Commentary on Domestic Animals in Agricultural and Biomedical Research: An Endangered Enterprise

Despite the long and successful history of research on agriculturally relevant domestic animals, basic and translational research using domestic species is becoming increasingly threatened due to budgetary erosion. This funding decline is well documented in a recent article by Ireland et al. (1), published in the Journal of Animal Science, which summarizes 2 workshops on the “Advantages of Agriculturally Important Domestic Species as Biomedical Models” held jointly by the NIH and the USDA in 2004 and 2007. The current Web site (2) for this effort contains several important links, including those to several recently published editorials. In addition to budgetary erosion, Ireland et al. (1) document the decline in the number of scientists trained to use domestic animal models and also discuss contributors to this decline, such as the relatively minor competitive grants program at USDA; the overwhelming use of mouse models in biomedical research; the lack of advocacy for domestic animal models by university administrations; the cultural barrier between agricultural colleges, basic science departments, and medical schools; and less than adequate grantsmanship by animal scientists. Finally, Ireland et al. (1) discuss various solutions to these problems based on recommendations from the joint NIH-USDA workshops. Particularly relevant to the readership of The Journal of Nutrition, our current understanding of nutritional principles and applications has been tremendously aided by both discovery- and application-based research with domestic species. The use of animal models and the importance of collaboration between animal and human nutritionists in examining the role of nutrition in human health and disease were recently highlighted in an ASN symposium (3). The broad nutritional areas of energetics (4,5), proteins (6), carbohydrates and lipids (7), vitamins (8), minerals (9), and growth and body composition have been heavily underpinned with research using livestock species. Additionally, for most known macro- and micronutrients, the contributions of livestock animal models to our current understanding are extensive. Early work in the area of energetics and micronutrients was instrumental in spawning the fields of biochemistry and subsequently molecular biology (4). The history of nutritional research is replete with examples of complementary research efforts in agriculturally relevant species, rodents, and humans, with breakthroughs in each fostering the work in the others (3,10,11). Domestic animal models have also been critical to biomedical research over the last several centuries, contributing to many of the major advances in medicine and surgery. For example, research in embryology, which has provided the basis for understanding developmental processes, including birth defects and related disorders, has relied heavily on animal models, including domestic species, from ancient times to the present (12). The use of appropriate animal models, including those with agricultural relevance, continues to be critical in nutritional and biomedical research (3,13). Current examples include ovine models of maternal nutritional impacts on developmental programming (14), porcine models of obesity and metabolic syndrome (15), and bovine models of fat synthesis and its regulation (16). The use of domesticated or managed animals in research, including cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, and aquatic species, is important for enhancing the efficiency of animal production, especially as related to improving human nutrition, whereas research on zoo and other exotic animals is critical for species conservation (17). Many of the breakthroughs in animal nutrition, animal breeding/genetics, animal reproduction, animal production methods, meat science and muscle biology, animal behavior, and animal health and well-being have resulted from research conducted at U.S. land-grant universities as well as private enterprises [e.g. see Cromwell (18) and various other American Society of Animal Science Centennial Papers being published in the Journal of Animal Science in 2008 and 2009]. In the last several decades, an important factor contributing to these research advances has been funding for basic research via the USDA's competitive grants program, despite its small size. Research using domestic animals also contributes importantly to the global effort to alleviate poverty and promote human health and this is especially important to developing countries (19,20). As Randolph et al. (19) stated in a recent review, “Animal-source foods are particularly appropriate for combating malnutrition and a range of nutritional deficiencies … [and] livestock clearly offer the most efficient utilization of resources that would otherwise go unexploited….” Both Randolph et al. (19) and Murphy and Allen (20) document how research with domestic animals has contributed and will continue to contribute importantly to global health and socioeconomic well-being as we meet the challenges of the 21st century, including the ever increasing needs of a rapidly expanding world population. One solution proposed by Ireland et al. (1) to the decline in funding for and training in the use of domestic animal models, namely “… a large financial enhancement of USDA's competitive grants program …,” has received some attention in the recently passed 2008 Farm Bill, with the formation of a National Institute for Food and Agriculture and authorization for expansion of the USDA's competitive grants program (21; see Section 7406, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008). Although it is an important first step, this authorization notably comes without provision for the additional funds that will be required to make this important initiative truly effective. Another solution (1), “… greater NIH and USDA cooperation to sponsor use of agricultural animals as dual-purpose animal models that benefit agriculture and biomedicine …,” also needs to be addressed to target funding toward research using such domestic animal models. Together, we must pursue resolutions to all of the problems contributing to the decline in research utilizing domestic animal models. Our administrative and political leaders must become engaged in finding the critically needed support that will ensure a future cadre of well-trained animal scientists who can effectively use domestic species to resolve important problems in animal and human nutrition, animal production, and biomedicine. Otherwise, research using domestic animals can be expected to continue its rapid decline.