Translational Animal Models in Colitis: From Rodents to Pig and Minipig Platforms

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology and immunology
• Translational research
• Animal models of disease

Background:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves complex genetic, immune, microbial, and environmental factors.
• Epithelial barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and microbiota imbalance characterize IBD.
• Animal models are essential for understanding IBD pathogenesis and testing therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review major experimental colitis animal models.
• To discuss their pathological and translational characteristics.
• To highlight the utility of large animal models, specifically pigs, for IBD research.

Main Methods:

• Overview of chemically induced, genetically engineered, adoptive immune-transfer, and infectious/microbiota-associated colitis models.
• Comparison of rodent models with large animal models (pigs, minipigs).
• Discussion of advancements in genome editing and multi-omics in porcine models.

Main Results:

• Rodent models have advanced understanding of IBD pathways but have translational limitations.
• Pig and minipig models offer greater similarity to human GI anatomy, physiology, and immune responses.
• Porcine models facilitate clinically relevant procedures like colonoscopy and biopsy sampling.

Conclusions:

• While rodent models are valuable, their species-specific differences limit direct clinical translation.
• Large animal models, particularly pigs, present enhanced translational utility for IBD research.
• Porcine models are promising platforms for preclinical therapeutic evaluation in human-applicable IBD studies.