Rat and mouse models for the major human autoimmune/inflammatory diseases a
re under intense genetic scrutiny. Genome-wide linkage studies reveal that
each model is regulated by multiple genetic loci, Many of these loci coloca
lize to homologous genomic regions associated with several different autoim
mune diseases of mice, rats and humans. Candidate genes are being identifie
d, Polymorphic alleles associated with these chromosomal segments may repre
sent predisposing genetic elements common to a number of human diseases wit
h very different clinical presentations.