huURAT1 Mouse

The solute carrier family 22 member 12 gene ( SLC22A12) encodes the Urate Transporter 1 (URAT1), a critical transmembrane protein localized to the apical membrane of renal proximal tubule epithelial cells ^[1]. As the primary mediator of urate reabsorption from the glomerular filtrate, URAT1 plays a pivotal role in maintaining systemic urate homeostasis, a process essential for preventing hyperuricemia and its associated pathologies ^[2]. Genetic studies have identified numerous variants within SLC22A12 that are strongly linked to renal hypouricemia, characterized by impaired urate reabsorption and an increased risk of exercise-induced acute kidney injury ^[3]. Furthermore, polymorphisms in SLC22A12 influence the efficacy of uricosuric agents, highlighting its clinical relevance in the management of gout, a common inflammatory arthritis resulting from urate crystal deposition ^[4]. The functional importance of URAT1 underscores SLC22A12 as a key genetic determinant of urate metabolism and a significant factor in kidney health and disease.

huURAT1 mice are humanized models in which the sequences from upstream of exon 1 to exon 10 of the mouse Slc22a12 gene were replaced with the sequences from upstream of exon 1 to exon 10 of the human SLC22A12 gene. This model can be used to study the pathological mechanisms and therapeutic methods of renal hypouricemia, gout, and other uric acid metabolism-related diseases, as well as the screening and development of URAT1-targeted drugs, and preclinical efficacy and safety evaluations.