Severe combined immunodeficiency mouse-human skin chimeras: a unique animal model for the study of psoriasis and cutaneous inflammation

Elucidation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the pa thogenesis of psoriasis had been significantly handicapped due to lack of a n ideal animal model. To overcome this hurdle several investigators have de veloped a number of animal models for psoriasis. Recent establishment of th e SCID-human skin chimeras with transplanted psoriasis plaques has opened n ew vistas to study the molecular complexities involved in psoriasis. This m odel also offers a unique opportunity to investigate various key biological events such as cell proliferation, angiogenesis, homing in of T cells in t arget tissues, neurogenic inflammation and cytokine/chemokine cascades invo lved in an inflammatory reaction. The SCID mouse model will be of immense h elp to target the cellular and molecular events associated with these patho genic processes and develop novel drugs for psoriasis and other inflammator y diseases. In this article we have reviewed the prospects and the limitati ons of the SCID mouse model of psoriasis.