HLA class II transgenic mice: Models of the human CD4+ T-cell immune response

This review examines the field of current HLA class II transgenic mouse models and the individual approaches applied in produtlion of these mice. The majority of these mice have been created with the objective of obtaining a disease model wiih clinical ffatures mimicking human autoitnmunc disease. The development process of a different type of HLA class II iransgenic jnice, which are designed to function as a substitute for a normai human immune system in studies of human autoantigens, is described. Several HLA-DR4 transgenic lines with normally expressed HL^- DR4 molecules have been produced. To obtain adequate positive selection of the HLA-DR4-restricted CD4' T-cell repertoire in these mice ic is essential both to introduce a human CD4 transgene. and to delete the murine major histocompatibiiity complex (MHC) class II molecules. These HLA-DR4 transgenic mice have been ased to determine the immunogenic CD4+ T-cell epicopes of several Iniman autoantigenic proteins.[object Object]