Researchers develop first complete,functional human immune system in mouse model

Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have made a significant breakthrough in biomedical research by creating a humanized mouse model with a complete and functional human immune system and a human-like gut microbiome. This model, capable of mounting specific antibody responses, offers new insights into immunotherapy development and disease modeling. The research, led by Dr. Paolo Casali, will be featured in the August 2024 issue of Nature Immunology.

The team addressed the limitations of previous humanized mouse models, which often lacked fully functional immune systems and had short lifespans. They began by injecting immunodeficient NSG W41 mutant mice with human stem cells from umbilical cord blood. These mice were then hormonally conditioned with 17b-estradiol (E2) to enhance the survival of human stem cells and promote the production of antibodies.

Reference: Chupp, D.P., Rivera, C.E., Zhou, Y. et al. A humanized mouse that mounts mature class-switched, hypermutated and neutralizing antibody responses. Nat Immunol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-024-01880-3