The Role of Experimental Animal Models in Advancing Veterinary and Biomedical Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59675/V325Keywords:
Experimental animal models, Biomedical research, Veterinary medicine, Translational research.Abstract
The use of experimental animal models as the basic tool in the development of veterinary medicine as well as biomedical research has been in use over a century. The models play important roles in comprehending the pathogenesis of diseases, testing the therapeutic interventions, determining the safety of drugs and interpreting the results of basic scientific findings into clinical practices. It is based on the considerations of anatomical similarity, physiological relevance, genetic tractability, and ethical appropriateness that the selection of the appropriate animal models is considered. Conventional models such as mice, rats, rabbits and non-human primates have been replaced by new models such as zebrafish, pigs and genetically modified organisms that have their own distinct merits with regard to particular research questions. The latest technological changes in genome editing, in this case, CRISPR-Cas9 systems have transformed the production of disease models in a way never before seen before. Moreover, the translation value of animal research has been increased by the advancement of advanced imaging modalities, omics, and computational methods. Although animal models are indispensable, there comes with them ethical obligations that require observation of the principle of replacement, reduction and refinement. In the present state of research, the topics of enhancing the translatability of animal models to human patients, understanding differences in the manifestations of diseases by species, and incorporating alternative approaches where scientifically justified are of concern. This review paper discusses the history of animal models, the ways they have been used in different fields of research, the technological advances that have increased their use, the ethical considerations that regulate their use and future prospects such as the incorporation of human-relevant in vitro systems and computational models to supplement animal research.
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