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OJVR
Online Journal of Veterinary Research©
Volume 13 (2):120-127, 2009
Distribution of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) subtypes
among different
swine breeds
M. Suji Prabha,
MSc, PhD, Susan Verghese,
MD, PhD
Department of Microbiology, International
Centre for Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Diseases, Dr.K.M.Cherian
Heart Foundation, Chennai - 600 101, India.
ABSTRACT
Suji Prabha, MSc, PhD, Susan Verghese, MD, PhD Distribution of porcine endogenous
retrovirus (PERV) subtypes among different swine breeds, Online J Vet Res, 12
(2): 120-127, 2009 Pigs are
a promising source of xenografts for therapeutic use
in humans because they offer the possibility of an unlimited and in expensive
supply of organs and tissues. One of the obstacles to entry to the clinic is
the perceived risk of zoonosis from pig pathogens.
Thus, there remain potential risks both from unknown agents and agents that are
transmitted in the germline, such as porcine
endogenous retrovirus (PERV). PERV is a γ-retrovirus
related to murine leukemia virus (MLV)
and feline leukemia virus (FeLV). It is
present in the genome of all pig breeds examined to date, although both
inter-pig and interbreed variations are found.
Key words:
PERV, Porcine Xenografts, Zoonosis.