Models of Disease 3 Flashcards
What are transgenic animal models ?
Transgenic animals are engineered to carry foreign DNA (transgenes) to study gene function, model diseases, or develop therapies.
What are the key steps to producing a transgenic animal model ?
Gene Identification and Cloning: The desired gene is identified and cloned into a vector with a promoter to control expression.
DNA Microinjection: The transgene is injected into the pronucleus of a fertilized egg.
Embryo Implantation: The modified embryo is implanted into a surrogate mother.
Screening and Breeding: Offspring are screened for transgene integration and bred to establish stable transgenic lines.
Describe conventional transgenic animal models:
Transgene expressed continuously in all relevant tissues
Key tools - Random integration of transgenes.
Advantages - Simple and cost-effective
Limits - May cause developmental lethality or off-target effects
Describe inducible transgenic models:
Transgene expression controlled temporally or spatially
Key tools - Cre-Lox or Tet-On/Tet-Off systems for precise control
Advantages - Allows study of gene effects in specific tissues or times
Limits - More complex and expensive to design and implement
What are the possibilities of transgenic animal models of diseases ?
Disease modelling - mimic human diseases
Gene function analysis - study role of specific genes
Therapeutic testing - test drugs or gene therapies in vivo
Developmental studies - analyse impact of genes on embryonic development
What are the limitations of transgenic animal models ?
Biological Relevance: Differences in physiology between animals and humans may limit applicability.
Random Integration: In conventional models, transgenes may disrupt endogenous genes.
Ethical Concerns: Use of animals for experimentation raises ethical issues.
Cost and Time: Development of models, especially inducible ones, can be expensive and time-consuming.
