Large Animal Models in Cardiovascular Research

Abstract

Studies of not only preclinical cardiovascular research but also those of life science, medical, and pharmacological fields commonly utilize small animal models. However, for the advancement of cardiovascular medicine, researches using large animal models are important step for preclinical validation of therapeutic efficacy and safety by virtue of having models with a body and heart size comparable with that of a human, providing clinically relevant experiments without the concern of over- or under-estimating therapeutic effects and risks. In particular, pigs are considered as a suitable animal model for research in cardiovascular medicine because of the similarities in physiology, metabolism, genomics, and proteomics to those in humans. Another advantage of pigs is the availability of various heart disease models such as myocardial infarction and genetically established cardiomyopathy. The present review updates the contributions of large animal model-based research to the development of cardiovascular medicine, especially focusing on the utility of pig models.