An update on the tools for creating transgenic animal models of human diseases – focus on atherosclerosis

Abstract

Animal models of diseases are invaluable tools of modern medicine. More than forty years have passed since the first successful experiments and the spectrum of available models, as well as the list of methods for creating them, have expanded dramatically. The major step forward in creating specific disease models was the development of gene editing techniques, which allowed for targeted modification of the animal's genome. In this review, we discuss the available tools for creating transgenic animal models, such as transgenesis methods, recombinases, and nucleases, including zinc finger nuclease (ZFN), transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), and CRISPR/Cas9 systems. We then focus specifically on the models of atherosclerosis, especially mouse models that greatly contributed to improving our understanding of the disease pathogenesis and we outline their characteristics and limitations.

Functional 3-Dimensional Retinal Organoids: Technological Progress and Existing Challenges

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“…Modern medicine has made it possible to study a variety of diseases using transgenic animal models. The application of such animals is growing due to need for the reliable models that closely mimic the pathophysiology of a certain disease (Volobueva et al, 2019).…”

“…Modern medicine has made it possible to study a variety of diseases using transgenic animal models. The application of such animals is growing due to need for the reliable models that closely mimic the pathophysiology of a certain disease (Volobueva et al., 2019). Despite favourable results, the production of these animal models is facing with serious challenges that constrain their widespread use (Thornton, 2010).…”