The Oncopig as an Emerging Model to Investigate Copper Regulation in Cancer

Emerging evidence points to several fundamental contributions that copper (Cu) has to promote the development of human pathologies such as cancer. These recent and increasing identification of the roles of Cu in cancer biology highlights a promising field in the development of novel strategies against cancer. Cu and its network of regulatory proteins are involved in many different contextual aspects of cancer from driving cell signaling, modulating cell cycle progression, establishing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and promoting tumor growth and metastasis. Human cancer research in general requires refined models to bridge the gap between basic science research and meaningful clinical trials. Classic studies in cultured cancer cell lines and animal models such as mice and rats often present caveats when extended to humans due to inherent genetic and physiological differences. However, larger animal models such as pigs are emerging as more appropriate tools for translational research as they present more similarities with humans in terms of genetics, anatomical structures, organ sizes, and pathological manifestations of diseases like cancer. These similarities make porcine models well-suited for addressing long standing questions in cancer biology as well as in the arena of novel drug and therapeutic development against human cancers. With the emergent roles of Cu in human health and pathology, the pig presents an emerging and valuable model to further investigate the contributions of this metal to human cancers. The Oncopig Cancer Model is a transgenic swine model that recapitulates human cancer through development of site and cell specific tumors. In this review, we briefly outline the relationship between Cu and cancer, and how the novel Oncopig Cancer Model may be used to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms and causal relationships between Cu and molecular targets involved in cancer.