Lanyu Minipig is a Better Model System for Studying Wound Healing

Developing therapeutic approaches to treat wounds requires the selection of a suitable animal model that resembles human skin conditions. This study aimed to compare the skin wound healing features of Taiwanese Lanyu mini-pigs (TLM) with those of the domestic pig (Landrace, a well-known skin wound healing model). The results indicated that the body size and weight are lower in TLM than in Landrace pigs. Full-thickness wounds contracted remarkably during the first 6 weeks of healing in both the breeds irrespective of age, and wound contraction reduced after week 6 due to high skin growth rate in juvenile pigs. In comparison to juvenile Landrace, skin growth had less effect on wound contraction after week 6 post-wounding in TLM. The time to complete re-epithelialization of the three different sizes of wounds was not different between the breeds irrespective of age. Histological results also revealed similar healing and remodeling patterns between the two strains. In TLM older than 16 weeks, wounds showed a stable healing profile, overcoming the impact of skin growth on wound size expansion. Thus, TLM were found to be suitable for skin wound healing studies because of their smaller body size and stable wound healing features.