Poster Presenter

MRL lpr Mice: A Suitable Mouse Model To Validate Compounds That Can Suppress Autoimmunity And Autoimmune Tissue Pathology
Onkar Kulkarni and Hans Joachim Anders
Germany

Animal models of autoimmunity are used to identify important immunologic factors and pathways involved in the different autoimmune diseases. Identification of the role of genetics of disease and development of new disease models have led to new possibilities for treatment. MRL-MPJ Faslpr (MRL/lpr) mice are a prototypic murine model for SLE-like autoimmunity and autoimmune tissue pathology. Disease begins as early as 8-wk-of-age in these animals with polyclonal B cell activation, an expansion of autoreactive B and T cells that cause massive lymphoproliferation. By 12 to 16-wk-of-age MRL/lpr mice begin to produce antinuclear antibodies directed against RNA and DNA autoantigens. >From 16 to 24 wk, MRL/lpr mice develop autoimmune pathology of the kidney (lupus nephritis), the lung (peribronchitis), the skin (dermatitis), and the joints (arthritis) in association. Kidney disease rapidly progresses to renal failure and uremic death in 50% of the mice by 22-24-wk-of-age.The joint and skin diseases exhibited by the MRL/lpr mice represent features seen in human SLE but rarely noted in the other mouse models. This poster will provide numerous examples how this model can be used to to validate experimental compound for immunotherapy and how a sophisticated phenotype analysis can pin point their way of action.