ge health impacts

8/14/2019 GE Health impacts

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Genetic Engineering and

Health Impacts


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cellsnucleus

chromosome

DNA

gene

TA

A A

C

C

C G

GG

T

TT

ABasepairs: A-T & C-G (nucleotides)


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GE is Irreversible : living organisms

capable of making enormous changes toentire eco-systemsGE results in irrevocable changes:

Starting from protein networks toevolutionary networks irrevocablechanges inevitable

In India, millions of lives and livelihoodstied to agriculture Affects critical issueslike food security & livelihood security

Affects the future generations too

Why this debate about GE?


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GE is impreciseCut & Paste - Insertion of alien genes

for creating specific traitsOne gene = one trait expression?

Gene regulation within genome not fullyunderstood or replicable

Transgene insertion the process & thetransgene changes & associated risks

Transgene location - cant be directedand is unstable

Unexpected and unintended traits -Coding for proteins of unknown functionsdiscovered


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Alterations to the toxicity or nutritional value of acultivar allergens, toxins, vitamins, anti-oxidantsetc. (food safety)

Changes that have ecological implications BIODIVERSITY, increased outcrossing, effects onbeneficial insects, soil organisms, pest resurgence,new diseases etc.

Changes that have implications for food security stress intolerance & crop failures

GE Science: Unintended consequences


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Sheep, goat and cattle deathsreported from AP, Maharashtra,Punjab, Haryana

Miscarriages reported fromGujarat

2007:Animal Husbandry

Department of AP asks farmersnot to graze animals on BtCotton as yet unidentifiedtoxin causing toxicityphenomenon

GEAC was asked to a studythey no followup

Biosafety data on Bt brinjalshows possible problems

Animal morbidity


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Letter to GEAC from AH DeptDirector, AP Govt. on 9/5/2007


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Livestock deaths continue


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Skin allergies reportedby farmers andagriculture workerswhile working incotton fields duringboll burst stage 2005: JSA Bt Cotton

in India humanallergies

[Ashish Gupta, Ashish Mandloi & AmulyaNidhi, 2005: An Investigation reporton Impact of Bt Cotton on farmershealth]

2007: Dr ManvirGuptas pilot study inPunjab

Human health


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Farmers in AP, Karnataka,Punjab reporting decrease incrop grown after Bt cotton

Several complaints registered

during 2007 in ANGRAUKisan Call Centre

Recent paper from IARISarkar. et.al, 2008Transgenic Bt -Cotton AffectsEnzyme Activity and NutrientAvailability in a Sub-TropicalInceptisol

J. Agronomy & Crop Science (2008)ISSN 0931-2250

Soil Health


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FlavrSavr tomato-

the first GM food cropAfter 28 days7 of 20 rats developed stomach lesionsAnother 7 of 40 died within 2 weeks

Industry study, 1993


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Skin Allergies with GM Soya

To improve the nutritional

quality, methionine-rich 2Salbumin from Brazilnut

(Bertholletia excelsa) was

introduced into soybeans

Study shows that anallergen from a food known

to be allergenic can be

transferred into another food

by genetic engineering

Brazil nut allergin

Transgenic soya

Skin Prick test

(Nordlee J A, Taylor S L, Townsend BS , Thomas L A & Bush R K, 1996:Identification of a Brazilnut allergenin transgenic soybeans, The NewEngland Journal of Medicine, Volume334: 688-692)


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Health Hazards: Various studies &instances

1998: Arpad Puzstais study on GMPotatoes change in organs (liver,heart, brain) of rats & immunesystems-CaMV promoter effect??

Potentially pre-cancerous cell growth

in the digestive tract

Smaller brains, livers and testicles

Partial atrophy of the liver, and

Immune system damageS. W. Ewen, A. Pusztai, 1999: Effect of diets

containing genetically modified potatoesexpressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on ratsmall intestine Lancet 354(9187):1353

Intestinal Wall

Stomach lining

Non-GM GM

Non-GM

GM
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673698058607/fulltexthttp://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673698058607/fulltext


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1998: Monsanto & Russian Academy of Medical Sciences GM Potatoes higher organ & tissue damage: Not safe to beused in the nourishment of people

[Medical-biological investigations of transgenic potatoes, resistant to the Colorado beetle (underagreement with Monsanto Co.), Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Nutrition,

Moscow, 1998. Signed off by V.A.Tutelian, Deputy Director. Physiological, biochemical andmorphological investigations in rats. Full Report 275 pp, including raw data.]

1999: Journal of Medicinal Food beneficial phytoestrogencompounds lower in GE soybeans 12-14% lower[Marc Lappe, E. Britt Bailey, Chandra Childress, Kenneth D.R. Setchell, 1999: Alterations inClinically Important Phytoestrogens in Genetically Modified, Herbicide-Tolerant Soybeans, The

Journal of Medicinal Food, Vol. 1:4, pps. 241-245]

2001: Starlink Corn contamination one billion dollars cost ofrecall.

Health hazardscontd.


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2003: Terje Traavik Filipinos & allergies (skin,

respiratory, intestinal, with fever) pollination of Btcorn field blood tests showed an immuneresponse[Terje Traavik & Jeffrey Smith, 2004: Bt-maize (corn) during pollination, may

trigger disease in people living near the cornfield,http://www.mindfully.org/GE/2004/Bt-Corn-Human-Disease24feb04.htm]

2004: Nature biotechnology only human feedingtrial of GM crops gene transfer from GM soy tohuman gut bacteria!

[Netherwood et al, Assessing the survival of transgenic plant DNA in the humangastrointestinal tract, Nature Biotechnology22 (2004): 2]

2005: Monsanto Bt Maize kidney abnormalities& high WBC levels

[Seralini et al, 2007: New Analysis of a Rat Feeding Study with a Genetically Modified MaizeReveals Signs of Hepatorenal Toxicity, Archives of Envir.l Contamination & Toxicology,

Vol. 52, No 4 ]

Health hazards.
http://www.mindfully.org/GE/2004/Bt-Corn-Human-Disease24feb04.htmhttp://www.mindfully.org/GE/2004/Bt-Corn-Human-Disease24feb04.htm


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Rats ate Bt corn (90 day

Indicators for

Liver and kidneytoxicity

Blood pressure

problems, allergies,

infections or

disease, higher

blood sugar and

anemiaMonsantoMonsantostudystudy


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2005: Irina Ermakova offspring

of GM-soy-fed rats die growth

abnormalities

Within three weeks, 25 of the45 (55.6%) rats from the GMsoy group died compared toonly 3 of 33 (9%) from thenon-GM soy group and 3 of

44 (6.8%) from the non-soycontrols.

On the right is a 20-day old ratfrom GM soy-fed study group and

at left is a 19-day old rat fromcontrol group

Ermakova, I: Preliminary Findings presented at Symposium of National Association forGenetic Security, October 10, 2005; also,"Influence of genetically modified soya on the birth-weight and survival of rat pups" InProceedings of the Conference Epigenetics, Transgenic Plants & Risk Assessment,Institute for Applied Ecology, Frankfurt, 2006, pp. 41-48
http://www.oeko.de/oekodoc/277/2006-002-en.pdfhttp://www.oeko.de/oekodoc/277/2006-002-en.pdf


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2005: University of Urbino - misshapen nuclei in livercells of rats dramatic reduction in enzyme productionin pancreas cells in liver, pancreas and testes affected

Malatesta M, Caporaloni C, Gavaudan S, Rocchi MB, Serafini S, TiberiC, Gazzanelli G. (2002): Ultrastructural morphometrical and

immunocytochemical analyses of hepatocyte nuclei from mice fedon genetically modified soybean, Cell Struct Funct. 27: 173-180;

Manuela Malatesta, et al, (2002): Ultrastructural analysis ofpancreatic acinar cells from mice fed on genetically modifiedsoybean, Journal of Anatomy, Volume 201 Issue 5 Page 409

Cooked GM soy is reported to contain twice theamount of soy lectin, which can also block

nutrient assimilationStephen R. Padgette et al, 1996:, "The Composition of Glyphosate-Tolerant

Soybean Seeds Is Equivalent to That of Conventional Soybeans," TheJournal of Nutrition, vol. 126, No. 4

Health hazards


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2007: study done by Vavilov'sAgrarian University in Russia:RoundUp Ready soy approved for

human consumption in the RussianFederation and in many othercountries, induced serious changesin the morphology of viscera (liver,kidney, testis) of mice, in their

histological and cell structures. GM-soy also is found to impact the sizeof litters, and the mortality of theyoung.

On top is a mouse fed with GM soya and at the bottom is one fed with non-GM soya, in thisRussian study


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Bt Brinjal

US agencies like USAID, Cornell Universityand Monsanto behind Bt Brinjalsdevelopment

Open air trials from 2004 in different states Serious biosafety violations from field trials

documented

GEACs guidelines violated when large scaletrials were permitted in 2007, withoutbiosafety being cleared first..


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Bt Brinjal biosafety

Biosafety data apparently presented toregulators in 2006 itself.an expertcommittee gave its report in 2007

Data not shared with the public despiteorders from the Central InformationCommission under Right To Information public interest more important thancommercial interests, the CIC ordered

Data finally put out after SC orders inAugust 2008


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Prof Seralini & team in CRIIGEN: Firstindependent analysis

Parameters affected in animals fed with Bt Brinjal are in bloodcells or chemistry and in different ways according to the periodof measurement during the study or the sex:

In goats prothrombin time is modified, and biochemicalparameters such as total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase are

also changed, as well as feed consumption and weight gain.

For rabbits less consumption was noted and also modificationin prothrombin time, higher bilirubin in some instances,albumin, lactose dehydrogenase and the hepatic markersalanine and aspartate aminotransferases. Sodium levels werealso modified, as well as glucose, platelet count, meancorpuscular haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit value.


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Prof Seralinis analysis.In cows milk production and composition were

changed by 10-14%. There was more milk

and more roughage dry matter intake as ifthe animals were treated by a hormone.

Rats GM-fed rats had diarrhoea, higher waterconsumption, liver weight decrease as well asrelative liver-to-body-weight ratio decrease.

In broiler chickens, feed intake as well asglucose in some instances were modified.

In GM-fed fishes, average feed conversionand efficiency ratios were changed.


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Prof Seralini.

Bt brinjal produces a protein whichcan induce resistance towards atleast kanamycin, a well known

antibiotic.

The longest toxicity tests which arefor only 90 days do not assess long-

term effects like the development oftumours or cancers.


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What did the first independent analysisfind?

Several differences found between studyand (closest) control groups in the Bt Brinjalbiosafety tests were not reported in thesummaries of the test reports but are in the

raw data; statistically significant differencesthat were reported were discounted ratherthan used to raise food safety concerns oras warranting further investigations, as Prof

Seralini points out. Prof Seralinis analysispoints out that the interpretation of resultsin many cases by Mahyco is not scientificallyacceptable.


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CRIIGEN concludes

The permission for Bt brinjal releaseinto the environment, for food orfeed, may present a serious risk for

human and animal health and therelease should be forbidden.


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Bt genes immunogenic andallergenic Cry 9c consideredtoxic too.

Bt toxin in GM crops thousandtimes more concentrated than Bt

sprays and, Bt sprays have nohistory of safe use!!!

Cauliflower Mosaic Virus [CaMVpromoter]

Antibiotic resistance genes

Agrobacterium vector..

Individual genes & synergistic GEeffects

l i di d


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1. GE can result in unpredictedGE can result in unpredicted

changes in DNA and plantchanges in DNA and plant

compositioncomposition

Mutations (2-4% of DNA)Mutations (2-4% of DNA)

Deletion of genesDeletion of genes

Permanently on or offPermanently on or off Altered gene expression (up to 5%)Altered gene expression (up to 5%)

2 Protein produced by the


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2. Protein produced by theinserted gene may be

harmful Traits marketed Herbicide tolerance (73%), Pesticide

production (18%), Crops with both traits (8%)

Industry claims that Bt Has a history of safe use

Is destroyed during digestion

Is not active in mammals In reality people react to Bt spray, it survives

digestion and mice react to Bt-toxin


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3. Protein may be differentthan intended

Transgene sequence may

Mutate or truncate

Rearrange

Be read differently

Produce multiple proteins


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4. Gene transfer to Gutbacteria

Bacterial sequences are easier totransfer to bacteria

The genes promoter works inbacteria


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Transfer of genetic material between unrelated species

Through bacteria and viruses - GE increases HGT Unintended contamination & unpredictable

consequences.

1999 ARM gene transfer from human consumption oftransgenic food to bacteria in human saliva andrespiratory tract

[Mercer,D.K., K.P.Scott, W.A.B. Johnson, L.A.Glover, and H.J.Flint, 1999.Applied andEnvironmental Microbiology,65:6-10]

Agrobacterium, which is widely believed not to infectanimals and hence may not transfer engineered genesfrom plants to animals is found to mediate transfer ofDNA in human cancer cells

[Kunik,T., T.Tzfira,Y.Kapulnik,Y.Gafni, C.Dingwall, and V.Citovsky, 2001.PNAS(USA), 98:1871-87]

Transgenic DNA in the blood, liver and spleen cells andin the placenta and fetus of pregnant mice

[Schubbert,R.,D.Rentz, B.Schmitzx, and W.Doerfler, 1997. PNAS(USA),94:961-66; and,Doerfler,W.,and R.Schubbert, 1998. Wien Klin Wochenschr, 110:40-44

Horizontal Gene Transfer


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A study commissioned by the Ministry ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), UK at LeedsUniversity found that the DNA of biotech crop grainand silage does not get degraded during the usualcommercial processing conditions and this offerssubstantial scope for secondary horizontal transfer

of intact antibiotic resistance gene to the bacteriaand other organisms in the rumen of animalsfed with such processed feed [Forbes, J.M., B.E.Blair, A. Chiter, and S.Perks, 1998. Scientific ReportSection 5, MAFF, UK]

DNA fragment containing ampicillin resistance genefrom the Bt maize was detected in the oral cavityand rumen fluid of animals fed with Bt maize silagein another study [Duggan, P.S., P.A. Chanibers,

J.Heritage, and J.M. Forbes, 2000. FEMS MicroiologyLetters, 191:71-77.

HGT.


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Contamination of centres of geneticdiversity

Unsolicited gene transfer to farmers

varieties Development of super herbicide resistance

Development of new invasive species

5. Contamination inevitable


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Problems with detection dueto Degradation of DNA

High degree of processing

Low amount of ingredient

Highly Processed food May contain GMOs (oil,

starch, glucose syrup)

Detection not possible, noDNA left after processing

Mixed processed food May contain GMOs in flour, or

any other ingredient (e.g.cheese)

Detection possible but in

most cases very complicated,

Can we detect GM infood?


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How, what, who and where todetect ?


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