Controversy arises over the creation of genetically modified Polo horses in Argentina
In a groundbreaking development, the world's first genetically edited horses have been brought into existence by Kheiron Biotech, an Argentine biotech company. These horses are cloned copies of a prize-winning horse named Polo Pureza.
The horses were created using CRISPR technology to reduce the expression of the myostatin gene, which limits muscle growth. This genetic edit aims to increase muscle fibres, transforming the horses into sprinters, a trait highly valued in polo.
However, the Argentine Association of Polo Horse Breeders has chosen to tread cautiously regarding the registration of these genetically edited horses. Santiago Ballester, the association's president, acknowledges the concerns of fellow breeders about the potential impact on their business and the acceptance of gene-edited horses by countries that import Argentine polo horses.
Adolfo Cambiaso, widely considered the world's top polo player, has been a proponent of polo clones. Yet, the Argentine Polo Association has banned genetically edited horses from competition.
The association will monitor the horses for four or five years before making a decision on whether to register them as Argentine polo ponies. If registered, Kheiron Biotech claims it will produce 400 clones in 2025, more than half of all the cloned horses born in Argentina.
Ted Kalbfleisch, a geneticist at the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center, states that Kheiron's insertion of a natural DNA sequence sped up traditional modifications. The horses produced by Kheiron Biotech are currently two years old and will start easing into a saddle soon.
The horses' DNA edit was verified by Argentina's biotech regulator, but the Argentine Department of Agriculture declined to comment on the genetically edited horses produced by Kheiron Biotech.
Sammartino, the CEO of Kheiron Biotech, has been contacted by a dozen potentially interested clients in Argentina, but declined to put Reuters in contact with them due to privacy reasons.
It's worth noting that the world's first cloned horse was born in 2003. Cloned horses, including those created by Kheiron Biotech, sell for an average of $40,000. The Scientific Director of Kheiron Biotech is Gabriel Vichera.
Despite the excitement surrounding these genetically edited horses, about 50 breeders have signed a letter to the breeders' association asking not to register the genetically edited horses without "a profound reflection on where we want to go." Kalbfleisch also mentioned that gene-edited horses may have an advantage in polo tournaments but it's not necessarily an unfair one.
Plans to commercialize Kheiron Biotech's gene-editing service for horses are on hold until the polo authorities are on board. As the horses continue to grow and develop, the debate surrounding their acceptance in the polo world is likely to intensify.
