Application of Immunodeficient Mice in Infectious Disease Model Research

Immunodeficient mice have become an important tool for studying infectious diseases, providing a versatile platform for studying host-pathogen interactions, immune responses, and potential therapeutic interventions. These models are characterized by the absence or suppression of specific immune components, making them ideal for studying infections that exploit immune weaknesses or require a humanized immune system for accurate modeling.

1. Key Applications in Infectious Disease Research

(1) HIV and other viral infections:

Immunodeficient mice, such as NOD/SCID and NSG (NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ-null) mice, are commonly used to study human-specific infections such as HIV. When engrafted with human immune cells (humanized mice), they enable researchers to replicate and study human immune responses to viral infections, providing a preclinical platform for testing antiviral drugs and vaccines.

(2) Bacterial and fungal infections:

These models enable researchers to study the pathogenic mechanisms of opportunistic infections caused by bacteria (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and fungi (e.g., Candida albicans) in the context of immunosuppression. This is critical for understanding infections in immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing chemotherapy or organ transplantation.

(3) Parasitic infections:

Immunodeficient mice are also used to model parasitic diseases such as malaria (Plasmodium spp.) and toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii), enabling the study of parasite-host interactions and the development of new therapeutic strategies.

(4) Humanized models of zoonotic and emerging infections:

With their humanized immune system, these mice provide an advanced platform for studying emerging pathogens (such as SARS-CoV-2) or zoonotic infections (such as Zika virus), bridging the gap between animal models and human clinical studies.

2. Translational Impact

Immunodeficient mice are essential for advancing our understanding of pathogenesis, immune evasion, and therapeutic development by accurately modeling infectious diseases in a human-relevant context. They are also critical for the development of vaccines, immunotherapies, and antimicrobial drugs to address global health threats.

Reference

[1] Jiaxuan Chen et al., Frontiers in Immunology 2022 (doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1007579)