Table 1.

Humanized mouse models of infectious disease

Pathogen	Model	Infection route	Major findings	reference
Neisseria meningitides	SCID/Beige mice transplanted with human skin	Intravenously (IV)	N. meningitidis displays human specificity of adherence to human microvessels and causes vascular leakage, purpuric rashes and tissue necrosis. N. meningitides adhered to the human dermal microvessels in transplanted human skin and mediated vascular damage, inflammation and in some cases purpuric rash.	(145)
Herpes simplex virus type 2	HSC-engrafted BRG mice	intravaginal	Human T cells migrated into the iliac lymph node and vaginal tract and mounted a T cell, NK cell and antibody response to the virus and were able to reduce local viral replication	(146)
Human Herpes virus 6 (HHV6)	HSC-engrafted BRG mice	HHV6A-infected CD34+HSC IP or cell free virus IP	HHV6A can infect the thymus, lymph nodes and bone marrow and infection leads to an increase in double-positive CD4+CD8+ T cells in blood and loss of CD3−CD4−CD8− thymus progenitors	(147)
Human Cytomegalovirus	HSC-engrafted NSG mice.	HSC isolated from HCMV donors	Humanized mice created using G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) from CMV seropositive donors led to detection of CMV in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow of the recipients providing a model to study CMV transmission during PBSC transplantation	(148)
John Cunningham virus	NSG-BLT mice		JCV-specific IgM antibody responses, viral replication in both blood and urine; no CNS symptoms or infection suggesting factors required for productive JCV infection and induction of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) are absent in NSG-BLT mice	(149)
Leishmania major virus	HSC-engrafted NSG mice	foot pad injections	Infection of human macrophages and a human T cell response is observed but progresses to a systemic infection. Dose dependent footpad swelling, weight loss and mortality; CD4 and CD8 T cells infiltrate the foot pad	(150)
Varicella-zoster virus	CB17-scid mice with fetal human thymus/liver, sensory neurons, or skin transplants	Intraperitoneal	Human-specific pathogen that causes chickenpox and when reactivated in older individuals, causes shingles. Humanized mice have been used to study viral replication in human grafts and how the virus establishes latency.	For review, see (151)
Human T cell leukemia virus	NOG mice	Engraftment of CD133+ human stem cells	Productive infection for 4–5 months, rapid expansion of CD4+ T cells, and HTLV-1 specific immune responses were observed.	(152)
Nipah virus	NSG mice	Intragraft inocularion	Human lung xenograft model that was successfully infected with Nipah Virus, which replicated to high titers in the engrafted lung tissues.	(153)
Chlamydia	NSG BLT mice	Transcervicallly into the uterus	UV-killed Chlamydia complexed with synethic adjuvant particles induced a protective immune response. Vaccinated mice had CD4+ T cells producing IFNγ and had decreased bacterial burdens 4 days post rechallenge.	(154)