page_title: Genetically modified animal
section_title: Medicine
hierarchical_section_title: Genetically modified animal / Mammals / Medicine
caption_attribution_description: Nederlands: Museum Naturalis in Leiden. Tentoonstelling Biotechnologie. Overzicht. Transgeen varken en kaas. Chromatografie van DNA. English: Natural history museum Naturalis, Leiden. Exhibition Biotechnology. Overview. Transgenic pig and cheese. Chromatography of DNA.
context_page_description: Genetically modified animals are animals that have been genetically modified for a variety of purposes including producing drugs, enhancing yields, increase resistance to disease, etc. The vast majority of genetically modified animals are at the research stage with the number close to entering the market remains small.
context_section_description: Mammals are the best models for human disease, making genetic engineered ones vital to the discovery and development of cures and treatments for many serious diseases. Knocking out genes responsible for human genetic disorders allows researchers to study the mechanism of the disease and to test possible cures. Genetically modified mice have been the most common mammals used in biomedical research, as they are cheap and easy to manipulate. Pigs are also a good target as they have a similar body size and anatomical features, physiology, pathophysiological response and diet. Nonhuman primates are the most similar model organisms to humans, but there is less public acceptance towards using them as research animals. In 2009, scientists announced that they had successfully transferred a gene into a primate species (marmosets) and produced a stable line of breeding transgenic primates for the first time. Their first research target for these marmosets was Parkinson's disease, but they were also considering amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington's disease.
  Human proteins expressed in mammals are more likely to be similar to their natural counterparts than those expressed in plants or microorganisms. Stable expression has been accomplished in sheep, pigs, rats and other animals.  In 2009, the first human biological drug produced from such an animal, a goat., was approved. The drug, ATryn, is an anticoagulant which reduces the probability of blood clots during surgery or childbirth was extracted from the goat's milk. Human alpha-1-antitrypsin is another protein that is used in treating humans with this deficiency. Another area is in creating pigs with greater capacity for human organ transplants (xenotransplantation). Pigs have been genetically modified so that their organs can no longer carry retroviruses or have modifications to reduce the chance of rejection. Pig lungs from genetically modified pigs are being considered for transplantation into humans. There is even potential to create chimeric pigs that can carry human organs.
caption: Transgenic pig for cheese production
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