Animal models for antiviral chemotherapy.
Traditionally animal models have formed a vital part of the preclinical evaluation of new forms of antiviral therapy. A variety of models used in the past or potentially useful in the future are considered in this short review. Several valuable and complex questions concerning virus-drug interactions in vivo have been successfully addressed by means of animal models. Better understanding of drug modes of action and virus pathogenesis in the models enable even more accurate predictions to be made for the outcome of antiviral therapy in man. The complexity of virus infections in man is such that animals are likely to remain an important part in drug evaluation for many years. To this end, new developments such as improved techniques in the production of transgenic animals are opening up a variety of completely novel methods for studying inhibitors of a wider group of viruses in vivo including the human immunodeficiency virus. However, the correct interpretation of animal data requires the critical evaluation of animal models. This review will identify several important difficulties which confront those working on antiviral chemotherapy in animals and which must continue to be addressed if confidence in animal data is to be maintained.
Field
H J
HJ
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, U.K.
Brown
G A
GA
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014780:Viruses / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents