Newly proposed differences in genetic pathways that cause cancer in humans and mice invigorated the ongoing discussion about the legitimacy of the murine system to model the human disease.
Similar to the murine system, neutralization of α4-integrins by natalizumab in humans mainly blocks CD4+ T cells from entering into the CNS compartment but spares CD8+ T cells [ 23, 24].
Unlike its effect in the murine system, elevation of cAMP in LPS-activated macrophages failed to augment the human anti-inflammatory IL-10 response but potently inhibited the TNF-α response.
Considering the instructive role of HoxB4 in the murine system, transient overexpression of HOXB4 does not improve the features of human ESC- or iPSC-derived hematopoietic progenitors toward a transplantable cell population (Wang et al, 2005a).
However Wang and co-authors used studies in murine systems to further address whether knockdown of Wdnm1-like affected DC differentiation, finally claiming "that lnc-DC is vital for DC differentiation in both human and mice".
In the murine system, the presence of IL-4 during the generation of lowGM-DC abrogated the maturation-resistant phenotype [23] and during normal highGM cultures can influence the subset generation [33].
Behboudi et al. reported that rMVA induces DC dysfunction in the murine system with stimulation of MHC class I down-regulation and apoptosis [28], whereas Drillien et al. demonstrated moderate activation of human DCs by MVA [29].
However, we have found that in contrast to the murine system, endosomal trafficking of human CD1d molecules is not required to stimulate autoreactive responses from human NKT cells [31].
In contrast to our results, which show a clear effect on the p35 subunit of IL-12p70, Netishi et al. (2012) reported that in a murine system virus-induced activation of RIG-I-like receptors (RLR) selectively suppressed transcription of the p40 subunit of IL-12p70 and suppressed bacterial induction of Th1 and Th17 responses.
However, further studies of the murine system, using 3D whole mount imaging of homeostatic tissue is required to establish whether these differences are genuine.
