Perchè il suino

Grazie allo studio dei modelli animali è possibile comprendere le modalità di cura e prevenzione per alcune malattie umane in quanto l’impiego di questi nella ricerca è in grado di offire un'approssimazione delle patologie umane, contribuendo  alla conoscenza dei meccanismi eziopatologici, sviluppando trattamenti e strategie di prevenzione.



Il Superpig è un programma di R&S che utilizza come modello di ricerca il suino in quanto, per le sue caratteristiche fisiologiche, è il più vicino all'uomo dopo i primati (scimmie). Avere un modello intermedio tra uomo e topo sta infatti diventando obbligatorio anche per la validazione di nuove terapie e c’è consenso unanime nella comunità scientifica internazionale, che il maiale costituisca  il modello di mammifero più idoneo a questo scopo, grazie alla somiglianza nelle dimensioni, nella fisiologia, nello sviluppo degli organi e nella progressione della malattia.

         In particolare, sono presenti molte somiglianze in anatomia e fisiologia cardiovascolare, tra cui: un cuore con un rapporto dimensionale paragonabile all’uomo, lo sviluppo spontaneo di arteriosclerosi, l'anatomia delle arterie coronariche, la struttura delle lipoproteine, la propensione verso l'obesità e la suscettibilità ad una varietà di fattori di stress. I maiali sono onnivori non ruminanti, con una fisiologia digestiva somigliante all’uomo; suinetti e neonati umani condividono simili esigenze nutrizionali, nonché predisposizioni ad una serie di agenti patogeni gastrointestinali. 
Inoltre, sono disponibili numerose pubblicazioni in campo zootecnico che potrebbero avere applicazioni nella ricerca biomedica - in particolare nei settori della nutrizione, riproduzione e il comportamento.



ll progetto Superpig segue il principio cardine delle tre R:

  • Replacement: sostituire con altri metodi laddove è possibile raggiungere lo stesso scopo senza l’utilizzo di animali;
  • Reduction: utilizzare meno animali;
  • Refinement: alleviare e minimizzare i potenziali dolori e sofferenze per gli animali.

Bibliografia principale sull'importanza del modello suino nella ricerca biomedica

Importanza del suino per la ricerca in campo di xenotrapianto

  1. Cooper DK, Ayares D. 2011. The immense potential of xenotransplantation in surgery. Int J Surg. 9:122-9.
  2. Ekser B, Cooper DK. 2010. Overcoming the barriers to xenotransplantation: prospects for the future. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 6:219-30.
  3. Elliott RB; Living Cell Technologies. 2011. Towards xenotransplantation of pig islets in the clinic. Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 2011 Apr;16(2):195-200.
  4. Hammerman MR. 2010. Organogenetic tolerance. Organogenesis. 6:270-5.
  5. Hammerman MR. 2011. Xenotransplantation of embryonic pig kidney or pancreas to replace the function of mature organs. J Transplant. 
  6. Hodgson R, Christiansen D, Ziolkowski A, Mouhtouris E, Simeonovic CJ, Ierino FL, Sandrin MS. 2011 Prolonged xenograft survival induced by inducible costimulator-Ig is associated with increased forkhead box P3(+) cells. Transplantation. 91:1090-7.
  7. Nishimura H, Scalea J, Wang Z, Shimizu A, Moran S, Gillon B, Sachs DH, Yamada K. 2011. First Experience With the Use of a Recombinant CD3 Immunotoxin as Induction Therapy in Pig-to-Primate Xenotransplantation: The Effect of T-Cell Depletion on Outcome. Transplantation. 92:641-7.
  8. O'Connell PJ, Yi S, Carrington EM, Lew AM. 2010. Role of regulatory T cells in xenotransplantation. Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 15:224-9.
  9. Perico N, Remuzzi G. 1997. Xenotransplantation: problems and prospects.Nephrol Dial Transplant. 12 (Suppl 1):59-64.
  10. Schneider MK, Seebach JD. 2011. Xenotransplantation literature update, January-February 2011. Xenotransplantation. 18:147-50.
  11. Yamada K, Yazawa K, Shimizu A, Iwanaga T, Hisashi Y, Nuhn M, O'Malley P, Nobori S, Vagefi PA, Patience C, Fishman J, Cooper DK, Hawley RJ, Greenstein J, Schuurman HJ, Awwad M, Sykes M, Sachs DH. 2005 Marked prolongation of porcine renal xenograft survival in baboons through the use of alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout donors and the cotransplantation of vascularized thymic tissue. Nat Med. 11:32-4.

 Utilizzo del suino nella ricerca biomedica

  1. Schook L, et al. 2005 Swine in biomedical research: creating the building blocks of animal models. Anim Biotch 16:183-90.
  2. Lunney JK. 2007. Advances in swine biomedical model genomics. Int J Biol Sci. 3:178-84.
  3. Humphrey SJ, et al. 2007. A highly integrated map of the pig genome. Genome Biol. 8:R139.1-R139.11
  4. Swindle MM, Smith AC. 2007. Swine in biomedical research. In Conn PM, ed. Sourcebook of Models for Biomedical Research. Humana Press Inc, Totowa, NJ. Pp: 233-9
  5. Vodicka P, et al. 2005. The miniature pig as an animal model in biomedical research. Ann New York Acad Sci. 1049:161-71

 Importanza per la ricerca sulla cura del diabete, sull’obesità, sulla sindrome metabolica

  1. Arner P. 2005. Resistin: yet another adipokine tells us that men are not mice. Diabetologica. 48:2203-5.
  2. Spurlock ME, Gabler NK. 2008. The development of porcine models of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. J Nutr. 138:397-402.
  3. Litten-Brown JC, et al. 2010. Porcine models for the metabolic syndrome, digestive and bone disorders: a general overview. Animal. 4:899-920.
  4. Brambilla G, Cantafora A. 2004. Metabolic and cardiovascular disorders in highly inbred lines for intensive pig farming: how animal welfare evaluation could improve the basic knowledge of human obesity. Ann 1st Super Sanitá. 40:241-4.
  5. Sébert SP, et al. 2005. Childhood obesity and insulin resistance in a Yucatan minipiglet model: putative roles of IGF-1 and muscle PPARs in adipose tissue activity and development. Int J Obes. 29:324-33
  6. Kim K-S, et al. 2004. Investigation of obesity candidate genes on porcine fat deposition quantitative trait loci regions. Obes Res. 12:1981-94.

 Importanza per la ricerca cardiovascolare

  1. Bloor CM, et al. 1992. The pig as a model of mycardial ischemia and gradual coronary occlusion. In: Swindle MM, Ed. Swine as models in biomedical research. Ames, IA. Iowa State Univ Press. Pp 163-75.
  2. Gootman PM. 2001. Cardiovascular system: In: Pond WG, et al. Eds. Biology of the domestic pig. Ithaca, NY. Cornell Univ Press. Pp 553-9.
  3. Reffelmann T, et al. 2004. A novel minimal-invasive model of chronic myocardial infarction in swine. Coron Artery Dis 15:7-12.
  4. Leor J, et al. 2009. Intracoronary injection of in situ forming alginate hydrogel reverses left centricular remodeling after myocardial infarction in swine. J Amer Coll Cardiol. 54:1014-23.
  5. Spuentrup E, et al. 2009. Molecular magnetic resonance imaging of myocardial perfousion with EP-3600 a collagen-specific contrast agent: initial feasibility study in a swine model. Circul. 119:1768-75.

 Importanza in campo farmacologico e tossicologico

  1.  The RETHINK project: an assessment of the potential impact of toxicity testing in the minpig as an alternative approach in regulatory toxicity testing. Special Issue. J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods. 2010. 62(3):158-242.
  2. a. Webster J, et al. Ethical implications of using the minipig in regulatory toxicology studies 62:160-6.
  3. b. Ellegaard L et al. Welfare of the minipig with special reference to use in regulatory toxicology studies 62:167-83.
  4. c. Van der Laan JW, et al. Regulatory acceptability of the minipig in the development of pharmaceuticals, chemicals and other products. 62: 184-95.
  5. d. Bode G, et al. The utility of the minipig as an animal model in regulatory toxicology. 62:196-220.
  6. e. Forster R, et al. The minipig as a platform for new technologies in toxicology 62:227-35.
  7. Svendsen O. 2006. The minipig in toxicology. Exper Toxic Path. 57:335-9.8. Rainsford KD, et al. 2003. Gastroinestinal mucosal injury following repeated daily oral administration of conventional formulations of indometacin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to pigs: a model for human gastrointestinal disease. J Pharm Pharmacol. 55:661-8

 Importanza del modello suino nella neuroscienza

  1. Kornum BR, Kndsen GM. 2010. Cognitive testing of pigs (Sus scrofa) in translational biobehavioral research. Neurosci Behav Rev. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.05.004
  2. Lind NM, et al. 2007. The use of pigs in neuroscience: modeling brain disorders. Neurosci Behav Rev. 31: 728-51. 

 Utilizzo del modello suino per la ricerca sul disordine osseo

  1. Pearce AI, et al. 2007. Animal models for implant biomaterial research in bone: a review. Europ Cell Mater. 13:1-10.
  2. Brandt KD. 2002. Animal model of osteoarthritis. Biorheology. 39:221-35.
  3. Little CB, Smith MM. 2008. Animal models of osteoarthritis. Curr Rheumat Rev. 4:175-82.
  4. Turner AS. 2001. Animal models of osteoporosis – necessity and limitations. Europ Cell Mater. 1:66-81.

 Importanza del modello suino per la ricerca sulla cura della pelle e la guarigione delle ferite

  1. Wang JF, et al. 2000. Molecular and cell biology of skin wound healing in a pig model. Connect Tiss Res. 41:192-211.
  2.  Sullivan TP, et al. 2001. The pig as a model for human wound healing. Wound Rep. Regen.9:66-77.
  3. Godin B, Touitou E. 2007. Transdermal skin delivery: predictions for humans from in vivo, ex vivo, and animal models. Adv Drug Del Rev. 11:1152-61. 
  4. Cuttle L, et al. 2006. A porcine deep dermal partial thickness burn model with hypertrophic scarring. Burns. 32:806-20.
  5. Jacobi U, et al. 2007. Porcine ear skin: an in vitro model for human skin. Skin Res Tech. 13:19-24.
  6. Velander P, et al. 2008. Impaired wound healing in an acute diabetic pig model and the effects of local hyperglycemia. Wound Rep Regen. 16:288-293.

Importanza del modello suino per la ricerca sulla cura dentale

  1. Wang S, et al. 2007. The miniature pig: a useful model for dental and orofacial research. Oral Dis. 13:530-7.
  2. Rimondini L, et al. 2005. Tissue healing in implants immediately placed in postextraction sockets: a pilot study in a mini-pig model. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 100:E43-50.

ALTRE PUBBLICAZIONI (FONTE: BIBLIOTECA NAZIONALE DEGLI STATI UNITI D'AMERICA)