Translational Relevance and Future Integration of the Oncopig Cancer Model in Preclinical Applications.

Porcine cancer models offer a valuable platform for evaluating interventions such as devices, surgeries, and locoregional therapies, which are often challenging to test in mouse models. In addition to size and anatomical similarities with humans, pigs share greater similarities in genetics, immunity, drug metabolism, and metabolic rate with humans as compared to mouse models, increasing their translational relevance. This review focuses on the Oncopig Cancer Model, a genetically engineered porcine model designed to recapitulate human cancer.

Oncopig bladder cancer cells recapitulate human bladder cancer treatment responses .

Introduction: Bladder cancer is a common neoplasia of the urinary tract that holds the highest cost of lifelong treatment per patient, highlighting the need for a continuous search for new therapies for the disease. Current bladder cancer models are either imperfect in their ability to translate results to clinical practice (mouse models), or rare and not inducible (canine models). Swine models are an attractive alternative to model the disease due to their similarities with humans on several levels.

Swine global genomic resources: insights into wild and domesticated populations.

Suids, both domesticated and wild, are found on all continents except for Antarctica and provide valuable food resources for humans in addition to serving as important models for biomedical research. Continuing advances in genome sequencing have allowed researchers to compare the genomes from diverse populations of suids helping to clarify their evolution and dispersal. Further analysis of these samples may provide clues to improve disease resistance/resilience and productivity in domestic suids as well as better ways of classifying and conserving genetic diversity within wild and captive suids.