Superhuman Mice Expected to Revolutionize Drug Testing and Decode Disease Mechanisms in Humans.
A team of scientists at the Health Science Center at the University of Texas, San Antonio, has successfully created the first mice with a fully functional human immune system and a human-like gut microbiome, as reported by New Atlas on July 9. The new research was published in the journal Nature Immunology.
Mice are widely used in scientific research. (Image: New Atlas).
Mice are commonly used in research and are considered one of the most suitable animals for such purposes; however, they are not a perfect substitute for humans. A major barrier is that many genes in mice differ from their human counterparts, leading to different immune responses.
The new mice, named TruHuX, or THX, help overcome this research barrier. With a fully functional human immune system, their responses to treatments will also closely resemble those of humans. “The THX mice provide a platform for research on the immune system, vaccine development, and treatment trials,” said Dr. Paolo Casali, the lead researcher.
In the new study, the team injected human stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood into the left ventricle of immunocompromised mice. After a few weeks, when the graft stabilized, the mice were treated with the hormone estrogen 17b-estradiol (E2). This potent estrogen hormone can promote the survival of stem cells and the differentiation of lymphocytes while activating antibodies to respond to viruses and bacteria.
Ultimately, THX became “superhuman mice”, possessing a complete human immune system—lymph nodes, thymus, epithelial cells of the thymus, T and B lymphocytes, and plasma cells—and can respond identically to humans.
These “superhuman mice” help eliminate guesswork in medical research, offering the potential to revolutionize new drug testing and decode disease mechanisms. Casali also believes that THX mice will reduce the need for current immune and microbiological tests on primates.
