Experimental animal models for COPD: a methodological review

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disorder that makes the breathing difficult and is characterized by pathological conditions ranging from chronic inflammation to tissue proteolysis. With regard to ethical issues related to the studies on patients with COPD, the use of animal models of COPD is inevitable. Animal models improve our knowledge about the basic mechanisms underlying COPD physiology, pathophysiology and treatment. Although these models are only able to mimic some of the features of the disease, they are valuable for further investigation of mechanisms involved in human COPD