WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In a report recently featured in the renowned scientific journal Nature, researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have achieved a major milestone in immunological and microbiological research, by creating first of a kind, special mouse, known as the TruHuX (or THX), which possesses a human-like immune system and gut microbiome capable of producing specific antibody responses.
Spearheaded by Paolo Casali, MD, the team initiated the project by injecting immunodeficient mice with human stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood. Through the use of 17b-estradiol for hormonal conditioning, a type of estrogen known to enhance human stem cell survival and aid in B lymphocyte differentiation, the researchers were able to generate TruHuX mice with a fully functional human immune system.
These remarkable mice exhibit human-like lymph nodes, germinal centers, thymus human epithelial cells, human T and B lymphocytes, memory B lymphocytes, and plasma cells that can generate highly specific antibodies and autoantibodies identical to those found in humans.
Significantly, the TruHuX mice have demonstrated the ability to mount strong neutralizing antibody responses to Salmonella Typhimurium and the SARS-CoV-2 virus Spike S1 RBD following vaccination, as well as the potential to develop autoimmune responses similar to systemic lupus.
Casali emphasized the importance of the TruHuX mouse model, highlighting its value as a platform for studying the human immune system, developing vaccines, and testing potential therapies, thus potentially reducing the need for non-human primates in biomedical research. With the establishment of this cutting-edge THX model, the Casali lab is now focusing on studying the human immune response to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
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