Can pigs help researchers cure a lethal genetic disease?

An ERC-funded research project led by Prof. Silvia G. Priori aims to cure Timothy syndrome, a lethal genetic disease causing fatal cardiac arrest in young people. Researchers from Italy and Spain have used CRISPR-Cas9 to engineer a genetically modified pig model that perfectly mimics the human disease to better understand the disease mechanisms. Pigs also help to develop innovative therapies, such as novel antiarrhythmics and curative gene therapy.