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Review
. 2024 Jul 18;45(4):747-766.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.062.

Immunobiology of COVID-19: Mechanistic and therapeutic insights from animal models

Hong-Yi Zheng  1 , Tian-Zhang Song  1 , Yong-Tang Zheng  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Immunobiology of COVID-19: Mechanistic and therapeutic insights from animal models

Hong-Yi Zheng et al. Zool Res. .

Abstract
in English, Chinese

The distribution of the immune system throughout the body complicates in vitro assessments of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) immunobiology, often resulting in a lack of reproducibility when extrapolated to the whole organism. Consequently, developing animal models is imperative for a comprehensive understanding of the pathology and immunology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This review summarizes current progress related to COVID-19 animal models, including non-human primates (NHPs), mice, and hamsters, with a focus on their roles in exploring the mechanisms of immunopathology, immune protection, and long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as their application in immunoprevention and immunotherapy of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Differences among these animal models and their specific applications are also highlighted, as no single model can fully encapsulate all aspects of COVID-19. To effectively address the challenges posed by COVID-19, it is essential to select appropriate animal models that can accurately replicate both fatal and non-fatal infections with varying courses and severities. Optimizing animal model libraries and associated research tools is key to resolving the global COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a robust resource for future emerging infectious diseases.

由于免疫系统在体内分布复杂，体外实验在评估新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）的免疫生物学时可重复性差，并难以将推广至整个机体。因此，迫切需要建立动物模型，全面了解新型冠状病毒（SARS-CoV-2）感染的免疫学和病理学机制。该文综述了当前COVID-19动物模型的最新进展，主要包括非人灵长类动物、小鼠和仓鼠；阐明这些动物模型揭示的SARS-CoV-2感染的免疫病理机制、免疫保护作用和长期影响，以及它们在SARS-CoV-2感染的免疫预防和免疫治疗方面的应用。我们强调不同动物模型之间存在差异及其适用范围，因为没有一种模型能够完全涵盖COVID-19的所有方面。为了应对COVID-19的多样性威胁，我们指出选择合适的动物模型对准确地模拟致命或非致命感染的疾病特征是至关重要的。优化现有动物模型库并开发相关研究工具是解决全球COVID-19大流行挑战的关键，也是为应对未来新发传染性流行奠定坚实基础。.

Keywords: Animal models; COVID-19; Immunotherapy; Infection immunology; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Immunological applications of common COVID-19 animal models
Figure 2
Figure 2
Infection immunology based on COVID-19 animal models
Figure 3
Figure 3
COVID-19 immunotherapy based on animal models
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Grants and funding

The work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFC2303700, 2021YFC2301300), Yunnan Key Research and Development Program (202303AC100026), National Natural Science Foundation of China (82302002, 82341069), Yunnan Fundamental Research Project (202201AS070047), and Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB0490000)