Use your BACK button to return to article index.
Selina Mitchell and Leigh Dayton
November 18, 2005
CSIRO scientists have abandoned a decade-long GM crop project in
its last stages of research after learning that peas modified to
resist insects had caused inflammation in the lung tissues of mice.
It is only the second time in the world a GM project has been
abandoned after a gene transfer from one crop to another, deputy
chief of CSIRO Plant Industry T.J.Higgins said yesterday.
The findings - published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry this week - suggest the allergic-style reaction in the mice
was triggered because the protein was altered by a natural process.
Dr Higgins said it was disappointing to have to discontinue work on
the genetically modified field pea, which had proved almost 100 per
cent effective against insect attack. But he said the case
demonstrated the effectiveness of strict regulations on research into
genetically modified crops. The regulations did not allow the
commercial release of a genetically modified crop unless it satisfied
all health and safety requirements.
"It's a good example of why the regulations are necessary," he said.
"This work strongly supports the need for case-by-case examination of
plants developed using genetic modification and the importance of
decision-making based on good science."
But Greenpeace GM campaigner Jeremy Tager disagreed. "That's
complete nonsense," he said. "Withdrawing a failure doesn't show
the
success of the regulatory system. It just shows the failure of the
science in relation to this gene product."
Director of the GeneEthics Network Bob Phelps was pleased the project
was scrapped. "Not only are these experiments on a minor crop a
waste of public money, they highlight the growing concern worldwide
about the health impacts of all GM foods," Mr Phelps said.
The GM peas will be destroyed, Gene Technolgy Regulator Sue Meeks
said. "The whole proof-of-concept study will be wrapped up under
contained conditions - nothing has entered the human food chain," Dr
Meeks said.
The CSIRO was working with the Grains Research and Development
Corporation to genetically modify peas to resist attack by the pea
weevil (Bruchus pisorum) and fungus. Pea weevils alone can cause
yield losses of up to 30per cent a year in the $100million-a-year
field pea industry. The scientists added a gene that produces a bean
protein to the peas that causes weevil larvae to starve. Humans have
been eating the naturally occurring bean protein for years.
But a team at the John Curtin School of Medical Research found that
when mice were fed the GM peas, they suffered an adverse reaction and
their lung tissue became inflamed. "It was not life-threatening,
but nonetheless it was a concerning reaction," Dr Higgins said.
However, he said the search for weevil and fungus-resistant peas
would continue, using the gene transfer system that was developed at
the CSIRO as part of a $3million project.
In an earlier case of GM research, work on a protein-enhanced soy
product was abandoned when it was discovered that the brazil nut gene
transferred to the soy produced a protein that could cause allergic
reactions in some people.
Grains Research and Development Corporation managing director Peter
Reading said it was good to be able to identify problems "early in
the piece".
A spokeswoman for Bayer Crop Sciences, also involved in researching
GM products, said the CSIRO's decision had no impact on the firm's GM
work.
Melbourne-based Monsanto - which has developed several GM food
products, including corn - was unavailable for comment yesterday.
===================================================
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2005/53/i23/abs/
jf050594v.html