Top 12 Applications of Transgenic Animals

The following points highlight the top twelve applications of transgenic animals.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 1:

Transgenic animals can be prepared by keeping in view the economically signifi­cant traits, such as efficient feed utiliza­tion, faster growth rate, production of lean meat, increased production and enhanced immuno-competence.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 2:

Attempts have been made for exploiting the mammary gland to produce pharma­ceuticals proteins in milk. The production of valuable pharmaceutical proteins using transgenic animal as mammary bioreactor is a major achievement in the field of live bioreactor.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 3:

This technology has been exploited to make insights into the functioning of pro­moter and other regulatory regions in gene expression in the mammalian system.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 4:

Transgenic sheep armed with genes in­volved in cysteine synthesis from dietary serine exhibited significant positive effect on wool production.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 5:

Various heterologous protein has been pro­duced in the milk of pigs using cDNA encoding human protein for production of functional human haemoglobulin . Simi­larly, a heterologous protein, such as a variant of human tissue plasminogen acti­vator has also been produced in goat which is being used in patient suffering from thrombosis, for dissolving blood clots.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 6:

The long term goal of companies develop­ing transgenic animals is to create a new generation of medicines based on gene product, rather than on drugs engineered by chemicals.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 7:

Transgenic processes have been adopted to increase the disease resistance in ani­mals, such as genetic immunization with recombinant plasmid containing gene for antigen of interest has been attempted for prevention of infectious diseases, e.g., ra­bies, pseudo rabies virus, etc.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 8:

Another mechanism to increase resistance against various diseases in transgenic ani­mal is the congenital immunization involv­ing transmission of gene coding for immu­noglobulin, MHC, T-cell receptor or lymphokine specific for the particular patho­gen, thus providing congenital immunity or inherited immunological protection without prior exposure to pathogen.

This would prohibit the need for immunization by vaccination.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 9:

Breeding of pigs with humanized organs for use in xenotransplantation has become an important application of transgenic approach.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 10:

The gene construct used to create the transgenic pigs containing the human beta-globin locus control gene may be suit­able substitute for obtaining blood.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 11:

Transgenic animals are also used for test­ing of drugs or to undertake studies which is always not possible on human beings.

Transgenic Animals: Application # 12:

Transgenic animals have also been pro­duced to serve as model to understand particular disease like cystic fibrosis. This is caused by a defective gene which can be mimicked in a transgenic mouse. Such transgenic animals allow the testing of drugs or to undertake studies not always possible on human.

Another example of transgenic animals produced is used to understand a particular process of Transgenic Zebra-fish, which are impor­tant tool to help in understanding gene action during embryo development.