Humanized mice for immune system investigation: progress, promise and challenges.

Significant advances in our understanding of the in vivo functions of human cells and tissues and the human immune system have resulted from the development of \u27humanized\u27 mouse strains that are based on severely immunodeficient mice with mutations in the interleukin-2 receptor common γ-chain locus. These mouse strains support the engraftment of a functional human immune system and permit detailed analyses of human immune biology, development and functions. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in the development and utilization of humanized mice, the lessons learnt, the remaining challenges and the promise of using humanized mice for the in vivo study of human immunology