Cover 20240212 104019 0000

News
GENETIC ENGINEERING
GENETIC ENGINEERING OF ANIMALS: ETHICAL ISSUES,
INCLUDING WELFARE CONCERNS
The genetic engineering of animals has increased significantly in recent years, and
the use of this technology brings with it ethical issues, some of which relate to animal
welfare — defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health as “the state of the
animal…how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives” (1). These issues
need to be considered by all stakeholders, including veterinarians, to ensure that all
parties are aware of the ethical issues at stake and can make a valid contribution to
the current debate regarding the creation and use of genetically engineered animals.
In addition, it is important to try to reflect societal values within scientific practice
and emerging technology, especially publicly funded efforts that aim to provide
societal benefits, but that may be deemed ethically contentious. As a result of the
extra challenges that genetically engineered animals bring, governing bodies have
started to develop relevant policies, often calling for increased vigilance and
monitoring of potential animal welfare impacts (2). Veterinarians can play an
important role in carrying out such monitoring, especially in the research setting
when new genetically engineered animal strains are being developed.
Several terms are used to describe genetically engineered animals: genetically

modified, genetically altered, genetically manipulated, transgenic, and
biotechnology-derived, amongst others. In the early stages of genetic engineering,
the primary technology used was transgenesis, literally meaning the transfer of
genetic material from one organism to another. However, with advances in the field,
new technology emerged that did not necessarily require transgenesis: recent
applications allow for the creation of genetically engineered animals via the deletion
of genes, or the manipulation of genes already present. To reflect this progress and
to include those animals that are not strictly transgenic, the umbrella term
“genetically engineered” has been adopted into the guidelines developed by the
Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). For clarity, in the new CCAC guidelines on:
genetically-engineered animals used in science (currently in preparation) the CCAC
offers the following definition of a genetically engineered animal: “an animal that has
had a change in its nuclear or mitochondrial DNA (addition, deletion, or substitution
of some part of the animal’s genetic material or insertion of foreign DNA) achieved
through a deliberate human technological intervention.” Those animals that have
undergone induced mutations (for example, by chemicals or radiation — as distinct
from spontaneous mutations that naturally occur in populations) and cloned animals
are also considered to be genetically engineered due to the direct intervention and
planning involved in creation of these animals.
Ma. Rome Jane O. Sabas 8- Orderliness

2
Cloning is the replication of certain cell types from a “parent” cell, or the
replication of a certain part of the cell or DNA to propagate a particular
desirable genetic trait. There are 3 types of cloning: DNA cloning,
therapeutic cloning, and reproductive cloning (3). For the purposes of
this paper, the term “cloning” is used to refer to reproductive cloning, as
this is the most likely to lead to animal welfare issues. Reproductive
cloning is used if the intention is to generate an animal that has the same
nuclear DNA as another currently, or previously existing animal. The
process used to generate this type of cloned animal is called somatic cell
nuclear transfer (SCNT) (4).
During the development of the CCAC guidelines on: genetically-

engineered animals used in science, some key ethical issues, including
animal welfare concerns, were identified: 1) invasiveness of procedures;
2) large numbers of animals required; 3) unanticipated welfare concerns;
and 4) how to establish ethical limits to genetic engineering (see Ethical
issues of genetic engineering). The different applications of genetically
engineered animals are presented first to provide context for the
discussion.

Cover 20240212 104019 0000

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cover 20240212 104019 0000

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cover 20240212 104019 0000

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

News

Several terms are used to describe genetically engineered animals: genetically

Ma. Rome Jane O. Sabas 8- Orderliness

During the development of the CCAC guidelines on: genetically-

You might also like