Humanized animals as models of experimental oncology (review)

The humanization of immunodeficient animals allows us to study the growth of xenografts of human malignant tumors and their response to therapeutic effects, taking into account processes in the immune system and tumor zone, which have a significant impact on oncogenesis and the effectiveness of antitumor therapy. Such experimental models are currently considered as the most advanced tool in the development of personalized antitumor treatment. The lines of immunodeficient animals most commonly used for the transplantation of mature and stem human immune cells have been characterized. The main sources of human immune cells when implementing the Hu-PBL and Hu-CD34+ models, as well as the BLT model (as an option to the CD34+ model) are described. The basic procedures necessary for reproducing each model, their modification in adult and newborn animals are outlined as well as the parameters of immunosuppressive radiation exposure, preceding the transplantation of human hematopoietic stem cells. The main results of the humanization of immunodeficient animals and examples of the use of these models for the purposes of fundamental and clinical oncology are described. The main problems of this direction are discussed. The review is based on an analysis of the literature presented in the Scopus, Web of Science, MedLine, RISC and others databases over the past 7 years (over 80 % of literature sources, with more than over 50 % of studies published over the last 3 years).