Transgenesis in Animal Agriculture: Addressing Animal Health and Welfare Concerns

The US Food and Drug Administration’s final Guidance for Industry on the regulation of transgenesis in animal agriculture has paved the way for the commercialization of genetically engineered (GE) farm animals. The production-related diseases associated with extant breeding technologies are reviewed, as well as the predictable welfare consequences of continued emphasis on prolificacy at the potential expense of physical fitness. Areas in which biotechnology could be used to improve the welfare of animals while maintaining profitability are explored along with regulatory schema to improve agency integration in GE animal oversight

Prospective evaluation of sequential treatment of sclerotic chronic graft versus host disease with rituximab and nilotinib

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Genetics of animal health and disease in cattle

peer-reviewedThere have been considerable recent advancements in animal breeding and genetics relevant to disease control in cattle, which can now be utilised as part of an overall programme for improved cattle health. This review summarises the contribution of genetic makeup to differences in resistance to many diseases affecting cattle. Significant genetic variation in susceptibility to disease does exist among cattle suggesting that genetic selection for improved resistance to disease will be fruitful. Deficiencies in accurately recorded data on individual animal susceptibility to disease are, however, currently hindering the inclusion of health and disease resistance traits in national breeding goals. Developments in 'omics' technologies, such as genomic selection, may help overcome some of the limitations of traditional breeding programmes and will be especially beneficial in breeding for lowly heritable disease traits that only manifest themselves following exposure to pathogens or environmental stressors in adulthood. However, access to large databases of phenotypes on health and disease will still be necessary. This review clearly shows that genetics make a significant contribution to the overall health and resistance to disease in cattle. Therefore, breeding programmes for improved animal health and disease resistance should be seen as an integral part of any overall national disease control strategy

Bone mineral density after childhood cancer in 346 long-term adult survivors of childhood cancer

More than 45 % of long-term childhood cancer survivors (CCS) were diagnosed with osteopenia. Our data suggest that greater awareness for osteopenia is warranted in long-term CCS, especially in survivors who are older than 30 years, male, and underweight and were treated with cranial-spinal radiotherapy and/or steroids. Osteopenia is a potential complication of childhood cancer treatment, but the magnitude of this problem in survivors is unknown. We examined (determinants of) bone mineral density (BMD) status in long-term survivors of adult childhood cancer. This retrospective single-centre cohort study included 346 subjects with the most common types of childhood cancer. Subjects had a median age at diagnosis of 7.0 years (range 0.1-16.8 years), a median age at follow-up of 24.5 years (range 18.0-47.6 years) and a median follow-up time of 16.7 years (range 5.6-39.9 years). Total body BMD (BMDTB) and BMD of the lumbar spine (BMDLS) were measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Osteopenia was defined as BMD standardized deviation score (SDS) below -1. Survivors had a lower BMDTB and BMDLS (mean SDS -0.55; p 30 years at follow-up, male gender, underweight at follow-up and treatment with cranial-spinal radiotherapy or prednisone as independent prognostic factors for osteopenia. This large cohort of childhood cancer survivors identified osteopenia in 45 % of CCS. This indicates that greater awareness is warranted, especially in survivors who are older than 30 years, male, have underweight and were treated with cranial-spinal radiotherapy and/or steroids

The immunological phenotype of rituximab-sensitive chronic graft-versus-host disease: a phase II study

Chronic graft-versus-host disease is the major long-term complication after allogeneic stem cell transplantation with a suboptimal response rate to current treatments. Therefore, clinical efficacy and changes in lymphocyte subsets before and after rituximab treatment were evaluated in a prospective phase II study in patients with steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease. Overall response rate was 61%. Only responding patients were found to have increased B-cell numbers prior to treatment. B cells had a naïve-antigen-presenting phenotype and were mainly CD5 negative or had a low CD5 expression. Normal B-cell homeostasis was reestablished in responding patients one year after ritxumab treatment and associated with a significant decline in skin-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, suggesting that host B cells play a role in maintaining pathological CD8+ T-cell responses. Imbalances in B-cell homeostasis could be used to identify patients a priori with a higher chance of response to rituximab treatment (Eudra-CT 2008-004125-42)