Research progress on animal models of autoimmune gastritis

Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is an autoimmune disease characterized primarily by the destruction of gastric parietal cell structure and atrophy of the gastric fundic and body mucosa. The global prevalence of AIG is approximately 3.85%. Its main complications include pernicious anemia, gastric neuroendocrine tumors, and gastric cancer, which pose significant health risks. Currently, targeted treatment options for AIG are lacking worldwide. Animal models of AIG are crucial for investigating its pathogenesis and for developing drug therapies. However, reproducible methods for establishing AIG animal models remain scarce. This article provides a systematic review of internationally employed methods for modeling AIG in animals. These methods are categorized and discussed based on the modeling approaches and mechanisms, including neonatal thymectomy, genetically modified animals such as TxA23 and Ctox mice, inducer-based methods such as H⁺/K⁺-ATPase immunization, viral infection, and combined modeling strategies. In addition, the types of modeling agents and the time required for model establishment are also examined. This review highlights existing challenges, such as the lack of uniform modeling standards and evaluation criteria, and aims to provide a foundation for further exploration of AIG.