Generation of liver-specific TGF-α and c-Myc-overexpressing fibroblasts for future creation of a liver cancer porcine model.

Liver cancer is one of the most serious life-threatening diseases in the world. Although the rodent model of hepatocellar carcinoma (HCC) is commonly used, it is limited when considering preclinical applications, including transarterial chemoembolization. The pig is a more appropriate model for applying preclinical procedures as it has similar anatomical and physiological characteristics to humans. In the current study, transgenic fibroblasts were generated that overexpressed two proto-oncogenes specifically in hepatocytes. Porcine TGF-α and c-myc genes were isolated and these were linked with the porcine albumin promoter, which has exhibited selective activity in liver cells. Targeting vectors were introduced into the porcine fibroblasts using a liposome-mediated delivery system and the transgenic cell line was screened with 3 weeks of G-418 treatment. Selected vector‑positive colonies were further confirmed with polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping. Thus, the transgenic cell lines created in the current study should induce liver cancer in pig models following somatic cell nuclear transfer.