Advancing swine models for human health and diseases.

Abstract

Swine models are relatively new kids on the block for modeling human health and diseases when compared to rodents and dogs. Because of the similarity to humans in size, physiology, and genetics, the pig has made significant strides in advancing the understanding of the human condition, and is thus an excellent choice for an animal model. Recent technological advances to genetic engineering of the swine genome enhance the utility of swine as models of human genetic diseases.