Dengue fever in humanized NOD/SCID mice

J Virol. 2005 Nov;79(21):13797-9. doi: 10.1128/JVI.79.21.13797-13799.2005.

Abstract

The increased transmission and geographic spread of dengue fever (DF) and its more severe presentation, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), make it the most important mosquito-borne viral disease of humans (50 to 100 million infections/year) (World Health Organization, Fact sheet 117, 2002). There are no vaccines or treatment for DF or DHF because there are no animal or other models of human disease; even higher primates do not show symptoms after infection (W. F. Scherer, P. K. Russell, L. Rosen, J. Casals, and R. W. Dickerman, Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 27:590-599, 1978). We demonstrate that nonobese diabetic/severely compromised immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice xenografted with human CD34+ cells develop clinical signs of DF as in humans (fever, rash, and thrombocytopenia), when infected in a manner mimicking mosquito transmission (dose and mode). These results suggest this is a valuable model with which to study pathogenesis and test antidengue products.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD34
  • Dengue / pathology*
  • Dengue Virus / pathogenicity*
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Exanthema / pathology
  • Fetal Blood / immunology
  • Fever / pathology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD / virology
  • Mice, SCID / virology
  • Thrombocytopenia / pathology
  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Antigens, CD34