Ebola virus disease in mice with transplanted human hematopoietic stem cells

J Virol. 2015 Apr;89(8):4700-4. doi: 10.1128/JVI.03546-14. Epub 2015 Feb 11.

Abstract

The development of treatments for Ebola virus disease (EVD) has been hampered by the lack of small-animal models that mimick human disease. Here we show that mice with transplanted human hematopoetic stem cells reproduce features typical of EVD. Infection with Ebola virus was associated with viremia, cell damage, liver steatosis, signs of hemorrhage, and high lethality. Our study provides a small-animal model with human components for the development of EVD therapies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Ebolavirus / immunology*
  • Fatty Liver / pathology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Hemorrhage / pathology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / immunology*
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / pathology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / transmission*
  • Heterografts / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Viremia / pathology