Zebrafish models of COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Virology and Immunology
• Comparative Pathology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, a disease with complex clinical manifestations, particularly in older individuals with comorbidities.
• Existing animal models for SARS-CoV-2 research face challenges, including limited infectivity of clinical isolates and failure to recapitulate key disease features like persistent infection, immunopathology, and systemic complications.
• The age and immunological naivety of common laboratory animals pose significant hurdles for accurately modeling severe COVID-19.

Approach:

• This review examines established animal models used in COVID-19 research.
• It highlights the unique advantages of the zebrafish model for studying SARS-CoV-2.
• The potential of zebrafish in drug repurposing, vaccine research, and understanding age-related COVID-19 severity is discussed.

Key Points:

• Many current animal models do not fully replicate the clinical spectrum of COVID-19, especially severe disease and systemic complications.
• Zebrafish offer a promising alternative model due to their susceptibility and ability to model aspects of human disease.
• The zebrafish model can aid in identifying drugs for COVID-19 treatment and understanding vaccine mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• The limitations of current animal models necessitate the exploration of novel systems like zebrafish for comprehensive COVID-19 research.
• Zebrafish present a valuable platform for drug repurposing, evaluating Spike-based vaccines, and investigating the heightened susceptibility of aged populations to SARS-CoV-2.
• Further research utilizing the zebrafish model can significantly advance our understanding of COVID-19 pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies.