guinea pig antibody

Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), which is suggested as domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy, is a kind of rodent that do not exist naturally in the wild. This species is recognized as one of the earliest used laboratory animals, which has been used in experiments for centuries. From 17th century to the later 20th century, guinea pigs were among the most widely used species in various researches, and even the terms of “experimental animal” and “guinea pig” have been used as synonyms. Same as other rodents, guinea pigs have remarkable biological similarities to humans, which make them useful in various research areas, such as infectious disease studies of tuberculosis and diphtheria and the development of antibodies in response to extreme allergic reactions or anaphylaxis. During the 20th century, because of the lag behind of relevant genetic research, guinea pigs have been gradually replaced by mice and rats from the dominance of experimental animals. However, the species continues to be used in infectious disease studies and other topics, such as immunology.