Measurement and Destruction of Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus in the Chinese Bama Minipig

• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2021.10.023
• Publication Date: 2022-01-15T07:27:25Z
• Authors: Bingqi Zhang; Mengyu Gao; Wanliu Peng; Shengfu Li; Guangneng Liao; Guang Yang; Ji Bao
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; China; 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; Swine; Endogenous Retroviruses; Transplantation, Heterologous; Animals; Humans; Swine, Miniature; Liver, Artificial; Liver Failure; 3. Good health

Porcine hepatocytes are widely used in bioartificial liver (BAL) systems for the treatment of liver failure, and Chinese Bama minipigs (BMPs) are extensively used for animal experiments in the field of medicine in China. The genome of porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) has not yet been accurately quantified, posing a threat to their clinical application because they act as a source of cells. In this study, we used genome sequence data from BMPs to predict PERV copies and their distribution. We validated and quantified the identified PERV copies and subtypes across different BMP individuals and tissues using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, respectively, and found that the BMP genome contains only 11 to 21 PERV copies. Notably, they lack the C subtype, which is a relatively safe cell source. Moreover, we applied CRISPR/Cas9 technology to knock out the pol fragment of PERVs in primary renal fibroblasts (PRFs) from BMPs and obtain PERV-destructed cells. Overall, our results lay a foundation for obtaining PERV-destructed BMPs as a safe source of hepatocytes for BALs for future applications.