Cotton Rat Influenza Model Launched by Noble Life Sciences
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Noble Life Sciences and IBT Bioservices have announced a newly optimized cotton rat model for preclinical studies of influenza therapies and vaccines. The companies jointly developed the model of influenza infection in the cotton rat.
Cotton rats are a vital tool to study influenza infection because adaptation of human influenza strains is not required for virus replication in the respiratory tract. Moreover, virus infection results in histopathological lesions in the lungs that are similar to those seen during natural infection of humans.
Alain Cappeluti, President of Noble Life Sciences, noted, “The optimization of our influenza cotton rat model is the result of a collaborative effort combining the in vivo model expertise of Noble Life Sciences with the vaccine development and virology expertise of IBT Bioservices. We are excited to add this important model along with our cotton rat RSV model to our infectious disease services.”
“We are pleased with our collaboration with Noble Life Sciences in the optimization of this model. Although vaccines and antiviral agents are effective in the prophylaxis and treatment of the disease, each year changes in the influenza virus surface proteins require the development of new vaccines and the emergence of drug-resistant strains necessitates the search for new antiviral agents. The cotton rat model of influenza infection will facilitate the development of such vaccines and therapeutics,” commented Dr. Javad Aman, President and CSO of IBT Bioservices.
