Human lung organoids to study foetal RSV infection

Dr Terry Harford (Cleveland Clinic, USA) used human lung organoids, which model foetal lung development, to observe molecular and cellular changes when infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) [1]. The researchers showed that the organoids reacted in much the same way as a real lung does upon RSV infection. In healthy adults, RSV feels like the common cold with a runny nose, chest congestion, and cough. However, it is the second leading cause of death in infants. In fact, nearly 40% of infants who contract this widespread virus develop severe bronchiolitis or pneumonia, with 1-3% hospitalised. Each year, there are about 64 million cases and 160,000 deaths due to RSV worldwide. Contracting RSV within the first few months of life can make a child more susceptible to developing asthma later in life. Animal models of transplacental transmission of RSV from lungs of pregnant rats to foetuses showed that 30% of the foetuses contract the infection [...

Please login to read the full text of the article.

If you have no account yet, please register now.

Posted on 23 July, 201924 March, 2021