Porcine model of hemophilia A

PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e49450. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049450. Epub 2012 Nov 28.

Abstract

Hemophilia A is a common X chromosome-linked genetic bleeding disorder caused by abnormalities in the coagulation factor VIII gene (F8). Hemophilia A patients suffer from a bleeding diathesis, such as life-threatening bleeding in the brain and harmful bleeding in joints and muscles. Because it could potentially be cured by gene therapy, subhuman animal models have been sought. Current mouse hemophilia A models generated by gene targeting of the F8 have difficulties to extrapolate human disease due to differences in the coagulation and immune systems between mice and humans. Here, we generated a porcine model of hemophilia A by nuclear transfer cloning from F8-targeted fibroblasts. The hemophilia A pigs showed a severe bleeding tendency upon birth, similar to human severe hemophiliacs, but in contrast to hemophilia A mice which rarely bleed under standard breed conditions. Infusion of human factor VIII was effective in stopping bleeding and reducing the bleeding frequency of a hemophilia A piglet but was blocked by the inhibitor against human factor VIII. These data suggest that the hemophilia A pig is a severe hemophilia A animal model for studying not only hemophilia A gene therapy but also the next generation recombinant coagulation factors, such as recombinant factor VIII variants with a slower clearance rate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Coagulation
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Factor VIII / genetics*
  • Factor VIII / metabolism
  • Gene Order
  • Gene Targeting
  • Hemophilia A / blood
  • Hemophilia A / genetics*
  • Hemophilia A / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Phenotype
  • Swine*

Substances

  • Factor VIII

Grants and funding

This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (20591155, 21591249 and 21790920) and the Support Program for Strategic Research Infrastructure from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; and Health, Labour and Science Research Grants for Research on HIV/AIDS and Research on Intractable Diseases from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.