Use of transgenic animals in biotechnology: prospects and problems

During the past two decades, there have been numerous attempts at using animals in order to produce recombinant human proteins and monoclonal antibodies. However, it is only recently that the first two therapeutic agents isolated from the milk of transgenic animals, C1 inhibitor (Ruconest) and antithrombin (ATryn), appeared on the market. This inspires hope that a considerable number of new recombinant proteins created using such technology could become available for practical use in the near future. In this review, the methods applied to produce transgenic animals are described and the advantages and drawbacks related to their use for producing recombinant human proteins and monoclonal antibodies are discussed.