DNA CONSTRUCT FOR ASSESSING THYMIC FUNCTION ACTIVITY AND THERAPEUTICAL USES THEREOF

摘要

The present invention relates to a DNA construct for in vivo expression in a n excision DNA circle created by DNA recombination machinery in T cells from a non-human mammal which comprises two recombination signal sequences (RSS) consensus sequences flanking a promoter, an enhancer and a reporter gene, wherein the excision DNA circle is diluted out after cellular division and t he excision DNA circle is detected by expression of the reporter gene and the detection is indicative of thymic function activity of the mammal. The prese nt invention also relates to a T cell transiently transfected with the DNA construct of the present invention, the cell expressing quantifiable levels of reporter gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP) for determining enhancing/decreasing thymic exportation, a mammal comprising the DNA constru ct of the present invention and methods thereof.