Therapeutic Strategies for SLE Involving Cytokines: Mechanism-Oriented Therapies Especially IFN- Targeting Gene Therapy
Figure 3
Female B/WF1 mice constitute one of the best-studied animal models of spontaneous systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in human. Their characteristic features include polyclonal B-cell activation, production of autoantibodies against autoantigens (e.g., notably dsDNA), which occur when the animals are 5-6 months of age, and development of glomerulonephritis with age which is the major cause of death due to renal failure. Moreover, animals respond to cortisone similar to human patients with SLE [51]. H-2: mouse MHC. ANA: antinuclear antibody.
