Operating and Biocontainment Procedures of a Facility for Laboratory Mice with a Natural Microbiome: Immunophenotyping Procedure

The use of laboratory mice with a natural microbiome, such as "Wildling mice", offers a promising research tool for both basic and applied science due to their close resemblance to the human superorganism. However, the breeding and maintenance of these mice, which harbor a diverse microbiome including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, pose significant challenges for animal husbandry facilities at research institutions. To address these challenges, a specialized facility concept was developed for housing "Wildling mice" at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. This approach involved designing a facility with specific structural features and operational protocols to effectively contain the natural microbiome, thereby protecting areas with higher hygiene standards. A methodology for blood sampling from both specified pathogen-free (SPF) and "Wildling mice" for immunophenotyping is demonstrated, highlighting the workflow and biocontainment measures implemented in the facility. Remarkable results reveal that "Wildling mice" exposed to a natural microbiome develop distinct immune cell populations, which are significantly reduced in mice bred and maintained under stringent hygiene conditions. The significance of this study lies in its potential to provide researchers with access to mice that possess a natural microbiome and a mature immune system similar to that of human adults. This approach could enhance the translatability of preclinical findings into clinical practice, thereby advancing the field of biomedical research.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Visualized Experiments
Published
2024-12-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3791/67100
Primary Topic
Animal testing and alternatives
Type
article
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article

Operating and Biocontainment Procedures of a Facility for Laboratory Mice with a Natural Microbiome: Immunophenotyping Procedure

Marina Jendrach, Stephan P. Rosshart, Pia Kahnau, Nadine Haase et al.
Journal of Visualized Experiments
Animal testing and alternatives
article

Operating and Biocontainment Procedures of a Facility for Laboratory Mice with a Natural Microbiome: Immunophenotyping Procedure

Marina Jendrach, Stephan P. Rosshart, Pia Kahnau, Nadine Haase, Andreas Diefenbach, Laura Schaupp, Natascha Drude, Stefan Jordan, Bastian Opitz, Gilbert Schönfelder, Claudia U. Duerr, Marcus Alexander Mall, Stefan Nagel-Riedasch, Marina Kolesnichenko, Gerald Willimsky, Kai Diederich, Lars Lewejohann, Amanda J. Lohan, Ariane Weber, Dominik N. Müller, Frank L. Heppner, Christoph Harms, Ying C. Q. Zang, Claudia Kurreck
article en

Abstract

The use of laboratory mice with a natural microbiome, such as "Wildling mice", offers a promising research tool for both basic and applied science due to their close resemblance to the human superorganism. However, the breeding and maintenance of these mice, which harbor a diverse microbiome including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, pose significant challenges for animal husbandry facilities at research institutions. To address these challenges, a specialized facility concept was developed for housing "Wildling mice" at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. This approach involved designing a facility with specific structural features and operational protocols to effectively contain the natural microbiome, thereby protecting areas with higher hygiene standards. A methodology for blood sampling from both specified pathogen-free (SPF) and "Wildling mice" for immunophenotyping is demonstrated, highlighting the workflow and biocontainment measures implemented in the facility. Remarkable results reveal that "Wildling mice" exposed to a natural microbiome develop distinct immune cell populations, which are significantly reduced in mice bred and maintained under stringent hygiene conditions. The significance of this study lies in its potential to provide researchers with access to mice that possess a natural microbiome and a mature immune system similar to that of human adults. This approach could enhance the translatability of preclinical findings into clinical practice, thereby advancing the field of biomedical research.

Journal of Visualized Experiments(214)
Animal Welfare Institute (US), University of Freiburg (DE), German Cancer Research Center (DE), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE), Max Delbrück Center (DE), Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (DE), University Medical Center Freiburg (DE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DE), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE), Universitätsklinikum Erlangen (DE), German Cancer Society (DE), Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Microbiology (CZ), German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DE), German Center for Lung Research (DE), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE), Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin (DE), Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (DE), Freie Universität Berlin (DE), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 72%
Animal testing and alternatives
DOISourceOpenAlex
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