Authors
Robbert Boudewijns, Hendrik Jan Thibaut, Suzanne JF Kaptein, Rong Li, Valentijn Vergote, Laura Seldeslachts, Johan Van Weyenbergh, Carolien De Keyzer, Lindsey Bervoets, Sapna Sharma, Laurens Liesenborghs, Ji Ma, Sander Jansen, Dominique Van Looveren, Thomas Vercruysse, Xinyu Wang, Dirk Jochmans, Erik Martens, Kenny Roose, Dorien De Vlieger, Bert Schepens, Tina Van Buyten, Sofie Jacobs, Yanan Liu, Joan Martí-Carreras, Bert Vanmechelen, Tony Wawina-Bokalanga, Leen Delang, Joana Rocha-Pereira, Lotte Coelmont, Winston Chiu, Pieter Leyssen, Elisabeth Heylen, Dominique Schols, Lanjiao Wang, Lila Close, Jelle Matthijnssens, Marc Van Ranst, Veerle Compernolle, Georg Schramm, Koen Van Laere, Xavier Saelens, Nico Callewaert, Ghislain Opdenakker, Piet Maes, Birgit Weynand, Christopher Cawthorne, Greetje Vande Velde, Zhongde Wang, Johan Neyts, Kai Dallmeier
Publication date
2020/11/17
Journal
Nature communications
Volume
11
Issue
1
Pages
1-10
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Description
Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. In search for key targets of effective therapeutics, robust animal models mimicking COVID-19 in humans are urgently needed. Here, we show that Syrian hamsters, in contrast to mice, are highly permissive to SARS-CoV-2 and develop bronchopneumonia and strong inflammatory responses in the lungs with neutrophil infiltration and edema, further confirmed as consolidations visualized by micro-CT alike in clinical practice. Moreover, we identify an exuberant innate immune response as key player in pathogenesis, in which STAT2 signaling plays a dual role, driving severe lung injury on the one hand, yet restricting systemic virus dissemination on the other. Our results reveal the importance of STAT2-dependent interferon responses in the pathogenesis and virus control during SARS-CoV-2 infection and may help …
Scholar articles
R Boudewijns, HJ Thibaut, SJF Kaptein, R Li… - Nature communications, 2020