Human genetics and precision medicine research, cats may become model animals

Human genetics and precision medicine research, cats may become model animals

Human genetics and precision medicine research, cats may become model animals, human genetics and precision medicine research, cats may become model animals

Arabidopsis and fruit flies have been studied extensively and extensively as model animals in scientific research.
It is time for cats to usher in their era
.

Although cats and humans have lived together for thousands of years, in the eyes of humans, they belong to their own world
.

This prejudice has also affected science in history

Trends in Genetics

"For a long time, research has ignored cats because people did not realize their benefits
.

" Lyons said, "because the chromosomes have been rearranged, the genomes of dogs or mice are completely different from humans, but the size of domestic cat genes is similar to that of humans, and Like humans, its genome is very organized and conserved

Lyons wrote that cats may help researchers better understand people's genetic "dark matter
.

" Although these "dark matter" constitute 95% of our DNA, for a long time, it has been regarded as filling information with little influence

However, in the genetic "dark matter", about 10% of the non-coding regions are conserved, indicating that it has an important and misunderstood role
.

Cats have been found to suffer from genetic diseases related to "dark matter" dysfunction, which makes them potential model organisms for this type of research

"Perhaps, as we discover that these potential animals have more similar gene spacing and the same gene sequence, it will help us interpret what is happening in humans,
" Lyons said.

"The cost of studying primates is relatively high, but cats can afford it.

Another reason why cats help human genome research is that we have technology for cloning cats and transgenic cats
.

The first cloned cat, CC, was born in 2001

Cats can also play a role in the precision treatment of genetic diseases
.

For such diseases, the goal of researchers is usually not to treat symptoms, but to repair genes and their functions

"So, if you take the cat into the veterinary clinic and the cat has no trauma and no feeding problems, then it may have genetic problems
.

The veterinarian can sequence these genes and may find the cause of these diseases faster.

Related paper information: https://doi.
org/10.
1016/j.
tig.
2021.
06.
001

https://doi.
org/10.
1016/j.
tig.
2021.
06.
001