Patent ID: 8445745

Claim:
A method for assaying toxicity of a compound, the method comprising the steps of: administering a candidate agent to a chimeric, transgenic immunodeficient mouse whose genome comprises a transgene comprising a polynucleotide encoding a urokinase-type plasminogen activator polypeptide operably linked to a promoter such that the polypeptide is expressed in the mouse's liver cells, wherein the mouse is homozygous for the transgene, and the mouse further comprises a liver comprising human hepatocytes; and analyzing the effect of the candidate agent upon function of or injury to human hepatocytes in the chimeric, transgenic immunodeficient mouse; wherein a decrease in human hepatocyte function or an increase in human hepatocyte injury in the presence of the agent relative to the absence of the agent indicates that the agents is toxic to human hepatocytes.