The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Absence of microbiome in germ-free C57BL/6 and Swiss Webster mice markedly exacerbates disease after infection with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 MA10, with worse weight loss and lung dysfunction.
- Why it matters: Severe COVID-19 is linked to comorbidities characterized by microbiome dysbiosis, but the microbiota’s causal contribution to SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is unclear.
- What they did: Germ-free mice were infected with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 MA10 and compared with conventionally housed controls to assess weight loss, lung function, pulmonary pathology, and circulating cytokine/chemokine profiles.
- The result: Germ-free mice showed greater weight loss, impaired lung function, worsened lung pathology, and pronounced cytokine/chemokine changes, indicating resident microbiota limit MA10 pathogenicity and enabling germ-free COVID-19 model use to find protective taxa and interventions.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
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