genome-wide expression patterns.

Or dead people

[giafly]

In 2005 a controversial paper in The Lancet introduced a theory that BSE might have originated in British cattle when they ate imported animal feed that included infected human remains from Hindu funeral ceremonies in India.
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy [wikipedia.org]

This theory has some merit because scrapie from sheep does not appear to infect people, whereas BSE from cattle does.

New study!

[Aladrin]

So how long until we get a new study that says Prions were indeed good things, and should have been left in our meat.

From TFA: "Prions are proteins that are naturally produced in animals."

Hmm... Removing natural things... Nope, doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I just can't wait until they find out that Prions actually helped prevent cancer or something and everyone on the planet now has a timebomb in their body.

Seriously, they'd better do some SERIOUS studies on this before feeding this crap to me.

"no apparent developmental abnormalities"

[gweihir]

If that does not sound like wishful thinking, I don't know what does. Also keep in mind that they have a really strong interest in not finding anything....

Re:That is one solution...

[RexRhino]

Yes, but the Finns have a government that serves the people.

Given the fact that Finns pay (on average) 22% more for food than the EU average ( http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Food+still+expens ive+in+Finland+by+European+standards/1076153030941 [www.hs.fi] ), and given the fact that 'Mad Cow' disease is so astronomically unlikely to infect anyone when absolutly no precautions are being taken, any reasonable person has to question the cost/value of food paranoia.

I would say Finns requiring test for Mad Cow to be more about protectionism (it is against trade rules to outright ban foriegn beef, but if you require very specific and expensive testing on beef that isn't harmonized with other countries, and then subsidize the testing for domestic producers, you can essentially sidestep trade rules).

Re:Ever thought of changing diet?

[ElleyKitten]

Logically it appears changing diet is the one thing you haven't tried.

I've changed my diet, I just haven't tried meat. I eat a lot of protein now, and I've switched my bread and pasta to whole grain (can't give them up completely) and my weight is more under control now. What I probably need to do is stop pretending my Wii is excercising and go outside...

Re:That is one solution...

[bberens]

Agriculturalism leads to overpopulation, disease, and eventually famine. Technically speaking, we'd be more in balance with nature as hunter/gatherer. I suppose that's too anti-evolution for you though.

Re:Not quite the same disease

[slashbob22]

BSE and CJD are very similar (same mechanism) but not exactly the sane disease (not exactly the same "diseased" protein shape), which also explains the longer incubation time.

I agree since CJD occurs spontaneously (or with genetic pre-disposition), varient CJD is determined to have very similar properties to BSE and is the one which is believed to be linked to BSE.

The first test working on live animal has been developped in Göttingen, Germany. Thus sadly, the information is only available in the German version of wikipedia. (Though the german article mentions a later Texan discovery).

My German is not strong, though I was able to get some information out of it (babelfish helped as well); these are interesting developments. Earlier in the wiki it states that Prionen cannot be proved until around 24-30 months of age and the test is 89% accurate with no false positives (quite good). My only concern is that in terms of the article, assuring the animals are clear of BSE could take a few years (24-30 months) and only IF they have been properly exposed to the BSE source (IE. They would have normally been infected).

Re:Dead sheeps

[SatanicPuppy]

Carnivores are more expensive to raise in terms of calories than herbivores...Those cows that you have to feed and water then get fed to the tigers or whatever that you're raising for meat.

Most efficient food is vegetable mass. Second most efficient is things that live on vegetable mass. Last comes things that eat things that live on vegetable mass.

On top of that, even if you could solve the problem of food efficiency, it would be extremely difficult to raise them efficiently, as carnivores are usually solitary or semi-solitary in organization. You'd have to keep them isolated from each other or they'd kill each other in response to territorial instincts.

Finally, raising food that would think of you as food is problematic. If a cow escapes from a cattle farm, it's probably not going to be a threat to nearby people, while a farm-raised carnivore is bound to be seriously feral and potentially very aggressive.

Not infectable or not affected by infection?

[Mr Z]

Ok, so BSE damages prions which leads to all the characteristics of the disease. No prions, no disease. But does that necessarily mean no infection?

BSE can be passed to humans. Is it possible that these genetically modified cows are just modern day Typhoid Marys?

--Joe