Induction of various diseases and production of animal models

Development of Animal Models Based on the Latest Global Research

The utilization of animal anatomy and physiology models has significantly advanced scientific research in the field of health. To investigate the progression of treatments and conduct molecular and genetic studies on various diseases, a variety of animal models have been developed. These animal models are classified into categories such as oncological, clinical, surgical, pharmacological, toxicological studies, medical research, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering.

An animal model is a living laboratory animal, often genetically modified, used in research to study human diseases under in vivo conditions. This approach allows for a better understanding of disease mechanisms without posing risks to human subjects. Commonly used animal models include various strains of mice and rats, as well as other laboratory animals such as rabbits and hamsters. Various methods, including genetic, physical, and chemical techniques, are employed to induce disease models in laboratory animals. Once an animal model is validated, research goals and studies are conducted on the induced disease model. Throughout history, ethical considerations and social prohibitions have hindered experimental studies in biology and pathobiology on human subjects. Consequently, much of our current foundational knowledge in human biology, physiology, endocrinology, and pharmacology has been derived from initial mechanistic studies using animal models. The establishment of animal models is not solely driven by ethical principles; often, accessibility, economic reasons, and scientific considerations render preliminary studies in animals the most appropriate solutions for investigating biological mechanisms.

There are three main types of laboratory animals or model organisms: homologous, isomorphic, and predictive. Homologous models share similar causes, symptoms, and treatment options as those found in humans; in other words, they behave similarly to humans. Isomorphic models exhibit only similar symptoms and treatment methods. Predictive models resemble a specific human disease in only a few aspects. However, they are useful for isolating and predicting the mechanisms involved in diseases.

Animal Models in Disease Research

Animal models used in research may either have congenital diseases or be induced under laboratory conditions. The use of animal models allows researchers to create a disease state for study and investigation. This enables researchers to model a human disease in a non-human subject, as conducting unproven experiments on humans is unethical.

Laboratory models can also be classified into four additional groups: 1) experimental models, 2) spontaneous models, 3) negative models, and 4) rare models.

Experimental Models: These are the most common laboratory animal models, also known as disease models. They exhibit phenotypic similarities or treatment responses akin to human conditions. The diseases in these models are artificially induced in the laboratory.

Spontaneous Models: These models occur naturally in the studied animal but do not exist in humans. Although rare, they provide valuable insights.

Negative Models: Referring to animals used as controls in experiments, these models do not exhibit the disease being studied.

Rare Models: These represent diseases with no human analogs, occurring exclusively in the studied species.