GENERATION OF A NUDE-MOUSE TUMOR-MODEL FOR IN-VIVO REPLICATION OF HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common opportunistic infection resul ting in retinitis in 15%-40% of AIDS patients. Several anti-HCMV thera pies are currently available, and new treatments are in various stages of development. An HCMV animal model involving in vivo infection of h uman cells without the dependence on human fetuses or multiple surgica l procedures has been developed. A human glioblastoma cell line that i s permissive for HCMV replication (U373MG) was adapted to grow as a su bcutaneous tumor in nude mice. These tumors arise in similar to 7 days and grow progressively. An evaluation of HCMV DNA replication demonst rated an increase in the accumulation of HCWV DNA within infected tumo rs from 48 to 168 h after infection. Immunohistochemical analysis show ed focal areas of HCMV infection in which expression of immediate-earl y and late antigens was detected. In addition, it was demonstrated tha t ganciclovir inhibited HCMV DNA replication in vivo in a dose-depende nt manner.