Animal Models of Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases PDF

Preface

What is an animal model of human inflammatory skin disease? According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a model is a small object, usually built to scale, that represents some existing object. Likewise, an animal model of inflammatory skin disease is an animal representation of a human inflammatory skin disease. An animal model of human inflammatory disease does not need to be completely identical to that of its human counterpart, nor can it always be. The degree of dissimilarity between the human immune system and that of an animal or between the human skin structure and that of an animal, however small, makes it almost impossible for perfect identity. Nevertheless, sufficient similarity allows investigators who study the animal model to gain insight into the general pathological pathways of a disease process that likely occurs in human patients. In this book, both spontaneously arising and experimentally induced animal models are presented.

Why should we study an animal model of human inflammatory skin disease? Indeed there are many outstanding in vitro model systems from which we can gain much insight into the molecular mechanisms of skin inflammation. However, only an animal model can bring our understanding of the disease mechanism to a real-life level. An animal model makes it possible for investigators to study how the immune system relates to the actual tissues of the biggest organ of the body, the skin. Moreover, the actual pathological process of an inflammatory skin disease can only be accurately observed and analyzed in a living animal model, and not in any in vitro model system, however brilliant it may be. By using an animal model, investigators can learn about the step-bystep immunological sequence of events for inflammation induction and progression and the factors contributing to these events. The complexity of the disease process in a living organism simply cannot be adequately understood by any in vitro model system, however sophisticated it may be. Furthermore, the in vivo studies conducted in animal models certainly cannot be carried out in human patients, for practical reasons and for obvious ethical concerns. Finally, an animal model provides an excellent avenue for pharmaceutical companies to test the effectiveness and safety of new anti-inflammatory medications before testing these medications in human patients.

How then shall we study the animal model of human inflammatory skin disease? This is indeed the major focus of this book. This book provides both the principles and practices of how we go about studying inflammatory skin diseases using living animal models. On the theoretical side, this book establishes foundations by providing the comparative structure and function of the skin and the comparative immunology system in animal species commonly used as models. This comparative information is provided to help readers analyze the relevance of findings obtained in an animal model with that obtained in human patients. Additionally, the unique immune privileges occurring in the eye and hair follicles are discussed with respect to their possible breakdown that leads to inflammation at these "privilege sites." On the practical side, this book provides general discussion on methods of experimental animal modeling, as well as specific expert experience from investigators who themselves have successfully generated and studied these models. I have attempted to include the most useful models in this book and have requested that contributors follow a standard format for the sake of uniformity and benefit to readers. In a fast-moving field of biomedical research, I am sure that new information regarding these animal models will surface soon after this book is published. These future new discoveries, along with suggestions from readers, will be used to develop better subsequent editions based on the foundation provided in this first edition.