Animal Biotechnology Flashcards
What are some alternatives to animal models?
Cultured Animal Cells
* Used for toxicity testing
* Not useful for studying disease
Invertebrates
* Useful for studying disease
Which monoclonal antibodies are 0% human?
Murine.
Those with the -omab suffix
Which monoclonal antibodies are 100% human?
Fully human.
Those with the -umab suffix
What are Transgenic Animals?
Inserting specific DNA from one animal into another animal for the production of a therapeutic compound
What is Pronuclear Microinjection, and what are its limitations?
- Microinjection used to inject DNA into nuclei of fertilised oocytes
- Inefficient and only a small proportion will integrate into DNA genome
- Also pattern of expression of integrated DNA is very variable
Most common technique
What is the Retrovirus-Mediated technique, and what are its limitations?
- RNA virus makes cDNA that is integrated into host genome
- Size of transgene is limited by virus
What is the Embryonic Stem Cell Method?
- ES cells are collected from embryo and will absorb DNA
- ES cells then injected into blastocyst
What is Sperm-Mediated Transfer?
- DNA “attached” to sperm
What are some vetebrates that have physiological similarities with humans?
- Primates
- Mice
- Rats
- Pigs
- Cows
- Dogs
What is the latin name for mouse?
Mus musculus
When did mouse lineage diverge from humans?
Approx. 75 million years ago
Name some breeds of mice that are used in medical research mouse experiments
- Balb-c
- Swiss Webster
- C57BL/6J
What is the percentage of genes shared between humans and mice?
90%
How are humanised mice produced?
Combined genetics with engrafting of human tissue and/or blood cells
What are FOUR diseases studied using mouse models?
- Down’s Syndrome
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Cancer
- Type 1 diabetes
How many animals were used for scientific testing in Ireland in 2014?
225,000
What are the three R’s for using animal models in research?
- Reduction
- Replacement
- Refinement
Where are HeLa cells derived from?
Cancer cell lines
Where are Caco-2 cells derived from?
Colon carcinoma
How was Herman the bull genetically modified?
Contained a gene for human lectoferrin
What is ATryn?
Antithrombin found in the milk of transgenic goats that have a copy of the human antithrombin gene
What is AquAdvantage salmon?
Transgenic salmon containing growth factor so that the salmon reaches market size in 12 months rather than 3 years
How much antithrombin can a transgenic goat produce as human blood donations?
Annually each can produce as much as 90,000 human blood donations
What transgenic animal participates in sustainable agriculture?
Enviropig
Produces low-phosphorus manure due to salivary phytase
What are marstitis resistant cows?
Genetically enhanced cows that resist intramammary S. aureus infections
What animal is genetically engineered to produce human lysozyme in milk?
Pigs
How is a Knock-Out created?
When a gene is deleted or replaced with different DNA
What are Knock-Ins used for?
To create animals used in research
E.g. can replace mouse genes with human genes
