Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have achieved a groundbreaking milestone by creating the world's first mouse model equipped with a fully functional human immune system. Named TruHuX (for truly human, or THX), these humanized mice represent a significant advancement in immunological and microbiological research.
Named TruHuX, scientists in Texas have created the world's first mouse model with a fully functional human immune system. @rwgusev / Unsplash
Advancing Human Immunology With TruHuX Mice
Unlike traditional mouse models, Interesting Engineering reported that TruHuX possesses key human immune components such as lymph nodes, germinal centers, and thymus human epithelial cells.
It also features human T and B lymphocytes, memory B lymphocytes, and plasma cells capable of producing specific antibodies and autoantibodies that closely mirror those found in humans.
Notably, this model also hosts a human-like gut microbiome, further enhancing its relevance for studying immune responses and diseases. This innovative approach opens up new possibilities for studying human diseases and testing therapies more accurately and ethically, potentially reducing reliance on non-human primates in research.
Paolo Casali, MD, the University of Texas Ashbel Smith Professor and Distinguished Research Professor, explained that THX mice utilize estrogen activity to bolster human stem cell and immune cell development, enhancing antibody responses.
This breakthrough opens the door to advanced human immune system research, the creation of human vaccines, and the testing of treatments.
Casali emphasized that this innovation could revolutionize in vivo experimentation, enabling the development of cancer immunotherapies, vaccines against human viruses and bacteria, and the modeling of various human diseases.
He envisioned that this approach might eventually replace the need for non-human primates in biomedical research focused on immunology and microbiology.
The latest research highlighted that these mice display a broad range of human B cell and T cell antigen receptors, enabling them to generate sophisticated antibody responses through processes like somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination.
Importantly, they can develop autoimmune responses akin to lupus after pristane injection. THX mice utilize estrogen activity to facilitate human immune cell development and antibody maturation, offering a robust platform for studying the human immune system and advancing the development of human vaccines and treatments.
Building on the success of the THX model, Casali's team is now investigating how these mice respond to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection both systemically and locally. They also examine human memory B cells, their reliance on the nuclear receptor RORα for formation, and the factors influencing RORα expression and dysregulation.
Researchers are additionally delving into epigenetic mechanisms governing the production of human plasma cells. These cells are vital for generating antibodies rapidly in response to pathogens or cancer cells.
Mice are commonly employed in biological and biomedical research due to their small size, ease of handling, biological similarities to humans regarding immune responses, and their amenability to genetic manipulation.
In the evolving landscape of biomedical innovation, TruHuX mice exemplify a bridge between human biology and experimental inquiry, inspiring new horizons in the quest for healthier futures.
