The SCID-hu mouse: An in vivo model for HIV-1 infection in humans

The lack of suitable animal models for the in vivo study of HIV-1 infection has prompted investigators to take advantage of the graft-rejection deficit in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Two separate approaches have been used to transplant human lymphoid and/or hemolymphoid tissues into SCID mice to generate chimeric animals in which distinct elements of the human immune system could be maintained and studied in vivo. The two models that arose from this work were the SCID-hu mouse and hu-PBL-SCID mouse. The goal of producing these distinct models is to provide an easily manipulable model for the in vivo analysis of HIV-1 infection and its ensuing pathophysiology. Both models support HIV-1 replication and display potential as models for studying antiviral strategies and mechanisms of viral pathogenesis. This review focuses on the SCID-hu mouse.