Animal Models of Anemia

In ancient Greece, human anatomy and physiology models were first based on animals. More than 2,400 years ago, it was realized that studying animals could teach us a lot about ourselves. Animal models have been used in a wide range of medical research due to their similarity to humans. It is crucial that the selected animal model be as comparable to humans as possible. Because of how much their genetics, anatomy, and physiology match those of humans, animals are frequently used as study subjects for human diseases. Since they are the most popular mammal species utilized in tests, rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs, and hamsters have all been employed extensively in research. The use of animal models for various forms of anemia will be discussed in this chapter. The chapter will first discuss the use of animal models for inflammatory anemia, then for iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women, and finally for specific hereditary illnesses.

 “Ought we, for instance (to give an illustration of what I mean), to begin by discussing each separate species-man, lion, ox, and the like-taking each kind in hand independently of the rest, or ought we rather to deal first with the attributes which they have in common in virtue of some common element of their nature, and proceed from this as a basis for the consideration of them separately?”

-Aristotle (384 -322 BC), “On the Parts of Animals” 

Keywords: Animal models, Hemochromatosis, Inflammatory anemia, Iron deficiency anemia, Menkes syndrome, Wilson disease.