Humanized Immune System mice
Humanized immune system (HIS) mice are advanced biological models engineered to bridge the gap between animal testing and human clinical trials. Since standard laboratory mice possess an immune system that differs significantly from our own, researchers "humanize" them by suppressing the mouse's innate immunity and transplanting human cells—typically hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). This allows the mouse to develop a functional, living human immune system within its own body, providing a more accurate environment for studying how human cells respond to diseases and treatments.
These models are indispensable in modern biomedical science, particularly for:
Immunotherapy Development: Testing the efficacy and safety of checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cell therapies.
Infectious Disease Research: Studying human-specific pathogens like HIV, EBV, and malaria that do not naturally infect standard mice.
Vaccine Testing: Observing how human B and T cells respond to new vaccine candidates before they enter human trials.
Autoimmune Studies: Modeling the mechanisms of diseases like Type 1 diabetes or Rheumatoid Arthritis to find ways to "reset" the immune response.
Transplantation Biology: Investigating graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and organ rejection triggers.
