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Review
. 2021 Feb 27;13(3):379.
doi: 10.3390/v13030379.

In Vitro and In Vivo Models for Studying SARS-CoV-2, the Etiological Agent Responsible for COVID-19 Pandemic

Rafael B Rosa  1   2 , Willyenne M Dantas  3 , Jessica C F do Nascimento  1 , Murilo V da Silva  2 , Ronaldo N de Oliveira  3 , Lindomar J Pena  1
Affiliations
Review

In Vitro and In Vivo Models for Studying SARS-CoV-2, the Etiological Agent Responsible for COVID-19 Pandemic

Rafael B Rosa et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

The emergence and rapid worldwide spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has prompted the scientific community to rapidly develop in vitro and in vivo models that could be applied in COVID-19 research. In vitro models include two-dimensional (2D) cultures of immortalized cell lines or primary cells and three-dimensional (3D) cultures derived from lung, alveoli, bronchi, and other organs. Although cell-based systems are economic and allow strict control of experimental variables, they do not always resemble physiological conditions. Thus, several in vivo models are being developed, including different strains of mice, hamsters, ferrets, dogs, cats, and non-human primates. In this review, we summarize the main models of SARS-CoV-2 infection developed so far and discuss their advantages, drawbacks and main uses.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; in vitro models; in vivo models.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Models for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) studies. In vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models previously reported were organized according to complexity level. Advantages and disadvantages of each model are summarized in the table below. Created with BioRender.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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