Expression of human estrogen receptors in transgenic mice
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsJeffrey M. Arbeit, Peter J. Kushner, Rosalie M. Uht, Birgit Anderegg
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Abstract
The present invention relates to improved compositions and methods for assaying the efficacy of novel drugs functioning either as agonists or antagonists at nuclear receptors. In particular, the invention provides transgenic non-human animals comprising a human steroid hormone receptor gene operably linked to a promoter which directs expression of the steroid hormone receptor gene in an epithelial cell of the non-human animals.
Claims11
A transgenic mouse whose genome comprises a human estrogen receptor gene operably linked to a human keratin-14 promoter, whereby expression of the human estrogen receptor gene in an epithelial cell causes a phenotype selected from the group consisting of epidermal hyperplasia and erythematous ears.
A method of testing a composition for the ability to modulate the activity of a human estrogen receptor, the method comprising:
- providing a transgenic mouse whose genome comprises a human estrogen receptor gene operably linked to a human keratin-14 promoter which directs expression of the estrogen receptor in an epithelial cell, whereby expression of the human estrogen receptor gene causes a phenotype selected from the group consisting of epidermal hyperplasia and erythematous ears;
- administering the composition to the mouse;
- and
- detecting changes in the phenotype, wherein a change in said phenotype indicates that a composition has modulated the activity of said estrogen receptor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.