Pig models have been instrumental in advances in pediatric nutrition. It’s yet another example of how the biological similarities between swine and people have helped in human medical research.
A 2017 report by the neuroscience program at the University of Illinois’ Department of Animal Science looked at the scope of this research.
“Given the comparable nutritional requirements and strikingly similar brain developmental patterns between young pigs and humans, the piglet is being used increasingly in developmental nutritional neuroscience studies,” the report says.
According to the researchers, piglets can assist in connecting the gut-brain axis as it matures. Studies have looked at dietary fatty acids and other dietary components in pig models to understand their roles in neurodevelopment.
This report’s authors note that the research they discuss will benefit future generations by helping the biomedical field better understand early life nutrition and neurodevelopment.
As we said earlier, this research shows once again how studying pig models can lead to biomedical breakthroughs that benefit humans.
Earlier this year, we discussed how human/pig hybrids could lead to lab-grown organs. We also wrote about the use of pig models in Huntington’s disease research.
At Animal Biotech, we take great pride in the part that we’ve played in this sort of research. We can customize post-mortem porcine tissue varieties and tissue blocks that are appropriate for your study. Contact us today to learn how Animal Biotech can help in your next project.
