Viewing the current situation of pig model application in China’s medical field from the application and funding of NSFC

BACKGROUND: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) is an important part of China’s innovation system. In the last decade, the pig has become more and more widely used in the field of medical science, especially in otology research. OBJECTIVE: By analyzing and summarizing the funding information over recent years, we intend to identify the characteristics and trends of funding for research using pig models and provide references for future development. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a comprehensive analysis of features in funding for research projects involving pig models by the NSFC in the past 10 years, with a focus on projects in the field of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery. RESULTS: Both the number and amount of funding provided by the NSFC for research involving pig models are on the rise with each passing year. Researchers at the PLA General Hospital have completed a number of studies using miniature pigs in cochlear morphology, electrophysiology, cochlear implantation, cochlear transcription analysis, gene therapy, inner ear disease modeling and Eustachian tube pathology modeling. CONCLUSION: Pigs as an ideal large mammal model are well suited in the current national basic research strategy in China, and can help further strengthen China’s leading position in basic research in the world.