敲除I型干扰素受体的小鼠作为感染具有爆发潜力的高致病性病毒的动物模型

Due to their inability to generate a complete immune response, mice knockout for type I interferon (IFN) receptors (Ifnar-/-) are more susceptible to viral infections, and are thus commonly used for pathogenesis studies. This mouse model has been used to study many diseases caused by highly pathogenic viruses from many families, including the Flaviviridae, Filoviridae, Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Henipaviridae, and Togaviridae. In this review, we summarize the findings from these animal studies, and discuss the pros and cons of using this model versus other known methods for studying pathogenesis in animals.