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The mouse ascending: perspectives for human-disease models

Nature Cell Biology volume 9, pages 993–999 (2007)Cite this article

The laboratory mouse is widely considered the model organism of choice for studying the diseases of humans, with whom they share 99% of their genes. A distinguished history of mouse genetic experimentation has been further advanced by the development of powerful new tools to manipulate the mouse genome. The recent launch of several international initiatives to analyse the function of all mouse genes through mutagenesis, molecular analysis and phenotyping underscores the utility of the mouse for translating the information stored in the human genome into increasingly accurate models of human disease.

Mice and humans share most physiological and pathological features: similarities in nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal and other internal organ systems have been extensively documented. Comparative analyses of mouse and human genomes have provided insight into our common features and have guided powerful genomic manipulations in the mouse to generate models of human pathologies. These mice can then be subjected to biomedical experimentation not possible in patients. As more is learned about human diseases that mice do not usually contract, a growing armamentarium of experimental approaches is being applied to 'humanize' mouse physiology and mimic our clinical manifestations.

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Figure 1: Large-scale strategy for mutagenesis of the mouse genome: a conditional knockout vector is created for each gene and introduced into mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells.
Figure 2: Principles of conditional mutation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mouse Biology Unit, EMBL Monterotondo Outstation, via Ramarini 32, 00016, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy

    Nadia Rosenthal

  2. MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell, OX11 0RD, Oxfordshire, UK

    Steve Brown

Authors
  1. Nadia Rosenthal
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  2. Steve Brown
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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Rosenthal, N., Brown, S. The mouse ascending: perspectives for human-disease models. Nat Cell Biol 9, 993–999 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb437

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