Immunodeficient NOD-scid IL-2Rγ^null mice do not display T and B cell leakiness

NOD/Shi-scid IL-2Rγnull (NOG) mice established by introducing the IL-2Rγnull gene of IL-2Rγ KO mice into NOD/Shi-scid mice by backcross-mating show a high xenograft engraftment level and are therefore well suited as a humanized mouse model. SCID mice bearing the Prkdcscid gene show a high incidence of thymic lymphoma and a leaky phenomenon in which a few clonal T and B cells develop in aged mice. In the present study, NOG mice were assessed for the presence of a leaky phenomenon such as the one observed in C.B-17-scid and NOD-scid mice. Serum immunoglobulin analysis did not detect IgG or IgM in NOG mice, unlike the findings in C.B-17-scid and NOD-scid mice. Flow cytometry analysis revealed the absence of T and B cells in the peripheral blood and spleens of NOG mice. These results reflect the suppression of the leaky phenomenon in NOG mice through the inactivation of the IL-2Rγ gene, which is commonly expressed in T and B cell growth factor receptors to IL-2, IL-4 and IL-7.