| October 28, 2011 |
Humanized Mice Now Widely Available
Listen to an interview with Dr. Hall (9:04) or subscribe to our podcast
For more than 80 years, we have provided the scientific community with mouse models of human disease. The utility of these models greatly depends on their ability to closely mimic aspects of human biology. The inability of many models to adequately meet this criterion has hampered research and the development of therapies for diseases such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. One of the pioneers in improving the models for such diseases is Jackson Laboratory Professor Lenny Shultz, Ph.D. Professor Shultz has spent a significant part of his career developing "humanized mice" – mice that have a superior ability to engraft human tissues and mimic human biology. Humanized mice have become an invaluable tool for modeling human biology and disease, and they provide an excellent alternative to non-human primates. Researchers are using them to investigate human-specific therapeutic candidates, study infectious diseases that only infect human cells, and evaluate the safety of biologics for human use. Making these mice available to the biomedical research community is the responsibility of Dr. Leon Hall and his colleagues in the JAX® In Vivo Services Core program.
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| Drs. Shultz (left) and Hall were two of the Jackson Laboratory scientists awarded the Laboratory's 2011 "Leading the Search Award" for their efforts to promote the use of humanized mice for improving human health. | |
Humanized mouse options
JAX® In Vivo Services can ship humanized mice directly to researchers. The mice are engrafted with human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells. Before shipping the mice, In Vivo Services confirms that at least 25% of the peripheral blood lymphocytes are of human origin. In Vivo Services can also characterize the engraftment levels of human cell lineages, including T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, and monocytes.
Supporting services
JAX® In Vivo Services can also support research with humanized mice by performing comprehensive preclinical services under the direction of experienced Ph.D. level scientists at The Jackson Laboratory–West, Sacramento, Calif. Services offered include standardized and customized study designs involving delivery of nucleic acid, antibody, protein/peptide, and small molecule therapeutics for multiple diseases. JAX® In Vivo Services has validated the use of humanized mice in inflammatory models, including delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and LPS challenge.
For more information on humanized mice and supporting research services, see our webpage on humanized NSG mice, or contact JAX® In Vivo Services at 1-800-422-6423 (US, Canada & Puerto Rico) or 1-207-288-5845 (from any location) or email jaxservices@jax.org.
