• Foxn1nu mutation backcrossed to the BALB/cAnN inbred strain for nine
generations
• Taconic maintains this valuable model at two health designations,
Defined Flora from gnotobiotic isolators (model #BALBNU) and
Restricted Flora from Isolated Barrier UnitsTM (model #BALBNURF)
utilizing special husbandry and gowning procedures to protect the
animals from opportunistic organisms frequently carried by humans
• The deficiency in T cell function allows athymic mice to accept and grow
xenografts as well as allografts of normal and malignant tissues. Tissues
from the BALB/c Nude can be transplanted onto normal BALB/c mice.
• The autosomal recessive nude gene in homozygous (nu/nu) mice causes
the lack of fur and an abnormal thymus. Heterozygous (nu/+) animals
carry the recessive nude gene on one chromosome only and therefore
have a normal thymus triggered immune system
• Origin: Taconic received the BALB/c Nude Spontaneous Mutant model
from the NIH Animal Genetic Resource in 1980. The mice were
backcrossed eighteen generations. The mice are maintained by
incrossing non-brother x sister mice.