The Collaborative Cross as a Model for Studying Viral Infections

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Genetics
• Animal Models

Background:

• Inbred mouse strains are crucial for studying virus-host interactions and genetic influences on disease.
• Conventional mouse models often fail to replicate the diverse human disease spectrum caused by viruses due to limited genetic diversity.
• Human populations exhibit significant genetic variation, leading to a wide range of responses to viral infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the utility of the Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse population as a resource for modeling virus-induced diseases.
• To highlight the CC's potential for identifying host gene variants that influence susceptibility and disease severity.
• To emphasize the CC's capacity to better recapitulate human genetic and phenotypic diversity in viral pathogenesis studies.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on the Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse population.
• Analysis of studies utilizing CC strains for modeling virus-host interactions.
• Examination of CC's application in identifying host genetic factors in viral disease.

Main Results:

• The CC provides a genetically diverse resource that better models human genetic diversity compared to conventional inbred strains.
• CC strains have been successfully used to study the genetic basis of pathogenesis for several human viruses.
• The CC facilitates the identification of specific host genes and variants that modulate the response to viral infections.

Conclusions:

• The Collaborative Cross (CC) is a valuable resource for developing improved models of human virus-induced diseases.
• Utilizing the CC enables a more comprehensive understanding of host genetic contributions to viral disease outcomes.
• The CC is instrumental in discovering host gene variants that determine susceptibility and resistance to viral infections.