Transgenic Animals

A transgenic animal is an animal whose genome has been artificially modified to contain one or more genes from another species.

Transgenic animals are developed to help scientists understand biological processes and to solve medical and agricultural problems.

Major Purposes:

1. To study normal physiology and development by observing how genes control body functions.
2. To understand the causes and progression of diseases such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
3. To produce important biological products such as therapeutic human proteins.
4. To test the safety of vaccines before they are used in humans.
5. To carry out chemical safety and toxicity testing for medicines and other compounds.

1. Identify the useful gene of interest.
2. Isolate the desired gene.
3. Attach the gene to a suitable vector or prepare it for transfer.
4. Introduce the gene into an embryo, egg, or host cells.
5. Allow the embryo to develop into an animal.
6. Test whether the foreign gene has integrated and is being expressed.
7. Select the animals showing the desired character.

Production of transgenic animals

• Normal physiology and development: helps study gene regulation and body functions.
• Disease study: used as models for cancer, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Biological products: used to produce useful human proteins such as α-1-antitrypsin.
• Vaccine safety: transgenic mice are used to test vaccine safety, including the polio vaccine.
• Chemical safety testing: used for toxicity testing because the test system can be made more sensitive to toxic substances.

• Transgenic animals have artificially modified genomes containing specific foreign genes from other species.
• They are produced by isolating a desired gene, inserting it into a host embryo, and growing it into a complete animal expressing the new trait.
• They serve as essential living models for studying normal physiology, understanding complex diseases, and testing the safety of vaccines and chemicals.
• They function as biological factories for therapeutic products, such as "Rosie," the first transgenic cow that produced human protein-enriched milk.
• Mice are the most widely used models in disease research, while other animals such as sheep, pigs, and fish are utilised for medical and agricultural advancements.