I had recently the great pleasure to contribute to a study led by Dr. Seung Kim (Professor in the Department of Developmental Biology, at Stanford University School of Medicine) aiming for the development of B6 RIP-DTR mice, an immunocompetent line permitting diabetes induction with 100% penetrance.
This inbred line is homozygous for the C57BL/6J major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotype and expresses the mutant CD45.1 allele in the hematopoietic lineage. β cell-specific expression of a high-affinity receptor for diphtheria toxin (due to RIP-DTR transgene) permits experimental β cell ablation and diabetes induction after DT administration.
Using this line, diabetes reversal for over one year was achieved after transplantation with congenic C57BL/6J islets, but not with MHC-mismatched BALB/c islets, which were rapidly rejected.
These results are now submitted for publication, and available also in BioRxiv server.
Continue your reading here:
Islet transplantation tolerance in animals with defined histocompatibility and diabetes
Authors: Bhagchandani P, Chang CA, Zhao W, Ghila L, Herrera PL, Chera S and Seung K Kim.
BioRxiv
DOI information: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.08.463702