Allergy-free cats

Can science help create the pur-r-r-rfect cat? Well cat fanciers might argue that our feline friends can't be improved upon. But for 27.5 million Americans, cats are a source of real discomfort: itchy eyes, sneezing, and wheezing. That's because they're allergic to cats. And for them, the perfect cat would be one that doesn't cause allergies. Now a Syracuse, N.Y., company, Transgenic Pets, says it's on the verge of creating such a cat-with the help of a little bit of genetic engineering and cloning. Operated by Dr. David Avner-a resident emergency room physician-and his wife, Jackie, Transgenic Pets has enlisted the expertise of Xiangzhong Yang, an expert in animal cloning at the University of Connecticut, in hopes of creating the first allergy-proof pussy within two years. "Millions of catallergic people who now suffer with itchy eyes and runny noses, and millions of others who live without the love and companionship of a pet because of allergies, will soon be able to keep a pet of their own," says Avner. Both he and his wife love cats but are allergic to them.

It's not the cat's hair that makes people sneeze. Most often, it's a protein released by cats to moisten their skin. However, Avner claims they don't really need it. What Transgenic Pets has in mind is removing the gene for that protein. The allergen-free cells will then be merged with egg cells and the eggs grown in an allergy-free embryo. Avner says these are well-established techniques that have been used to clone cattle and sheep. "It is simply our application of the technology to turn off the allergen gene in cats that is new," he says.

Once a few cats of each sex have been produced, then traditional, ahem, breeding methods can be reintroduced. Cats sold to the public will be spayed or neutered first to keep the trait from spreading beyond the company's labs.

The Avners expect to sell their cloned cats for between $750 and $1,000. But finances may stall their progress. They have yet to raise the $2 million they need to pay Yang for his work. And it remains to be seen if cat lovers will welcome this newest and rarest of breeds. Now, if scientists really wanted to create the perfect cat, they'd turn them into dogs.

Copyright American Society for Engineering Education Nov 2001
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