UT Health San Antonio Breakthrough, First Humanized Mice with Complete Human Immune Systems Developed

In a notable advancement for biomedical research, a team at UT Health San Antonio has successfully engineered the first-ever humanized mice with fully functional human immune systems. According to a report by Express News, these mice were designed to overcome the limitations of previous models, enabling better prediction and study of human immune responses.

This new type of humanized mouse, referred to as THX, or "truly human," was developed through a meticulous process. Paolo Casali, a distinguished researcher and professor with nearly five decades of experience in the field of immunology, played a pivotal role in this discovery. His dedication to the development of these mice suggests a broader application for various medical fields, including immunotherapy and disease modeling.“By critically leveraging estrogen activity to support human stem cell and human immune cell differentiation and antibody responses, THX mice provide a platform for human immune system studies, development of human vaccines and testing of therapeutics,” Casali said in a statement obtained by Express News.

The creation of THX mice involved the injection of immunodeficient mice with human stem cells from umbilical cord blood. After allowing time for the graft to establish, the mice were hormonally conditioned using 17b-estradiol, a potent form of estrogen. The report by UTHSCSA News specifies that such mice have the capabilities to develop neutralizing antibody responses to pathogens like COVID-19 and Salmonella upon vaccination.

A paper describing the details of their findings was published in the August issue of "Nature Immunology," showcasing the potential for these mice in the development of human vaccines and treatment of human diseases. THX mice have been shown to mount an effective immune response, replicating human antibodies and autoantibodies, providing a reliable model for in vivo experimentation. Furthermore, the study led by Casali's team, as UTHSCSA News details, delves into the exploration of human memory B lymphocytes and the epigenetic factors instrumental in the generation of human plasma cells. The larger implications of this work point towards reducing reliance on non-human primates in biomedical research.