A state-of-the-art flow cytometer awarded to West Virginia University (WVU) in 2013 has helped investigators make scientific advances across a remarkably wide range of disciplines. West Virginia is among the Institutional Development Award (IDeA)–eligible states, which are those that historically have had low levels of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.

In 2015 and 2016, the Zika virus outbreak in South America surprised the global community. In pregnant women, the virus led to a high rate of fetal abnormalities, collectively called congenital Zika syndrome. Babies suffered from such birth defects as microcephaly, which is characterized by a small head and an incompletely developed brain. Although the peak of the outbreak has passed, the risk of another outbreak remains because transmission occurs primarily via infected mosquitos.

Newborns can be exposed to HIV—the virus that causes AIDS—during gestation, birth, or breastfeeding. In general, babies born to mothers who test positive for HIV are screened and tested. If found positive, the babies will receive the standard of care: antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment. Because no cure currently exists for HIV, these babies will receive treatments for the rest of their lives to keep the virus suppressed (i.e.,below detectable levels).

Jesse V. Jokerst, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of NanoEngineering
Affiliate Faculty, Materials Science Program
Adjunct Faculty, Department of Radiology
University of California, San Diego

Precision disease modeling has gained increased interest in the research community in recent years and remains at the forefront of personalized medicine approaches for developing models of human disease. Informed by recommendations¹ from the 2013 “Animal Models and Personalized Medicine Symposium” to coordinate research projects to facilitate knowledge and resource sharing, the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Precision Disease Modeling Initiative in 2014.

Dr. Mauricio Martins has long been fascinated by the complexity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its relevance to public health. “The virus…is able to overcome the most sophisticated defenses in the immune system,” Dr. Martins explained. As an immunologist, he is interested in developing new ways to harness the immune system to eliminate HIV.

The current COVID-19 pandemic in humans, caused by the novel coronavirus strain SARS-CoV-2, has compelled scientists around the world to work remarkably fast to develop vaccines and therapeutics. To achieve this, many researchers are looking to use animal models for their studies. But do animal models for COVID-19 research exist?

Animal Models for Coronavirus Research

ORIP aims to provide investigators with the resources and infrastructure they need to improve human health, including by supporting the development of animal models of human disease. The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in humans, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain, has compelled scientists around the world to work remarkably fast to develop vaccines and therapeutics using animal models.

Immunodeficient animals play an important role in biomedical research by allowing the examination of engrafted human cells under in vivo conditions, without risk of rejection. Researchers use these animals to study basic biology, model human diseases, and develop new therapies. Many fields have benefitted from this type of research, including stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, transplantation, infectious diseases, immunology, and cancer.