Several animal models are being used to test the potential role of CCN3 in flammatory diseases, sclerosis and neurodegenerescence: the MRL-Lpr/Lpr mice that are considered to have an autoimmune disease similar to human Lupus and the SOD mice that carry a mutated transgene of CuZn superoxide dismutase gene SOD1 which has been associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [46,47]. Here, SOD1 is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus.