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Chronic, Acute, and Reactivated HIV Infection in Humanized Immunodeficient Mouse Models
Published on: December 3, 2019
Humanized mouse models of HIV infection
Paul W Denton1, J Víctor García
1Division of Infectious Diseases, UNC Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, USA. pdenton@med.unc.edu
AIDS Reviews
|July 30, 2011
Summary
Humanized mice, particularly bone marrow, liver, and thymus (BMLT) models, offer a superior system for studying human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and developing new interventions. These models enable comprehensive research into HIV replication, pathogenesis, and prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Traditional lentivirus models like SIV have limitations due to genetic and biological differences from HIV.
- HIV-specific interventions are often ineffective in nonhuman hosts using existing lentivirus models.
- There is a critical need for animal models that support HIV replication and accurately reflect human HIV infection and pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the utility of humanized mice as a robust model for HIV research.
- To emphasize the advantages of humanized mice, especially bone marrow, liver, and thymus (BMLT) models, for studying HIV.
- To showcase the potential of humanized mice in evaluating HIV interventions and prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Humanized mice are generated by transplanting immunodeficient mice with CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells.
- Specific models, like BMLT mice, are implanted with human thymus and liver tissues to develop a functional human immune system.
- These mice are systemically reconstituted with human lymphoid cells, allowing for longitudinal sampling and analysis.
Main Results:
- Humanized mice support HIV replication and recapitulate key aspects of human HIV infection and pathogenesis.
- Peripheral blood sampling allows monitoring of viral load, CD4+ T-cell depletion, and immune activation.
- The female reproductive and gastrointestinal tracts of BMLT mice can be reconstituted, enabling studies on vaginal and rectal HIV transmission and prevention.
Conclusions:
- Humanized mice provide a rapid, reliable, and reproducible system for comprehensive HIV research.
- Their accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and ability to control variables make them highly valuable.
- Humanized mice are crucial for analyzing HIV replication, evaluating restriction factors, and developing prevention, treatment, and eradication strategies.
