This technology is a mouse model for the specific expression of tamoxifen-dependent Cre recombinase through the pericyte-specific PDGFR-beta promoter.
Pericytes are found in small blood vessels and are essential to angiogenesis and tumor metastasis. Mouse models that allow for the specific expression of Cre recombinase in pericytes are valuable for the study of pericytes and pericyte-related diseases, including neurological disorders and cancer. However, current pericyte-specific Cre recombinase mouse models are either non-inducible or non-specific, preventing robust experimentation of pericyte physiology and pathology. As such, there is a need for a mouse model that includes an inducible pericyte-specific Cre recombinase.
This technology is a mouse model that utilizes a pericyte-specific PDGFRβ promoter to drive the expression of tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase specifically in pericyte cells. The specificity and inducible nature of this mouse model allows for pericyte-specific experimentation at various time points in the mouse’s development. Consequently, this technology provides a tool for the flexible and powerful analysis of the role of pericytes in both pathological and physiological settings.
The pericyte specificity of the mouse model was validated both by crossing it with a fluorescent reporter line and through the successful pericyte-specific deletion of Notch signaling using the inducible Cre recombinase.
Patent Pending
IR CU18037
Licensing Contact: Jerry Kokoshka
