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JAX Tech Talk Episode 64: Let’s Talk HET3 Mice - A Genetically Diverse Model to Study Mammalian Aging (Jun. 6, 2023)

Published Date

The genetically heterogeneous HET3 (UM-HET3) mice provide a unique, translatable platform for modeling human diversity in aging and for assessing therapies to prolong health. In this JAX Tech Talk episode, we speak with Dr. David Harrison, a member of the JAX faculty and world renowned expert in the mechanisms of aging and longevity, to discuss why the HET3 model was selected by the NIA for use in the Intervention Testing Program (ITP), considerations for working with HET3 mice, comparison of HET3 to other models, and how this model has been used to identify agents that extend lifespan and healthspan in mice.

Helpful Resources:

HET3 (036603) Strain Datasheet

Mouse Phenome Database: ITP Projects UM-HET3

Mouse Phenome Database: UM-HET3 Population Data from ITP

About the ITP

Notable Publications:

  • Publications from the NIA Interventions Testing Program: UM-HET3
  • Harrison, D. E., Strong, R., Sharp, Z. D., Nelson, J. F., Astle, C. M., Flurkey, K., Nadon, N. L., Wilkinson, J. E., Frenkel, K., Carter, C. S., Pahor, M., Javors, M. A., Fernandez, E., & Miller, R. A. (2009). Rapamycin fed late in life extends lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice. Nature, 460(7253), 392–395. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08221 [PMID 1958680]
  • Nadon, N. L., Strong, R., Miller, R. A., & Harrison, D. E. (2017). NIA Interventions Testing Program: Investigating Putative Aging Intervention Agents in a Genetically Heterogeneous Mouse Model. EBioMedicine, 21, 3–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.11.038 [PMID 27923560]
  • Bou Sleiman, M., Roy, S., Gao, A. W., Sadler, M. C., von Alvensleben, G. V. G., Li, H., Sen, S., Harrison, D. E., Nelson, J. F., Strong, R., Miller, R. A., Kutalik, Z., Williams, R. W., & Auwerx, J. (2022). Sex- and age-dependent genetics of longevity in a heterogeneous mouse population. Science (New York, N.Y.), 377(6614), eabo3191. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo3191 [PMID 36173858]