Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) commonly known as mad cow disease, is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease of cattle. It also adversely affected the country's agriculture industry as many countries banned the imports of cattle from U.S. due to this disease.
However, new laboratory tests on the 20-month old genetically engineered cattle have shown them to be immune to the disease. The mechanism works by blocking the proteins that cause the beef cattle to contract Mad Cow disease.
According to AXcess news, the scientists however have cautioned that more tests are needed to be conducted on the animals for longer periods of time.
People who have consumed the meat of cattle infected with Mad Cow disease contracted a human variant of the disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or vCJD.
However, the latest findings suggest that genetically modified cattle however lacked the particular protein, which malfunctions to cause Mad Cow disease, thus creating a resistance to the disease.
The disease has reportedly caused nearly 200 human deaths in the past decade.
According to Edward B. Knipling, administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, "These cattle can help in the exploration and improved understanding of how prions function and cause disease, especially with relation to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE."
Furthermore, a Sioux Falls-based biotechnology firm has reportedly developed cattle that don't appear to be able to contract mad cow disease.
According to the scientists at Hematech, they have developed 12 healthy Holstein bull calves. They don't have the naturally occurring prion proteins that can misfold and cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy, otherwise known as BSE or Mad Cow disease.
