NOD/scid IL-2Rγ mice reconstituted with peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with Crohn's disease reflect the human pathological phenotype.

Introduction: Crohn's disease (CD) is characterized by pronounced intestinal fibrosis and severe mucosal damage and conventional animal models are limited to reflect these pathological manifestations. The aim of this study was to examine whether the combination of patient immune-profiling and preclinical studies in a mouse model based on NOD/scid IL-2Rγ (NSG) reconstituted with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from CD patients has the capacity to harmonize ex vivo human and in vivo animal studies.

Methods: Immunological profiles of CD (n = 24) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients (n = 47) were established by flow cytometry of subgroups of immune cells and subjected to hierarchical cluster and estimation graphics analyses.

Suppressing Kv1.3 Ion Channel Activity with a Novel Small Molecule Inhibitor Ameliorates Inflammation in a Humanised Mouse Model of Ulcerative Colitis.

Background And Aims: The potassium channel Kv1.3 is a potentially attractive therapeutic target in T cell-mediated inflammatory diseases, as the activity of antigen-activated T cells is selectively impeded by Kv1.3 inhibition.