Employing NOD/SCID/Jak3<sup>-/-</sup> mice transplanted with human PBMCs (hNOJ mice) and replication-competent, red-fluorescent-protein (mCherry; mC)-labeled HIV-1<sub>JR-FL</sub> (HIV<sub>mC</sub>), we examined whether early antiretroviral treatment blocked the establishment of HIV-1 infection.
Here, humanized NOD-Rag1<sup>-/-</sup> γc<sup>-/-</sup> mice differentially reconstituted with human CD34+ -enriched hematopoietic stem cells (Hu-mice), were used to assess target cell frequency and viral inoculation dose as determinants of HIV-1 infection following intravaginal (IVAG) challenge.
Early phase dynamics of traceable mCherry fluorescent protein-carrying HIV-1 infection in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells-transplanted NOD/SCID/Jak3<sup>-/-</sup> mice.
In this study, we utilized humanized Rag1KO.IL2RγcKO.NOD mice expressing HLA class II (DR4) molecule (DRAG mice) infused with HLA-matched hematopoietic stem cells from umbilical cord blood to study early events after HIV-1 infection, since the mucosal tissues of these mice are highly enriched for human lymphocytes and express the receptors and coreceptors needed for HIV-1 entry.
The first model, hu-spl-PBMC-NSG mice, uses NOD-SCID IL2rγ(-/-) (NSG) mice intrasplenically injected with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) which develop productive splenic HIV-1 infection after intrasplenic inoculation with a replication-competent HIV-1 expressing Renilla reniformis luciferase (HIV-LucR) and enables investigators to use bioluminescence to visualize and quantitate the temporal effects of therapeutics on HIV-1 infection.
Hematopoietic stem cell-engrafted NOD/SCID/IL2Rgamma null mice develop human lymphoid systems and induce long-lasting HIV-1 infection with specific humoral immune responses.