Gene edited allergy dogs are now a pair of beagles named Bailey and Alfie, according to reporting by Wired. Kindred Companion Sciences, founded by scientist Matt Walker in 2020, has publicly disclosed the dogs and a paper in The CRISPR Journal describing the work. The narrow result is notable: the company says it removed Can f 1, a major dog allergen. The broad claim that the dogs will not cause allergies needs a considerably larger evidence file.
Can f 1 is a protein found in dog dander, hair and saliva. Wired describes it as the most common dog allergen and reports that it causes reactions in more than half of people with dog allergies. Dogs also produce other Can f proteins capable of provoking reactions, so deleting one gene does not establish that a dog is universally allergy-free.
How were the gene-edited allergy dogs made?
Kindred’s team used CRISPR to disable the gene that produces Can f 1 in skin cells taken from a female beagle, Wired reported. It then used somatic cell nuclear transfer, a cloning technique, to place the edited cellular material into eggs from donor beagles. Of 25 edited embryos transferred to a surrogate, two developed to term.
The mechanism is targeted and fairly blunt in its ambition: prevent the dog from making one protein rather than trying to retrain a person’s immune system. The company said DNA sequencing confirmed the intended edit. Tests of the puppies’ saliva and dander found no detectable Can f 1, while samples from unedited dogs, including a beagle, poodle and goldendoodle, produced detectable signals.
That is stronger evidence than breed marketing. Wired reported that studies have found breeds sold as “hypoallergenic” can carry equal or higher levels of relevant allergenic proteins than other dogs. A 2024 review in Allergologie Select says animal allergens occur on fur, in saliva and urine, disperse through indoor spaces and household dust, and can travel on owners’ clothing and hair.
Can people with dog allergies live with them safely?
The evidence so far is encouraging but tiny. Walker, who has dog allergies, reportedly had no skin response when tested with material from an edited dog, though he reacted to material from an unedited dog. He also told Wired he had lived with Bailey for about 18 months without an allergic reaction. Those are one person’s results, not a broad human clinical study across people sensitized to different dog allergens.
For prospective owners, the practical distinction matters. The results support the claim that these two dogs lack detectable Can f 1 in the samples tested. They do not show that every person with dog allergies can safely share a home with them, because other canine allergens remain in play.
Kindred reported normal birth weights and no congenital abnormalities in Bailey and Alfie. It also said it found no unintended, off-target edits, conducted the animal work at licensed facilities under veterinary supervision, and will provide the dogs regular veterinary exams throughout their lives. Those are company-reported welfare findings, and lifetime effects of removing Can f 1 remain to be observed.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
