As part of the Innovative Health Initiative project NHPig, we are creating a comprehensive single-cell atlas of the porcine immune system. Using single-cell multiomics technologies combined with computational biology, we aim to provide an unprecedented level of detail into porcine immune cells and their function. This atlas will be an invaluable resource for researchers working in pig health and those using pigs as translational models. A key objective is also to map similarities and differences between pigs and primates - deepening our understanding of cross-species immunobiology.
The NHPig consortium is committed to enhancing the scientific value of pig models while advancing ethical biomedical research. By improving our ability to translate findings between pigs, non-human primates, and humans, the project supports a shift in non-clinical safety assessment - reducing reliance on non-human primates and contributing to the refinement and reduction of animal use in research.
NHPig will also benefit the animal health sector by delivering new clinical, physiological, and immunological insights, along with AI-powered digital tools for improved clinical monitoring and decision-making.
Funding:
- Horizon Europe IHI. NHPig. Reducing non-human primates in non-clinical safety assessment: the European initiative on minipig and micropig models.
