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When in doubt, pig it out: a versatile translational platform to study CKD, HFpEF, and CKM syndrome

Alfonso Eirin1,2, Alejandro R Chade3,4,5

  • 1Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States.

American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology
|September 15, 2025
PubMed

Insights

New swine models accurately mimic human chronic kidney disease (CKD), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. These models aid in understanding disease mechanisms and developing novel therapeutic interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Science
  • Nephrology
  • Metabolic Disease Research

Background:

  • Chronic kidney disease (CKD), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome pose significant health challenges with high morbidity and mortality.
  • The complex pathophysiology of these conditions hinders effective prevention and treatment strategies.
  • Large animal models are crucial for elucidating cardio-renal pathophysiology and advancing therapeutic discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and characterize novel swine models for CKD, HFpEF, and CKM syndrome.
  • To investigate the impact of biological variables like sex and age on these cardio-renal-metabolic conditions.
  • To identify key pathogenetic mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.

Main Methods:

  • Development and characterization of specialized swine models.
  • Utilizing these models to study the impact of biological variables (sex, age) on disease progression.
  • Analyzing data to reveal underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Swine models closely recapitulate human CKD, HFpEF, and CKM syndrome.
  • These models facilitate the study of disease mechanisms and the influence of sex and age.
  • Key pathogenetic mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets were identified.

Conclusions:

  • Novel swine models provide a powerful platform for studying cardio-renal-metabolic diseases.
  • These models are instrumental in understanding disease pathogenesis and exploring new therapeutic avenues.
  • Future research using these models will focus on developing innovative treatments for CKD, HFpEF, and CKM syndrome.

Keywords:
cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndromechronic kidney diseaseheart failure

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