Scientists have successfully engineered pigs resistant to classical swine fever through precise gene editing, marking a potential breakthrough for global livestock protection.
Researchers at Edinburgh's Roslin Institute confirmed the modified animals remained completely healthy when exposed to the highly contagious and often fatal disease that has necessitated mass culling during previous outbreaks.
The project targeted the DNAJC14 protein essential for pestivirus replication, with edited pigs showing no infection symptoms or viral presence in blood tests after controlled exposure.
Animal and Plant Health Agency virology deputy leader Helen Crooke described the development as potentially helping "bolster the resilience of the livestock sector to the disease" that continues threatening pork production worldwide despite UK eradication in 1966.
Research scientist Simon Lillico revealed: "There is a moral imperative that if we can make animals that are disease resistant then we probably should do so," the Guardian reported.
The major breakthrough highlights the technology's potential to prevent suffering from an illness causing fever, skin lesions and frequent death within 15 days.
The achievement follows recent regulatory approvals for gene-edited livestock in multiple countries including the United States, Japan and Brazil.
The same genetic modification may provide resistance against related viruses affecting cattle and sheep, with ongoing investigations exploring broader applications.
In addition to that, global agriculture sector increasingly adopts precision breeding techniques, with commercial partner Genus already developing pigs resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus scheduled for American market introduction in 2026.
