title: BLT humanized mice as model to study HIV vaginal transmission.
abstract: The majority of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections occur by sexual exposure, and vaginal transmission accounts for more than half of all newly acquired infections. Studies of vaginal transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus to nonhuman primates (NHPs) have suggested an important role for immune cell trafficking in the establishment of infection as well is in the process of viral dissemination. However, NHP models do not permit the study of HIV transmission and dissemination. The improvement of humanized mouse models with robust human immune cell reconstitution of the female genital tract renders these mice susceptible to intravaginal HIV infection. Thus humanized mouse models of HIV vaginal infection will allow the study of the mechanisms involved in HIV transmission and dissemination in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Center for Immunology & Inflammatory Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Maud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deruaz
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Luster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*
keywords: HIV; humanized mice; mucosal infection