Transgenic mice represent a unique opportunity in biomedical research to discover the genes underlying disease and understand how manipulating the function of single genes and proteins alters physiology in a whole animal system. These advances in biomedical research may accelerate the time between when basic discoveries are made and when the research can be 'translated', that is, when the research will positively impact the lives of patients. The purpose of this article is to present some examples of promising mouse models of human diseases.