A transgenic mouse with β-Galactosidase as a fetal liver self-antigen for immunotherapy studies

In AFP/βGal mice, βGal is a fetal liver self-antigen. Interestingly, the basal tolerance to βGal displayed by these animals is increased during liver re-expression of the self-antigen in adulthood. Adenoviral immunisation allows complete elimination of βGal-expressing hepatocytes in spite of this increased peripheral tolerance. These results highlight the importance of tolerance against self-antigens and validate the AFP/βGal mice as a good background to test immunotherapy strategies in hepatocarcinogenesis models.