This review surveys CRISPR/Cas9 and related gene-editing strategies for pigs resistant or resilient to major viral diseases, covering knockout, knock-in and overexpression approaches for threats including PRRS, classical swine fever and African swine fever.
Key findings
- Strategies alter host receptors or dependency factors, insert resistance alleles or increase protective proteins to reduce infection or disease. Success depends on virus biology and whether the targeted gene also affects development, reproduction or immunity.
Why this matters globally
Swine epidemics damage food systems, livelihoods and animal welfare worldwide. Safe, accessible resistant lines could reduce losses, but genetic concentration and unequal access also require assessment.
Thai researcher contribution
Takeshige Otoi holds an affiliation with Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Veterinary Science within a Japan-China-Thailand team, and the review appears in The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine.
Limitations to consider
A narrative review may overrepresent successes, and many experiments lack multigenerational or commercial-farm evidence. Off-target changes, pleiotropy, viral adaptation, welfare, genetic diversity, regulation and public acceptance remain unresolved.