Available Technology
Migration inhibitory factor (MIF) knockout mouse
Technology:
Mouse line
Markets Addressed
This mouse can be used to support research in many areas such as immunology and inflammation research. Phenotypes displayed by this mouse strain included: (1) decreased circulating tumor necrosis factor level, (2) decreased susceptibility to bacterial infection, (3) decreased susceptibility to endotoxin shock, (4) decreased incidence of chemically-induced tumors.
Innovations and Advantages
To study the biological role of migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pleiotropic cytokine, we generated a mouse strain lacking MIF by gene targeting in embryonic stem cells. Analysis of the role of MIF during sepsis showed that MIF-/- mice were resistant to the lethal effects of high dose bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB) with D-galactosamine and had lower plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) than did wild-type mice.
The invention is a mouse that is homozygous null for the Mif gene (MIF-/- KO mice). A neomycin resistance cassette replaced a genomic fragment containing part of exon 2 and exon 3.
Additional Information
MIF-/- KO mice in 129/Sv background is available through Jackson Laboratory JAX 003830.
Use of mice by companies or for-profit entities requires a separate commercial license from Harvard University.
Live MIF-/- KO mice in C57/BL6 and BALB/c backgrounds are also available.
Publication:
-Bozza M. Satoskar AR. Lin G. Lu B. Humbles AA. Gerard C. David JR. 1999. Targeted disruption of migration inhibitory factor gene reveals its critical role in sepsis. Journal of Experimental Medicine. 189(2):341-6.
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Inventor(s):
Bozza, Marcelo Torres
David, John R.
Gerard, Craig
Categories:
For further information, please contact:
Debra Peattie, Director of Business Development
(617) 495-3067
Reference Harvard Case #1587