Syrian hamsters as a small animal model for SARS-CoV-2 infection and countermeasure development

Masaki Imai , Kiyoko Iwatsuki‐Horimoto , Masato Hatta , Masaki Imai , Kiyoko Iwatsuki‐Horimoto , Masato Hatta , Samantha Loeber , Peter Halfmann , Noriko Nakajima , Tokiko Watanabe , Michiko Ujie , Kenta Takahashi , Mutsumi Ito , S. Yamada , Shufang Fan , S. Chiba , Makoto Kuroda , Lizheng Guan , K. Takada , Tammy Armbrust , Aaron Balogh , Yuri Furusawa , Moe Okuda , Hiroshi Ueki , Atsuhiro Yasuhara , Yuko Sakai‐Tagawa , Tiago J. S. Lopes , Maki Kiso , Seiya Yamayoshi , Noriko Kinoshita , Norio Ohmagari , Shin-ichiro Hattori , Makoto Takeda , Hiroaki Mitsuya , Florian Krammer , Tadaki Suzuki , Yoshihiro Kawaoka
2020 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 1,134 citations

Abstract

Significance Since SARS-CoV-2 emerged in China, it has spread rapidly around the world. Effective vaccines and therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2−induced disease (coronavirus disease 2019;COVID-19) are urgently needed. We found that SARS-CoV-2 isolates replicate efficiently in the lungs of Syrian hamsters and cause severe pathological lesions in the lungs of these animals similar to commonly reported imaging features of COVID-19 patients with pneumonia. SARS-CoV-2−infected hamsters mounted neutralizing antibody responses and were protected against rechallenge with SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, passive transfer of convalescent serum to naïve hamsters inhibited virus replication in their lungs. Syrian hamsters are a useful small animal model for the evaluation of vaccines, immunotherapies, and antiviral drugs.

Keywords

MesocricetusVirologyHamsterSyrian hamstersSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)PneumoniaCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Neutralizing antibodyCoronavirusDiseaseAntibodyVirusViral replicationMedicineBiologyImmunology2019-20 coronavirus outbreakInfectious disease (medical specialty)PathologyOutbreakInternal medicine

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Year
2020
Type
article
Volume
117
Issue
28
Pages
16587-16595
Citations
1134
Access
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Masaki Imai, Kiyoko Iwatsuki‐Horimoto, Masato Hatta et al. (2020). Syrian hamsters as a small animal model for SARS-CoV-2 infection and countermeasure development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 117 (28) , 16587-16595. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2009799117

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DOI
10.1073/pnas.2009799117