TRANSGENIC PIGS FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

The purpose of this article is to review the most modern techniques used in obtaining transgenic pigs as important models in the study and understand of mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of various human diseases. Genetically engineered animals have a significant role in biomedical research (Wheeler 2007, Robl et al., 2007, Vajta et al., 2012). Genetically modified swine are recognized as outstanding models for the study of various human diseases. These animals have high reproductive capacity and adequate precocity, short farrowing interval, parturition of multiple offspring (an average of 10?12 piglets per litter) (Wolf et al., 2000, Walters et al., 2012). Besides all these aspects the completed sequencing of the swine genome (Schook et al., 2005), made possible precise representations of human diseases based on propinquity of genes between the two species (Whyte, Prather 2011). Pigs are recognized as excellent models in a variety of areas, including nutrition, toxicology, dermatology, diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, cutaneous pharmacology, ophthalmology, degenerative disease etc. (Lunney et al., 1999, Ishii et al., 2006, Herkenne et al., 2006, Dyson et al., 2006, Du et al., 2007, Matsunari, Nagashima 2009, Aigner et al., 2010, Noel et al., 2012, Prather et al., 2013). Due to the emergence of modern genetic engineering techniques, the genome of these animals can be modified to serve as a potential xenograft donor (Sachs, Galli 2009).