THE SCID-hu MOUSE: A Small Animal Model for HIV Infection and

The SCID-hu mouse is a heterochimeric small animal designed to support hematopoietic differentiation and function in vivo. Multiple organs of the human hematolymphoid system have been ully engrafted into the immunodeficient C.B-17 seidl seid mouse, including fetal liver, thymus, lymph node, and skin. Co-implantation of human fetal liver and human fetal thymus results in long-term, muitili neage human hematopoiesis in vivo. Mature human lymphocytes within the SCID-hu mouse are phenotypically and fun ctionally normal. HIV inf ection of the SCID-hu mouse reflects a tropism similar to that found in humans: only human organs with CD4 + cells are inf ected. Viral replication can thereafter be monitored with assays that are safe, reproducible, and quantitative. Given this small animal model, it is now possible to study systematically