Affiliation:
1. Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
2. Graduate School in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
Abstract
Animal models are crucial in advancing biomedical research and defining the pathogenesis of human disease. Unfortunately, not all diseases can be easily modeled in a nonhuman host or such models are cost prohibitive to generate, including models for the human-specific virus JC polyomavirus (JCPyV). JCPyV infects most of the population but can cause a rare, fatal disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). There have been considerable advancements in understanding the molecular mechanisms of JCPyV infection, but this has mostly been limited to immortalized cell culture models. In contrast, PML pathogenesis research has been greatly hindered because of the lack of an animal model. We have further characterized JCPyV infection in primary human astrocytes to better define the infectious process in a primary cell type. Albeit a cell culture model, primary astrocytes may better recapitulate human disease, are easier to maintain than other primary cells, and are less expensive than using an animal model.
Funder
HHS | NIH | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
HHS | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Virology,Insect Science,Immunology,Microbiology
Cited by
8 articles.
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