Advances on transgenic and gene-edited pigs

Pigs are important agricultural animals and highly similar to humans in terms of genetic background, anatomy, physiological pathology, nutrient metabolism and disease characteristics. Pigs are intensively studied for the improvement of production traits, establishment of animal models for human diseases and xenotransplantation. With the emergence of gene editing technologies, such as ZFN, TALEN and CRISPR, the research on transgenic or gene-edited pigs has achieved a rapid development. This review summarizes the current research advance of transgenic and gene-edited pigs in China. We also review the applications of gene editing technology in agricultural area, such as increasing meat production, improving meat quality, and resisting disease, as well as in biomedical study such as establishing human disease models, animal bioreactors and xenotransplantation for references of pig genetic improvement and medical research.