Demonstrating Immunocompetency in Nude Mice
Abstract
This study aims to show that athymic nude mice can be made immunocompetent
by purifying spleen cells from BALB/c mice, and injecting them into the nude
mice. Successfully demonstrating this result is important, because it allows us to
use this mouse model to explore the tumor-reducing capabilities of oncolytic
viruses in a system with intact immunity. BALB/c mice cannot directly be used
for experimentation, because their immune systems will reject the tumor cells that
are injected into their bodies. In this new mouse model however, the oncolytic
effects of viruses can be studied in an immunocompetent mouse, because the
tumor will be accepted by the host before the immune system is formed.