Surgically produced, controllable immunocompromised pigs

Abstract

Majority of research on human regenerative medicine has focused on the use of human mature cells/tissues and stem cell derived products. To ensure their safety and efficacy for clinical application, preclinical testing in large animals such as pigs, using pre-clinical and clinical matching protocols, is required. However, presently, there is no universal, stable, adjustable immunosuppressed pig model in which human regenerative cell and tissue products may be evaluated. Consequently, we established a controllable immunocompromised pig model by surgical excision of immune organs and varying the administration of immunosuppressive agents based on the physical condition and pharmacokinetic profile. Here, we describe the precise experimental procedure and provide information on immunosuppression therapies in different breeds of laboratory pigs. We provide practical information for the production of operational SCID pigs. We believe that our procedure may be immediately implemented in human-to-pig experiments, resulting in cost-benefit perspectives and furthering the development of new regenerative medicine.