Table 11.1.
Advantages and disadvantages of selected animal models for vaccine development
| Species | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Mouse | Low cost ($20–120 per animal); easy to handle; can be housed in groups in cage systems/microisolators; immune system very well characterized; short breeding cycles; hemo-chorial placentation allowing transfer of some IgG subclasses; abundance of reagents and assays available; genetically well defined and matched; adaptive transfer of immune cells possible; plethora of well-defined transgenic strains available | Small size; access to mucosal surfaces and several immune compartments limited; manipulation of neonates very difficult; short neonatal period; limited routes for vaccine delivery; PRR-expression on dendritic cells differs from humans; short life-span |
| Rat | Low cost ($60–120 per animal); easy to handle; can be housed in cage systems/microisolators; immune system very well characterized; relatively short breeding cycles; hemo-chorial placentation allowing transfer of some IgG subclasses; reagents available but limited; some MHC-matched strains available | Not as easy to handle as mice; less reagents available; small size; limited access to immune compartments and mucosal surfaces; need to be housed in smaller groups, sometimes individually |
| Cotton rat | Moderate cost ($80–120); can be housed in cages; excellent model for respiratory infections; reagents for common cytokines and biomarkers available; hemo-chorial placentation allowing transfer of some IgG subclasses; moderate life-span | Require individual housing; difficult to handle; small size, limited access to certain immune compartments; few reagents available |
| Woodchuck | Excellent model for hepatitis virus infections; hemo-chorial placentation; relatively long life span (up to 20 years in captivity) | Require individual housing; specific needs; difficult to handle; small size; limited access to certain immune compartments; few reagents available |
| Guinea pig | Moderate cost ($50–150); easy to handle; can be housed in cages; routinely used to produce polyclonal sera | Small size; limited access to immune compartments; few reagents available |
| Rabbit | Moderate cost ($50–150); easy to handle; can be housed in cages or groups; good serum donors; larger life span; hemo-chorial placentation | Require infrastructure to house larger numbers; fewer reagents available |
| Ferret | Moderate cost ($150–300); excellent model for respiratory viral infections including influenza; outbred species; access to mucosal compartments | Small size; difficult to handle; requires specific training and infrastructure |
| Pig | Moderate cost ($50–1,000); large size allows access to mucosal surfaces and various immune compartments; physiologically very similar to humans; epithelio-chorial placenta type; no transfer of antibodies; access to fetus and fetal tissues; genome has been sequenced and is currently being annotated; outbred species; MHC-matched lines available that facilitate adoptive transfer; “minipigs” that are smaller in size and easier to handle; widely accepted model for xenotransplantation; mucosal delivery of vaccines possible; large toolkit available | Requires facilities and training; anatomically reverse lymph nodes; grow very fast; host to endogenous retroviruses. |
| Sheep, goat | Moderate cost ($100–300); easy to handle; large size allows access to mucosal surfaces and various immune compartments; epithelio-chorial placenta type; no transfer of antibodies; access to fetus and fetal tissues; long neonatal period; functional mucosal immune system at birth; mucosal delivery of vaccines easily possible; outbred species | Requires special facilities and training; seasonal breeders, lambs available max three times a year; only 1–2 lambs per ewe |
| Cattle | Large size allows access to mucosal surfaces and various immune compartments; physiologically very similar to humans; epithelio-chorial placenta type; no transfer of antibodies; access to fetus and fetal tissues; mucosal immune system fully functional at birth; access to various immune compartments including colostrums and milk; long neonatal period; genome has been sequenced at annotated; reagents for the most common cytokines, isotypes and biomarkers available; mucosal delivery of vaccines; outbred species | Moderate cost ($500–2,000); requires special facilities and training; long breeding cycle, only 1–2 offspring per year |
| Horse | Epithelio-chorial placenta type; long-life span; excellent model for the elderly; access to a variety of immune compartments including the mucosal surfaces; long neonatal period; mucosal immune system fully functional at birth; outbred species | High cost ($500–3,000); need for special facilities and training |
| Dog | Moderate cost ($150–450); longer-life span; access to immune compartment and mucosal sites; endothelial-chorial placenta type; outbred species | Need for special facilities and training; not as easy to handle in larger groups; few reagents available; immune system not fully developed at birth |
| Cat | Moderate cost ($100–250); longer-life span; access to immune compartment and mucosal sites; endothelial-chorial placenta type, outbred species | Need for special facilities and training; not as easy to handle in larger groups; few reagents available; immune system not fully developed at birth |
| Non-human primate | Very costly ($1,000–20,000); physiologically very similar to humans (depending on species); easy access to mucosal sites and many immune compartments; immune functions well defined; outbred species; hemo-chorial placenta type | Very costly ($1,000–20,000); need for special facilities and training; immune system develops post partum |
MHC major histocompatibility complex, PRR pattern recognition receptor