A novel small animal model for HIV-1 infection.
Lethally irradiated normal BALB/c mice, reconstituted with murine SCID bone marrow and engrafted with human PBMC (Trimera mice), were used to establish a novel murine model for HIV-1 infection. The Trimera mice were successfully infected with different clades and primary isolates of T- and M-tropic HIV-1, with the infection persisting in the animals for 4-6 wk. Rapid loss of the human CD4+ T cells, decrease in CD4/CD8 ratio, and increased T cell activation accompanied the viral infection. All HIV-1 infected animals were able to generate both primary and secondary immune responses, including HIV specific human humoral and cellular responses. In addition to testing the efficacy of new antiviral compounds, this new murine HIV-1 model may be used for studying host-virus interactions and, most importantly, for screening and developing potential HIV-1 protective vaccines and adjuvants (Ayash-Rashkovsky et al., http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/doi/10.1096/fj.04-3185fje; doi:10.1096/fj.04-3185fje.).
Ayash-Rashkovsky
Mila
M
Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
Bentwich
Zvi
Z
Arditti
Fabian
F
Friedman
Smadar
S
Reisner
Yair
Y
Borkow
Gadi
G
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015497:HIV-1; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000637:transplantation; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007371:Interferon-gamma