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Published on: November 5, 2021
Development of animal models against emerging coronaviruses: From SARS to MERS coronavirus
Troy C Sutton1, Kanta Subbarao1
1Laboratory of Infectious Disease, NIAID, NIH, United States.
Abstract:
Two novel coronaviruses have emerged to cause severe disease in humans. While bats may be the primary reservoir for both viruses, SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) likely crossed into humans from civets in China, and MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has been transmitted from camels in the Middle East. Unlike SARS-CoV that resolved within a year, continued introductions of MERS-CoV present an on-going public health threat. Animal models are needed to evaluate countermeasures against emerging viruses. With SARS-CoV, several animal species were permissive to infection. In contrast, most laboratory animals are refractory or only semi-permissive to infection with MERS-CoV. This host-range restriction is largely determined by sequence heterogeneity in the MERS-CoV receptor. We describe animal models developed to study coronaviruses, with a focus on host-range restriction at the level of the viral receptor and discuss approaches to consider in developing a model to evaluate countermeasures against MERS-CoV.
Insights
Developing animal models for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is crucial for evaluating countermeasures. Most lab animals are resistant to MERS-CoV due to receptor differences, unlike SARS-CoV.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Two novel coronaviruses, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, have caused severe human disease.
- While bats are a reservoir, SARS-CoV spread via civets and MERS-CoV via camels.
- MERS-CoV remains an ongoing public health threat due to continued introductions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe animal models for studying coronaviruses.
- To focus on host-range restriction at the viral receptor level.
- To discuss approaches for developing a MERS-CoV countermeasure evaluation model.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing animal models for coronavirus studies.
- Analysis of MERS-CoV host-range restriction mechanisms.
- Discussion of strategies for MERS-CoV model development.
Main Results:
- Most laboratory animals are refractory or semi-permissive to MERS-CoV infection.
- Host-range restriction is primarily due to MERS-CoV receptor sequence heterogeneity.
- Unlike SARS-CoV, few animal species are permissive to MERS-CoV.
Conclusions:
- Effective animal models are essential for developing MERS-CoV countermeasures.
- Understanding viral receptor interactions is key to overcoming host-range restrictions.
- Further development of MERS-CoV models is needed for public health preparedness.
