The pig as a model for translational research: overview of porcine animal models at Jichi Medical University

Abstract

To improve the welfare of experimental animals, investigators seek to respect the 3R principle (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement). Even when large animal studies are essential before moving to clinical trials, it is important to look for ways to reduce the number of experimental animals used. At the Center for the Development of Advanced Medical Technology, we consider ‘medical’ pigs to be ideal preclinical model systems.We have been using both wild-type and genetically modified pigs. We began using this approach about 10 years ago with a ‘total pig system’ to model human health and disease for the purposes of both medical skill education and the development of new devices and therapeutic strategies.At our Center, medical students and residents use pigs to gain experience with surgical skills and train for emergency procedures after appropriate simulation training. Senior clinicians have also used these models to advance the development of innovative tools for endo- and laparoscopic procedures. The Center focuses on translational research for organ transplantation and stem cell therapy. Several pig models have been established for liver, intestine, kidney, pancreas, and lung transplantation. Mesenchymal stromal cells have been established in green fluorescent protein- and red fluorescent protein-transgenic pigs and tested to trans-differentiate organogenesis. A program to establish induced pluripotent stem cells in the pig is ongoing at our Center.Here, we review our 10 years of activity in this field. Based on our experience in surgical education and research, experimental pigs are valuable models in translational research.

Characterization of benign periablational enhancement following multipolar radiofrequency ablation using perfusion CT in an in-vivo porcine liver model

“…Although the results of this study were performed using a porcine liver model, we think that our results can be transferred to humans, since porcine animal models have broadly and successfully been used in translational research [24][25][26]. The use of intravenous agents for general anesthesia denotes a further limitation of this study as they may have altered hepatic perfusion parameters.…”

Face, content, and construct validity of human placenta as a haptic training tool in neurointerventional surgery

“…Their main advantage is that they do not require any biological tissues/specimens, while their main disadvantage is their cost, limiting their availability in many centers. 8,10,11 Some of the advanced systems can be programmed to simulate human vascular anatomy and reproduce cerebrovascular pathology. Reproducing the haptics or feel of the procedure is more difficult with these systems, and this is one aspect of the HP model that needs more study.…”

“…5 These facilities and resources are generally limited to large, tertiary academic medical centers. 8 A single HP model used in endovascular training can be recycled for microsurgical training, as previously described. 12 This maximizes the educational benefits from a single donor.…”

Strategies to optimize kidney recovery and preservation in transplantation: specific aspects in pediatric transplantation

“…Even when large animal studies are essential before moving to clinical trials, it is important to look for ways to reduce the number of experimental animals used [7]. In organ transplantation research, the use of cellular models is limited due to the complexity and the high number of processes involved at the organ level.…”