The porcine lung as a potential model for cystic fibrosis

CS Rogers, WM Abraham… - … of Physiology-Lung …, 2008 - journals.physiology.org
CS Rogers, WM Abraham, KA Brogden, JF Engelhardt, JT Fisher, PB McCray Jr
American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular …, 2008journals.physiology.org
Airway disease currently causes most of the morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic
fibrosis (CF). However, understanding the pathogenesis of CF lung disease and developing
novel therapeutic strategies have been hampered by the limitations of current models.
Although the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator
(CFTR) has been targeted in mice, CF mice fail to develop lung or pancreatic disease like
that in humans. In many respects, the anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, size, and genetics …
Airway disease currently causes most of the morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, understanding the pathogenesis of CF lung disease and developing novel therapeutic strategies have been hampered by the limitations of current models. Although the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been targeted in mice, CF mice fail to develop lung or pancreatic disease like that in humans. In many respects, the anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, size, and genetics of pigs resemble those of humans. Thus pigs with a targeted CFTR gene might provide a good model for CF. Here, we review aspects of porcine airways and lung that are relevant to CF.
American Physiological Society