Use of genetically modified rat models for translational medicine.

Because of its relevance to human physiology, the rat may provide highly predictable models for the pharmaceutical industry. Until recently, the lack of efficient tools to manipulate the rat genome has drastically limited the use of this research model. Recent advances in gene expression and transgenic systems have provided new possibilities for the generation of informative rat models. This review presents a state-of-the-art transgenic technologies in the rat and their application to biomedical research. Novel technologies enabling the faithful expression of human genes in rats are focussed on specifically.