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PBMC leukemia animal model

PBMC leukemia animal model

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Leukemia (malignant blood tumor)
Endocrine and Immune system models

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Model Introduction

Model Introduction

Platform Service Advantages

Platform Service Advantages

Experimental results

Experimental results

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Leukemia (malignant blood tumor)

Introduction to the PBMC Leukemia Animal Model

PBMC‑derived leukemia animal models typically refer to xenograft models established by transplanting leukemia cells derived from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or leukemia‑related cells that have been engineered or enriched in vitro into immunodeficient mice, such as NSG or NOD/SCID mice. These models can, to a certain extent, recapitulate the in vivo proliferation, homing, and invasive behavior of human leukemia cells, thereby mimicking the systemic progression of the disease. They are widely employed for investigating the molecular mechanisms of leukemogenesis and for evaluating the in vivo efficacy of anti‑tumor therapeutics. Moreover, because they retain a degree of human immune cell background and microenvironmental components, these models also hold value for assessing immune‑targeted therapeutic strategies, including cell therapies and antibody‑based agents; however, their utility remains constrained by incomplete immune reconstitution and inter‑model heterogeneity.

Service Advantages of Aniphe BioLab’s PBMC Leukemia Animal Model Platform

The Aniphe BioLab PBMC leukemia animal model platform is established using a standardized human PBMC transplantation system in immunodeficient mice, providing a stable and reliable experimental model for in vivo leukemia research and drug efficacy evaluation.

Comprehensive model coverage

Standardized modeling procedure

Standardize PBMC processing and transplantation conditions, and use NSG/NOD‑SCID mice to enhance the stability and consistency of disease modeling.

Standardization of the modeling process

Higher human‑origin relevance

It preserves the characteristics of human immune cells, more closely reflecting the clinical progression of leukemia and the microenvironmental conditions.

Multidimensional Evaluation System

Applicable to a wide range of pharmacological efficacy evaluations.

It is suitable for in vivo validation of a wide range of anti-tumor agents, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.

Adapted for multi-cycle studies

Stable Observation Window

Disease progression is relatively controllable, facilitating group assignment and efficacy assessment.

Standardization of Data Delivery

Multi-index testing supported

It can be combined with peripheral blood, bone marrow, and spleen analyses to enable multidimensional evaluation, including flow cytometry and histopathology.

Modeling cycle

About 2 weeks

1  Laboratory animals

Female NCG, NSG, and NZG mice, etc.

1  Positive drug

Commonly used positive‑control drugs were selected primarily according to standard clinical treatment protocols, including classical chemotherapeutic agents such as cytarabine, daunorubicin, and doxorubicin, as well as targeted or immunotherapeutic agents specific to particular subtypes, such as imatinib, dasatinib, venetoclax, and rituximab. These were employed to validate the model’s responsiveness to known effective therapies and to assess the reliability of drug‑efficacy evaluations.

1  Application areas

The PBMC leukemia model is an in vivo system in which human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are transplanted into severely immunocompromised mice, such as NCG or NSG, thereby establishing a human‑derived immune system. It is primarily used for evaluating the efficacy of immunotherapeutic agents and for studying the immunopathology of leukemia and cell–cell interactions.

Experimental results

Construction of a PBMC Leukemia Animal Model

Leukemia cells and PBMCs were injected into the tail vein to establish the model.

 

 

Schematic diagram of model construction

References:

01 Zhang Xin, Han Yunqi, Lü Wei, et al. Establishment of an AML-M4 mouse model by intravenous injection of WEHI-3 cells [J]. Shandong Medical Journal, 2025, 65(07): 60–65.

02 Gao Lu. Establishment of a Humanized Mouse Model Expressing the CGRP Receptor Gene and Its Application in the Evaluation of Migraine Therapeutics [D]. Hunan Agricultural University, 2024. DOI: 10.27136/d.cnki.ghunu.2024.001223.

Weight curve

The body weight curve of HL60‑luc leukemia‑bearing mice showed that, as the observation period was extended, the tumor‑bearing mice experienced a significant reduction in body weight; treatment with the positive control drug effectively attenuated the decline in body weight and mitigated the physiological depletion caused by the tumor.

 

 

Survival curve

In the control group, one animal died on day 27 and another on day 30; in the PBMC group, one animal died on day 27; whereas no deaths occurred in the PBMC+Positive Control group throughout the entire experimental period.

 

 

In vivo imaging results

In vivo imaging results demonstrated that leukemia models were successfully established in all three groups. Injection of PBMCs inhibited tumor cell growth and reduced fluorescence intensity, whereas injection of PBMCs combined with a positive control drug significantly suppressed tumor growth and further decreased fluorescence intensity.

 

 

Complete blood count results

The complete blood count results showed that, in the PBMC+Positive Control group, the white blood cell (WBC) count was significantly lower than in both the Control and the PBMC groups (P<0.001); the red blood cell (RBC) count was significantly higher than in both the Control and the PBMC groups (P<0.001); the hemoglobin (HGB) level was significantly higher than in the PBMC group (P<0.05) and highly significantly higher than in the Control group (P<0.001); furthermore, the platelet (PLT) count was highly significantly higher than in both the Control and the PBMC groups (P<0.01). These findings indicate that the PBMC+Positive Control group can markedly reduce the WBC count in the blood of leukemia‑model mice while increasing the RBC, HGB, and PLT counts, bringing them closer to normal levels.

 

 

Peripheral blood flow cytometry

Flow cytometry analysis revealed that, at 2 weeks, the immune reconstitution rate was 22.00% in the PBMC group and 33.55% in the PBMC + Positive Control group. Furthermore, by week 4, the immune reconstitution rate in the PBMC + Positive Control group was significantly higher than that in the PBMC group (P < 0.001). The proportion of leukemic cells was significantly lower in the PBMC group compared with the Control group (P < 0.01), and it was even more markedly reduced in the PBMC + Positive Control group relative to the Control group (P < 0.001). The proportion of CD3+ cells was significantly higher in the PBMC group than in the Control group (P < 0.01), and it was substantially greater in the PBMC + Positive Control group compared with the Control group (P < 0.001). Both the PBMC group and the PBMC + Positive Control group exhibited significantly higher proportions of CD4+ cells than the Control group (P < 0.001). Additionally, the proportion of CD8+ cells was significantly higher in the PBMC group than in the Control group (P < 0.01), and it was markedly elevated in the PBMC + Positive Control group relative to the Control group (P < 0.001). These findings indicate that both the PBMC group and the PBMC + Positive Control group can reduce the proportion of leukocytes in the peripheral blood of leukemic mice while increasing the proportions of relevant immune cell subsets.

 

 

Summary of Experience:

01 This model exhibits a high modeling success rate and an appropriate experimental duration, enabling it to closely mimic the human immune system.

02 All materials required for this experiment are readily available, such as tumor cells, PBMCs, and NCG or NZG mice.

03 Both the establishment of the animal model and the evaluation of subsequent experimental outcomes can be assessed using in vivo imaging, which is simple and convenient.

04 Patient‑derived xenografts (PDX) enable “patient‑to‑animal” precision modeling, providing a highly specific evaluation platform for the development of anti‑tumor and antidepressant drugs.

05 By reconstructing immune subpopulations such as NK cells, the model’s immune potential has been enhanced, providing a more comprehensive tool for investigating immune regulatory mechanisms and disease pathogenesis—including cancer and autoimmune disorders.