Mouse Models of Human Autoimmune Diseases Essential Tools That Require the Proper Controls 英文参考文献.docVIP

Open access, freely available online Primer Mouse Models of Human Autoimmune Diseases: Essential Tools That Require the Proper Controls Laurence Morel A utoimmune diseases af?ict a large segment of the population in Western countries. Many of them have been described, and rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes (also called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), multiple sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are among the most common. Although tremendous progress has been made in disease management over the last decade, cures for these diseases have not yet been found. Consequently, a large research effort is sustained in this ?eld. In addition, autoimmunity has intrigued basic immunologists since the early realization that the ability to discriminate self from non-self was at the core of the immune system’s ability to protect an organism from pathogens while avoiding self-destruction. A failure of this mechanism results in autoimmune reactions that often lead to clinical disease. In spite of massive research efforts, the mechanisms by which autoimmune diseases develop are not clearly understood. Genetic predisposition as well as environmental triggers plays a role, but the identity of these factors has been largely elusive. The identi?cation of the most common genetic and environmental factors that set off autoimmunity may lead to a better understanding of the ensuing pathogenesis, and offers the best hope for improved therapies, and ultimately, cures. diseases in particular. In the past few decades, the mouse has become the Citation: Morel L (2004) Mouse models of human autoimmune disease: essential tools that require the proper controls. PLoS Biol 2(8): e241. Copyright: ? 2004 Laurence Morel.This is an open- access article distributed under the terms of the Cre- ative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abbreviations: ES, embryonic s