Modified establishment method of a mouse renal allograft model applied in the preclinical research

Kidney transplantation is an established therapeutic option for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, immune rejection and complications associated with long-term immunosuppressive therapy remain major challenges affecting graft survival and clinical outcomes. With the rapid development of cell therapy, regenerative medicine products, and immunomodulatory agents, reliable and reproducible preclinical animal models are essential for evaluating the safety and efficacy of novel therapeutic strategies. The mouse kidney allograft model is a valuable platform for studying acute and chronic rejection, antibody-mediated rejection, immune regulation, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and transplant tolerance. Compared with rat models, mouse models provide additional advantages for mechanistic studies because genetically modified, congenic, and inbred strains can be used to investigate specific immune pathways involved in graft rejection or tolerance. This study aimed to establish a standardized mouse kidney allograft model and surgical workflow for future preclinical evaluation of immunosuppressive drugs, cell therapy products, and other immunomodulatory interventions. The standardized procedure included donor kidney procurement, graft perfusion, preservation of vascular structures, recipient kidney transplantation, vascular reconstruction, urinary reconstruction, graft reperfusion assessment, and postoperative care. General anesthesia, analgesia, aseptic surgical procedures, temperature support, and postoperative monitoring were incorporated into the protocol. Potential outcome measures for future efficacy studies include graft function, serum creatinine, urine analysis, histopathological changes, immune cell infiltration, inflammatory cytokine profiles, graft survival, and overall animal survival. Successful reperfusion may be assessed by immediate color change of the graft, restoration of renal perfusion, absence of major bleeding or thrombosis, and subsequent recovery of recipient activity. The established model provides a practical platform for evaluating graft function, immune rejection, inflammatory responses, and therapeutic effects of immunomodulatory products. In conclusion, the mouse kidney allograft model provides a clinically relevant and mechanistically powerful preclinical platform for investigating transplant rejection, immune regulation, and transplant tolerance. This model may support the development of cell therapy products, immunosuppressive agents, and other immunomodulatory strategies before progression to larger-animal studies or clinical trials