Animal and translational models of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19.

COVID-19 is causing a major once-in-a-century global pandemic. The scientific and clinical community is in a race to define and develop effective preventions and treatments. The major features of disease are described but clinical trials have been hampered by competing interests, small scale, lack of defined patient cohorts and defined readouts. What is needed now is head-to-head comparison of existing drugs, testing of safety including in the background of predisposing chronic diseases, and the development of new and targeted preventions and treatments. This is most efficiently achieved using representative animal models of primary infection including in the background of chronic disease with validation of findings in primary human cells and tissues. We explore and discuss the diverse animal, cell and tissue models that are being used and developed and collectively recapitulate many critical aspects of disease manifestation in humans to develop and test new preventions and treatments.

Highly pathogenic avian H5N8 influenza viruses: should we be concerned?

Avian influenza A viruses pose a constant threat to global human health as sporadic infections continue to occur with associated high mortality rates. To date, a number of avian influenza virus subtypes have infected humans, including H5N1, H7N9, H9N2 and H7N7. The majority of 'bird flu' cases are thought to have arisen from direct contact with infected poultry, particularly in live markets in Asia. 1 While human cases of the H5N8 subtype have not been documented as yet, there is the potential that H5N8 viruses could acquire mutations which favour infection of human cells. There is also the possibility that novel viruses with a tropism for human cells could be generated if H5N8 should reassasort with other circulating avian viruses, such as those of the H5N1 subtype. The emergence of a novel H5N8 virus with the capability of infecting humans could have drastic consequences to global health.

X-ray reflectivity measurement of interdiffusion in metallic multilayers during rapid heating.

A technique for measuring interdiffusion in multilayer materials during rapid heating using X-ray reflectivity is described. In this technique the sample is bent to achieve a range of incident angles simultaneously, and the scattered intensity is recorded on a fast high-dynamic-range mixed-mode pixel array detector. Heating of the multilayer is achieved by electrical resistive heating of the silicon substrate, monitored by an infrared pyrometer. As an example, reflectivity data from Al/Ni heated at rates up to 200 K s-1 are presented. At short times the interdiffusion coefficient can be determined from the rate of decay of the reflectivity peaks, and it is shown that the activation energy for interdiffusion is consistent with a grain boundary diffusion mechanism. At longer times the simple analysis no longer applies because the evolution of the reflectivity pattern is complicated by other processes, such as nucleation and growth of intermetallic phases.

Recombinant interleukin-1 alpha and recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha synergize in vivo to induce early endotoxin tolerance and associated hematopoietic changes.

Endotoxin, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from gram-negative bacteria, invokes a wide range of responses in susceptible hosts. It is known that virtually all responses to LPS are mediated by the action of macrophage-derived cytokines (such as interleukin-1 [IL-1], tumor necrosis factor [TNF], and others) which are produced principally by macrophages and maximally within several hours of LPS administration. One manifestation of LPS administration which is not well understood is the phenomenon of "early endotoxin tolerance." In response to a single sublethal injection of LPS, experimental animals become refractory to challenge with a homologous or heterologous LPS preparation 3 to 4 days later. Animals rendered tolerant exhibit mitigated toxicity and a reduced capacity to produce circulating cytokines (i.e., colony-stimulating factor or interferon) in response to the challenge LPS injection. Previous studies have also shown that this state of transient, acquired hyporesponsiveness to LPS is accompanied by a marked increase in the size of cells in the bone marrow which are enriched in numbers of macrophage progenitors. In this study, we examined the capacity of recombinant IL-1 or recombinant TNF or both to induce early endotoxin tolerance and its associated hematopoietic changes. Neither cytokine alone was able to mimic LPS for induction of tolerance. Combined administration of recombinant IL-1 and recombinant TNF doses which were not toxic when administered individually led to synergistic toxicity (as assessed by death or weight loss). However, within a nontoxic range, the two cytokines synergized to induce a significant reduction in the capacity to produce colony-stimulating factor in response to LPS, as well as the characteristic increase in bone marrow cell size and macrophage progenitors shown previously to be associated with LPS-induced tolerance.