Bench to bedside: it’s all about the model

Continual improvement and targeting of large animal models with contemporary technology augment their accuracy and value. New discoveries within the models contribute to reliable results with reduced variability. Despite the importance of large animal stem cell models to biomedical advances, the knowledge base surrounding them is relatively limited compared with that of human and rodents. The series of investigations presented by Niada and colleagues helps to meet this essential element of large animal models with information about in vitro behavior of porcine adipose-derived stem cells from two different harvest sites as well as their responses to implant materials and porcine serum. See related research by Niada et al., http://stemcellres.com/content/4/6/148