Yale University

Christopher C Hughes

Peter Petzelbauer

Jordan S Pober

Allan G Murray

Philip W Askenase

The present invention describes a novel immunodeficient rodent model comprising an organ graft, such as a human skin graft, said graft containing microvessels lined by endothelial cells, human T lymphocytes and, optionally, at least one agent capable of substantially depleting the rodent's Natural Killer cells. The human T lymphocytes are engrafted and circulating in the animal's blood, enabling interaction with the endothelial cells which can be allogenic to the donor for the skin graft. The immunodeficient rodent used can be a SCID mouse. Preferably, the endothelial cells are provided by grafting said human skin with an intact dermal superficial vascular plexus. This immunodeficient rodent can be used as a model for studying inflammatory human immune responses of the engrafted T lymphocytes to foreign antigen as well as for studying human allograft rejection, e.g. human microvessel destruction and the T cell-endothelial cell in vivo interactions associated with a human allograft rejection.

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New Haven, CT, United States of America

Christopher C Hughes