from M. Shane Smith, Daniel N. Streblow, Patrizia Caposio, and Jay A. Nelson writing in Cytomegaloviruses: From Molecular Pathogenesis to Intervention:
The generation of mice engrafted with human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) has allowed, for the first time, the study of human specific viruses in an in vivo setting. These humanized mouse models have been developed and improved over the past 30 years. It is now possible to achieve high levels of human cell engraftment producing human myeloid and lymphoid lineage cells. Humanized mouse models have been increasingly utilized in the study of human cytomegalovirus, a human-specific beta-herpesvirus that infects myeloprogenitor cells and establishes a life-long latency in the infected host. Upon mobilization and differentiation of infected bone marrow progenitor cells the latent virus reactivates and disseminates to other tissues. In this paper, we review the current status of the HSC-engrafted mouse models used to study HCMV latency and reactivation. We will first highlight the role myeloid lineage cells plays in HCMV biology and then describe the types of humanized mouse models that have been used in HIV, EBV, KSHV and HCMV anti-viral therapy studies. We will then describe recent studies utilizing the latest generation of humanized mice for the study of HCMV latency and reactivation and outline the future role that these models may play in the study of human-specific viruses.
Further reading: Cytomegaloviruses: From Molecular Pathogenesis to Intervention