Genetically modified Aussie goats set for China

Genetically modified Aussie goats set for China

SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters): An Australian research institute and a Chinese drug company plan to genetically modify goat embryos with human genes in order to produce the protein albumin, used for the treatment of shock.

A base group of up to 600 modified goats will be developed by the state-owned South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and exported for a breeding program at China's Youlitai Biotechnology Development Institute in Beijing.

SARDI executive director Rob Lewis said this week the gene modification process would cause albumin, which is normally produced by humans, to develop in goats milk.

The Chinese group will extract the albumin, and use it in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.

SARDI was also the senior partner in the creation earlier this year of Matilda, a cloned merino sheep, as part of a scheme to produce multiple copies of rare sheep with outstanding genes.

Lewis said work began earlier this year, but because of its experimental nature, the institute expected a success rate of only about 10 percent.

Albumin is currently derived through human blood transfusions supplied by donors. However, the prospect of extracting the protein from the milk was seen to be more acceptable by the Chinese group, he told Reuters.

"We were advised by our (partners) that there are cultural reasons why the Chinese would use serum rather than blood products for a whole range of pharmaceutical uses," he said.

Concerns

Australian environmental group GeneEthics has raised concerns about the regulation of the project, with its director Bob Phelps saying genetic manipulation of goats was not clearly covered under Australia's voluntary Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC).

And it would remain unregulated under the country's Gene Technology Bill 2000, due before Parliament in October. The Bill is currently being assessed by the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee.

"These animals could therefore be developed without any public knowledge," Phelps said.

However, the Interim Office of Gene Technology Regulator (IOGTR), the government body in charge of Australia's emerging gene industry, said the work was covered by GMAC guidelines as an experimental project, and would also be covered by the new Act.

IOGTR said that in order to protect the possible patents derived in the work the actual process would not be independently monitored.

"These are university research projects in contained laboratories and because of that there's potential patent considerations further down the line," an IOGTR scientist, who declined to be identified, said.

Lewis said SARDI was concerned about tipping off potential competitors about the research, but believed the deal with China would raise Australia's profile on innovative scientific research.

"We're about promoting Australia's biotechnology industry world wide, and this is a clear demonstration that Australia has world-class capability in this industry," he said.