Swine models in translational research and medicine

Abstract

Swine are increasingly studied as animal models of human disease. The anatomy, size, longevity, physiology, immune system, and metabolism of swine are more like humans than traditional rodent models. In addition, the size of swine is preferred for surgical placement and testing of medical devices destined for humans. These features make swine useful for biomedical, pharmacological, and toxicological research. With recent advances in gene-editing technologies, genetic modifications can readily and efficiently be made in swine to study genetic disorders. In addition, gene-edited swine tissues are necessary for studies testing and validating xenotransplantation into humans to meet the critical shortfall of viable organs versus need. Underlying all of these biomedical applications, the knowledge of husbandry, background diseases and lesions, and biosecurity needs are important for productive, efficient, and reproducible research when using swine as a human disease model for basic research, preclinical testing, and translational studies.

A TriAdj-Adjuvanted Chlamydia trachomatis CPAF Protein Vaccine Is Highly Immunogenic in Pigs

“…Based on high similarities regarding size, physiology, reproductive cycles, immunology, and susceptibility to Ct, pigs have been used as biomedical animal models [9][10][11][12], including the study of immunity [13][14][15], STIs [16,17], and Ct vaccine development [18][19][20][21][22]. In addition, pigs can be infected both ocularly [23] and genitally [22,24] with C. suis (Cs).…”