ABSTRACT
Stem cell technologies offer the prospect of the creation of animal models tailored to particular human diseases, to be used, for example, in the screening of new drug therapies prior to first-in-man trials or in the production of drugs, or of producing replacement human organs in animals for transplantation purposes. Certainly, animals such as rabbits, dogs, cats, and sheep have often played a key role in advancing our understanding of specific aspects of stem cell biology. The authors describe the existence of the spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) and how transplantation has been used to demonstrate the stem cell function of these cells. SSC provide an alternative method to preserve the breeding potential of genetically valuable animals. Domesticated animals, both as companions and for economic benefit, and horticulture are areas in which stem cell technology is already being applied.
