Contact hypersensitivity animal model

Much of the methods development and validation efforts in the past have been focused on evaluation of immunosuppression and contact or dermal sensitization. Currently available animal models and assays are not valid to assess the potential for systemic hypersensitivity and, at this time, reliable models to assess autoimmunity are not available. 

Contact Hypersensitivity and Animal Model of Tolerance to Haptens... 

Hypersensitivity reactions due to drug treatments are a major cause for concern as these reactions are common and can be life-threatening. To date, with the noticeable exception of contact sensitivity, available animal models or assays are not reliable to predict the potential for a drug candidate to induce hypersensitivity reactions in human beings (Choquet-Kastyle vski and Descotes, 1998 Bala et al, 2005). In addition to the fact that immune-mediated hypersensitivity reactions have long and erroneously been considered not to be reproducible in animals, major hurdles are the current lack of understanding... 

Several in vivo methods exist and are used as tools to determine the potential for contact, and potentially respiratory, hypersensitivity (e.g., the local lymph node (LENA) (Kimber et al., 2002) and popliteal lymph node (PLNA) (Pieters, 2001) assays) and the mouse drug allergy model, which is a modification of the LENA, demonstrates promise as a screening tool in that a number of drugs which cause idiosyncratic hypersensitivity reactions in humans were positive in this assay (Whritenour et al., 2014 Zhu et al., 2014). However, there are no fully predictive animal models of drug allergy in humans. 

---