ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ROLE OF IL-6 AND TNF RECEPTOR-1 USING GENE KNOCKOUT MICE

Cytokines are known to be key players in host response to infection, i mmunological disorders, and tissue injury in the attempt of an organis m to overcome the insult and restore homeostasis. Another important as pect of cytokines, however, is their normal physiological role during development in the unchallenged organism. The most elegant way to anal yze both of these functions is to introduce targeted mutations in embr yonic stem cells in order to create new mouse strains deficient for a given cytokine and identify the functions that are consequently impair ed or lost. This review summarizes the mutant phenotypes of mice carry ing a null mutation in the cytokine IL-6 gene or the tumor necrosis fa ctor receptor 1 (Tnfr1) gene. Results for interferon- and interferon-g amma receptor-deficient mice are included for comparison.