Table 1 Comparison of Animal models for the Investigation of Retroviral Infections
From: The utilization of humanized mouse models for the study of human retroviral infections
Type of Model | Viral Infection | Method of Infection | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-Human Primates (chimpanzees, rhesus, pigtail, cynomologus ymacaques, etc.) | • HIV-1 | • IV | • Useful for vaccine and therapeutic studies | • SIV/SHIV are surrogates for HIV infection |
|  | • HIV-2 | • Vaginal | • Genetic similarities between species | • Differences in time course of disease |
|  | • SIV | • Rectal |  | • Differences in molecular and cellular markers |
|  | • SHIV |  |  | • Significant cost and ethical concerns |
Feline | • FIV | • IV | • Insight into neurological AIDS complications | • Strictly surrogate model |
|  |  | • Vaginal | • Pharmacological and vaccine studies |  |
|  |  | • Rectal |  |  |
Transgenic Mice/Rats | • HIV-1 | • IV | • Cost and accessibility | • Lack of viral replication and proliferation |
|  |  |  | • Manipulation of genome |  |
|  | • None | • Transgenic insertion of HIV genes | • Fusion and entry |  |
|  |  |  | • Effect of virus on different tissues |  |
Humanized Mice | • HIV-1 | • IV | • Cost and accessibility | • Further characterization of pathogenesis and continued evolution of model expected |
|  |  | • IP | • Manipulation of genome |  |
|  |  | • Vaginal | • Creation of human immune system scaffold for proliferating virus |  |
|  |  |  | • Mucosal infections |  |
|  |  | • Rectal | • Vaccine and therapeutics at varying stages of viral life cycle |  |
|  |  | • Thy/Liv |  |  |