Humanized immune system mouse models: progress, challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Over 30 key leaders in the field participated in a 1-day workshop entitled ‘Recent Advances and Opportunities in the Development and Use of Humanized Immune System Mouse Models’ to discuss the benefits and limitations of using human fetal tissue versus non-fetal tissue sources to generate mice with a humanized immune system. This Comment summarizes the workshop discussions, including highlights of some of the key advances made through the use of humanized mice in improving the understanding of immune system function and developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of infectious, immunological and allergic diseases, as well as current challenges in the production, characterization and utilization of these animal models.

Fig. 1 |. Humanized mouse models.

Additional information on the humanized mouse models described in the text. Hu, humanized; PBL, peripheral blood lymphocyte; SRC, SCID-repopulating cell; NeoThy, neonatal thymus. Adapted from ref..

Fig. 2 |. Areas that require development and optimization in HIS mice.

Areas in the field that need more development and study of humanized mice that better recapitulate and/or reflect human immune responses; these can be used for better understanding of infectious disease, autoimmunity and cancer development and for the evaluation of therapies. GVHD, graft-versus-host disease.