Cardiovascular Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, USA.
Clin Sci (Lond). 2010 Jul 6;119(8):303-11. doi: 10.1042/CS20100201.
The importance of genetic laboratory models, such as mice and rats, becomes evident when there is a poor understanding of the nature of human disease. Many rat models for human disease, created over the years by phenotype-driven strategies, now provide a foundation for the identification of their genetic determinants. These models are especially valuable with the emerging need for validation of genes found in genome-wide association studies for complex diseases. The manipulation of the rat genome using engineered zinc-finger nucleases now introduces a key technology for manipulating the rat genome, which is broadly applicable. The ability to generate knockout rat models using zinc-finger nuclease technology will now enable its full emergence as an exceptional physiological and genetic research model.
当人们对人类疾病的本质缺乏了解时，遗传实验室模型（如老鼠）的重要性就变得显而易见了。多年来，许多用于人类疾病的大鼠模型都是通过表型驱动策略创建的，现在为鉴定其遗传决定因素提供了基础。随着对全基因组关联研究中发现的复杂疾病相关基因进行验证的需求不断增加，这些模型尤其具有价值。利用工程化锌指核酸酶对大鼠基因组进行操作，为大鼠基因组的操作引入了一项关键技术，具有广泛的适用性。利用锌指核酸酶技术生成基因敲除大鼠模型的能力，将使其作为一种出色的生理和遗传研究模型而全面崛起。
