| abstract |
The present invention pertains to a non-human genetically modified animal with increased susceptibility to infection with a human virus. The invention suggests to genetically impair the expression of newly identified viral infection repression factors CD302, Cr1l, Ndufc2, AW112010, Scarb2 and Zc3hav1, which markedly improves infection with human viruses in none-human hosts. Furthermore provided are methods for the generation of the animal of the invention, methods for increasing or reducing the susceptibility of a cell to viral infection, methods for screening novel modulators of viral infection as well as new therapy options for the treatment of viral diseases, in particular hepatitis C. |