Murine Models of Atopic Dermatitis

In accordance with the complex immunopathological findings in AD, many different murine models have been established, each focusing on different aspects of the disease. Thus several transgenic and knockout mouse models were helpful to a certain degree in improving our understanding of AD pathophysiology. However, genetic manipulation of a single cytokine obviously cannot mirror the whole picture of a complex disease such as AD. Neither the interaction between selected cytokines nor the entire pathological pathways can be completely evaluated with these models. Yet this type of mouse model has great potential for increasing our knowledge of AD pathology and for investigating the mechanisms of drug activities. Mice with spontaneous mutations resulting in an AD phenotype allow investigations on a broader scale, as do animals treated with antigens in order to induce AD. Combinations of the different approaches increase the size and versatility of the toolkit available, as shown by deletion of genes in NC/Nga mice, thus allowing even deeper insights in the mechanism of AD. Mice with a spontaneous AD phenotype are also suitable for drug testing and development. This also applies to the chimeric SCID-hu mouse, which allows assessment of the interaction between human skin and selected human cell populations. However, models should be chosen carefully and manipulations should be done only after appropriate consideration of side effects or unwanted additional effects.