Oocytes, embryos and pluripotent stem cells from a biomedical perspective

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Stem Cell Biology
• Comparative Medicine

Background:

• The veterinary and animal science fields are increasingly integrating with biomedical research, moving beyond traditional agricultural ties.
• This shift presents an opportunity to develop advanced skills that can synergistically benefit animal science.
• Studies in bovine embryo production using stem cells have paved the way for sophisticated human stem cell research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evolution of stem cell research from agriculture to human medicine.
• To highlight how advancements in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) enhance veterinary applications.
• To emphasize the importance of porcine and canine iPSCs for both human therapy modeling and animal disease research.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on bovine and porcine embryonic stem cells.
• Analysis of gene editing applications in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for disease modeling.
• Exploration of the development and application of porcine and canine iPSCs.

Main Results:

• Agriculture-based stem cell studies informed sophisticated human iPSC research, including gene editing for neurodegeneration models.
• The expertise gained from human iPSC research has enabled more competent focus on veterinary applications.
• Porcine and canine iPSCs are valuable for modeling iPSC-based therapies and understanding/modeling animal-specific diseases.

Conclusions:

• The integration of biomedical research into veterinary and animal science offers synergistic opportunities for advancement.
• Human iPSC research competences directly benefit veterinary applications, particularly in stem cell therapy and disease modeling.
• Canine iPSCs are crucial for advancing canine health, including the study and treatment of conditions like cognitive dysfunction.