# Humanised mouse models

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/humanised-mouse-models/  
OnCo record `humanised-mouse-models` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Immunodeficient mice given a human immune system from stem cells, so human immunotherapies and CAR-T cells can be tested against human tumours in a living animal.

## Summary

Immunodeficient strains such as NSG and NOG accept human cells. Engrafting human CD34-positive haematopoietic stem cells or peripheral blood cells gives the mice a partly human immune system, which allows patient-derived tumours to be studied with human checkpoint inhibitors, bispecifics and cell therapies. Incomplete immune development, graft-versus-host disease with mature cells and high cost limit their use, and newer strains express human cytokines to improve myeloid and NK cell reconstitution.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: established
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Principle: Immunodeficient mice are irradiated and engrafted with human haematopoietic stem cells or lymphocytes, then implanted with human tumour cells or patient-derived xenografts.
- Strengths: Human immune-tumour interaction in vivo; Test agents that do not cross-react with mouse targets
- Limitations: Incomplete immune reconstitution; Graft-versus-host disease; Expensive and variable

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanized_mouse
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanized_mouse

## Connected records

- fronts: [Drug Discovery Platforms](https://onco.cc/fronts/drug-discovery/)
- technologies: [CAR-T cell therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/car-t/), [Patient-derived xenografts](https://onco.cc/technologies/pdx-models/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/humanised-mouse-models.json