These gene-edited beagles could provide hope for dog-loving allergy sufferers

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Alfie and Bailey (Kindred Companion Sciences)

For geneticist Matt Walker, petting a dog used to mean sneezing fits, itchy eyes and skin rashes.

Today, he can feed peanut butter to a beagle resting on his lap, thanks to a gene-editing technology that can make dogs hypoallergenic.

Gene-edited, hypoallergenic dogs

Big picture view:

For the first time, scientists have successfully used CRISPR gene-editing technology to eliminate a primary allergy-causing protein in two dogs, Bailey and her twin Alfie.

While dogs like poodles and goldendoodles are often marketed as hypoallergenic because they shed less, they still produce proteins in their saliva, hair, and dander that trigger human allergies.

To create Bailey and Alfie, scientists edited dog skin cells in a laboratory to disable the primary gene responsible for producing those allergenic proteins. They then transferred the edited genetic material into eggs and implanted them into a surrogate beagle.

The surrogate gave birth to the two female pups in September 2024. Subsequent testing revealed no traces of the target allergen in their fur or saliva. In skin-prick tests, Walker reacted to extracts from traditional hypoallergenic breeds, but showed no reaction to samples taken from Bailey or Alfie.

What they're saying:

"The feeling right now is sort of a mix of relief and awe and gratitude that it worked," said Walker, whose company, Kindred Companion Sciences, led the research.

Concerns over long-term health, ethics

Dig deeper:

Scientists caution, however, that commercial availability remains years away. Researchers must monitor the animals for long-term health effects and establish cost-effective breeding strategies. Walker said the specific genetic modification made to the beagles occurs naturally in a small percentage of the canine population, making long-term health complications unlikely.

"We don't exactly know just how effective or broadly useful this could be for stopping dog allergy in humans," Dr. Jeff SoRelle, a pathologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center who was not involved in the study, told The Associated Press. SoRelle noted that while the disabled gene is the primary allergen trigger in dogs, it is not the only one.

Ethicists have also raised concerns regarding the potential impact on animal welfare organizations.

"It opens the door to a lot more people being able to own pets," Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine, told AP. "On the negative side, it may discourage people from trying to use strays and unwanted animals that are not engineered to be allergy-free."

What's next:

Kindred Companion Sciences plans to test the method across other dog breeds and service animals, with the goal of breeding established lines of allergy-free dogs.

The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press.

Pets and Animals Science