Table 1.
Advantages and disadvantages of the major animal models for HIV cure research.a
| NHP/SIV or SHIV | Murine/HIV | Feline/FIV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sample size | +++ | + | ++ |
| Anatomy compared to humans | Similar | Different | Different |
| Similarity of virus to HIV | Different | Same | Different |
| Infection characteristics compared to human/HIV | Similar | Similar | Different |
| Availability for experimental infection in controlled conditions vis-à-vis route and dose of virus inoculation, drug regimens | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ability to deplete arms of immune system | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outbred | Yes | No | Yes |
| Major surgery required to generate the model | No | Yes | No |
| Development of graft-versus-host disease | No | Yes | No |
| Reservoir comparison to human/HIV | Similar | Similar | Different |
| Cost to maintain | +++ | ++ | ++ |