![Transplant_color_flush[63].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/838616_7ef831b9599c4b79b84819614cab6852~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_244,h_76,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Transplant_color_flush%5B63%5D.png)
The Humanized Mouse Core
The Humanized Mouse Core at the University of Wisconsin–Madison provides investigators with a variety of humanized mouse models for their individual research needs. Their goal is to readily supply animals of high quality and consistency in order to facilitate cutting-edge research of the human immune response. Under the guidance of Director, Dr. Matthew Brown, the Core provides a variety of humanized animal models and consultation services to investigators.
​
The UW Humanized Mouse Core specializes in production of the current standard model in the field — the humanized immune mouse (HIM) model — including the NeoThy and BLT models incorporating the engraftment of cryopreserved human thymus tissue and hematopoietic stem cells into immune-deficient mouse host strains. Core personnel closely follow the research literature and also experimentally validate new iterations of humanized mouse models, including validating novel animal strains and the use of pluripotent stem cell-derived tissues.
What is a humanized mouse?
The term “humanized mouse” can refer to multiple different things. We use the term to refer to immune-deficient mouse strains that have been transplanted with human hematopoietic cells and tissues. The animals then go on to reconstitute human immune cells in circulation and within their tissues. These chimeric animals harbor some mouse cells, but have no T cells, B cells, or Natural Killer cells of mouse origin. Instead, these cells are replaced by their human counterparts. Humanized mouse models have a number of uses in the transplantation, infectious disease, immune-oncology, and toxicology fields. These models can be useful in any research application where in vivo modeling of human immunity is needed.
Custom orders and/or collaborations are possible to establish models tailored to investigators’ individual research needs. Please contact us for additional details. All other orders can be placed below through iLab.
A Note About Responsible Animal Research
Our research is overseen by the UW-Madison IACUC. Animal models can be a very important research tool, but we believe they should be used only if they are the best model available and when alternative models (e.g. in vitro organoid technologies) are not developed or suitable for the specific research question. Our research group is currently developing non-animal-based research assays that may one day replace the need for certain animal models, and we strive to keep aware of new technologies being developed in this area by other groups. When research animals are required, it is important to only use the number of animals needed to achieve the scientific aims. It is also critical to treat research animals humanely and to minimize any pain or distress that they experience.