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The following points highlight the top five benefits of transgenic animals. The benefits are: 1. Normal Physiology and Development 2. Study of Disease 3. Biological Products 4. Vaccine Safety 5. Chemical Safety Testing.
Benefit # 1. Normal Physiology and Development:
Transgenic animals can be specifically designed to allow the study of how genes are regulated and how they affect the normal functioning of the body and its development.
For example, the study of complex factors involved in growth such as insulin likes growth factors.
Benefit # 2. Study of Disease:
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Many transgenic animals are designed to increase the understanding of that how genes contribute to the development of diseases such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer.
These are specially made to serve as models for human diseases, so that investigation of new treatments for diseases is made possible.
Benefit # 3. Biological Products:
Human disease can be treated by medicines that contain biological products.
(a) Transgenic animals that produce useful biological products can be created by the introduction of the portion of the DNA or genes that codes for a particular product such as human protein (alpha-1-antitrypsin) which is used to treat emphysema.
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(b) Similar attempts are being made for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU) and cystic fibrosis. For example, the first transgenic cow Rosie produced human protein enriched milk (2.4 g/L) in 1997. The milk contained the human alpha lactalbumin and was nutritionally a more balanced product for human babies than natural cow milk.
Benefit # 4. Vaccine Safety:
Transgenic mice are being used in testing the safety of vaccines before they are used in humans, e.g., polio vaccine.
These animals are also used for the toxicity or safety testing procedures. If found reliable and successful they could replace the use of monkeys in order to test the safety of batches of the vaccine.
Benefit # 5. Chemical Safety Testing:
Transgenic animals are made to carry the genes, which make them more sensitive to the toxic substances than the non-transgenic ones. They are then exposed to toxic substances and effects are studied. This is known as toxicity/safety testing.
