Q 28. What do you know about humanized mice?

from the institute of  molecular and cell biology

These super-expensive mice are increasingly arriving in our facilities as the latest tool in combating human cancers and infectious and autoimmune diseases.  Here are some questions relating to key facts and concepts you might need to know.

1.  What was the key additional mutation that allowed immunodeficient mice to be engrafted with components of the human immune system and tissues?


2. What are the 3 immunodeficient mouse strains that together with this mutation are used as models to engraft human tissues. (gene names and symbols please!)

3.  Which model (common name) is engrafted by injection of peripheral blood leukocytes?  What are 2  disadvantages of this model?

4. Which model (common name) is engrafted by IV or intrafemoral injection of human SCID-repopulating cells?  What is the advantage of this model over the previous one?

5. Which model (common name) uses human fetal tissues and what is the deficiency of this model?

6. Humanized mice are frequently used to study HIV.  Which mouse model is most commonly used and why?

7. Epstein Barr virus is studied using humanized mice. EBV affects 90% of humans worldwide. Which cells are transformed by EBV and which immune cell is normally responsible for eliminating these transformed cells? List immunological and autoimmune disorders that can result from EBV if these cells are not removed.

8. Most humanized mouse models have used human cell lines for engraftment, however unlike in patients, cell lines and the environment they grow in is homogenous. In the next step forward, patient cancer cells are being grown in humanized mice. Which of model (of the 3 types above) is required for growth of human patient cancer cells? What is the common name of this model?

9. List 3 (or more) remaining problems to be solved in development of future humanized mouse models.

ANSWERS POSTED HERE