Volume 50 Issue 11, November 2021

Pig models in pain research

Chronic pain, which affects the lives of approximately 20% of the population, is a public health problem and priority. Although small animal models have greatly contributed to our understanding of pain mechanisms, research in rodents has often failed to deliver novel effective treatments. Large animal models, more similar to humans, could facilitate the successful translation of bench observations into clinical applications. A new Review discusses available pig models for pain research, and compares them in term of intensity and duration. The Review also discusses how improved pain assessment methods may be the key to a successful pig-to-human translation.

See Meijs et al.

IMAGE: Marina Spence. COVER DESIGN: Marina Spence.