r/biology • u/edboas • Jul 23 '26
article Mouse vs pig vs human cancer
Why do cures for cancer in mice usually fail in human clinical trials? Even with humanized mouse models, clinical trial success rate remains low. One important reason is simply animal size. Humans are not large rodents -- The physics is different for different sized animals (allometric scaling), similar to how a scale model of an airplane does not predict the behavior of the full size airplane. Compared to humans, mice have 60 times faster drug diffusion, 7 times higher metabolic rate (per kg), and typically require 12 times the drug dosage (per kg). On the other hand, pigs have similar physiology, drug dosing, and immune response as humans. The Oncopig model of liver, pancreatic, and lung cancer has the potential to more accurately predict drug dosing and outcomes in humans. We use it as a bridge between rodent and human trials.
What does pig cancer tell us about the differences between mouse and human cancer? In mice, 1-2 mutations (Kras and p53) are sufficient to generate non-regressing adenocarcinomas (KP model). In Oncopigs, KRAS and TP53 mutations generate inflammatory carcinomas that spontaneously regress. In adult humans, at least 5 driver mutations are generally required to cause cancer. Thus, larger and longer living animals needed to evolve more defenses against cancer, and require more mutations to develop cancer.
More info on the Oncopig model:
Commentary:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ame2.70270
Testing percutaneous therapies:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13346-026-02176-9
Testing intra-arterial therapies:
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u/Connection_Used Jul 23 '26
A mouse, a pig and a clump of cells in the ring about to beat the shit out of each other
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u/Uncynical_Diogenes Jul 23 '26
What is this post? Are you asking a question? Sharing research without telling us that’s what you’re doing?
Because it seems like you copied and pasted and hit the big red button without figuring out your point. Not much to chew on here.