Table 2 Different types, construction methods, characteristics, and applications of humanized mice

NOD/SCID IL-2Rγ C (NSG)

BALB/C Rag2 IL-2R γ C (BRG)

Humanized-PBMCs/Humanized-PBLs

Intravenous injection of PBMCs (5–10 × 10⁶)

1. Cost effective;

2. Simple establishment;

3. Suitable for T-cell-related immune research

1. B, NK, and other immune cells fail to proliferate in vivo;

2. GVHD development;

3. EBV-associated lymphoproliferative;

4. Xenograft rejection

1. Adoptive NK and T cell therapy;

2. Tumor microenvironment evaluation;

3. CAR-T and NK cell therapy;

4. Immune check point inhibitor investigation;

5. Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte therapy;

6. Gene therapy;

7. Dendritic cell therapy;

8. Targeted therapy;

9. Evaluation of microbiota-associated cancer treatment

NOG, NSG, NOD/SCID, BRG

Humanized-HSCs

(CD34⁺)

Intravenous injection of 1 × 10⁵ HSCs

1. More complete immune reconstitution;

2. GVHD rarely occurs

1. Lack of T cells;

2. Limited sample sources

NOG, NSG, NOD/SCID, BRG

Humanized-BLT

Intravenous injection of CD34⁺ HSC (0.5–1 × 10⁶) from human bone marrow, implantation of human fetal liver and thymus in to mouse sub renal capsule

1. Human T cells are restricted to human HLA;

2. Higher immune reconstitution;

3. Long term existence of model

1. GVHD development;

2. Engraftments should be carried from the same donor;

3. Complex technique and ethical problems;

4. Limited sample sources

MI(S)TRG, NSG

Genetic engineering

Human immune genes are knocked into respective mouse loci

Approximating the levels in the human system

Complex technique and expensive