Is the wind blowing?! Experimental miniature pigs become the "new favorite" industry among experimental animals | Animal | Experiment
"Standing on the wind, even pigs can fly into the sky." This popular phrase on the internet is now becoming a prophecy in the field of animal experimentation.
A recent trend in the experimental animal industry was revealed at the "Biomedical and Experimental Small Pig Application Report Conference" held in Zhangjiang Pharmaceutical Valley: Currently, biomedical research institutions and new drug clinical research institutions have made new progress in selecting experimental animals - carefully raised special populations of small pigs are gradually becoming experimental animals for studying human diseases. As a result, the attention from all sectors to it is increasing day by day.
Why has "Second Senior Brother" become a "new favorite" among experimental animals in recent years?
According to relevant experts, the organ systems of small pigs and humans are similar in morphology and physiological functions, especially in terms of skin, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, and urinary system. Therefore, in biomedical research, small pigs are increasingly used to replace experimental animals such as dogs and monkeys, and have great advantages and development prospects in toxicology experiments, disease animal model preparation, medical device research and development, organ transplantation, and other fields.
Professor Gu Weiwang from the South China Biomedical University Animal Model Research Institute stated that in the late 1950s, the number of experimental studies on the application of pigs to human diseases began to increase, especially since the early 1970s, many developed countries have listed them as important experimental animals. "Food and drug regulatory authorities around the world require that new drugs must undergo safety and toxicity assessments of at least two animal species before entering human clinical trials. Among them, at least one is a non rodent large animal, usually a monkey, dog, and pig. Small pigs, due to their small size, lower ethical concerns compared to dogs and monkeys, and similar physiological functions to humans, have seen an increasing use in new drug development year by year."
Experimental animals are an important support for innovation and industrial development in biopharmaceutical technology. In recent years, with the rapid development of the biopharmaceutical industry, the experimental animal industry has developed rapidly. As a highland for innovation and industrial development in biopharmaceutical technology, Shanghai is also actively forward-looking in the experimental animal industry.
According to Li Guangli from the Biotechnology and Medicine Department of the Municipal Science and Technology Commission, there are currently 203 experimental animal licenses in Shanghai, surpassing 200 for the first time in history. As for experimental pigs, there are 36 units using experimental pigs in the city, with an annual usage of about 5000 heads. There are 3 production units producing experimental pigs, with an annual production of about 5000 heads, and the yield is gradually increasing.
In recent years, with the increasing demand for experimental small pigs from research institutions and even some hospitals in Shanghai, there have been three production units of experimental pigs in the city. Among them, the largest is Jijima Experimental Animal Equipment Co., Ltd. With the technical support of the Pig Genetic Breeding Team of the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Shanghai Experimental Animal Research Center, relevant scientific research work has been carried out. Multiple varieties of small experimental pigs, including Lu Xiang pig, Tibetan Xiang pig, Bama pig, and Wuzhishan pig, have been successfully cultivated and raised.
"Shanghai has gathered a large number of scientific research institutions and innovative enterprises in the field of biomedicine, and the development of experimental small pigs has great potential." Zhao Yanguang, the person in charge of the large mammalian experimental animal platform at the Shanghai Experimental Animal Research Center, said that Shanghai will also actively try to further improve and upgrade the cultivation and production of experimental small pigs in the forefront field. To this end, the Shanghai Experimental Animal Research Center is currently laying out and constructing an SPF level small pig production base in Jinshan. It has entered the planning and design stage and will establish a professional team for breeding experimental small pig resources and medical model creation technology services to cultivate and produce standardized experimental small pigs according to the requirements of experimental animal production technology.
Gu Weiwang believes that future research on experimental small pigs has enormous potential in various aspects: firstly, in the agricultural field, breeding can be used to obtain breeding pigs with higher disease resistance. Secondly, in the field of animal disease modeling, establishing a preclinical drug trial system for transgenic pig models can further accelerate the development of innovative drugs and preclinical drug safety evaluation in China, and reduce the cost of medication for Chinese people. Thirdly, in the field of future xenotransplantation, there is a consensus both internationally and domestically that pigs are the best donor for xenotransplantation.
Zhao Yanguang stated that the supply of SPF level experimental small pigs will become a major factor supporting industrial development. The Shanghai Experimental Animal Research Center's leading exploration in this field is expected to overcome a series of key common technical problems, establish a strict set of "Shanghai standards", and ultimately achieve the transformation of achievements, promoting the high-quality development of the industry.
