Examples of In Vivo Mouse Models for Disease
The MaFIA mouse model
Macrophages are believed to play an important role in tumor development and progression. The Macrophage Fas-Induced Apoptosis (MaFIA) mouse is a widely adopted mouse model that allows for selective removal of macrophages through apoptosis (1). The mechanism involves expression of a fas-DmrB fusion protein from a myeloid-specific promoter and its induced trimerization with the B/B Homodimerizer (AP20187). Trimerization of the fas death domain activates the caspase 8 pathway and leads to macrophage ablation in MaFIA mice (see Data & Images tab).
Studying the roles of FGF receptor subtypes in prostate cancer
Prostate-specific expression of inducible versions of two subtypes of fibroblast growth factor receptor, FGFR-1 and FGFR-2, showed that only FGFR-1 induced neoplasia/hyperplasia in the prostate—implying its role for early prostate cancer development (2; see Data & Images tab). This mouse model can be used to test drug candidates that block the effects of FGFR1 dimerization.