Authors: Kamel Mohamed, Pavulraj Selvaraj, Osterrieder Klaus, Azab Walid
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: In Vitro Models for EHV-1 Pathogenesis Research Understanding how equine herpesvirus type 1 establishes infection requires investigation of complex interactions between viral particles, respiratory and reproductive epithelial surfaces, circulating immune cells, and blood vessel linings—interactions that in vivo studies cannot easily dissect without animal welfare implications. Mohamed and colleagues reviewed the landscape of laboratory models available to researchers studying these mechanisms, categorising them into two functional groups: epithelial-immune cell systems (using nasal or vaginal tissue explants and cultured respiratory epithelial cells) and endothelial-immune cell systems (employing flow chambers and contact assays). Each model type has demonstrated utility in replicating tissue architecture relevant to natural infection pathways, generating mechanistically sound data, and substantially reducing reliance on experimental horse studies. Whilst in vivo equine models remain essential for investigating complications such as myeloencephalopathy or evaluating vaccine efficacy, the current portfolio of in vitro systems offers sufficient sophistication for rigorous investigation of virus-tissue interactions that inform our understanding of disease pathogenesis. Emerging microfluidic technologies—particularly three-dimensional culture platforms—promise further refinement of these tools and may represent the future standard for pre-clinical EHV-1 research.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Understanding EHV-1 pathogenesis mechanisms through in vitro models can inform development of improved vaccines and therapeutic interventions
- •Current in vitro research tools provide reliable data for virus-host tissue interaction studies while reducing reliance on live horse experimentation
- •Emerging microfluidic technologies may enable more sophisticated modeling of EHV-1 infection without requiring animal models for preliminary research phases
Key Findings
- •EHV-1 pathogenesis requires complex interactions between virus, mucosal epithelium, mononuclear cells, and vascular endothelium
- •In vitro models including epithelial explants, EREC cultures, and endothelial assays can effectively recapitulate in vivo tissue complexity and virus-host interactions
- •Current in vitro models reduce animal use while producing data relevant to natural host infection, though in vivo horse models remain necessary for myeloencephalopathy and vaccination studies
- •Microfluidic 3D culture systems (horse-on-a-chip) represent a promising advancement for future EHV-1 research