Title |
Mouse models of acute and chronic hepacivirus infection
|
---|---|
Published in |
Science, July 2017
|
DOI | 10.1126/science.aal1962 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Eva Billerbeck, Raphael Wolfisberg, Ulrik Fahnøe, Jing W Xiao, Corrine Quirk, Joseph M Luna, John M Cullen, Alex S Hartlage, Luis Chiriboga, Kalpana Ghoshal, W Ian Lipkin, Jens Bukh, Troels K H Scheel, Amit Kapoor, Charles M Rice |
Abstract |
An estimated 71 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The lack of small-animal models has impeded studies of antiviral immune mechanisms. Here we show that an HCV-related hepacivirus discovered in Norway rats can establish high-titer hepatotropic infections in laboratory mice with immunological features resembling those seen in human viral hepatitis. Whereas immune-compromised mice developed persistent infection, immune-competent mice cleared the virus within 3 to 5 weeks. Acute clearance was T cell dependent and associated with liver injury. Transient depletion of CD4(+) T cells before infection resulted in chronic infection, characterized by high levels of intrahepatic regulatory T cells and expression of inhibitory molecules on intrahepatic CD8(+) T cells. Natural killer cells controlled early infection but were not essential for viral clearance. This model may provide mechanistic insights into hepatic antiviral immunity, a prerequisite for the development of HCV vaccines. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 17 | 31% |
United Kingdom | 8 | 15% |
Canada | 3 | 6% |
Ireland | 1 | 2% |
Colombia | 1 | 2% |
France | 1 | 2% |
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 1 | 2% |
Switzerland | 1 | 2% |
Spain | 1 | 2% |
Other | 2 | 4% |
Unknown | 18 | 33% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 26 | 48% |
Scientists | 21 | 39% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 5 | 9% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 2 | 4% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 140 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 37 | 26% |
Researcher | 26 | 19% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 12 | 9% |
Student > Bachelor | 11 | 8% |
Student > Master | 9 | 6% |
Other | 13 | 9% |
Unknown | 32 | 23% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 33 | 24% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 27 | 19% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 18 | 13% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 11 | 8% |
Engineering | 2 | 1% |
Other | 11 | 8% |
Unknown | 38 | 27% |