The Project
This project is part of the
Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative. Within the 14 defined challenges
our goal is to develop a suitable mouse model for testing vaccines against HCV.
Today, we are severely limited in our capacity to study the pathophysiology of
infections diseases in man. Laboratory animals have been used to model human
diseases and have provided critical information that has advanced our understanding
of several human pathophysiologies. Nevertheless, for many human diseases, no
adequate animal model has been identified (since the pathology only develops
in human tissues). Alternatively, when a model does exist, its widespread use
may be limited because of cost issues, poor accessibility or ethical considerations
(e.g. primate models). More specifically, the lack of adequate animal experimental
infection models has hampered the development of therapeutic and/or prophylactic
interventions against HCV and HIV.
