Issues

Summary: This year, The Company of Biologists − publisher of Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) − is celebrating its 100-year anniversary. In 2025, we discuss DMM's journey since its launch in 2008.

Summary: In this Review, we discuss specific factors inherent in mouse models of acute graft-versus-host disease that may limit translation of preclinical data into more effective patient treatment, as well as provide suggestions to improve the translatability of these models.

Summary: This Review highlights recent studies linking transcriptional dysregulation of autophagy to muscle stem cell dysfunction. A deeper understanding of autophagy regulation in muscle stem cells could facilitate the development of regenerative therapies for muscle atrophy-related diseases.

Summary: In mice, the number of dystrophin isoforms lacking in the brain correlates with the severity of behavioral impairments, where those lacking all dystrophin isoforms are most severely affected.

Summary: This study utilizes RNA sequencing to reveal major transcriptome remodeling through differential expression and alternative splicing during postnatal skeletal muscle maturation in mice.

Summary: We demonstrate that SBTubA4P enables spatially precise eradication of disseminated tumor cells in vivo and establish zebrafish xenografts as a well-suited model for preclinical evaluation of anticancer activity of photopharmaceuticals.

Editor's choice: This study is the first to show that Notch3 regulates HIV-1 promoter activity and reduces inflammation. Notch3 inhibition has a dual-therapeutic effect in HIV-related chronic kidney disease.

Summary: A pathological GSX2 variant in a critical homeodomain residue selectively reduces DNA binding, and modelling this variant in mouse reveals brain phenotypes similar to those of Gsx2 null mice, with the exception of postnatal viability.

Summary: A C9orf72 bacterial artificial chromosome mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis manifested ‘space cadet syndrome’ on two FVB backgrounds. Genetic backgrounds should thus be considered for their potential to confound neurodegenerative models.

Summary: Monitoring spatial responses to drug treatment is challenging using conventional biomarkers. Using mass spectrometry imaging to guide other spatial biomarker platform analysis gives novel insights into heterogeneity of therapy response.

Summary: We established 12 gastrointestinal stromal tumor patient-derived xenograft models that are well characterized and reflect the clinic. They have already proven to be an excellent tool for preclinical drug testing.