China Develops Humanized Pigs to Simulate COVID-19 Infection for Future Testing of Vaccines and Drugs

Chinese scientists from the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS) announced the discovery of a scientific process that created humanized pigs where they could infect with the novel coronavirus and use it for research.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the world's largest research institution of its kind, presenting their humanized pigs first in a study titled "Establishment of a Humanized Swine Model for COVID-19," which was published in August in the journal Cell Discovery. It promoted genetically modified pigs with high similarities with the human body for COVID-19 research.

Humanized Pigs Infected With COVID-19 to Test Efficacy and Safety of Vaccines

According to China's state-run Global Times newspaper, researchers from IMCAS collaborated with scientists from Tsinghua University and China Agricultural University to develop two new models for COVID-19 infection. These models are the human distal lung organoids (hDLO) and the humanized pigs.

They noted that existing animal models, such as guinea pigs and some primates, used for simulation of COVID-19 infection could not fully capture the key characteristics of human physiology. That means research using these animal models only yields limited accuracy of tests on the efficacy and safety of vaccines and drugs used against COVID-19.

Researchers said that the two new models could show clinical features similar to actual COVID-19 infection in humans. Through these two models, they believe scientists will be able to make a more reliable and in-depth study of COVID-19 infection in the human body to develop a more precise therapy of vaccines and drugs.

Breitbart reported that the researchers attempted to use CRISPR gene-editing technology to remove the genes protecting the pigs from COVID-19. Pigs have healthy ACE2 receptors that do not bind with SARS-CoV-2. But scientists have removed some genes to make them more susceptible to the virus and infect the pigs.

The end goal of the experiment is to birth pigs that can be used as research models for COVID-19 research.

Gene-Edited Pigs Immune to an Epidemic

The recent Chinese experiment is not the only study about the gene-editing of pigs. According to MIT Technology Review, some scientists have also been using CRISPR gene-editing technology to protect pigs from a deadly epidemic that might be translated to humans in the future.

Bill Christianson, an epidemiologist, and veterinarian, heading the Pig Improvement Company, said his company has been selling elite breeding swine for the last 34 years with genes that can fight a viral disease called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).

It can cause an illness known as a blue ear that was first reported in the 1980s. Back then, it was called the "mystery swine disease," which caused pigs to either miscarry or give birth to the dead, shriveled pigs. But gene-editing has proven a great help, and since then, scientists have developed a breed of genetically-enhanced swine that can fight off the pathogen.

Scientists liken the epidemic of PRRS to COVID-19 in humans. They said that, like today, anyone who enters the pig barn is required to get their body temperature, take a shower, and change clothes. More so, their lunch boxes are bathed in UV light, supplies are disinfected, and they should answer a questionnaire about their last pig contact.

Check out more news and information on COVID-19 on Science Times.