A biotech startup has used gene editing to create beagle puppies that lack the main protein responsible for dog allergies — a proof-of-concept for genetically hypoallergenic pets.
New York-based Kindred Companion Sciences targeted Can f 1, a protein secreted in dog saliva and dander that accounts for most human dog allergies. Using CRISPR, the team made a single-base insertion in the Can f 1 gene, creating a frameshift that disrupts the protein’s production. The work was published in The CRISPR Journal.
What they found
The edits were made in two genetically identical beagle twins, Alfie and Bailey, born in September 2024. Lab tests (Western blot) detected no Can f 1 protein in the pups’ saliva or dander, and skin-prick tests showed no allergic reaction to extracts from the edited dogs — while control poodles and goldendoodles carried high allergen levels. The researchers reported no off-target mutations or chromosomal rearrangements, and at nearly two years old both dogs are described as developing normally.
Why it matters — and the caveats
About 15% of people worldwide have dog allergies, and this approach tackles the allergen at its genetic source rather than treating a person’s immune response. “We didn’t introduce any foreign DNA … all we did was direct it at this specific site,” said CEO Matt Walker. Still, this is early work in just two animals, and gene-editing companion animals raises ethical and welfare questions the field will have to grapple with before any such pets could be widely bred.