Scientists at Texas University of Health in San Antonio have achieved a significant breakthrough by successfully creating a mouse model with a fully functional human immune system. Known as TruHux, short for Truly Human, these mice possess key components of the human immune system, including lymph nodes, germinal centers, and human T- and B-lymphocytes.
The development of TruHux mice represents a major advancement in immunology research, providing a valuable platform for studying the human immune system. This model opens up new possibilities for vaccine development, testing of therapeutic drugs, and research on immunotherapy, including cancer checkpoint inhibitors and vaccines against bacterial and viral infections.
One of the key innovations in creating TruHux mice is the use of estrogen to support the differentiation of human stem cells and their responses to antibodies. This approach has the potential to replace the use of primates in biomedical studies.
A recent study published in the journal Nature demonstrated that TruHux mice exhibit a wide range of human-like immune responses, including the development of autoimmune diseases such as lupus. The research also highlighted the mice’s ability to generate thousands of antibodies per second to combat various pathogens and cancer cells.
Current research in the Kasali laboratory is focused on studying the response of TruHux mice to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) at both systemic and local levels. Researchers are also investigating the generation and function of human B-lymphocyte memory and the role of epigenetic factors in the production of plasma cells.
Mice are commonly used in biological and biomedical studies due to their small size, ease of handling, genetic manipulability, and similarities to the human immune system. The development of TruHux mice represents a significant step forward in the field of immunology and biomedical research.