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.