Mouse models of rhinovirus-induced disease and exacerbation of allergic airway inflammation.

Rhinoviruses cause serious morbidity and mortality as the major etiological agents of asthma exacerbations and the common cold. A major obstacle to understanding disease pathogenesis and to the development of effective therapies has been the lack of a small-animal model for rhinovirus infection. Of the 100 known rhinovirus serotypes, 90% (the major group) use human intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) as their cellular receptor and do not bind mouse ICAM-1; the remaining 10% (the minor group) use a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptor family and can bind the mouse counterpart.

Mouse respiratory epithelial cells support efficient replication of human rhinovirus.

Human rhinoviruses (HRV) are responsible for the majority of virus infections of the upper respiratory tract. Furthermore, HRV infection is associated with acute exacerbation of asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases of the lower respiratory tract. A small animal model of HRV-induced disease is required for the development of new therapies.