We have developed and phenotyped a novel P2RX7 knockout (KO) inbred rat strain and, taking advantage of the human‐resembling unique histopathological features of rat models of glomerulonephritis, we induced three models of disease: nephrotoxic nephritis, experimental autoimmune glomerulonephritis, and experimental autoimmune vasculitis. The gene discussed is P2RX7; the disease is autoimmune vasculitis.