Abstract: Disclosed are transgenic non-human mammals, which useful for the screening of thrombopoietin mimetics, thrombopoietin receptor agonists, or thrombopoietin receptor antagonists active on the human thrombopoietin receptor. The transgenic non-human mammal has a genome that comprises a stably integrated transgene construct comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a humanized thrombopoietin receptor wherein said transgenic non-human mammal has a baseline blood platelet count corresponding to a physiological blood platelet count of a matched non-transgenic non-human mammal. The chimeric thrombopoietin receptor comprises either the transmembrane domain of a human thrombopoietin receptor or both the extracellular and transmembrane domains of a human thrombopoietin receptor operably coupled to a cytoplasmic domain of a non-human thrombopoietin receptor.

Abstract: Disclosed are transgenic non-human mammals, which useful for the screening of thrombopoietin mimetics, thrombopoietin receptor agonists, or thrombopoietin receptor antagonists active on the human thrombopoietin receptor. The transgenic non-human mammal has a genome that comprises a stably integrated transgene construct comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a humanized thrombopoietin receptor wherein said transgenic non-human mammal has a baseline blood platelet count corresponding to a physiological blood platelet count of a matched non-transgenic non-human mammal. The chimeric thrombopoietin receptor comprises either the transmembrane domain of a human thrombopoietin receptor or both the extracellular and transmembrane domains of a human thrombopoietin receptor operably coupled to a cytoplasmic domain of a non-human thrombopoietin receptor.

Abstract: A method for the prevention of and therapy for radiation pneumonitis, dermatitis, soft tissue fibrosis and central nervous system toxicity in patients undergoing therapeutic radiation. In addition, the invention provides for pre-treatment of those responding to nuclear bio terrorism or other nuclear or radiological accidents. Thus, with the present invention, subjects may be treated in order to prevent toxicity from nuclear bio terrorism or other nuclear or radiological accidents. More particularly, we have discovered a method for prophylactically treating radiation toxicity in normal tissue of subject comprising administering an anti-radiation toxicity effective amount of a cytokine blocking agent through the subject.