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Updated: Dec 11, 2025
Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection in K18 hACE2 Transgenic Mice Using Reporter-Expressing Recombinant SARS-CoV-2
Published on: November 5, 2021
Animal and translational models of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19
M D Johansen1, A Irving2,3, X Montagutelli4
1Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, Sydney, Australia.
Abstract:
COVID-19 is causing a major once-in-a-century global pandemic. The scientific and clinical community is in a race to define and develop effective preventions and treatments. The major features of disease are described but clinical trials have been hampered by competing interests, small scale, lack of defined patient cohorts and defined readouts. What is needed now is head-to-head comparison of existing drugs, testing of safety including in the background of predisposing chronic diseases, and the development of new and targeted preventions and treatments. This is most efficiently achieved using representative animal models of primary infection including in the background of chronic disease with validation of findings in primary human cells and tissues. We explore and discuss the diverse animal, cell and tissue models that are being used and developed and collectively recapitulate many critical aspects of disease manifestation in humans to develop and test new preventions and treatments.
Insights
Developing effective COVID-19 preventions and treatments requires rigorous testing. This study reviews animal, cell, and tissue models crucial for validating new therapies and understanding disease progression in diverse patient groups.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Translational Medicine
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates urgent development of effective preventions and treatments.
- Current clinical trials face challenges including small scale, undefined patient cohorts, and competing interests.
- There is a critical need for head-to-head drug comparisons and safety testing, especially in patients with chronic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and discuss diverse animal, cell, and tissue models for COVID-19 research.
- To highlight the importance of these models in developing and testing new preventions and treatments.
- To emphasize the need for models that recapitulate critical aspects of human disease manifestation.
Main Methods:
- Review and discussion of existing and developing animal models of primary infection.
- Inclusion of models that incorporate predisposing chronic diseases.
- Validation of findings using primary human cells and tissues.
Main Results:
- Identified diverse models that collectively recapitulate key aspects of COVID-19 in humans.
- Demonstrated the utility of these models for testing drug safety and efficacy.
- Highlighted the role of animal models in understanding disease in the context of chronic conditions.
Conclusions:
- Representative animal, cell, and tissue models are essential for efficient COVID-19 research.
- These models facilitate the head-to-head comparison of existing drugs and development of novel therapeutics.
- Validated models are critical for advancing the scientific and clinical response to the pandemic.
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