The Technology Driving Biomedical Revolution — Animal Modeling

Product Manager: Harrison Michael

Animal modeling is an essential tool in biomedical research, designed to induce specific pathological, physiological, or genetic traits in experimental animals through particular experimental methods. This is done to simulate the onset, progression, and treatment of diseases. Widely applied in disease research, drug screening, toxicological evaluation, immunological studies, and basic biological research, this technique allows researchers to explore disease mechanisms, screen potential drugs, evaluate therapeutic methods, and further advance the development of precision medicine.

I. Technological Development and Breakthroughs: The History and Innovation of Animal Modeling

Animal modeling originated from the demands of biomedical research. Early studies primarily relied on naturally occurring disease models, such as observing pancreatic islet dysfunction in diabetic dogs. However, with the development of experimental techniques, researchers gradually established artificially induced disease models, such as chemically inducing diabetes or surgically creating cardiovascular disease models. In recent years, advancements in genetic engineering technologies, like CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, have made it possible to construct specific genetically modified animal models, thereby improving the specificity and stability of these models.

The core of animal modeling lies in its reproducibility, controllability, and biological relevance. Compared to clinical research, animal experiments provide a more controlled experimental environment, facilitating precise measurements of physiological and biochemical indicators and enabling multi-level analyses in histology, molecular biology, and more. A high-quality animal model can accurately replicate key features of human diseases, thereby enhancing the reliability of research and providing a scientific basis for drug development and therapeutic strategies.

II. Diversified Modeling Methods: Exploring Various Experimental Approaches

The construction of animal models can be divided into several categories:

1.Physical Methods: Directly altering the animal's physiological or anatomical structure through surgery, injury, or electrical stimulation, such as inducing myocardial infarction by ligating the coronary artery.

2.Chemical Methods: The physiological functions of animals can be intervened using specific chemicals, such as inducing a diabetes model with Alloxan or Streptozotocin (STZ). In addition, there are many other chemical reagents that can be used to construct different disease models, for example:

·Methyl Nitronitrosoguanidine (MNNG): Used to induce a gastric cancer model.

·Adenine: Can be used to induce a chronic kidney disease model.

·Carrageenan: Used to induce an inflammation model.

·Sodium Nitrite: Used to induce a chemical intestinal ischemia model.

3.Genetic Manipulation Methods: Altering the animal's genotype through gene editing or transgenic techniques, such as using knockout mice to study specific gene functions.

4.Immunological Intervention Methods: Establishing autoimmune or immunodeficient disease models through immunosuppression or antigen stimulation, such as collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) models.

5.Biological Factor Methods: Creating infectious disease models by infecting animals with viruses, bacteria, or parasites, such as a mouse model of influenza virus infection.

6.Environmental Intervention Methods: Changing environmental factors, such as inducing atherosclerosis with a high-fat diet or inducing depression through chronic stress.

The selection of experimental animals is crucial for the successful construction of models. Different species and strains of animals have differences in physiological metabolism, immune response, and genetic background. For example, mice are the primary choice for disease model research due to the convenience of genetic manipulation, while non-human primates play an important role in neuroscience and drug development due to their closer physiological characteristics to humans.

III. From Basic Research to Clinical Application: The Widespread Use of Animal Modeling

Animal modeling is widely used in various fields and can be categorized into the following types of models based on research purposes:

1.Disease Models: Used to study the mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of specific diseases, including tumor, cardiovascular, neurological, psychiatric, metabolic, respiratory, digestive, immune, musculoskeletal, and urological disease models.

2.Drug Development and Evaluation Models: Including pharmacological, toxicological, drug metabolism, drug screening, and tolerance models for assessing the efficacy and safety of drugs.

3.Basic Biological Research Models: Used to study fundamental biological issues in developmental biology, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology, and genetics.

4.Immunology and Vaccine Research Models: Including immunodeficiency, immune response, vaccine evaluation, autoimmune disease, and inflammation models for studying immune system functions and vaccine development.

5.Surgical and Regenerative Medicine Models: Including surgical models, trauma and repair, regenerative medicine, organ transplantation, and tissue engineering models to promote the development of tissue repair and regenerative medicine.

6.Behavioral Research Models: Used to study neurobehavioral issues such as learning and memory, anxiety and depression, addiction, social behavior, and sleep and wakefulness.

7.Environmental and Stress Models: Including environmental pollution, psychological stress, physical stress, chemical stress, and high-altitude and extreme environment models to study the impact of external environments on the body.

8.Gene Editing and Customized Models: Including knockout, knock-in, transgenic, CRISPR/Cas9, and customized disease models for gene function studies and personalized disease research.

9.Interdisciplinary Application Models: Such as bioinformatics, nanomedicine, gene therapy, omics research, and integrated multidisciplinary models to promote the convergence of different disciplines

IV. Advancing Towards Precision Medicine: Technological Progress and Future Prospects of Animal Modeling

With the integration of emerging technologies such as gene editing, stem cell techniques, and bio-3D printing, animal modeling is evolving towards greater precision and personalization. This has accelerated the development of customized disease models, significantly enhancing their clinical relevance and thereby speeding up the advancement of precision medicine and personalized treatments. Looking ahead, as alternative technologies like organ-on-a-chip and computer simulation models mature, animal modeling faces new challenges and opportunities, especially in terms of ethical compliance, reproducibility, and clinical translation.

Aladdin Scientific can provide researchers with high-quality reagents to help better construct animal models and drive breakthroughs in biomedical research. Offering a wide range of experimental reagents needed for animal modeling, including biochemical reagents, bioactive small molecules, molecular biology reagents, antibodies, and cell culture reagents, we can meet your experimental needs. Visit the Aladdin Scientific website to learn more and select the high-quality reagent products you need.

Aladdin：https://www.aladdinsci.com/