Gene-edited Hamsters Become Aggressive After Unsuccessful Experiment
The results of a gene-editing experiment carried out on hamsters by a group of neurology specialists left them extremely astonished. The experiment revealed that the typically calm rodents had been converted into aggressive animals, which left the scientists quite stunned.
Researchers used Syrian hamsters and the cutting-edge technology known as CRISPR-Cas9, which gives users the capacity to regulate whether or not genes in tissues are active. This piece of technology was used to deactivate a receptor for vasopressin, which is a hormone that has been associated with heightened levels of aggressive behavior.
The group of researchers believed that if they made a little adjustment to the DNA of the rats, the creatures would become kinder and less violent. On the other side, a peculiar turn of events occurred, and the formerly placid animals became more aggressive.
According to the explanation that was given by the scientists, the hamsters that lacked the receptors demonstrated much larger levels of communication as well as social conduct in comparison to their counterparts who had intact transmitters. This was the case for both communication and social behavior.
Both male and female hamsters displayed elevated amounts of hostility toward other animals of the same species, according to the findings of the researchers. Normally, there are differences in the violent behavior of males and females of a species. However, the researchers found that these differences were nullified here. The outcomes of the study revealed that participants engaged in behaviors like chasing, biting, and even pinning one another.
In addition, a number of specialists believe that expanding one’s understanding of the role that vasopressin plays in social behavior is essential to the process of assisting specialists in the development of novel medication options for the treatment of mental illness. The severity of these disorders might vary anywhere from moderate to severe.
When it comes to utilizing and editing CRISPR, the science world as a whole is in agreement that we need to exercise extreme caution. This is despite the fact that there is still a significant amount of research being conducted in this area. This is mostly owing to the fact that there are still a great many mysteries surrounding the operation of our genes and the ways in which they influence us, and we don’t want to inadvertently do any damage.
Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.
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