Establishment of a strain of haemophilia-A pigs by xenografting of foetal testicular tissue from neonatally moribund cloned pigs. Issue 1 (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kaneko, Hiroyuki; Kikuchi, Kazuhiro; Nakai, Michiko; Fuchimoto, Daiichiro; Suzuki, Shunichi; Sembon, Shoichiro; Noguchi, Junko; Onishi, Akira
• Is Part Of: Scientific reports. Volume 7:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 11
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Natural history -- Research -- Periodicals; Biology -- Research -- Periodicals; Physical sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 502.85
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17017-6
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-2322

Abstract

Abstract Grafting of testicular tissue into immunodeficient mice makes it possible to obtain functional sperm from immature donor animals that cannot be used for reproduction. We have developed a porcine model of human haemophilia A (haemophilia-A pigs) by nuclear transfer cloning from foetal fibroblasts after disruption of the X-linked coagulation factor VIII (F8) gene. Despite having a recessive condition, female F8+/− cloned pigs died of severe bleeding at an early age, as was the case for male F8−/Y cloned pigs, thus making it impossible to obtain progeny. In this study, therefore, we produced sperm from F8−/Y cloned pigs by grafting their foetal testicular tissue into nude mice. Two F8+/− female pigs were generated from oocytes injected with xenogeneic sperm. Unlike the F8+/− cloned pigs, they remained asymptomatic, and delivered five F8−/Y and four F8+/− pigs after being crossed with wild-type boars. The descendant F8−/Y pigs conserved the haemophilia phenotype. Thus, the present F8+/− pigs show resolution of the phenotypic abnormality, and will facilitate production of F8−/Y pigs as founders of a strain of haemophilia-A pigs for the development of new therapeutics for haemophilia A. This strategy will be applicable to other genetically modified pigs.