Animal models of virus-induced chronic airway disease

There is increasing evidence that experiencing viral wheezing illnesses early in life, especially in conjunction with allergic sensitization, is an important risk factor for the onset of asthma. In this review, the potential advantages and disadvantages of using rodent models of virus-induced chronic airway dysfunction to investigate the mechanisms by which early-life viral respiratory tract infections could initiate a process leading to chronic airway dysfunction and the asthmatic phenotype are discussed. The potential usefulness of rodent models for elucidating the viral, host, environmental, and developmental factors that might influence these processes is emphasized. There is a need for the continued development of rodent models of early-life viral respiratory tract infections that include the development of chronic airway dysfunction, the capacity to add components of allergic sensitization and allergic airway inflammation, and the ability to address both immunologic and physiologic consequences. Investigation of these rodent models should complement the research from pediatric cohort studies and begin to bring us closer to understanding the role of viral respiratory tract infections in the inception of childhood asthma.