Abstract
The fatal acute respiratory coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, infection and mortality rates have been rising steadily worldwide. The lack of a vaccine, as well as preventive and therapeutic strategies, emphasize the need to develop new strategies to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission and pathogenesis. Since mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2 share a common genus, lessons learnt from MHV and SARS-CoV could offer mechanistic insights into SARS-CoV-2. This review provides a comprehensive review of MHV in mice and SARS-CoV-2 in humans, thereby highlighting further translational avenues in the development of innovative strategies in controlling the detrimental course of SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, we have focused on various aspects, including host species, organotropism, transmission, clinical disease, pathogenesis, control and therapy, MHV as a model for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 as well as mouse models for infection with SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. While MHV in mice and SARS-CoV-2 in humans share various similarities, there are also differences that need to be addressed when studying murine models. Translational approaches, such as humanized mouse models are pivotal in studying the clinical course and pathology observed in COVID-19 patients. Lessons from prior murine studies on coronavirus, coupled with novel murine models could offer new promising avenues for treatment of COVID-19.
Highlights
In December 2019, a newly identified β-coronavirus infected thousands of people in theWubei province, China, causing the acute respiratory coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)(https://globalbiodefense.com/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-portal/)
Another report showed that mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)-A59 replicated in the lung and induced acute pneumonia and severe lung injuries in both young and old C57BL/6 mice, which closely mimicked Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by SARS-CoV
This review provides a comprehensive overview of MHV and SARS-CoV as possible murine surrogate models to understand, decipher, and use the pathomechanisms and viral characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 as therapeutic approaches
Summary
In December 2019, a newly identified β-coronavirus infected thousands of people in the. Infection models comprise various viruses including the respiratory or enterotropic mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), which belongs to the coronavirus family of enveloped positive-strand RNA viruses. Since SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus, the murine infection with MHV amongst others could serve as an experimental model to study principles of COVID-19. The present review provides a comprehensive overview of coronavirus in mice and the newly discovered SARS-CoV-2, putting these viruses into relation to other coronaviruses. We focused on major topics that comprise a description of coronaviruses, host species as well as organotropism, transmission, clinical disease, pathogenesis, therapy, and control of MHV and COVID-19. We provide information on the relevance of MHV and mice as models for widening the knowledge of the pathogenesis and therapeutic approaches for the human coronaviruses with the emphasis on SARS-CoV-2
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