Evidence mapPaperPMID 41839853Full record

ArticleSignal transduction and targeted therapy2026

A biosafe mouse model for SARS-CoV-2 infection that more realistically simulates COVID-19 symptoms.

Xiaoya Huang, Yingjian Li, Jikai Deng, Xue Tan, Shimin Yang, Jintao Liu, Zhengzhong Wu, Peiliang Shi, Li Zhou, Yu Chen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Xiaoya Huang *State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Yingjian Li *State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Jikai Deng *State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Xue TanState Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Shimin YangState Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Jintao LiuState Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Zhengzhong WuGemPharmatech Co. Ltd., Nanjing, China.
Peiliang ShiGemPharmatech Chengdu Co. Ltd., Chengdu, China.
Li ZhouInstitute for Vaccine Research at Animal Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory, Wuhan University School of Medicine, Wuhan, China. zhouli_jerry@whu.edu.cn.
Yu ChenState Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. chenyu@whu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1300-4652

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

COVID-19 resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection has presented significant challenges to global health over the past several years. Animal models are essential for studying the pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 and facilitating the development of therapeutic strategies. Transgenic hACE2 mouse models are widely used to explore the mechanisms responsible for severe and lethal COVID-19. However, current lethal transgenic mouse models are reported to die primarily from central nervous system infection, whereas in human patients, respiratory system infection is the primary cause of death. Moreover, earlier mouse models require the use of high-containment biosafety laboratories, which significantly limits SARS-CoV-2 studies and restricts broader experimental applications. Here, we established mouse models with systemic or lung-specific expression of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein based on the K18-hACE2 KI mice. Both strains of mice are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 ΔN/GFP-HBiT replicon delivery particles (RDPs), allowing efficient viral replication without producing infectious virions. Notably, lung-specific N-expressing mice exhibit only pulmonary infection, with lethality and pathological features closer to the clinical presentations of COVID-19. This RDP-infected mouse model enables the evaluation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs, with infection phenotypes closely resembling those of wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Overall, this model offers a safer, increasingly convenient, and more universally applicable tool for SARS-CoV-2 research and antiviral therapy development.

Indexed as

COVID-19Disease Models, AnimalNucleocapsid ProteinsSARS-CoV-2Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2AnimalsContainment of BiohazardsCoronavirus Nucleocapsid ProteinsHumansLungMiceMice, TransgenicPandemicsPhosphoproteinsVirus ReplicationACE2 protein, humanAce2 protein, mouseAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteinsnucleocapsid phosphoprotein, SARS-CoV-2Nucleocapsid ProteinsPhosphoproteins

Identifiers

PMID41839853
PMCPMC12993030

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.