Table 1.

Main general objectives for rodent models of invasive aspergillosis due to Aspergillus fumigatus.

✓ Mimicry the human disease in

➢ Local or disseminated aspergillosis

➢ Time lapse of clinical course

➢ Clinical outcome

✓ Stability and inter-lab reproducibility

✓ Ease of use for

➢ Animal handling

➢ Animal housing

➢ Animal sampling

✓ Availability of lab tools and reagents dedicated to

✓ Reliable basis and background to address studies focusing on

➢ Strain virulence and pathogenicity

➢ Pathophysiology

➢ Host immune response

➢ Diagnostic tool(s) assessment

➢ Imaging technology(-ies) assessment

➢ Pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics/toxicology

➢ Pre-clinical prophylactic assay(s)

➢ Pre-clinical therapeutic assay(s)

➢ Pre-clinical vaccine assay(s)

✓ Low costs

✓ Respect of ethical guidelines

✓ Minimum standardization

This above listing is probably not exhaustive, but it outlines the goals that are mostly thought to be critical for rodent support development in laboratories.