Name: stem-cell based engineered immunity against hiv infection in the humanized mouse model
Uploaded: 2016-07-02T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Stem-cell Based Engineered Immunity Against HIV Infection in the Humanized Mouse Model at JoVE.com

We would like to thank Ms. Jessica Selander in providing artistic assistant in making our figures. This work was funded by grants from the NIAID/NIH, grant no. RO1AI078806, the UCLA Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), grant no. P30AI28697, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, grant no. TR4-06845, the American Federation for AIDS Research (amfAR), grant no. #108929-54-RGRL, and the UC Multi-campus Research Program and Initiatives, California Center for Antiviral Drug discovery (CCADD)

Ethic Statement:&#160;Human fetal tissue was obtained from Advanced Biosciences Resources or from Novogenix and was obtained without identifying information and did not require IRB approval for its use. Animal research described in this manuscript was performed under the written approval of the University of California, Los Angeles, and (UCLA) Animal Research Committee (ARC) in accordance to all federal, state, and local guidelines. Specifically, these studies were carried out under strict accordance to ...

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With CAR and HSC-based engineered immunity gaining momentum towards clinical studies, it is important to have a proper animal model to closely examine the differentiation and function of these engineered cells. In this protocol we described the methods for constructing and testing humanized mice with genetically modified stem-cells engineered against HIV. It is important to have efficient transduction of stem cells prior to transplant. However, due to the ability of T cell to proliferate upon recognition of target cells,...

Despite the success of combined anti-retroviral therapy, HIV infection is still a lifelong disease. The cellular immune response against HIV plays highly important role in controlling HIV replication. Recent advances in stem cell manipulation has allowed for the rapid development of gene therapy approaches for HIV treatment1-3. As a result, it is important to have a proper animal model that allows in vivo study of the efficacy of cell-based therapies against HIV.
Working with HIV in animal models is complicated by the fact that the virus only infects human cells. To circumvent this limitation, scientists have resorted to using disease models like the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) in Rhesus macaques4,5. Unfortunately, there are major limitations in this model due to the inherent differences across species and the differences between SIV and HIV. Additionally, only highly specialized facilities are capable of supporting work with non-human primates and each macaque requires a large investment. Thus, there is a pressing need for a model that utilizes the human immune system, which is susceptible to HIV infection/pathogenesis, and is less financially prohibitive.
The non-obese diabetic (NOD)-severe combined immunodeficient (SCID)-common gamma chain knockout (c&#947;-/-) (or NSG) Blood/Liver/Thymus (BLT) humanized mouse model is increasingly proven to be an important tool to study HIV infection. By implanting hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and fetal thymus, the mice are able to develop and recapitulate a human immune system1-3. One type of stem cell based gene therapy involves &#39;redirecting&#39; peripheral T cells to target HIV by reprogramming Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) to differentiate into antigen specific T cells. We have shown previously that engineering HSCs with a molecular cloned anti-HIV specific T cell receptor (TCR) against the SL9 epitope (amino acid 77-85; SLYNTVATL) of HIV-1 Gag can redirect stem cells into forming mature T cells that suppress HIV replication in the humanized NSG-BLT mouse model6. The caveat of using a molecular cloned TCR is that it is restricted to a specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) subtype that will limit the application of this therapy. Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), on the other hand, can be universally applied to all HLA subtypes. Initial studies were performed utilizing a CAR constructed with the extracellular and transmembrane domains of human CD4 fused to the intracellular &#950; signaling domain of CD3 (termed the CD4&#950;CAR). CD4&#950;CAR expressed on CD8 T cells can recognize HIV envelope and trigger a cytotoxic T cell response that is similar to that mediated by a T cell receptor7. We have recently demonstrated that human HSCs can be modified with CD4&#950;CAR, which can then differentiate into multiple hematopoietic lineages, including functional T cells capable of suppressing HIV replication in the humanized mouse model8. With the rapid advancement in chimeric antigen receptor therapies for cancer9, and the ongoing characterization of potent broad neutralizing antibodies10-12 against HIV that allow the construction of single chain antibody CARs, it is perceivable that many new candidate constructs, in addition to CD4&#950;CAR, will be generated and tested for stem-cell based gene therapy of HIV diseases and other diseases. In addition, the humanized NSG-BLT mouse model containing these antigen-specific CARs can also provide a useful tool to closely examine human T cell responses in vivo. Importantly, our protocol differs from previous described methods for construction of humanized of BLT mice13-15 in that the HSCs in gelatinous protein mixture is used in place of fetal liver trunks16. This protocol describes: 1) construction of humanized BLT mice engineered with CD4&#950;CAR; and 2) characterization of the differentiation of the genetically modified cells; and 3) characterization of the functionality of the genetically modified cells.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>CD34 microbead kit</td>
			<td>miltenyi</td>
			<td>130-046-702</td>
			<td>For sorting human CD34+ progenitor cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bambanker</td>
			<td>Wako</td>
			<td>302-14681</td>
			<td>for freezing cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>QIAamp Viral RNA kit&#160;</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>52904</td>
			<td>For measuring viral load in the serum</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MACSQuant Flow Cytometer</td>
			<td>Miltenyi</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>For flow analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD LSRFortessa&#8482;</td>
			<td>BD biosciences</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>For flow analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hyaluronidase</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>H6254-500MG&#160;</td>
			<td>For tissue digestion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Deoxyribonuclease I&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td>Worthington</td>
			<td>LS002006&#160;</td>
			<td>for tissue digestion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagenase</td>
			<td>Life technology</td>
			<td>17104-019&#160;</td>
			<td>for tissue digestion</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CFX Real time PCR detection system</td>
			<td>Biorad</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>For measuring viral load and gene expression</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mice, strain NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ</td>
			<td>The Jackson Laboratory</td>
			<td>5557</td>
			<td>For constructing the humanized mice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin Streptomycin (Pen Strep)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>10378016</td>
			<td>For culturing cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>piperacillin/tazobactam</td>
			<td>Pfizer</td>
			<td>Zosyn</td>
			<td>Anti-fungal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Amphotericin B (Fungizone antimycotic)</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>15290-018</td>
			<td>Anti-fungal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>AUTOCLIP Wound Clips, 9 mm - 1000 units&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td>Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td>427631&#160;</td>
			<td>For surgery</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sterile Poly-Reinforced Aurora Surgical Gowns, 30 per case&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td>Medline</td>
			<td>DYNJP2707&#160;</td>
			<td>For surgery</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sutures, 4-0, vicryl&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td>Owens and Minor</td>
			<td>23000J304H&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td>For surgery</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Alcohol prep pads&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td>Owens and Minor</td>
			<td>3583006818</td>
			<td>For surgery</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gloves, surgical, 6 1/2</td>
			<td>Owens and Minor</td>
			<td>4075711102</td>
			<td>For surgery</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Yssel&#8217;s Serum-Free T-Cell Medium</td>
			<td>Gemini Bio-products</td>
			<td>400-102</td>
			<td>For CD34+ cell transduction</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human Serum Albumin&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A9511</td>
			<td>For CD34+ cell transduction</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

stem-cell based engineered immunity against hiv infection in the humanized mouse model

With the rapid development of stem cell-based gene therapies against HIV, there is pressing requirement for an animal model to study the hematopoietic differentiation and immune function of the genetically modified cells. The humanized Bone-marrow/Liver/Thymus (BLT) mouse model allows for full reconstitution of a human immune system in the periphery, which includes T cells, B cells, NK cells and monocytes. The human thymic implant also allows for thymic selection of T cells in autologous thymic tissue. In addition to the study of HIV infection, the model stands as a powerful tool to study differentiation, development and functionality of cells derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Here we outline the construction of humanized non-obese diabetic (NOD)-severe combined immunodeficient (SCID)-common gamma chain knockout (c&#947;-/-)-Bone-marrow/Liver/Thymus (NSG-BLT) mice with HSCs transduced with CD4 chimeric antigen receptor (CD4CAR) lentivirus vector. We show that the CD4CAR HSCs can successfully differentiate into multiple lineages and have anti-HIV activity. The goal of the study is to demonstrate the use of NSG-BLT mouse model as an in vivo model for engineered immunity against HIV. It is worth noting that, because lentivirus and human tissue is used, experiments and surgeries should be performed in a Class II biosafety cabinet in a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2) with special precautions (BSL2+) facility.

Figure 1 shows an outline of constructing humanized BLT mice with modified stem cell. 10 weeks after the implant surgery, the mice were sacrificed to evaluate the differentiation and development of gene modified cells. As shown in Figure 2, multiple lymphoid tissues (blood, spleen, thymus and bone marrow) were harvested from a mouse that was modified with CD4&#950;CAR. The CD4&#950;CAR used in this protocol contains CD4 chimeric antigen receptor and GFP t...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Stem-cell Based Engineered Immunity Against HIV Infection in the Humanized Mouse Model at JoVE.com

Stem-cell Based Engineered Immunity Against HIV Infection in the Humanized Mouse Model

This protocol describes the methods in constructing a humanized bone-marrow/liver/thymus mouse model with stem cell-based engineered immunity against HIV infection.

With the rapid development of stem cell-based gene therapies against HIV, there is pressing requirement for an animal model to study the hematopoietic ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to create humanized mouse modified with chimeric antigen receptor. This method can help answer key questions in the HIV and immunology fields in regards to testing the efficacy of stem-cell based engineered immunity against HIV infection and other chronic infections and malignancies. Such as a mechanism of immune failure and ways to enhance the immune system and develop a therapy to create better anti-viral or anti-tumor immunity.The main advantage of this technique is that it is capable of a large amount of experimental manipulations. The humanized BLT mice model mimics human immunity and in this case allows for pre-clinical testings for cell based gene therapies against HIV infection. Demonstrating the procedure will be Valerie Rezek and Brianna Lam, they are technicians form my laboratory.Begin by using scalpels to cut the thymus into small pieces of about one millimeter cubed in a dish containing supplemented RPMI medium. Then used curved blunt forceps to place each single thymus piece into a single well on a 96 well plate. Add 100-200 microliters of media to all of the wells so that the tissue does not dry.Visualize the tissue under the microscope to eliminate any tissue that may not be thymus or that has connective tissue attached. Next, remove the confirmed pieces of thymus, combine them into a T25 cell culture flask. Add seven milliliters of antibiotic supplemented RPMI media to the flask and gently rock to mix.Then place the flask in the tissue culture incubator. This step prevents bacterial contamination of the tissue. Begin the isolation of CD34 positive HSCs from fetal liver by using two scalpels to cut the liver into small pieces of about three millimeters cubed in a dish containing IMDM.Remove and discard any white connective tissue. Then use a 10 milliliter syringe fitted with a 16 gauge blunt needle to take out the liver pieces and media and transfer to a 50 milliliter conical tube. Gently take up and expel five to seven more times to completely homogenize the tissue.After preparing 10 milliliters of IMDM media, supplement it with collagenase, hyaluronidase, antibiotics, Dnase, and anti fungal. Pass the media through a 0.22 micron filter. Then add the filtered media to the liver suspension.After capping the 50 milliliter conical tube containing the liver suspension, seal tightly with self sealing film such as parafilm to prevent leaks. Rotate in a tube rotator in the 37 degrees celsius incubator for 90 minutes. Following the incubation, filter the digested cell suspension through a 100 micron cell strainer into a fresh 50 milliliter tube.Add PBS to the suspension to bring the total volume up to 50 milliliters. Split this into two 50 milliliter tubes, each containing 25 milliliters of cell suspension. Slowing and gently underlay the cells in each tube with 10 milliliters of a density centrifugation media, such as Ficoll.Spin at 1200 times g for 20 minutes without break. Following the centrifugation, carefully remove the interface from each tube and transfer it into two separate 50 milliliter tubes. Bring the volume of each tube of interface up to 50 milliliters with PBS.And then centrifuge at 300 times g for seven to 10 minutes. Combine and wash the cell pellets three times with 50 milliliters of PBS containing two percent FBS, spinning at 300 times g for seven to 10 minutes each time. Following the final spin, re-suspend the pellet in 50 milliliters of RPMI media plus 10 percent FBS.Count the cells using a hemocytometer. Next, sort CD34 positive cells immediately using a CD34 sorting kit according to the manufacturer's protocol, and save both CD34 positive and CD34 negative fraction. Pour the thymus pieces and medium from the flask into a 60 millimeter dish.Chill some positive displacement pipette tips by putting them in open 1.5 milliliter sterile screw-cap tubes on ice. Also, place the cell pellets and a volume of gelatinous protein mixture such as matrigel on ice. Anesthetize the recipient mice with an injectible anesthetic according to an approved animal protocol.Check the anesthesia level of the mouse by squeezing a paw. The absence of a reaction to the pinch indicates a surgical plane of anesthesia. Shave the left side of each mouse from hip to shoulder between the center of the back and the stomach.Subcutaneously inject six milligrams per kilogram of diluted Carprofen into the animal's shoulder or inguinal triangle. Flush the cannula of the trocar with PBS in a 60 millimeter dish. Using a pair of blunt curved forceps, place a piece of thymus from the 60 millimeter dish just inside the opening of the cannula, then pull back on the trocar to aspirate the tissue into the cannula.Next, use a positive displacement pipette and a chilled tip to add five microliters of cold gelatinous protein mixture into the tube with the cell pellet. And gently stir to generate the cell suspension. Pipette the cell suspension into the opening of the cannula and slowly pull back on the trocar to load the needle.Swab the shaved area of the mouse with povidone iodine followed by isopropenyl three times. Determine the darkest spot under the skin which indicates the location of the spleen. The kidney is approximately five millimeters dorsal to the spleen.After ensuring a suitable level of anesthesia by the absence of a reaction of the paw pinch, use curved forceps to lift the skin and use surgical scissors to make a 15 millimeter incision in the skin parallel to the spleen. Then make a similar cut in the peritoneum layer below. In males, the kidney is easily visible, thus extruded simply by pressing on the abdomen.Support the kidney with a hemostat or a pair of curved blunt forceps. In females, the ovaries tend to block the kidney from easy extraction. Using a hemostat, pick up the ovary and carefully expose the kidney.Use needle-tipped forceps to pluck a tiny hole at the posterior end of the kidney capsule. Slide the trocar into this hole and along the kidney until the opening of the cannula is completely covered by the kidney capsule. Gently extrude the tissue under the kidney capsule and pull the trocar back out.Use the curved forceps to make sure the thymus piece does not come back out with the needle. Next, lift up the peritoneum with the forceps and gently use the hemostat to push the kidney back into place. Tie one double knotted stitch with surgical suture in the peritoneum.Also place two Autoclips Wound clips to close the skin. Now mix the transduced CD34 positive cells and aspirate 0.5 times 10 to the six cells in a 100 microliter volume into an insulin syringe. Inject these cells into the mouse through retro orbital vein injection.After injection, swab a small drop of eye lubricant onto each eye, and lay the mouse on its side back in a cage. After implanting all the mice, confirm that the animals have regained conscientiousness and are ambulatory before returning them to the housing room. Mice were sacrificed 10 weeks after surgery and blood, spleen, thymus and bone marrow were harvested.The resulting cells were stained with anti-human CD45 and anti-human CD4 antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry. As seen here, CD4 chimeric antigen receptor modified cells can be detected in multiple lymphoid tissues by flow cytometry. The CD4 chimeric antigen receptor modified cells can differentiate into multiple lineages.Here, splenocytes from CD4 chimeric antigen receptor modified mice were harvested and stained for markers of T and B cells. Cells negative for T and B cell markers were positive for markers of monocytes and macrophages and for natural killer cells. Splenocytes from HIV infected CD4 chimeric antigen receptor mice were stimulated with either HIV infected or uninfected T one cells and their intracellular production of cytokine is shown.After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to construct humanized BLT mice modified with chimeric antigen receptors. Once mastered, this technique can be done in 48 hours if it is performed properly. While attempting this procedure, it is important to remember to work at a steady pace and pay close attention to the state of the mouse being operated on.For beginners it is important to practice surgery and eye injections before working with tissues and stem cells that are more precious. After its development, this technique paved the way for researchers in the field of HIV and other infectious diseases to explore disease pathogenesis and immune based therapies in the humanized mouse model.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

Orthotopic Aortic Transplantation: A Rat Model to Study the Development of Chronic Vasculopathy

Research models of chronic rejection are essential to investigate pathobiological and pathophysiological processes during the development of transplant vasculopathy (TVP).
The commonly used animal model for cardiovascular chronic rejection studies is the heterotopic heart transplant model performed in laboratory rodents. This model is used widely in experiments since Ono and Lindsey (3) published their technique. To analyze the findings in the blood vessels, the heart has to be sectioned and all vessels have to be measured.
Another method to investigate chronic rejection in cardiovascular questionings is the aortic transplant model (1, 2). In the orthotopic aortic transplant model, the aorta can easily be histologically evaluated (2). The PVG-to-ACI model is especially useful for CAV studies, since acute vascular rejection is not a major confounding factor and Cyclosporin A (CsA) treatment does not prevent the development of CAV, similar to what we find in the clinical setting (4). A7-day period of CsA is required in this model to prevent acute rejection and to achieve long-term survival with the development of TVP.
This model can also be used to investigate acute cellular rejection and media necrosis in xenogeneic models (5).

This video demonstrates the orthotopic aortic transplant model as a simple model to study the development of transplant vasculopathy (TVP) in rats.

Research models of chronic rejection are essential to investigate pathobiological and pathophysiological processes during the development of transplant ...

A Mouse Model of in Utero Transplantation

The transplantation of stem cells and viruses in utero has tremendous potential for treating congenital disorders in the human fetus. For example, in utero transplantation (IUT) of hematopoietic stem cells has been used to successfully treat patients with severe combined immunodeficiency.1,2 In several other conditions, however, IUT has been attempted without success.3 Given these mixed results, the availability of an efficient non-human model to study the biological sequelae of stem cell transplantation and gene therapy is critical to advance this field. We and others have used the mouse model of IUT to study factors affecting successful engraftment of in utero transplanted hematopoietic stem cells in both wild-type mice4-7 and those with genetic diseases.8,9 The fetal environment also offers considerable advantages for the success of in utero gene therapy. For example, the delivery of adenoviral10, adeno-associated viral10, retroviral11, and lentiviral vectors12,13 into the fetus has resulted in the transduction of multiple organs distant from the site of injection with long-term gene expression. in utero gene therapy may therefore be considered as a possible treatment strategy for single gene disorders such as muscular dystrophy or cystic fibrosis. Another potential advantage of IUT is the ability to induce immune tolerance to a specific antigen. As seen in mice with hemophilia, the introduction of Factor IX early in development results in tolerance to this protein.14 
In addition to its use in investigating potential human therapies, the mouse model of IUT can be a powerful tool to study basic questions in developmental and stem cell biology. For example, one can deliver various small molecules to induce or inhibit specific gene expression at defined gestational stages and manipulate developmental pathways. The impact of these alterations can be assessed at various timepoints after the initial transplantation. Furthermore, one can transplant pluripotent or lineage specific progenitor cells into the fetal environment to study stem cell differentiation in a non-irradiated and unperturbed host environment.
The mouse model of IUT has already provided numerous insights within the fields of immunology, and developmental and stem cell biology. In this video-based protocol, we describe a step-by-step approach to performing IUT in mouse fetuses and outline the critical steps and potential pitfalls of this technique.

A Mouse Model of in Utero Transplantation

The mouse model of in utero transplantation is a versatile tool that can be used to study the potential clinical applications of stem cell transplantation and gene therapy in the fetus. In this protocol, we present a general approach to performing this technique

The transplantation of stem cells and viruses in utero has tremendous potential for treating congenital disorders in the human fetus.  For example, in ...

Time-lapse Imaging of Primary Preneoplastic Mammary Epithelial Cells Derived from Genetically Engineered Mouse Models of Breast Cancer

Time-lapse imaging can be used to compare behavior of cultured primary preneoplastic mammary epithelial cells derived from different genetically engineered mouse models of breast cancer. For example, time between cell divisions (cell lifetimes), apoptotic cell numbers, evolution of morphological changes, and mechanism of colony formation can be quantified and compared in cells carrying specific genetic lesions. Primary mammary epithelial cell cultures are generated from mammary glands without palpable tumor. Glands are carefully resected with clear separation from adjacent muscle, lymph nodes are removed, and single-cell suspensions of enriched mammary epithelial cells are generated by mincing mammary tissue followed by enzymatic dissociation and filtration. Single-cell suspensions are plated and placed directly under a microscope within an incubator chamber for live-cell imaging. Sixteen 650 &mu;m x 700 &mu;m fields in a 4x4 configuration from each well of a 6-well plate are imaged every 15 min for 5 days. Time-lapse images are examined directly to measure cellular behaviors that can include mechanism and frequency of cell colony formation within the first 24 hr of plating the cells (aggregation versus cell proliferation), incidence of apoptosis, and phasing of morphological changes. Single-cell tracking is used to generate cell fate maps for measurement of individual cell lifetimes and investigation of cell division patterns. Quantitative data are statistically analyzed to assess for significant differences in behavior correlated with specific genetic lesions.

Time-lapse imaging is used to assess behavior of primary preneoplastic mammary epithelial cells derived from genetically engineered mouse models of breast cancer risk to determine if there are correlations between specific behavioral parameters and distinct genetic lesions.

Time-lapse  imaging can be used to compare behavior of cultured primary preneoplastic  mammary epithelial cells derived from different genetically ...

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model

Fairness of skin, UV sensitivity and skin cancer risk all correlate with the physiologic function of the melanocortin 1 receptor, a Gs-coupled signaling protein found on the surface of melanocytes. Mc1r stimulates adenylyl cyclase and cAMP production which, in turn, up-regulates melanocytic production of melanin in the skin. In order to study the mechanisms by which Mc1r signaling protects the skin against UV injury, this study relies on a mouse model with "humanized skin" based on epidermal expression of stem cell factor (Scf). K14-Scf transgenic mice retain melanocytes in the epidermis and therefore have the ability to deposit melanin in the epidermis. In this animal model, wild type Mc1r status results in robust deposition of black eumelanin pigment and a UV-protected phenotype. In contrast, K14-Scf animals with defective Mc1r signaling ability exhibit a red/blonde pigmentation, very little eumelanin in the skin and a UV-sensitive phenotype. Reasoning that eumelanin deposition might be enhanced by topical agents that mimic Mc1r signaling, we found that direct application of forskolin extract to the skin of Mc1r-defective fair-skinned mice resulted in robust eumelanin induction and UV protection 1. Here we describe the method for preparing and applying a forskolin-containing natural root extract to K14-Scf fair-skinned mice and report a method for measuring UV sensitivity by determining minimal erythematous dose (MED). Using this animal model, it is possible to study how epidermal cAMP induction and melanization of the skin affect physiologic responses to UV exposure.

Epidermal melanin is induced by topical application of forskolin in a murine model of the fair-skinned UV-sensitive human. Pharmacologic manipulation of cAMP levels in the skin and epidermal darkening strongly protect against UV-mediated inflammation (sunburn) as measured by the minimum erythematous dose (MED) assay.

Fairness of skin, UV sensitivity and skin cancer  risk all correlate with the physiologic function of the melanocortin 1  receptor, a Gs-coupled signaling ...

Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in Experimental Contusive Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury is a devastating clinical condition, characterized by a complex of neurological dysfunctions. Animal models of spinal cord injury can be used both to investigate the biological responses to injury and to test potential therapies. Contusion or compression injury delivered to the surgically exposed spinal cord are the most widely used models of the pathology. In this report the experimental contusion is performed by using the Infinite Horizon (IH) Impactor device, which allows the creation of a reproducible injury animal model through definition of specific injury parameters. Stem cell transplantation is commonly considered a potentially useful strategy for curing this debilitating condition. Numerous studies have evaluated the effects of transplanting a variety of stem cells. Here we demonstrate an adapted method for spinal cord injury followed by tail vein injection of cells in CD1 mice. In short, we provide procedures for: i) cell labeling with a vital tracer, ii) pre-operative care of mice, iii) execution of a contusive spinal cord injury, and iv) intravenous administration of post mortem neural precursors. This contusion model can be utilized to evaluate the efficacy and safety of stem cell transplantation in a regenerative medicine approach.

Spinal cord injury is a traumatic condition that causes severe morbidity and high mortality. In this work we describe in detail a contusion model of spinal cord injury in mice followed by a transplantation of neural stem cells.

Spinal cord injury is a devastating clinical condition, characterized by a complex of neurological dysfunctions. Animal models of spinal cord injury can ...

A Mouse Fetal Skin Model of Scarless Wound Repair

Early in utero, but not in postnatal life, cutaneous wounds undergo regeneration and heal without formation of a scar. Scarless fetal wound healing occurs across species but is age dependent. The transition from a scarless to scarring phenotype occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy in humans and around embryonic day 18 (E18) in mice. However, this varies with the size of the wound with larger defects generating a scar at an earlier gestational age. The emergence of lineage tracing and other genetic tools in the mouse has opened promising new avenues for investigation of fetal scarless wound healing. However, given the inherently high rates of morbidity and premature uterine contraction associated with fetal surgery, investigations of fetal scarless wound healing in vivo require a precise and reproducible surgical model. Here we detail a reliable model of fetal scarless wound healing in the dorsum of E16.5 (scarless) and E18.5 (scarring) mouse embryos.

During mammalian development, early gestational skin wounds heal without a scar. Here we detail a reliable and reproducible model of fetal scarless wound healing in the cutaneous dorsum of E16.5 (scarless) and E18.5 (scarring) mouse embryos.

Early in utero, but not in postnatal life, cutaneous wounds undergo regeneration and heal without formation of a scar. Scarless fetal wound healing occurs ...

A Surgical Procedure for Resecting the Mouse Rib: A Model for Large-Scale Long Bone Repair

This protocol introduces researchers to a new model for large-scale bone repair utilizing the mouse rib. The procedure details the following: preparation of the animal for surgery, opening the thoracic body wall, exposing the desired rib from the surrounding intercostal muscles, excising the desired section of rib without inducing a pneumothorax, and closing the incisions. Compared to the bones of the appendicular skeleton, the ribs are highly accessible. In addition, no internal or external fixator is necessary since the adjacent ribs provide a natural fixation. The surgery uses commercially available supplies, is straightforward to learn, and well-tolerated by the animal. The procedure can be carried out with or without removing the surrounding periosteum, and therefore the contribution of the periosteum to repair can be assessed. Results indicate that if the periosteum is retained, robust repair occurs in 1 - 2 months. We expect that use of this protocol will stimulate research into rib repair and that the findings will facilitate the development of new ways to stimulate bone repair in other locations around the body.

The overall goal of this procedure is to successfully resect a portion of bone from the rib of a mouse. The procedure was developed as a model to study large-scale long bone repair.

This protocol introduces researchers to a new model for large-scale bone repair utilizing the mouse rib. The procedure details the following: preparation ...

A Neonatal Mouse Spinal Cord Compression Injury Model

Spinal cord injury (SCI) typically causes devastating neurological deficits, particularly through damage to fibers descending from the brain to the spinal cord. A major current area of research is focused on the mechanisms of adaptive plasticity that underlie spontaneous or induced functional recovery following SCI. Spontaneous functional recovery is reported to be greater early in life, raising interesting questions about how adaptive plasticity changes as the spinal cord develops. To facilitate investigation of this dynamic, we have developed a SCI model in the neonatal mouse. The model has relevance for pediatric SCI, which is too little studied. Because neural plasticity in the adult involves some of the same mechanisms as neural plasticity in early life1, this model may potentially have some relevance also for adult SCI. Here we describe the entire procedure for generating a reproducible spinal cord compression (SCC) injury in the neonatal mouse as early as postnatal (P) day 1. SCC is achieved by performing a laminectomy at a given spinal level (here described at thoracic levels 9-11) and then using a modified Yasargil aneurysm mini-clip to rapidly compress and decompress the spinal cord. As previously described, the injured neonatal mice can be tested for behavioral deficits or sacrificed for ex vivo physiological analysis of synaptic connectivity using electrophysiological and high-throughput optical recording techniques1. Earlier and ongoing studies using behavioral and physiological assessment have demonstrated a dramatic, acute impairment of hindlimb motility followed by a complete functional recovery within 2 weeks, and the first evidence of changes in functional circuitry at the level of identified descending synaptic connections1.

This article describes a method for generating a reproducible spinal cord compression injury (SCI) in the neonatal mouse. The model provides an advantageous platform for studying mechanisms of adaptive plasticity that underlie spontaneous functional recovery.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) typically causes devastating neurological deficits, particularly through damage to fibers descending from the brain to the spinal ...

Vein Interposition Model: A Suitable Model to Study Bypass Graft Patency

Bypass grafting is an established treatment method for coronary artery disease. Graft patency continues to be the Achilles heel of saphenous vein grafts. Research models for bypass graft failure are essential for a better understanding of pathobiological and pathophysiological processes during graft patency loss. Large animal models, such as pigs or sheep, resemble human anatomical structures but require special facilities and equipment. This video describes a rat vein interposition model to investigate vein graft patency loss. Rats are inexpensive and easy to handle. Compared to mouse models, the convenient size of rats permits better operability and enables a sufficient amount of material to be obtained for further diverse analysis. In brief, the inferior epigastric vein of a donor rat is harvested and used to replace a segment of the femoral artery. Anastomosis is conducted via single stitches and sealed with fibrin glue. Graft patency can be monitored non-invasively using duplex sonography. Myointimal hyperplasia, which is the main cause for graft patency loss, develops progressively over time and can be calculated from histological cross sections.

This video demonstrates a model to study the development of myointimal hyperplasia after venous interposition surgery in rats.

Bypass grafting is an established treatment method for coronary artery disease. Graft patency continues to be the Achilles heel of saphenous vein grafts. ...

Balloon-based Injury to Induce Myointimal Hyperplasia in the Mouse Abdominal Aorta

The use of animal models is essential for a better understanding of MH, one major cause for arterial stenosis.In this article, we demonstrate a murine balloon denudation model, which is comparable with established vessel injury models in large animals. The aorta denudation model with balloon catheters mimics the clinical setting and leads to comparable pathobiological and physiological changes. Briefly, after performing a horizontal incision in the aorta abdominalis, a balloon catheter will be inserted into the vessel, inflated, and introduced retrogradely. Inflation of the balloon will lead to intima injury and overdistension of the vessel. After removing the catheter, the aortic incision will be closed with single stiches. The model shown in this article is reproducible, easy to perform, and can be established quickly and reliably. It is especially suitable for evaluating expensive experimental therapeutic agents, which can be applied in an economical fashion. By using different knockout-mouse strains, the impact of different genes on MH development can be assessed.

This article demonstrates a murine model to study the development of myointimal hyperplasia (MH) after aortic balloon injury.

The use of animal models is essential for a better understanding of MH, one major cause for arterial stenosis.In this article, we demonstrate a murine ...