Animal Models of Autoimmune Disease

ANIMAL MODELS OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

The difficulty in carrying out randomized, well-controlled research in patients com-plicates studies of the pathogenesis and treatment of human autoimmune disease. Often the simplest course is to first study the disease in an appropriate animal model. However, because animal models of dis-ease rarely are identical to the human dis-order, the suitability of a particular model in any given situation must be considered carefully before undertaking animal stud-ies. The list of animal models of autoim-mune disease is extensive, and only some of the more commonly studied models can be reviewed here (see also Table 6.2).

Table 6.2 Key Features of Selected Animal Models of Autoimmune Disease