We’ve covered the importance of mouse biologicals in research in previous blog posts. It should come as no surprise to many researchers that mouse models and mouse-derived samples are widely used across immunology, hematology, oncology, pharmacology, and other life science research areas. However, not all mouse samples are the same. When choosing the right sample for a study, researchers often need to decide whether a pooled sample or a single-donor sample is better suited to the experimental question. In this blog post, we’ll look at single-donor mouse blood products and how researchers use them in their work.
Mouse Blood Products
Mice are among the most commonly used animal models in biomedical research, so blood products from mice are a staple in many in vitro and translational research applications (Rydell-Törmänen and Johnson, 2019). Mouse blood products may be used in immune and inflammation studies, immunoassays, drug development research, hematology studies, and other applications where a well-characterized small-animal model is appropriate (Hod, Arinsburg, Francis, Hendrickson, Zimring, and Spitalnik, 2013).
One way mouse blood products are used in research is to help investigators study mechanisms relevant to human blood disorders and diseases. Mouse models can provide insight into the pathophysiology of clinically relevant processes such as anemia, red blood cell clearance, transfusion reactions, and immune-mediated effects, while still requiring careful interpretation because mouse and human biology are not identical (Hod, et al., 2013). Mouse blood and blood products are also used to study immune responses, disease mechanisms, biomarker behavior, and early-stage method development for eventual diagnostic or therapeutic research applications.
Single Donor Mouse Samples
When a study’s goal is to characterize an average matrix, reduce donor-to-donor variability, or obtain a larger sample volume, pooled samples may be a useful and cost-effective choice. If the goal is to evaluate donor-specific variability, study a defined strain or phenotype, or measure a biomarker where individual biological variation matters, single-donor samples may be the better fit. Single-donor mouse samples can support controlled study designs because strain, donor status, collection matrix, and lot characteristics can be selected more deliberately; however, researchers should still account for biological variability and confirm that the chosen sample format fits the study design.
Single-donor mouse blood products, such as plasma or serum, can be useful for immune studies, biomarker quantification, assay development, and other applications where lot identity and donor-level information are important. Mice share substantial genetic and physiological similarities with humans, which is one reason mouse models are widely used in biomedical research, but important species-specific differences mean findings should be interpreted in the context of the model (Rydell-Törmänen and Johnson, 2019; National Institutes of Health, 2014). Using a single-donor mouse sample can help researchers limit some sources of sample heterogeneity, especially when the study depends on a specific strain, matrix, anticoagulant, disease model, treatment status, or collection condition.
Innovative Research carries single-donor mouse blood products from commonly used research strains, including C57BL/6, CD-1, and BALB/c. Check out the following products in our catalog:
C57BL6
· Plasma
· Serum
CD1
· Plasma
· Serum
BALBc
· Plasma
· Serum
You can order these products right here on our website, over the phone, or with a PO via email. If you have questions or are looking for a custom lot, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at sales@innov-research.com.
Citations
Hod EA, Arinsburg SA, Francis RO, Hendrickson JE, Zimring JC, Spitalnik SL. Use of mouse models to study the mechanisms and consequences of RBC clearance. Vox Sang. 2010 Aug 1;99(2):99-111. doi: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.2010.01327.x. PMID: 20345515; PMCID: PMC3580149. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3580149/
Rydell-Törmänen K, Johnson JR. The applicability of mouse models to the study of human disease. Methods Mol Biol. 2019;1940:3-22. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9086-3_1. PMID: 30788814; PMCID: PMC7121329. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7121329/
National Institutes of Health. Comparing the mouse and human genomes. NIH Research Matters. Published December 8, 2014. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/comparing-mouse-human-genomes
