Consortium plans engineered rat models
scientists from French company genOway, has started development of
genetically-modified laboratory rats that can serve as models for
human diseases.
The effort, conducted with the support of the European Union's EUREKA program, will enable the creation of a complete technological platform, from the development of genetically modified rats through to phenotyping.
The aim of the EUREKA program is to adapt this technology to use at an industrial level. It will take place in three stages:
In the first, the researchers will use genomic engineering to identify modifications that will provide models of human diseases. This will be followed by a nuclear transfer phase, in which genOway cloning technology will be used to generate transgenic animals. The final stage will be phenotyping, in which the researchers will check that their modified rats are truly representative of the disease process in humans.
"The pharmaceutical industry is concentrating its research effort on the development speed of new drugs," said genOway in a statement. "In order to create innovative drugs and treat complex pathologies, the industry needs effective biological models (cell and animal) offering high predictability for human responses to candidate drugs."
In neuroscience, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases or toxicology, the rat is an animal that has a very similar physiology to that of humans, according to the company This makes it a first-choice model for the pharmaceutical industry, but so far only the mouse genome has allowed targeted gene modification.
With the added funding from the EUREKA project, the consortium can expect to see the fruits of its labours in as little as two to three years, said Alexandre Fraichard, genOway's chief executive.
