The use of genetically modified animals for human diseases contributes to the understanding of the pathogenesis of various diseases and aids in the search for effective treatments. Consequently, there is an emerging trend of establishing appropriate genetic animal models capable of recapitulating the crucial phenotypes of human diseases to facilitate investigations about the pathogenesis and effective treatments. Recently, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) technology demonstrated its successful application in genetically modifying the genomes of diverse species. Furthermore, CRISPR/ Cas technology has been established as a tool for producing genetic animal models that more faithfully mimic human diseases. In this review, we have focused on the application of CRISPR/Cas technology in developing innovative genetic animal models for the study of human diseases, specifically for the investigation of disease pathogenesis and treatment. We have also discussed the current technical challenges of CRISPR technology, such as off-target effects, and reviewed the emerging strategies developed to enhance its precision. Finally, we have provided an overview of the considerable potential of advanced tools derived from the CRISPR/dead Cas9 (dCas9) system, such as base and prime editors, and explore their future applications in creating more sophisticated disease models.
Background: Conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture systems have traditionally served as the standard platform for anticancer drug development. However, because cancer cells grow and interact within complex three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments in vivo , 2D-based assays often fail to accurately recapitulate cellular behavior and predict therapeutic efficacy. To overcome these limitations, bioengineered hydrogels have been explored to construct 3D culture systems tailored to cancer cells. Methods: As a step toward constructing a PEG-based hydrogel platform for the 3D culture of epithelial ovarian cancer, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) secreted by SKOV3 cells (a human ovarian cancer cell line) were analyzed at both the transcriptional and translational levels by qPCR and human MMP antibody array. Results: Among seven representative MMPs analyzed, the transcriptional expression levels of the MMP genes decreased in the following order: MMP1 > MMP2 > MMP13 > MMP10 > MMP3 > MMP8 > MMP9. However, at the protein level, only MMP1, MMP10, and MMP13 were detected, and MMP10 and MMP13 showed significantly higher secretion levels than MMP1. MMP2, MMP3, MMP8, and MMP9 were not detected at the translational levels. Conclusions: The identification of protease secreted specifically and abundantly from SKOV3 cells is important for designing MMP-cleavable crosslinkers, enabling the construction of PEG-based hydrogels responsive to cellular activity. These findings contribute to the development of a physiologically relevant 3D culture environment for ovarian cancer research and anticancer drug screening.
Background: This study evaluated the impact of intra-abdominal lidocaine and systemic meloxicam, alone and in combination, on oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy dogs undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy (OHE). Methods: Twenty-eight female dogs presenting to the Aydın Adnan Menderes University Veterinary Teaching Hospital were randomly assigned to one of four groups (n = 7 each): Control (OHE only), Lidocaine (1 mg/kg sprayed intraperitoneally at surgical sites), Meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg SC post-closure), and Lidocaine + Meloxicam (both treatments as above). Blood was sampled pre-operatively and at 2, 12, and 24 hours post-surgery. Serum concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were quantified as indices of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant capacity. Results: In the combined-treatment group, MDA, CAT, and GSH-Px levels declined significantly over time, indicating attenuated oxidative stress. In contrast, lidocaine alone produced a significant time-dependent decrease only in CAT activity, while meloxicam alone did not significantly alter any marker. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the synergistic use of intraperitoneal lidocaine with systemic meloxicam more effectively mitigates postoperative oxidative stress than either agent alone, and may represent a beneficial analgesic–antiinflammatory strategy in canine OHE.