Sheep as a model species for the study and treatment of human asthma and other respiratory diseases

Classic studies in sheep have contributed greatly to our understanding of lung physiology in health and disease. Similarities in size and structure between sheep and human lungs allow testing of new treatments using the same equipment and procedures used in human medicine, thereby facilitating translation of findings into the clinic. Sheep models of respiratory diseases, in particular sheep models of asthma, continue to be refined and provide unique opportunities for both basic and applied studies of respiratory diseases and their treatments.

Section editor:Michelle Epstein – Department of Dermatology, DIAID, Experimental Allergy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria