BALB/c mice
BALB/c is an albino, laboratory-bred strain of the house mouse from which a number of common substrains are derived. Now over 200 generations from New York in 1920, BALB/c mice are distributed globally, and are among the most widely used inbred strains used in animal experimentation.[1]
BALB/c mice are useful for research into both cancer and immunology. According to Michael Festing's Inbred Strains of Mice,[2] BALB/c substrains are "particularly well known for the production of plasmacytomas on injection with mineral oil," an important process for the production of monoclonal antibodies. They are also reported as having a "low mammary tumour incidence",[2] but do develop other types of cancers in later life, most commonly reticular neoplasms, lung tumours, and renal tumours.[3][4] Most substrains have a "long reproductive life-span",[2] are noted for displaying high levels of anxiety and for being relatively resistant to diet-induced atherosclerosis, making them a useful model for cardiovascular research.[3][4]