Review

The heterotopic tracheal allograft as an animal model of obliterative bronchiolitis

David J Hele, Magdi H Yacoub and Maria G Belvisi

Imperial College School of Medicine, London, UK

author email corresponding author email

Respiratory Research 2001, 2:169-183doi:10.1186/rr55

Published:	5 April 2001

Abstract

Heterotopic tracheal allografts in small rodents have been shown to share many characteristics with the development of obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) in the clinic and therefore provide a suitable animal model for the study of OB. The model facilitates the examination of the pathogenesis of the disease and the elucidation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in its development. The model provides a less technically demanding alternative to whole lung transplantation in small rodents and should lead to a speedier identification of new treatments that might prevent the development of post-transplantation OB in the clinic.