B6-hPD-1/hPD-L1/hVEGFA Mouse

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PDCD1/PD-1) is a member of the B7-CD28 costimulatory receptor family. It is an inhibitory receptor expressed on activated T cells and plays a role in regulating the function of effector T cells, including CD8+ T cells, and promoting the differentiation of CD4+ T cells into regulatory T cells. PD-1 is expressed in a variety of tumors and plays an important role in antitumor immunity. In addition, PD-1 is involved in the defense against autoimmune diseases and has inhibitory effects on antitumor and antimicrobial immunity ^[1].

Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), also known as cluster of differentiation 274 (CD274) or B7 homolog 1 (B7H1), is an immune inhibitory receptor ligand. PD-L1 is a type I transmembrane protein with immunoglobulin V-like (IgV) and C-like (IgC) structural domains and is expressed by hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells, including T cells, B cells, and various types of tumor cells ^[2]. PD-L1 can bind to the PD-1 on the surface of CD8+ T cells, inhibiting the activity of CD8+ T cells. This interaction can prevent the immune system from damaging normal tissues, but it can also be used by tumor cells to escape immune surveillance. Monoclonal antibodies that competitively bind to PD-L1 can relieve the immune function inhibition mediated by the binding of PD-1 and PD-L1. This can reactivate CD8+ T cells, triggering the human body's anti-tumor immune response ^[3]. Therefore, development of antibody drugs targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 is a hot area in tumor immunotherapy ^[3-5].

The Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) family is a group of particular endothelial growth factors intimately associated with angiogenesis. These factors promote increased vascular permeability, extracellular matrix degeneration, vascular endothelial cell migration and proliferation, and are capable of stimulating angiogenesis and increasing the permeability of existing vessels. As such, they play a pivotal role in normal vascular development and wound healing. The VEGF family comprises VEGFA, VEGFB, VEGFC, VEGFD, VEGFE, and PLGF ^[6]. Of these, VEGFA is the most commonly targeted in research related to neovascular ophthalmic diseases due to its crucial role in the proliferation, migration, and formation of endothelial cell microvessels ^[7]. Overexpression of VEGFA in the eye can result in abnormal vascular growth and leakage, leading to various ophthalmic diseases such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), and corneal neovascularization ^[7-8]. The progression of solid tumors depends on vascularization and angiogenesis within malignant tissues, with VEGFA playing a crucial role among various pro-angiogenic factors. The VEGFA gene is upregulated in many known tumors, correlating with tumor staging and progression. Blocking VEGFA may lead to vascular network regression, thereby inhibiting tumor growth ^[9]. Thus, VEGFA is an important target for anti-angiogenic cancer therapies.

B6-hPD-1/hPD-L1/hVEGFA mouse is a triple-gene humanized model generated by crossing B6-hPD-1/hPD-L1 mice (Catalog No.: I001202) with B6-hVEGFA mice (Catalog No.: C001555). This model serves as a valuable tool for research on cancer immunotherapy and can also be used for the screening, development, and preclinical evaluation of PD-1/PD-L1/VEGFA-targeted drugs.