Dr. Pig

Can pigs help treat and prevent diseases in humans? Well, they may not be able to wear a white jacket, but yes they can! Scientists at the National Swine Resource and Research Center (NSRRC) at the University of Missouri have become the go-to source for genetically modified pigs used by researchers across the US to study various diseases that impact humans.

• $8 million has been assigned to expand the research facility on the campus to speed up the scientific discoveries that can help treat humans who are suffering from the same diseases as genetically modified pigs.

Ever heard of translational medicine?

It’s about therapies and treatments that are successful in pigs and may be successful in treating humans too.

In total, the NSRRC has made more than 90 different genetic modifications in pigs to study different diseases.