Establishment Of The ICOS Transgenic Mice Model And Its Application To The Study Of Schistosomiasis Japonicum

This research tries to establish the ICOS transgenic mice model and applies it to the study of schistosomiasis Japonicum. We successfully cloned the full-length sequence of ICOS cDNA to construct transgenic vector pEGFP-ICOS through genetic engineering method. Then the ICOS transgenic mice were obtained through microinjection and embryo transplantation. Through the investigation of some of the biologic characters of the transgenic mice, We found that there were no significant difference between the transgenic mice and the normal FVB mice (wild type) in propagation ability and growth curvature. And there was no remarkable abnormality in spleen and thymus of the transgenic mice. When the transgemc mice were infected with Schistosoma japonicum, we detected the Th1/Th2 related cytokines, serum antibodies and we also observed granulomatosis in liver tissue. The results showed that there is stronger immune response in vivo in the transgenic mice than in the normal FVB mice. Furthermore, the transgenic mice exhibited a notablely stronger Th2 type immune response. These results hint the co-stimulatory molecule ICOS may play an important role in the specific Th1/Th2 immunodeviation of Schistosoma japonicum and its immunopathologic mechanism and ICOS transgenic mice can be used to specifically regulate Th1/Th2 reaction as an effective modeling animal. Our studies have provided a potent model tool for further understanding of the function of ICOS and the immunopathologic molecular mechanism in schistosomiasis.