bims-hummad Biomed News
on Humanised mouse models of autoimmune disorders
Issue of 2026–06–07
two papers selected by
Maksym V. Kopanitsa, Charles River Laboratories
  1. Advancement of humanized mice and leading applications in immunological disease models.
  2. Recent advances in the construction of humanized animal models and applications in translational medicine.
  1. Inflamm Regen. 2026 Jun 05.
    Advancement of humanized mice and leading applications in immunological disease models.
    Satoru Munakata, Yuki Imura, Sota Fujimori, Ryota Sato, Piruzyan Mariam, Yuzo Koda.
      Disease models are used to evaluate drug candidates, and compounds that are highly effective in vivo models have traditionally been prioritized for development. While conventional 'gold standard' animal models have been central to autoimmune drug discovery, there is increasing recognition that addressing unmet medical needs requires models capable of capturing patient pathophysiology beyond the scope of these classical systems. Accordingly, models that reflect human disease mechanisms not reproducible in conventional animals are becoming increasingly important. Humanized mice are immunodeficient mice transplanted with human immune cells, hepatocytes, thymic tissue, and other components to create a human-like biological environment that cannot be replicated in wild-type mice. Research on humanized mice has advanced through efforts to reconstitute a diverse human immune system in mice, together with accumulating knowledge of patient-specific factors such as autoantibodies and autoreactive T cells. Additionally, single-cell analyses and human tissue studies are underway to recreate the human-specific disease phenomena in humanized mice. In this review, immune-system-humanized mice are used to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in immune-system-humanized mouse technologies, their applications to immune-related disease models, and their current utilization in drug discovery research.
    Keywords:  Autoimmune diseases; Disease models; Humanized mice; Immune reconstitution
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s41232-026-00427-3
  2. Animal Model Exp Med. 2026 Jun 04.
    Recent advances in the construction of humanized animal models and applications in translational medicine.
    Yanan Lyu, Yong-Guang Yang, Zheng Hu.
      Over the past several decades, humanized mouse models have undergone significant refinement and become essential tools in biomedical research. Advances in genetic engineering, particularly the targeted knock-in of human cytokines, have enabled robust development and function of human immune cells in these models. Recent breakthroughs-including the directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into thymic epithelial cells and the efficient expansion of hematopoietic stem cells-have alleviated the constraint of scarce human tissue sources. Furthermore, the reconstruction of lymph node structures and successful engraftment of solid organ tissues have significantly improved the efficiency and physiological relevance of human immune system reconstitution. These models now provide a unique platform for in vivo studies in cancer immunotherapy, infectious diseases, regenerative medicine, and autoimmune disorders under near-physiological conditions. Beyond rodents, substantial progress in humanized large animals, such as pigs, offers promising avenues for large-scale immune system reconstruction and mass production of immunotherapeutic cells. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the development, optimization, and expanding applications of humanized animal models, highlighting their transformative role in advancing translational medicine.
    Keywords:  cancer immunotherapy; disease models; humanized animal models; regenerative medicine; translational medicine
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/ame2.70228
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