DEVELOPMENT OF THE COTTON RAT AS AN ANIMAL MODEL

自1937年以来，棉花鼠一直被用于生物医学研究，当时它 成为首个地方性斑疹伤寒的小动物模型。从那时起，它 已经被证明对感染的范围非常大 人类和啮齿动物病原体的光谱。目前最感兴趣的是 它被用作人类呼吸道合胞病毒副流感的模型 囊性纤维化和囊性纤维化基因治疗的研究进展 α-1-抗胰蛋白酶缺乏症；丝虫病；松果体研究； 以及对环境的毒性。然而，棉花鼠的使用一直是 由于缺乏商业动物来源而受到严格限制， 近交棉大鼠和免疫试剂。Virion系统公司现在 商业上提供近交系棉鼠。国际贸易组织的发展 在这次拨款申请中提出的试剂将大大增加 利用棉鼠作为广谱人类模型的研究 疾病。

The cotton rat has been used in biomedical research since 1937, when it became the first small animal model of endemic typhus. Since then, it has been shown to be susceptible to infection by a remarkably wide spectrum of human and rodent pathogens. Of greatest current interest is its use as a model of human respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus type 3 and adenoviruses; of gene therapy of cystic fibrosis and alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency; of filariasis; of pineal gland research; and of environmental toxicity. Use of the cotton rat, however, has been severely restricted due to lack of a commercial source of animals, an inbred cotton rat and immunologic reagents. Virion Systems, Inc. now provides inbred cotton rats commercially. The development of the reagents proposed in this grant application will greatly increase the utilization of the cotton rat as a model for a wide spectrum of human diseases.