Gut endocrine Rbp2 knockout mouse model for metabolic hormone studies

This technology is a conditional-knockout mouse line that deletes the retinol-binding protein 2 (Rbp2) gene in intestinal enteroendocrine cells, allowing for the study of retinoid-dependent regulation of gut hormone secretion and its downstream metabolic phenotypes.

Unmet Need: Tissue‑specific in vivo models of gut hormone control

Several platforms investigate intestinal-endocrine hormone function, yet none reliably replicate human physiology or inform personalized therapies. Cell‑type-specific models are required to define how Rbp2 in enteroendocrine cells influences hormone release and metabolic outcomes, which global knockouts cannot isolate.

The Technology: Cell-type specific Rbp2 conditional knockout mouse

This technology describes a knockout mouse line that deletes retinol-binding protein 2 (Rbp2) specifically in gut endocrine cells. This model was created by introducing loxP sites flanking Rbp2 exon 1 and generating targeted embryonic stem cells that yield a floxed Rbp2 allele. The design permits cell-specific, Cre-driven excision of Rbp2 exon 1. This line is being used in ongoing in vivo studies to assess enteroendocrine-specific effects on hormone secretion and systemic metabolic readouts.

Applications:

• Research model for studying obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease mechanisms
• Platform to dissect retinoid-mediated regulation of incretin hormones (GLP-1, GIP)
• Tool to probe vitamin A/retinoid signaling pathways in metabolic disease
• Breeding with other Cre lines to create cell‑type–specific Rbp2 knockouts across tissues

Advantages:

• Enables cell-type-specific causal inference
• Avoids confounding systemic and developmental effects
• Matches a previously characterized Rbp2 allele for direct comparability
• Crosses readily with existing Cre drivers for experimental flexibility
• Provides documented genotyping and colony protocols for reproducibility
• Supports focused preclinical screening of gut-targeted retinoid and incretin modulators
• Allows temporal control using inducible Cre systems to probe developmental windows

Lead Inventor:

Rossana M. Calderon, M.D.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU25453

• Licensing Contact: Joan Martinez