How One Animal with Big Potential is Redefining Regenerative Medicine
Pigs are serving essential human needs every day. From safe and high-quality food products to lifesaving medical devices and everything in between; in fact, Pharmaceuticals rank second only to meat in the important contributions pigs make to society.
Commercial products and co-products derived from pigs play a vital role in maintaining and improving the quality of human life. Thanks to innovative research and new technologies, novel products sourced from hogs are constantly being developed.
Rapidly advancing science and technology are continually adding to the list of life-supporting and lifesaving products derived from this incredible animal.
Pigs are Powerful Medicine,
All Told, Hogs are a Source of Nearly
20 Drugs and Pharmaceuticals
98% of Human Genes
Can be Found in Pigs
The genetic DNA similarity between pigs and human beings is 98%. These similarities include various anatomic and physiologic traits, such as organ placement (and often size and function), skin similarities, and some disease progression.
A pig weighing around 60 kilograms (approximately 130 pounds) will, for example, resemble a human body in many ways, including fat distribution, hair cover, and ability to attract insects. For this reason, pigs have been used in medical research for over 30 years and are what’s known as a translational research model. This means that if something works in a pig, it has a higher possibility of working in a human.
So, in the world of medicine, it’s likely the pig’s popularity will only continue to rise.
Why the Pig Model Works
Translatable
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Physiologically similar: size, organ placement and function
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Reduction in transplant rejection through genetic modifications
Efficient
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Gestation period: 100 days
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Liter size: 6-10
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Time until fully grown: 4-6 months
Scalable
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Domestic animals already used in food
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Can provide food and therapeutic use
Expandable
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Capable of procuring multiple cells and tissues in a single harvest
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Identical processing and manufacturing
