Pig Models in Retinal Research and Retinal Disease

Area of Science:

• Biomedical research
• Ophthalmology
• Genetics

Background:

• Pigs are established large animal models in biomedical research.
• Their utility is growing due to induced mutations phenocopying human inherited diseases.
• Pigs offer advantages like continuous breeding, artificial insemination, large litter sizes, and genetic manipulation capabilities similar to mice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the expanding use of pigs as a model for studying inherited retinal diseases.
• To highlight the pig's contribution to assessing treatments for various eye conditions.
• To focus on the pig's role in neural retinal disease research and treatment evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on pig models in biomedical and ophthalmological research.
• Analysis of studies focusing on inherited retinal diseases, cornea, and lens diseases in pigs.
• Examination of therapeutic approaches investigated using pig models.

Main Results:

• Pigs are increasingly used for studying specific disease-causing mutations not found in rodents.
• The pig model is valuable for exploring treatments for inherited retinal diseases, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.
• Research has demonstrated the pig's utility in studying cornea and lens diseases.

Conclusions:

• The pig is a versatile large animal model for a broad spectrum of eye diseases, particularly neural retinal conditions.
• Its genetic and physiological characteristics make it ideal for investigating complex inherited and multifactorial human eye diseases.
• Pigs significantly contribute to the development and assessment of novel therapeutic strategies for vision impairment.