Technologies

Unmet Need: Pre-clinical models for human melanoma

Currently, there are no good pre-clinical models available for studying human melanoma. Finding a suitable pre-clinical model involves various challenges. For example, mice have skin architecture and melanocyte distributions that are not similar to humans. Similarly, the existing pig models of skin cancer are driven by signaling pathways that are uncommon in human cancers.

The Technology: Suitable Transgenic Pig Models that would replicate human disease

Researchers at WSU are planning to develop a transgenic pig that develops skin cancer using signaling pathways typical of human disease. Gene targets have been identified and will be modified with the goal of reproducing melanomas typically found in humans. This would allow investigators to study the biology of human skin cancer in a novel manner and would provide a tool for designing pre clinical trials of drugs and reagents.