Transgenic and gene knock-out techniques and burn research

The development of transgenic technology has given researchers a powerful tool to examine biological effects, and the response to injury is no exception. Techniques such as pronuclear injection, targeted homologous recombination, and CrelloxP gene excision are being used to construct animals with specific genetic designs; these are exploited to learn the role of genes in the response to severe burn. We review the construction of transgenic animals, pitfalls and benefits of this relatively new technique, and how this technique has been used in burn research. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.