JAX to Develop New Mouse Models for Stem Cell Research
August 13, 2009
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| The new Jackson Laboratory—West facility in Sacramento, Calif. |
Because of their unique capacity to develop into any cell type in the body, stem cells have tremendous potential for treating human diseases. However, before stem cell therapies are used in humans, their efficacy and safety must be tested in appropriate animal models. JAX recently received a $3.8 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to develop such models. Model development will focus largely on novel immune-deficient strains, such as
NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (005557 - the "NSG" mouse), which can support long-term transplantation with human stem cells.
The models will be developed at our new state-of-the-art West Coast facility, The Jackson Laboratory—West, by our In Vivo Services team guided by JAX Professors with expertise in type 1 and 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, stroke, spinal cord injury, myocardial infarct, cancer, and traumatic brain injury.
The JAX® In Vivo Services team will fully characterize each new model. They will establish therapeutic windows for efficacious treatment, assess mouse-to-mouse, technician-to-technician, and day-to-day variability on efficacious treatment, and determine the minimum number of mice needed for preclinical studies.
Once validated, the models will be distributed directly to the research community or through JAX® In Vivo Services, which provides comprehensive preclinical testing services.
The new models will greatly expand our resources for supporting therapeutic stem cell research. We will continue developing these resources over the coming years and welcome your suggestions on the models and services you'd like us to provide. Provide us your feedback by responding to this brief survey.
For more information, contact JAX® Services at 1-800-422-6423, 1-207-288-5845, or jaxservices@jax.org.
