Game of microbes: a wildling's guide

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Animal Models

Background:

• Laboratory mice (specific pathogen-free) lack diverse microbial exposure crucial for immune development.
• Current housing restricts interactions with commensal and pathogenic microorganisms, limiting translational relevance.
• Wild mice naturally encounter varied microbes, driving robust immune responses and physiological adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the limitations of current rodent models in biomedical research.
• To propose a method for naturalizing rodent models through controlled microbial exposure.
• To improve the translational validity of murine studies by reestablishing a link with free-living mammals.

Main Methods:

• Defining 'microbial self' and 'microbial nonself' concepts.
• Developing a four-step guide for establishing multigenerational wildling colonies.
• Implementing protocols that manage and integrate microbial exposures.

Main Results:

• Establishment of a framework for creating naturalized rodent colonies.
• Demonstration of a method to account for both self and non-self microbial elements.
• Creation of a model that better reflects the microbial exposures of free-living mammals.

Conclusions:

• Naturalizing rodent models is essential for advancing biomedical research.
• The proposed four-step guide facilitates the creation of colonies with relevant microbial exposures.
• This approach enhances the comparability between murine and human studies by restoring a common biological link.