Swine cancer models, ready for prime time?

Abstract

Small animal models, though extremely valuable, can fail to predict clinical outcomes due to physiological, metabolic and immunological differences with humans. By contrast, swine models offer a clinically relevant platform that addresses key limitations of rodent, canine and nonhuman primate preclinical systems. Pigs share critical anatomical, genetic and immunological features with humans, enabling replication of human malignancies and providing a robust platform to study cancer onset, progression and the evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we describe two major categories of swine models used in biomedical research: naturally occurring tumor models and genetically engineered models. Together, they provide a complementary and translationally robust platform for preclinical studies, with meaningful implications for clinical trial design.