Chimeric Mice with Competent Hematopoietic Immunity Reproduce Key Features of Severe Lassa Fever.

Lassa fever (LASF) is a highly severe viral syndrome endemic to West African countries. Despite the annual high morbidity and mortality caused by LASF, very little is known about the pathophysiology of the disease. Basic research on LASF has been precluded due to the lack of relevant small animal mo...

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Main Authors: Lisa Oestereich, Anja Lüdtke, Paula Ruibal, Elisa Pallasch, Romy Kerber, Toni Rieger, Stephanie Wurr, Sabrina Bockholt, José V Pérez-Girón, Susanne Krasemann, Stephan Günther, César Muñoz-Fontela
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-05-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005656
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author Lisa Oestereich
Anja Lüdtke
Paula Ruibal
Elisa Pallasch
Romy Kerber
Toni Rieger
Stephanie Wurr
Sabrina Bockholt
José V Pérez-Girón
Susanne Krasemann
Stephan Günther
César Muñoz-Fontela
author_facet Lisa Oestereich
Anja Lüdtke
Paula Ruibal
Elisa Pallasch
Romy Kerber
Toni Rieger
Stephanie Wurr
Sabrina Bockholt
José V Pérez-Girón
Susanne Krasemann
Stephan Günther
César Muñoz-Fontela
author_sort Lisa Oestereich
collection DOAJ
description Lassa fever (LASF) is a highly severe viral syndrome endemic to West African countries. Despite the annual high morbidity and mortality caused by LASF, very little is known about the pathophysiology of the disease. Basic research on LASF has been precluded due to the lack of relevant small animal models that reproduce the human disease. Immunocompetent laboratory mice are resistant to infection with Lassa virus (LASV) and, to date, only immunodeficient mice, or mice expressing human HLA, have shown some degree of susceptibility to experimental infection. Here, transplantation of wild-type bone marrow cells into irradiated type I interferon receptor knockout mice (IFNAR-/-) was used to generate chimeric mice that reproduced important features of severe LASF in humans. This included high lethality, liver damage, vascular leakage and systemic virus dissemination. In addition, this model indicated that T cell-mediated immunopathology was an important component of LASF pathogenesis that was directly correlated with vascular leakage. Our strategy allows easy generation of a suitable small animal model to test new vaccines and antivirals and to dissect the basic components of LASF pathophysiology.
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spelling doaj.art-2e96e73976054345b754842ce5c740ff2022-12-21T18:30:38ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742016-05-01125e100565610.1371/journal.ppat.1005656Chimeric Mice with Competent Hematopoietic Immunity Reproduce Key Features of Severe Lassa Fever.Lisa OestereichAnja LüdtkePaula RuibalElisa PallaschRomy KerberToni RiegerStephanie WurrSabrina BockholtJosé V Pérez-GirónSusanne KrasemannStephan GüntherCésar Muñoz-FontelaLassa fever (LASF) is a highly severe viral syndrome endemic to West African countries. Despite the annual high morbidity and mortality caused by LASF, very little is known about the pathophysiology of the disease. Basic research on LASF has been precluded due to the lack of relevant small animal models that reproduce the human disease. Immunocompetent laboratory mice are resistant to infection with Lassa virus (LASV) and, to date, only immunodeficient mice, or mice expressing human HLA, have shown some degree of susceptibility to experimental infection. Here, transplantation of wild-type bone marrow cells into irradiated type I interferon receptor knockout mice (IFNAR-/-) was used to generate chimeric mice that reproduced important features of severe LASF in humans. This included high lethality, liver damage, vascular leakage and systemic virus dissemination. In addition, this model indicated that T cell-mediated immunopathology was an important component of LASF pathogenesis that was directly correlated with vascular leakage. Our strategy allows easy generation of a suitable small animal model to test new vaccines and antivirals and to dissect the basic components of LASF pathophysiology.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005656
spellingShingle Lisa Oestereich
Anja Lüdtke
Paula Ruibal
Elisa Pallasch
Romy Kerber
Toni Rieger
Stephanie Wurr
Sabrina Bockholt
José V Pérez-Girón
Susanne Krasemann
Stephan Günther
César Muñoz-Fontela
Chimeric Mice with Competent Hematopoietic Immunity Reproduce Key Features of Severe Lassa Fever.
PLoS Pathogens
title Chimeric Mice with Competent Hematopoietic Immunity Reproduce Key Features of Severe Lassa Fever.
title_full Chimeric Mice with Competent Hematopoietic Immunity Reproduce Key Features of Severe Lassa Fever.
title_fullStr Chimeric Mice with Competent Hematopoietic Immunity Reproduce Key Features of Severe Lassa Fever.
title_full_unstemmed Chimeric Mice with Competent Hematopoietic Immunity Reproduce Key Features of Severe Lassa Fever.
title_short Chimeric Mice with Competent Hematopoietic Immunity Reproduce Key Features of Severe Lassa Fever.
title_sort chimeric mice with competent hematopoietic immunity reproduce key features of severe lassa fever
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005656
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