In Vivo Investigation of Filovirus Glycoprotein-Mediated Infection in a BSL2 Setting

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Pathogenesis

Background:

• Filoviridae family viruses cause filovirus disease (FVD), with Ebola virus (EBOV) posing a significant global health risk.
• Studying FVD is challenging due to the need for maximum containment facilities, limiting research.
• Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing filovirus glycoproteins (VSV-filo GP) offers a safer alternative for studying host-cell interactions and immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and validate novel, safe, and cost-effective tools for studying filovirus glycoprotein (GP)-mediated infection and pathogenesis.
• To establish reliable methods for filovirus research outside of maximum containment laboratories.

Main Methods:

• Utilized recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing filovirus glycoproteins (VSV-filo GP).
• Employed interferon α/β receptor-deficient (Ifnar^-/-) mice as a model system.
• Investigated multiple injection routes for VSV-filo GP administration.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the efficacy of VSV-filo GP in mouse models for studying filovirus GP-mediated infection.
• Validated multiple injection routes for safe and effective filovirus research.
• Showcased the utility of Ifnar^-/- mice for filovirus pathogenesis studies.

Conclusions:

• VSV-filo GP provides a valuable, accessible tool for filovirus research, including Ebola virus.
• These methods enable safe, cost-effective investigation of filovirus disease and pathogenesis outside high-containment settings.
• The developed tools facilitate broader study of filovirus immune responses and host-cell interactions.