Swine as biomedical animal model for T-cell research—Success and potential for transmittable and non-transmittable human diseases

•Swine has many advantages as biomedical animal model:•Similarities to humans provide a strong translatability for obtained results in a variety of biomedical research areas.•Pig is a food animal: Access to blood and tissue without animal sacrifice for research has a 3R benefit.•Susceptibility to human diseases: Animal model for various transmittable diseases including spontaneous (natural) animal model – One Health benefit.•The toolbox to study porcine T cells has largely increased: A sophisticated analysis of the T-cell response is now possible.