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New mouse model, expressing human Fc receptors, to test the efficacy of therapeutic antibodies
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About this Innovation Over the years, a lot of therapeutic antibodies have been developed and marketed. These antibodies have the capacity to treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and several forms of cancer. The potential of antibodies for healthcare is enormous and several new antibodies directed to new targets are under development. It appears very difficult to test the efficacy of the therapeutic antibodies in the first phases of clinical research. This is currently performed in vitro and in mouse models. However, in vitro tests do not represent the broad context of the body, whereas in the mouse the Fc receptors (FcR), which are the main molecules interacting with antibodies, are not identical to human FcR. For this reason there is a strong need for more reliable in vivo test models based on the characteristics of the human body. To fulfill this need, scientists at the Leiden University Medical Center have developed two new mouse models, which, when crossed, will generate a mouse model with human FcR in the absence of mouse FcR. (‘Humanized mouse’). The scientists are looking for a commercial partner to develop the desired mouse model to be able to study the effects of therapeutic antibodies in the human body. Furthermore, since the copy number and expression of the different members of the FcR family varies between individuals, additional models could be developed, displaying specific types of human FcR, which will then be representative for a specific part of the population. The availability of this kind of models will allow for the development of personalized therapeutic strategies, dependent on the patient’s FcR expression. A biotechnology/pharmaceutical partner with experience in drug testing and/or the development of therapeutic antibodies. Key benefits Provides for a more effective drug testing procedure Mimics the human body Additional mouse models, displaying specific Fc receptors, can be developed The research team has over 20 years of experience Applications Antibody testing Allows for personalized medicine Development stage The scientists have already developed two mouse models, which will have to be crossed: The first mouse model has no expression of Fc receptors at all. The second is a transgenic mouse model which, apart from its own Fc receptors, displays human Fc receptors.