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Severe Combined lmmunodeficient (SCID) Mice in Vaccine Assessment
1Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Porton Down, UK.
Abstract:
New or improved vaccines will require testing before they are licensed for use in the general population. Although toxicity and immunological data can be obtained from phase 1 human trials, in the vast majority of cases, it is not possible to challenge vaccine recipients with the specific infectious agent in order to assess protection. Therefore, prior to large-scale production of vaccines and their assessment in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, there is a requirement for in vivo studies that can predict the efficacy of the vaccines. Although many animal models are available for infectious disease studies, they all rely on the animal's own immune system for the generation of the protective responses, and these may not reflect the immunological responses generated in the human. In addition, some infections are specific to humans, and it is sometimes very difficult to find suitable animal species that human pathogens will infect. This may be because of the lack of appropriate receptors, the presence of a functional immune system able to eliminate the pathogen, and the fact that models cannot always be relied on to re-create the normal pathophysiology.
Insights
Developing effective vaccines requires predictive in vivo studies. Current animal models often fail to accurately reflect human immune responses or mimic human-specific diseases, limiting vaccine efficacy assessment.
Area of Science:
- Vaccinology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Vaccine development necessitates rigorous testing, including efficacy assessment, before public use.
- Phase 1 human trials provide toxicity and immunological data but cannot directly measure protection against pathogens.
- Existing animal models for infectious diseases have limitations in reflecting human immunological responses and disease pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical need for predictive in vivo studies in vaccine development.
- To address the limitations of current animal models in assessing vaccine efficacy for human use.
- To emphasize the requirement for models that accurately predict human immune responses to vaccines.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing methodologies for vaccine testing and evaluation.
- Analysis of the limitations inherent in current animal models for infectious disease research.
- Discussion of the challenges in replicating human-specific infections in animal models.
Main Results:
- Animal models rely on the host's immune system, which may not mirror human responses.
- Many human pathogens do not infect available animal species due to biological differences.
- Animal models often fail to accurately recreate the pathophysiology of human infections.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant need for improved in vivo models that can reliably predict vaccine efficacy in humans.
- Current animal models present challenges for assessing vaccines against human-specific pathogens.
- Further research into novel preclinical models is essential for advancing vaccine development.
