Abstract
Studies of the pathobiology of diseases as well as development and evaluation of therapeutic strategies depend on the availability of appropriate animal models. Rodents are most widely used for basic research. Translational research transfers novel results from basic research to clinical application. For this aim, pigs are suitable models as they share many anatomical and physiological characteristics with humans. The high reproductive performance of pigs is a suitable prerequisite for a model organism. Intense breeding efforts provided pig breeds differing substantially in various phenotypic traits which allows to choose breeds for specific experimental requirements. Pig genome analyses resulted in the availability of several resources of genomic data. In addition, the first pig whole genome sequence will be available in the near future. Efficient and precise techniques for the genetic modification of pigs have been established, facilitating the generation of useful disease models. Transgenic pigs increasingly act as appropriate animal models for human genetic diseases in biomedical research and as promising donor organisms for xenotransplantation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Animal Genetics |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
| Pages | 132-152 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781607418443 |
| State | Published - 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |
