ecstatichamster
Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2015
- Messages
- 10,552
Scientists create super-vicious hamsters after lab test goes wrong
Scientists accidentally produced a group of rage-fuelled hamsters after a lab test went sensationally wrong. The gene-edited rodents began to chase, bite and pin each other down
www.dailymail.co.uk
They key hormone Avpr1a was thought to regulate friendship and bonding, with its removal expected to increase harmony between the animals.
Instead, the lab experiment recorded 'high levels of aggression towards other same-sex individuals'.
Professor Albers said: 'We were really surprised at the results.'
CRISPR is a gene editing technique in which scientists can 'snip' a section of someone's DNA
To investigate further, scientists deactivated Avpr1a, removing a receptor that interacts with vasopressin in key regions of the brain.
Now immune to the hormone, it was thought the rodents would become friendlier.
The results were anything but, with a heightened frequency of fighting, biting, chasing and pinning down among the hamsters in their cages.
The study's striking conclusions challenge scientists' understanding of the relationship between biology and behaviour.
The professor added: We don’t understand this system as well as we thought we did.
'The counterintuitive findings tell us we need to start thinking about the actions of these receptors across entire circuits of the brain, not just in specific brain regions.
'Developing gene-edited hamsters was not easy. But it is important to understand that the neurocircuitry involved in human social behaviour and our model has [...] relevance for human health.'
Professor Albers said the gene editing tests are intended to help find solutions to neuropsychiatric disorders including autism and depression.