Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2025
Original Citation
Guan S,
Ogger P,
Farias A,
Garcia Martín M,
Nakawesi J,
Bedard O,
Baker C,
Rosenthal N,
Johansson C.
Sustained Lung Inflammation Post-SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Mice Is Associated with Increased Pulmonary T Cells. Eur J Immunol. 2025;55(8):e70043.
Keywords
JMG, Animals, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Mice, Lung, Mice, Inbred C57BL, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Disease Models, Animal, Mice, Transgenic, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, Pneumonia, Humans
JAX Source
Eur J Immunol. 2025;55(8):e70043.
ISSN
1521-4141
PMID
40851359
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.70043
Abstract
Many SARS-CoV-2 patients experience chronic pulmonary symptoms and long-term inflammation despite viral clearance. While these clinical manifestations have been linked to the dysregulation of the adaptive immune response, the underlying immunopathology remains poorly understood due to a lack of suitable animal models. To investigate long-term pulmonary consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we used a genetic cross of 129 mice and C57BL/6 (B6)-K18-hACE2 transgene mice, a model previously shown to survive infection. 129xB6-K18-hACE2 mice or littermate controls were infected with a low dose (5 × 102 PFU) of ancestral SARS-CoV-2. Complete viral clearance and full recovery from weight loss occurred by day 8 post-infection. However, prolonged inflammation in the lung and airways persisted up to day 28 post-infection and was associated with the presence of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, particularly CD8+ effector T cells. This model may therefore prove valuable for further understanding of drivers of long-term lung inflammation and for testing therapeutic strategies and clinically relevant interventions that can target long-term pulmonary inflammation following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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