The possibility of performing scientific experiments on humans is minimal. Furthermore, the experiments with non-human primates are ethically constraining and very expensive. Thus, it is necessary to use suitable translational animal models simulating human diseases.

The majority of experiments have been performed on mice. They are cheap and have many different wild-type and knockout strains, inbred lineages, and a commercially available broad panel of reagents. Manipulation with these small animals is easy, and their breeding is relatively cheap and simple. However, mice per se show many differences compared to humans. In contrast to mice, the pig has closer anatomy, physiology, and genetics to humans. It is similar in microbiome composition, sensitivity to lipopolysaccharide, the course of diseases caused by pathogens, e.g., Salmonella Typhimurium, enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and Clostridium difficile, and duration of sepsis. It predisposes the pig as a translational model of microbiota-host interactions. Thus, the pig showed to be a suitable translational model for gastroenterology and infectious diseases. Moreover, the pig is a potential xenograft donor for humans, and it underlines its importance in translational biomedical research.

In the human hemochorial placenta, the placental transfer of IgG occurs and protects infants immediately after their birth. In contrast, the pig‘s epitheliochorial placenta prevents prenatal transfers of all immunoglobulin classes and piglets are born „immunologically virgin“ without protective maternal immunoglobulins. Therefore, they need to receive colostrum as soon as possible after delivery to survive pigsty microbiota colonization attack after the birth. The aseptically-derived germ-free piglets, e.g., via Cesarean, can be successfully reared in microbiologically controlled conditions. They do not need the support of colostral immunoglobulins and immune cells for their prosperity. It allows them to colonize them with various microbiological agents to study host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions. A preterm delivery can deepen the immunodeficiency of the newborn piglets and preterm piglets can be a suitable translational model of vulnerable preterm infants.

In this Research Topic, we welcome the submission of Orignal Research, Review, Mini Review, Opinion, and Perspective articles. The sub-topics to be covered within the issue include, but are not limited to:

1) Preterm host
2) Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
3) Microbiota settlement of the gastrointestinal tract
4) Microbiota-host cross-talk
5) Probiotics
6) Pathogens and pathobionts

Submit your idea

Impact

Frontiers in Immunology

Participating Journals

Impact