Animal models for SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathology

Zhenfei Bi; Weiqi Hong; Jingyun Yang; Shuaiyao Lu; Xiaozhong Peng

doi:10.1002/mco2.98

Animal models for SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathology

MedComm (2020). 2021 Nov 16;2(4):548-568. doi: 10.1002/mco2.98. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

Zhenfei Bi¹, Weiqi Hong¹, Jingyun Yang¹, Shuaiyao Lu², Xiaozhong Peng²

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics West China Hospital Sichuan University Chengdu Sichuan China.
² National Kunming High-level Biosafety Primate Research Center Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Yunnan China.

PMID: 34909757
PMCID: PMC8662225
DOI: 10.1002/mco2.98

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Current variants including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Lambda increase the capacity of infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2, which might disable the in-used therapies and vaccines. The COVID-19 has now put an enormous strain on health care system all over the world. Therefore, the development of animal models that can capture characteristics and immune responses observed in COVID-19 patients is urgently needed. Appropriate models could accelerate the testing of therapeutic drugs and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we aim to summarize the current animal models for SARS-CoV-2 infection, including mice, hamsters, nonhuman primates, and ferrets, and discuss the details of transmission, pathology, and immunology induced by SARS-CoV-2 in these animal models. We hope this could throw light to the increased usefulness in fundamental studies of COVID-19 and the preclinical analysis of vaccines and therapeutic agents.

Keywords: COVID‐19; SARS‐CoV‐2; animal models; immunology; pathology; transmission.

Publication types

Review