Mouse models that mimic human arsenic processing
Humanized mouse models for arsenic toxicology
Building mice that process arsenic like people so researchers can learn how arsenic in water and food harms health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11118999 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project creates mice whose arsenic metabolism works like a person's by modifying the enzyme that processes arsenic (AS3MT). Researchers will expose these "humanized" mice to levels of inorganic arsenic similar to what people might encounter in drinking water and food and measure how the mice make and clear arsenic metabolites. They will look for disease signs linked to arsenic exposure — such as cancers, diabetes, and heart problems — that previous mouse models failed to reproduce. By providing a more human-like animal model, this work aims to make it easier to study how arsenic causes harm and to test prevention or treatment approaches.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People exposed to inorganic arsenic through drinking water or food, or those concerned about arsenic-related cancers, diabetes, or heart disease, would be most relevant to this research.
Not a fit: People with no history of arsenic exposure or whose conditions are unrelated to arsenic are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help scientists understand how arsenic causes cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease and speed development of prevention or treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies have not replicated human arsenic-related diseases well because mice metabolize arsenic differently, so creating humanized arsenic-metabolism models is a relatively new and promising approach.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Styblo, Miroslav — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Styblo, Miroslav
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.