Prather Randall S
Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, 920 East Campus Drive, E125 Animal Science Research centre, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
Transgenic Res. 2006 Aug;15(4):405-7. doi: 10.1007/s11248-006-0022-3.
Here I comment on the production and uses of swine that express a humanized fat-1 gene. The gene product is a fatty acid desaturase that converts omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been implicated as being important for reproductive success, maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system, sustaining a functional immune system, and even preventing depression and cancer. The descendants of these hfat-1 transgenic swine will be very useful as models of the human condition, and if they are permitted to enter the food chain, they may improve human health.