A new embryonic stem cell line from DBA/1lacJ mice allows genetic modification in a murine model of human inflammation.

The development of embryonic stem (ES) cells and their capacity to generate mice with mutations at specific loci has provided a powerful resource for functional analysis of genes in pathological processes. However, the ability to combine this technology with the large number of existing murine models of human genetic disease has been complicated by the inability to routinely generate ES cell lines from strains other than 129. Here, we report the production of a novel ES cell line derived from an inbred mouse, DBA/1lacJ. This new ES cell line undergoes homologous recombination and efficient colonization of the germline of male chimeric offspring with ES cell microinjection into C57B1/6 embryos. The DBA/1lacJ mouse is a murine model of human inflammation, therefore genetic modifications in the DBA ES cells will allow evaluation of the target gene's role in the inflammatory process.