Dual humanized liver and immune system mice
Dual humanized liver and immune system mice represent a cutting-edge "multichimeric" animal model designed to bridge the gap between rodent biology and human clinical outcomes. These mice are engineered by engrafting immunodeficient strains with both human hepatocytes and a human immune system (typically derived from hematopoietic stem cells). This dual reconstitution allows researchers to study the complex, reciprocal interactions between human liver cells and human immune cells within a living system. By mimicking the human intrahepatic environment, Dual humanized liver and immune system mice provide a high-fidelity platform for modeling diseases where the immune response is just as critical as the hepatic pathology itself.
Key Research Applications
Viral Hepatitis (HBV/HCV): Studying the mechanisms of chronic infection, immune evasion, and the evaluation of curative therapies that require human-specific immune activation.
Immune-Mediated Liver Injury: Investigating how human T-cells and macrophages contribute to inflammation and tissue damage in conditions like autoimmune hepatitis.
Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI): Assessing the risk of idiosyncratic toxicity where the human immune system reacts to drug metabolites, a common cause of clinical trial failure.
Liver Cancer Immunotherapy: Testing the efficacy of CAR-T cells, checkpoint inhibitors, and bispecific antibodies against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a humanized microenvironment.
Vaccine Development: Evaluating the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of new vaccine candidates targeting hepatotropic pathogens.
