In Vivo Model Development for Uveitis

Protheragen offers comprehensive in vivo uveitis model development services, supporting translational research and preclinical evaluation of novel therapeutics for ocular inflammation. Leveraging a diverse range of animal species, strains, and induction methods, we deliver scientifically robust and customizable uveitis models tailored to your research needs.

Uveitis is a complex inflammatory eye disease with significant morbidity, requiring accurate preclinical models to advance therapeutic discovery. Protheragen's portfolio encompasses murine (Mus musculus), rat (Rattus norvegicus), rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and pig (Sus scrofa) models, including widely used strains such as B10.RIII, C57BL/6, Balb/c, Lewis, Sprague Dawley, Wistar, and New Zealand White. These models recapitulate key features of human uveitis, including immune-mediated, infectious, and toxin-induced pathologies, enabling investigation of disease mechanisms, efficacy testing, and safety profiling of candidate therapies.

Chemically-Induced Models

Chemically-induced uveitis models utilize agents such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), pertussis toxin B-oligomer, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and other small molecules to provoke ocular inflammation. Administration is typically via intravitreal, systemic, or periocular injection. These models are rapid, reproducible, and highly controllable, making them ideal for screening anti-inflammatory compounds and studying acute immune responses. Key advantages include ease of induction, predictable onset, and suitability for high-throughput studies. Primary research applications encompass drug efficacy evaluation, mechanistic studies of innate immunity, and biomarker discovery.

Biologically-Induced (Antigen-Induced) Models

Biologically-induced models, often referred to as experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), are established by immunizing animals with retinal antigens such as interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP), MART-1, gp100, or survivin, often emulsified in Freund's adjuvant and sometimes combined with pertussis toxin. This approach reliably induces a T cell-mediated autoimmune response that closely mimics human non-infectious uveitis. These models are highly relevant for studying chronic and relapsing-remitting disease, immunopathogenesis, and T cell-targeted therapies. Advantages include strong translational relevance, the ability to model chronic disease, and suitability for evaluating immunomodulatory agents.

Genetic and Transgenic Models

Genetic and transgenic uveitis models involve the use of knockout (e.g., Il17a, P2rx7) or transgenic (e.g., HLA-DRB1, HLA-DRB3) animals to study the impact of specific genes or human leukocyte antigens on disease susceptibility and progression. These models are generated through targeted gene editing or transgenic techniques and can be combined with antigenic or chemical induction for enhanced disease modeling. Key advantages include the ability to dissect molecular pathways, investigate gene-environment interactions, and validate therapeutic targets. Primary research applications include mechanistic studies, validation of gene therapies, and exploration of personalized medicine strategies.

Bacterial Infection-Induced Models

Bacterial infection-induced models replicate infectious uveitis by introducing pathogenic bacteria or bacterial components directly into the ocular environment or systemically. Commonly used pathogens include Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other clinically relevant bacteria. These models are instrumental for studying host-pathogen interactions, immune responses to infection, and evaluating anti-infective agents. Advantages include high clinical relevance for infectious uveitis and the opportunity to test antimicrobial as well as immunomodulatory therapies.

Protheragen delivers a complete solution for in vivo uveitis modeling, from protocol design and animal sourcing to model induction, disease monitoring, and data analysis. We offer customizable induction protocols (chemical, biological, genetic, infectious) across multiple species and strains. Key efficacy endpoints include clinical scoring of ocular inflammation, retinal histopathology, cytokine profiling, flow cytometry of immune cell populations, imaging (fundus photography, OCT), and functional assays (ERG). Our analytical capabilities span molecular, cellular, and histological techniques, with rigorous quality control measures ensuring reproducibility and data integrity at every step. All studies are conducted in compliance with ethical guidelines and GLP standards.

Partnering with Protheragen gives you access to a scientifically validated, flexible, and end-to-end animal modeling platform for uveitis research. Our expert team is committed to supporting your drug discovery journey with tailored model selection, comprehensive data packages, and responsive project management. Contact us today to accelerate your uveitis research and advance your therapeutic pipeline with confidence.