Mice cannot catch coronavirus; but new Iranian gene-edited mice can

Yusef Jalali 
Press TV, Tehran 

Lab rats have always been used as guinea pigs for testing brand-new medicine, but when it comes to the coronavirus, the story is different; mice cannot be infected with the coronavirus, since they do not have the receptor that hosts the virus.

Iran's Royan Institute, which specializes in biomedical and stem cell research, has created transgenic mice with a human receptor on their cells.

The receptor, called hACE2, is the one that the coronavirus uses to make its way into human cells. That means the genetically-modified mice can now catch the virus.

The transgenic mice can be used to understand unexpected clinical manifestations of the coronavirus infection in humans. Experts at Royan Institute say the mice can also be used as a viable stand-in for humans in testing potential vaccines and therapeutics.

Royan Institute is currently developing its own COVID vaccine. The preclinical stages will involve testing the vaccine on the genetically modified mice.

Royan’s vaccine is one of the eight jabs Iran is developing. Two of them have made their way to the human trial phase, so far. Since the virus struck in Iran, Royan Institute has stepped in to join the fight against COVID-19 by mass producing test kits.

Now as its vaccine is lagging behind in the race with its domestic rivals, the biotech firm says lab results show that its vaccine is a promising candidate. It will soon enter the animal trial phase.