Application of Animal Models: From Physiology to Pathology

Dear Colleagues,

The main objective of this topic is to study the alterations of the different functions of the human body in order to understand the reason for the appearance of various diseases. In other words, it seeks the keys to understand how imbalances in physiological processes lead to a series of pathological changes, such as alterations in the functions of organs or tissues or the activation of certain cellular processes. The appearance of a disease may be subject to genetic or environmental factors or to the lifestyle of each person. Therefore, this topic is responsible for analyzing all types of genetic mutations associated with complex conditions, as well as the reason why certain environmental factors may aggravate the disease. In this way, new treatments can be developed to address these pathological processes or even to develop early detection programs to prevent the emergence of diseases such as diabetes. In addition, this topic can be of great use for the development of animal or cellular models in biomedical research. ‘From Physiology to Pathology’ covers the following fields:

• Helps to understand disease patterns: pathophysiologist, physicians and scientists can investigate and understand how diseases originate and how they can affect the human body.
• It facilitates the development of specific treatments: this branch of study is very useful to create new specific drugs to help reduce the symptoms of diseases.
• It is useful for preventing the onset of diseases: once the pathological mechanisms are understood, multiple conditions can be prevented, since the knowledge of the causes provide us with the information for preventing disease development.
• It allows the development of animal and cellular models to study diseases: biomedical research also benefits those working in pathophysiology and as a result, animal and cellular models can be developed for the study of diseases in laboratories.
• It helps to personalize medical care: as we have seen above, pathophysiology allows us to understand the causes that lead to the development of different conditions. In the case of a particular patient, physicians can plan specific treatments to treat their disease in a personalized way.

Dr. Juan Carlos Illera del Portal
Dr. Sara Cáceres Ramos
Dr. Felisbina Luisa Queiroga
Topic Editors